Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: In case you're wondering, Dai and his friends will leave through the gate and get back to the human world at the end of chapter 118. (Two chapters from now) There are a few things I have to wrap up in the Digital World before that happens, like...well...what ever happened to Jackie and the others?
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 116: Two Separate Paths
DarkAngelicmon
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
"DarkAngelicmon! Wake up, you fool, before I knock you over the head with your own spear and drop you off the side of the castle for good measure! The Digidestined have escaped!"
Mickey...
DarkAngelicmon slowly opened his emerald green eyes and blinked in surprise when he found himself gazing up at the evening sky, which had turned a deep shade of red. He shifted slightly to ease the pressure on his right wing and frowned in confusion. What happened? I remember the light, but...how did I end up on the ground? Interesting. Azulongmon's Digicore must be very powerful if it has the ability to knock me unconscious. After all, it did bring Imperialdramon into existence, and it helped Agumon and the others digivolve to their higher levels again. I must get my hands on it. It will give my master, and myself, of course, even more power to take over the Digital World!
"DarkAngelicmon, did you hear me? The Digidestined have escaped! Aren't you going to do anything about it?"
DarkAngelicmon glanced over his left shoulder and found himself gazing into Spritemon's dark brown eyes. Her pale peach skin had turned a ghostly shade of white, and her silver wings were fluttering anxiously behind her. She was kneeling next to him on the ground with her hands pressed against the earth, and she looked a little worried, which was surprising considering their relationship. "Spritemon, will you quit yelling at me like that? I bet all the digimon on File Island can hear your unnecessary shouting. An angel digimon's ears can be just as sensitive as his wings, you know."
Spritemon glared at him and tugged angrily on her dark green ponytail. Without a word, she pulled his head into her arms and tugged rather harder than was strickly necessary on one of the two dark, ear-like feathers sticking out of his head. "This is all your fault, DarkAngelicmon! If you hadn't gotten yourself blown up, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
"You certainly know how to exaggerate, don't you. Really, and Vampiramon has the nerve to tell me I'm overly dramatic!"
"I hope our master turns you into tiny little pieces of data!"
"Why, Spritemon, I never knew you were so fond of me. I'll remember you said that the next time the Digidestined try to destroy you."
"As if they could."
DarkAngelicmon smiled slightly to himself and rested his cheek against the rough fabric of her predominantly dark brown bikini top. The material scratched lightly against his skin, but he ignored the itch and ran his hands lightly over the dark strips of armour criss-crossing over his muscular chest. They formed a pattern of squares that left much of his skin exposed to the elements, and more importantly, blasts of energy and other various digmon attacks. It was more for show than anything else and made him look extremely impressive, but at the moment, his armour was the least of his concerns. He enjoyed participating in battles where the odds were against him because they made him even stronger than he already was. His sudden uneasiness actually came from the strange tingling sensation running through his veins as opposed to lack of armour. My entire body feels like it's filled with incredible energy. How can one Digicore have so much power?
"DarkAngelicmon, are you alright?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am."
Spritemon slowly shook her head and stared at him in disbelief. "How are you still alive? That Digicore should have completely destroyed you, but...you're still here!"
Indeed, I am. If the Digidestined think they can defeat me with the Powers of Light then they are sadly mistaken. I am far from being weak, and unlike other dark digimon, I do not fear the light. I will not run and hide in the shadows while the Digital World slips out of my grasp!
"What's wrong with you, DarkAngelicmon? Explain yourself!"
DarkAngelicmon slowly sat up and lightly ran his fingers over his stomach, which was also covered by criss-crossing bands of dark armour. The energy surging through his body felt...familiar somehow.
It feels like Mickey and Matty. I've felt it before, but it only happens whenever they come near me. The same goes for their father and possibly their mother. Is it because of their connection to Azulongmon? He is the Guardian of the Eastern Hemisphere, but he's also the Keeper of the Spheres of Hope and Light...
"Will you quit daydreaming and answer my question?"
