Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Well, like I said before, one more chapter after this and then they're out of the living room. Oh, and Sam's definitely going to find out about the Emperor's true identity, but Ken isn't the one who's going to tell him. Poor Sam is going to find out the hard way...

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 83: The Passing of the Torch

Ken Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Ken leaned against the back of the couch and gazed helplessly at his son. He wanted to comfort Sam, but he did not know what to say.

If I tell him the truth, he'll never speak to me again, but if I keep the Emperor's identity a secret, I may end up losing him anyway. Poor Sam. No wonder he's so upset. He really believes the Emperor was an evil person, and now he's afraid he might be evil, too. This is all Spritemon's fault! If Sirenmon hadn't started comparing my son to the Emperor, he never would have started asking me all those questions in the first place. In fact, he probably never would have taken an interest in the Emperor at all if Vampiramon's buddies hadn't decided to torment him about my past just for fun. They'll pay for what they've done to my son, especially DarkAngelicmon. I know he wants to hurt Sam, but I have a feeling he wants to hurt me, too...

"Dad, why won't you say anything?" Sam wailed, his dark blue eyes sparkling with emotion.

Ken glanced anxiously at his wife, but Yolei just sighed and shook her head. Obviously she did not have a clue what to do, and he felt the exact same way. There was only one thing he was sure of. He was probably going to have to tell his son about the Emperor eventually, but today was not going to be that day. They had other things to worry about, and he did not want Sam to be thinking about the Emperor when his son was supposed to be focusing on stopping Vampiramon and her buddies from taking over the Digital World. A mistake like that could be deadly, and he was going to do everything he could to make sure his son stayed out of trouble.

I have a feeling Sam and the others aren't the only ones who know what happened twenty-five years ago. Unlike Sam, Vampiramon and her friends know the truth, and I'm not going to let them ruin the relationship I have with my son! I don't want Sam to find out about the Emperor at all, but if there is no other option then I'm going to make sure I'm the one who tells him. There's no way I'm going to let some evil digimon give my son a twisted version of the truth!

He did not want anyone else around when Sam finally found out his secret because he did not think he could live with the humiliation of being hated by his own son. How could he let his friends witness what was bound to be an unpleasant conversation filled with heartache? That was the main reason why he was unable to answer his son's questions at the moment, but despite common sense he had a horrible feeling he was just trying to make excuses for himself.

Sam's going to find out the truth eventually, with or without your help, and you know it! Why don't you just answer his questions before it's too late?

Unfortunately his heart could not agree with his mind, and in the end his heart won out.

"Dad-"

"We'll talk later," he whispered softly in his son's ear. He knew his voice sounded shaky, but he was more concerned with the fact that his heart felt like it was going to explode. He had never been so frightened in his life, and the pain he knew he was causing Sam made him shift uncomfortably in his seat. He did not want to hurt his son, but he knew he had no other choice. His kids were his whole life, and he knew he would not be able to survive without them.

"No, you can't do this to me!" Sam sobbed against his chest. "I need to know the truth, and you and your friends are the only ones who can help me."

I'm sorry, Sam. I'm sorry I'm such a terrible father...

"I'm scared, Daddy," Nao whimpered, his small arms curling around Yolei's neck. The younger boy had scrambled onto his mother's lap in order to avoid being crushed by his older brother, and the look he sent Sam was filled with pure terror.

So am I, Nao. So am I...

"Dad-"

"The Emperor's the reason why you asked me if I thought you were a good person a few days ago, right?"

Sam slowly nodded, and Ken squeezed his eyes shut. All of a sudden his son's strange behaviour was starting to make sense, and the truth about what was really going on made him feel sick to his stomach again.

"Please, Dad? You have to tell me," Sam said tearfully.

Ken held his son tightly in his arms and swallowed a painful lump in his throat. "I love you, Sam. I know you're scared, but you really don't have anything to worry about. We'll talk when we have a chance to be alone together, okay?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart, your dad and I know you're going to be just fine," Yolei said firmly. She gave their son a quick kiss on the cheek, but Sam refused to be comforted.

"Why? Why can't you guys tell me now?"

"Good question," T.K. said quietly.