DarkAngelicmon rested his cheek in the palm of his hand and turned slowly to gaze at the mega digimon kneeling beside him. "How did the Digidestined manage to escape?"
"Well, it's about time you started to show some interest!" Spritemon crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a sulky look. She gazed sullenly at the ground for a moment, and muttering to herself, she made a rude noise in the back of her throat and rolled her dark brown eyes. "Embermon digivolved and they flew away on Dragermon's back. I sent some of our aerial guards after them, but Kuwagamon and the others won't stand a chance against Benjamin and the Digicore. The rest of the guards were utterly useless. They wouldn't go anywhere near the Digicore and that's why the Digidestined were able to escape!"
"Hey, that's not true! We were heading right for them, despite the Digicore!" a Gizamon complained.
"Yes, well you certainly took your sweet time about it! You fools summoned whatever pathetic amount of courage you do have just a little too late in my opinion."
"I didn't see you jumping at the chance to take on Benjamin and his stupid Digicore!" SkullMeramon smirked.
Spritemon looked like she was ready to smack the flaming digimon across the face with the back of her hand, but DarkAngelicmon held up a hand for silence and motioned for a Musyamon standing on his right to help him to his feet. The champion digimon quickly obliged, and DarkAngelicmon found himself surrounded by at least two hundred guards who were all gazing at him in awe, as if they couldn't quite grasp the fact that he was still alive after what had happened earlier. "I do believe Daichi Motomiya will be a thorn in my side until one of us ends up getting destroyed. Of course they would use Dragermon to escape. Embermon couldn't digivolve in the castle because of his size, which means the little rookie had more than enough energy left to digivolve in order to help Dai and the others escape. Well, what's done is done, I guess."
"What do you mean by that?" Spritemon snapped, her eyebrows narrowing into a frown. "Don't tell me you're giving up, DarkAngelicmon! You and I can both fly. We should be going after the Digidestined ourselves instead of depending on a bunch of useless guards!"
DarkAngelicmon let out a sigh and slowly shook his head. "What's the point? By the time we reach the gate, Dai and his friends will have already made it to the human world and Gennai will be well on his way back to the Eastern Hemisphere."
"You're kidding, right? ExVeemon and the others have been fighting all afternoon. They must be close to losing their energy by now. We could take them easily. Honestly, DarkAngelicmon, we're megas! Well, at least I am. They wouldn't stand a chance against me!"
"Did you not hear me the first time? The Digidestined will be gone by the time you get anywhere close to them! How can you fight someone who isn't even there? There's no point in wasting our energy on a useless mission that will ultimately fail. You had enough sense, at least, to send some guards after them, and if Kuwagamon and the others can succeed, then we'll be able to proceed with our quest to steal the Spirit Chips. If not, well...as I said before, there's always plan b."
"What about our master? I doubt he's going to like that idea very much!"
"I told you, I will deal with our master, you can deal with Vampiramon."
"I must admit, I will enjoy gloating over the fact that she let Leomon and the others escape from the forest, but that doesn't mean I agree with your decision not to follow the Digidestined! That Digicore must have fried your brain or something!"
"Believe what you want to believe, Spritemon. Unlike you, I tend not to let my anger get the better of me in situations where common sense is required. Now, as much as I would like to continue this conversation, we have more important things to do at the moment. Our master will be arriving soon, if Leomon's presence here today is anything to go by, and we must prepare ourselves for his return. I doubt he's going to be in a very good mood when he gets back, and Gennai's escape is only going to make him even more angry."
"Don't forget about the Digidestined. Our master's not going to take the news of their victory very lightly! Do you really think he knows that Leomon and some of his friends have escaped from the forest?"
DarkAngelicmon raised his eyebrows and leisurely stretched his wings. His skin was still tingling, but he ignored the oddly pleasant sensation and fixed the sprite digimon with a sweet smile. "Of course he knows. In fact, I bet Jackie and the others have escaped, as well. They must be escorting Gennai to the Eastern Hemisphere by now. That would be the most logical explanation. The Digidestined can't very well do it themselves if they're back in the human world, can they?"