Ken blushed and quickly turned away from the golden-haired Digidestined. T.K. had become a good friend of his over the years, but despite the strength of their relationship he still could not help feeling a little bit surprised when the blond would suddenly treat him as if he were the most important person on the planet. T.K.'s children were exactly the same way. Sam was obviously very fond of Mickey, and he was glad his son had chosen to put his faith in someone who deserved it. Matty certainly seemed to approve of Mickey's close friendship with Sam, and that was definitely not something to be taken lightly. Then again, Matty had a tendency to approve of everything Mickey did, so it was a good thing the older twin had turned out to be such a good role model for his brother.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer me?" T.K. asked, his bright blue eyes growing dark and cloudy.

Ken knew his friend was not going to stop questioning him until he came up with an answer, but luckily Davis saved him before he could open his mouth and blurt out something incredibly stupid.

"You're one to talk!" the former leader snorted, sounding extremely amused.

T.K.'s face turned pink, and Ken smiled when he realized his blond friend was making a vain attempt to ignore the curious looks Rina and the twins were sending Davis.

T.K. knows exactly how I feel. I'll have to remember to thank Davis later. My best friend's right. Sam has nothing to fear. If I can turn away from being the Emperor then there's no reason why my son won't be able to prove he's stronger than the darkness, as well. Sam's going to be okay. I know he is, and I'm glad Mickey and the others are going to do everything they can to help him out.

He could feel T.K. watching him closely, and looking up, he gave the blond a small smile. He knew exactly why Sam wanted to be good friends with Mickey because he felt the exact same way about a certain golden-haired Digidestined who held the Crest of Hope.

"Dad? Please tell me as soon as possible. I don't think I can wait much longer," Sam whispered desperately in his ear.

I would if I didn't love you so much.

Ken rested his cheek against his son's raven head and glanced nervously at his best friend. He could tell Davis was disappointed in him for not telling his son about the Emperor, but that was the least of his concerns. Right now he had more important things to worry about.

"Sam's not the only one who wants to know what's going on," Miya said shortly.

Ken stroked his son's dark hair and sent his wife a frantic look. Sam felt almost fragile in his arms, and the haunted look in his son's eyes made him shiver. I wonder how Miya will feel when she finds out the truth...

"No one's going to hurt you, sweetie," Yolei said tearfully, her hand coming to rest against Sam's pale cheek. "I'll take on DarkAngelicmon myself if I have to!"

Ken shook his head and started to laugh. She would do it, too, and probably succeed. That was one of the things he loved best about her.

"I won't be the same person again until I know," Sam said dully.

Then I can't win either way. Your heart is still with you at the moment, but if I tell you the truth then you'll definitely never be the same person again...

Ken cradled his son's smaller body against his chest and held the boy as tightly as he could. Sam had gone limp in his arms, and he felt like he was holding on to an empty shell. "You know what, Sam? I wish I could be as strong as you are, but I think that's one thing you definitely got from your mom. We'll talk eventually, but first we have to figure out what we're going to do about Vampiramon and her buddies."

"You mean...you guys aren't going to try and stop us from going to the Digital World?" Dai gasped, his dark eyes growing wide with shock.

Davis gently took Dai's face in his hands and gazed deeply into his son's eyes. "No, Dai, I don't think we could stop any of you from going, even if we wanted to. My friends and I risked our lives to save the Digital World, and we're not going to let our efforts go to waste. You and your friends were chosen to be Digidestined for a reason, and if we try to stop you from helping your digimon friends then we would be turning our backs on everything we have ever believed in. I always had a feeling there was a reason why I felt so strongly about giving you those goggles, and now I know I made the right decision. You will be a good leader, Dai, but you're not fighting this battle all by yourself. Your friends are here to give you guidance and support, and it would be an insult to them if you refused to listen to their advice. You might not be the smartest or the most level-headed Digidestined, but that's what your friends are here for. They contribute to the team by lending you their greatest strengths, and you give them what you do best. Motivation. I believe in you, and so do your friends."

"That was so beautiful!" Yolei sobbed into her younger son's lavender hair.

Davis shrugged and started to laugh. "Wow, I think that's the most useful thing I've ever said in my entire life!"

"There's a first time for everything!" Tai joked.

"Hey! I don't see you coming up with any good advice!"

Dai rolled his eyes and gave his father a big hug. "Thanks, Dad. We won't let you guys down. I promise."