Spritemon threw up her hands and let out a frustrated groan. "That's exactly my point! If you won't go after the Digidestined, then at least go after Gennai! We can still catch up to him! You know which gate the humans came out of because you saw them arrive in the Digital World on your screen. They may have gone back through it already, but Leomon and the others aren't so lucky. How do you expect them to get back to the Eastern Hemisphere without Dragermon?"
"They got here without Dragermon, didn't they? I see no reason why they can't leave here without him, too. They will find a way. They always do, especially when they have Gennai to guide them. Leomon and his friends are a lot like the Digidestined in that sense. No, Spritemon, let them be. Leomon, Jackie, and the others will have Gennai in the Eastern Hemisphere before we can catch up to them, and I can guarantee it'll be because of Whamon. I saw him talking to Dai and the others earlier, and although I couldn't hear them, I have no doubts Whamon will gladly help the others by transporting Gennai back to the Eastern Hemisphere. The only thing we should be worrying about right now is our master and what kind of a mood he's going to be in."
"A lousy mood, I'm sure, which is entirely your fault!"
"So you keep saying."
"DarkAngelicmon, what's going on? Where are the Digidestined?"
DarkAngelicmon glanced over Spritemon's head and smiled at the sight of Ivymon and BlackGatomon running towards him. The two female digimon had just burst through the East Tower door, and both of them looked a little nervous. BlackGatomon was the one who had spoken, and her small, furry face was filled with confusion.
"Did they escape, my lord?" Ivymon asked.
DarkAngelicmon knelt next to BlackGatomon and gently stroked the feline digimon's dark, furry head. "They did, thanks to Benjamin, but that's the least of our concerns at the moment. I see the two of you managed to escape the fate Devidramon and SkullSatamon suffered at the hands of the Digidestined?"
"Devidramon and SkullSatamon were both deleted," BlackGatomon confirmed, her whiskers twitching slightly in the cool breeze. "The Digidestined made quick work of them, I'm afraid. We would have captured Daichi and his friends easily if it hadn't been for Benjamin and his stupid Digicore! That's what it was, wasn't it? A Digicore?"
"Yes, and trust me, I can relate. Unfortunately we don't have time for a conversation right now, but you'll have to give me a detailed account of what happened in the dungeons as soon as possible. I'm anxious to find out what went on down there."
"As you wish, my lord. Um...DarkAngelicmon, are you feeling alright? You look a little bit tired or something. What happened out here? You didn't answer my question earlier."
DarkAngelicmon allowed the little champion to bury her face against his leg and a small smile slipped across his face. "I'm fine, and I told you before, I'll explain everything later. Right now I want all of you to get back inside the castle so we can prepare for our master's return. SkullMeramon, you can choose the guards who will remain on watch outside."
"Yes, my lord. Um...what about the guards who went after the Digidestined?"
"I doubt they'll return, but we'll see what happens. If they do come back, with or without the Digidestined, send them to me. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, my lord, I will do as you command."
"Good. Well? What are the rest of you waiting for? When I give out orders, I expect them to be followed!"
"Fine, but that doesn't mean I have to like them! Mark my words, DarkAngelicmon, you will regret your decision not to follow the Digidestined!" Spritemon snapped, turning her back on him and fluttering angrily towards the East Tower door.
I never regret anything I do.
The rest of the guards who were not included in SkullMeramon's group quickly followed after her, and soon DarkAngelicmon found himself standing alone beneath the castle's tall, dark structure. He could feel the wind blowing gently through his long, raven hair, and the tingling sensation prickling across his skin made him shiver. Not even Azulongmon's Digicore is enough to defeat me. You are strong, Makiya Takaishi, but you have a weakness, and once I'm through with your brother, you will be mine.
DarkAngelicmon smiled to himself, and with that thought in mind, he turned his back on the setting sun and fluttered into the castle to prepare for his master's return.
Masato 'Matty' Takaishi
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Masato Takaishi huddled next to his brother's side and glanced anxiously over his shoulder at the evil digimon who were flying close behind. Somehow Dragermon had managed to detour around the castle in order to head southwest again, but unfortunately instead of leaving their enemies behind, the ones who could fly had decided to follow them over the forest under Spritemon's orders.
It must have been Spritemon. DarkAngelicmon certainly wasn't in any condition to be doing much of anything, and that includes ordering the guards to come after us. What are we going to do? Even if we manage to escape from Spritemon's flunkies, DarkAngelicmon will still come after us. He knows exactly where the gate is because of that stupid screen Luciamon mentioned not long before she died, which means he's never going to leave us alone, unless...
Matty turned to look at his twin, who was curled up in their father's arms, and his golden eyebrows narrowed into a frown. I wonder what has gotten into Mickey lately. He's been acting really weird ever since just before Luciamon died. He hasn't been avoiding me lately, unlike before, but there's still something not right between us. I can feel it, and what's with his strange behaviour whenever he's around DarkAngelicmon? He seems really worried about the fallen angel, but that doesn't make any sense at all. Why would he be so concerned about an evil digimon who's done nothing by try to cause him pain and sadness? Could it be because he can sense something in DarkAngelicmon that I, myself, haven't been able to see? What exactly am I missing, and why do I feel as if Mickey knows something the rest of us don't know? The light coming from Angemon's feather hadn't hurt DarkAngelicmon at all, and the same goes for the light coming from Azulongmon's Digicore. At least, that's what Gennai seems to believe, but if that's the case, then does that mean DarkAngelicmon isn't really...evil?
"They're still coming after us," JewelBeemon shouted, shooting his Spike Buster attack at a Roachmon who had gotten dangerously close to Dragermon's right wing.
Matty watched his own partner hit a digimon his father had informed him was called Kuwagamon in the face, and the insect digimon tumbled out of the sky. "Hurry, Angelicmon, we're running out of time! We have to get rid of them all before we reach the gate!"
"Aim for their wings!" Gabrielmon shouted over the noise. "They cannot come after us if they lose their ability to fly!"
"You'll never get away from us!" a digimon named Flymon snarled.
ExVeemon and the others flew in formation behind Dragermon in order to prevent the larger digimon from becoming a target, and in response to Gabrielmon's shout, they began to shoot their attacks at their enemie's wings instead of their bodies.
Flymon and the other evil digimon tried to do the same thing, but they weren't having very much luck. Unlike their enemies, Angelicmon and the others were extremely skilled in the art of teamwork, and because of that they were able to duck out of the way and protect one another by weaving around each other's bodies in a beautiful display of aerial acrobatics. One by one, the evil digimon began to fall from the sky until only a few Phantomon remained.
"Enough of this!" MagnaAngemon announced, his voice carrying across the red sky. He turned suddenly to face the Phantomon and pointed his sword at them. "Return to the shadows, servants of evil! Your darkness will not defeat us! Gate of Destiny!"
A round, golden doorway appeared in the sky before the angel digimon, and almost immediately, the phantom digimon were sucked into its mysterious depths. The door closed without a sound, and once again the air was silent around them. Dragermon hovered over the trees for a long moment, as if uncertain of whether or not they should keep going, but a gentle pat on the neck from Dai got him moving again and they proceeded to fly directly into the sunset. The other digimon flew around them in a circle, and before he could stop himself, Matty let out a small sigh of relief. "That was close."
"I'll say. We were lucky to make it out of there alive," Ryoko snorted.
Gennai gazed at the setting sun with his arms wrapped around his knees and slowly shook his head. "You and your friends deserve more credit than that, Ryoko."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked before Ryoko could open his mouth.