"Be careful," Mimi whispered, "and don't forget we're always here if you need some help."

"Well, like my friends and I said before, we're going to need you guys in order to find the crests, so now might be a good time for a little bit of advice," Dai replied, looking a little sheepish.

"Where's my laptop? I know it's around here somewhere! I did bring it with me, didn't I?"

Ken turned towards the computer expert and managed a weak smile. Izzy was glancing frantically around the room for his computer, and he looked like he was about to panic.

"It's right here, honey," Mina replied, her dark eyes sparkling with amusement. She pointed at Izzy's laptop, which was sitting on the edge of the coffee table, and the computer expert quickly grabbed it.

"Dad, you're such a nerd!" Taniko giggled.

Izzy ignored his daughter and proceeded to tap away at the keyboard on his laptop at a rather alarming pace.

"We really are sorry we didn't tell you guys the truth a lot sooner," Kari said softly, looking extremely guilty.

Dai smiled at her and quickly shook his head. "Don't worry about it. All of you are forgiven. Besides, we were keeping secrets from you guys, too, and that makes us even."

"Dai's right. We're sorry about lying to you and going to the Digital World behind your backs," Takara said meekly.

Tai laughed and gave his daughter a warm hug. "If you guys can forgive us then there's no reason why we can't forgive you, too."

"Really?" Ryoko gasped.

Matt sat back down on the couch and gently ruffled his son's hair. "Yes, Ryoko, I could never stay mad at you, even if I wanted to."

"Same here," Ryoko replied, his sapphire eyes sparkling with happiness. "Besides, if you want to know the truth, this is technically all Piximon's fault. He's the one who dragged us all into the Digital World in the first place!"

"Yeah, it's not like I skipped soccer practice on purpose!" Dai laughed. "That was all Piximon's fault, too!"

"Like Dai would ever skip anything that has to do with soccer by choice!" Matty snorted.

T.K. raised his eyebrows and gave the younger twin a curious look. "You were hiding Goldmon in your backpack the day I accidentally mentioned Angemon, weren't you?"

"Um...yes, but Mickey was hiding Palelymon in his backpack, too, so it wasn't just me!"

"Matty!"

Ken smiled at the expression on Mickey's face, and he gave the older twin a sympathetic smile. Don't worry, Mickey. Your parents will love you no matter what you do, and the same goes for Matty. Have you forgotten your mother's words already?

"Of course! I should have known!" T.K. muttered to himself.

"I guess that means you and your cousins were hiding a bunch of digimon in your room when I came upstairs to talk to you a few days ago," Matt said dryly, his sapphire eyes coming to rest on his son's guilty face.

Ryoko blushed and slowly nodded. "Goldmon and Palelymon were hiding under the bed. I didn't meet up with Iramon until later."

Ken barely heard Ryoko. He was too busy watching Izzy. "Um...Izzy? What are you doing?"

Izzy looked up from his computer and beamed at everyone. "This is going to sound a little strange, but I actually agree with Dai. I think Vampiramon and her gang of evil digimon have our crests, and they're not going to give them back without a fight."

"Don't tell me you've come up with an elaborate plan to steal the crests back from Vampiramon already!" Davis said, his mouth falling open in surprise.

Izzy nodded and smiled at the image of the gate to the Digital World on his laptop. The computer expert was in his element, and no one was going to steer him off course until his plan was fully formed and the first three steps had already been carried out.

"What kind of a crazy plan have you come up with this time?" Sora asked suspiciously.

Matt crossed his arms and glared at Izzy. "If it involves putting our children in danger, forget it!"

"Actually, Tai was the one who put us in danger all the time, not me!"

"Hey!" Tai shouted.

Izzy ignored the original Digidestined leader and smiled at Sora. "Don't worry. Dai and his friends are going to get our crests back, and we're going to help them just like we helped Davis and the others when they became Digidestined. Vampiramon might think she's strong enough to defeat Dai and his friends now, but with a little bit of teamwork we're going to show her exactly why MaloMyotismon never stood a chance against the power of the Digidestined. Vampiramon had better watch out. Dai and his friends are extremely powerful, and their digimon are definitely a force to be reckoned with. If my plan works, Dai and the others will be able to reach the next level of digivolution in no time, but first let's concentrate on getting the crests..."