Gennai smiled at the raven-haired Digidestined and placed his hand on Dai's shoulder. "I knew you would get the crests back. You are the Digidestined, after all, and all of the chosen humans who came before you sort of have a reputation to uphold. I knew you wouldn't want to disappoint them. Isn't that right, Benji?"
Benjamin moved over to sit next to Gennai and poked the other robed figure in the chest. "They're certainly more reliable than you are!"
Alopemon snorted loudly, but instead of commenting, the fox digimon merely curled himself comfortably into Ryoko's lap and proceeded to take a nap.
"I'm glad that's over," Dovemon mumbled, her wings drooping lightly over Takara's arms. The female Digidestined gave her partner a sympathetic pat and turned to look at Dai. She didn't say anything, but for some reason she seemed unable to look away from the goggle-headed leader, and there was a faint blush on her cheeks. Dai, being his usual clueless self, didn't appear to notice. The goggle-headed leader's attention was focused on the woods, and he kept glaring at the trees as if he expected some of the evil digimon ExVeemon and the others had blasted out of the sky to come after them again.
I wish Takara would just say something and get it over with. Dai obviously likes her back, but he's too dumb to realize it! The only way he's going to get the message is if she shouts it in his face. I might not know that much about relationships, but I do know one thing. If one of them doesn't say something soon, they're going to end up driving the rest of us completely nuts!
"What's next?" Mickey asked quietly, his big amber eyes coming to rest on Gennai's face.
Matty frowned at the black feather in his brother's hand and made a face. That's what he went back for? I don't understand, that feather is filled with evil. Why would Mickey want to hold onto something like that, and more importantly, why did he put his own life in danger in order to get his hands on it? Does it really mean that much to him, and if so...why?
"Actually, Dragermon, do you mind dropping Ogremon and myself off in the forest? Right here should be a good spot," Benjamin said slowly.
Matty stared at the robed figure in surprise and frowned. "How come?"
"Somebody has to help Jackie and the others escape from the forest."
"You're right. I am concerned about them. Vampiramon's master is not the type of digimon who will remain patient for long," Gennai murmured. "I do not know who he is, but that much I am sure of."
Leomon turned towards Benjamin and smiled slightly. "You asked me to explain your plan to Daichi and his friends, but maybe we should explain it together now, while we still have a chance. Daichi, while Benjamin and Ogremon are helping Jackie escape, myself, Agumon, and Gabumon will remain with you and the other Digidestined so we can help you get safely back to the gate, and we're also going to help Gennai get back to the Eastern Hemisphere. Jackie, Benjamin, and the others will hopefully manage to escape while we're heading for the gate, and once we're there, we will wait close by for Jackie's group to arrive on Whamon. Once they do, you humans and your partners will return to the human world. I, along with the rest of the digimon who remain behind, will take Gennai and his counterparts back to File Island on Whamon."
"Whamon should be waiting for us by the shore. The hard part will be trying to reach him with Vampiramon on our heels," Benjamin sighed. "If, of course, she decides to follow us."
"Wait! What about Spritemon and DarkAngelicmon?" Palmon cried. "They know where the gate is because of that screen Luciamon told us about earlier. Forget about Vampiramon's army. What if Spritemon and DarkAngelicmon are already waiting at the gate for us?"
"They won't be," JewelBeemon replied, fluttering over and landing lightly on Dragermon's back. "There's no way they can reach the gate before we do."
"Besides, we won't stand out in the open when we do reach the gate. We will hide out in the forest with the gate and the shore in sight so we can see Whamon approaching," Leomon explained.
"We hope to escape from Vampiramon's master without being noticed, but you should prepare yourselves for battle, just in case. They may try to come after us if they suspect we're planning to slip out of their grasp," Benjamin warned. The robed figure turned to look at Gennai and gently placed the now dormant Digicore in his counterpart's hand. "You'd better hold onto this, Gennai. It would not sit well with Azulongmon if Vampiramon's master ended up getting his hands on it."
Gennai tucked the Digicore inside his robe and clasped Benjamin's hand. "Be careful. You have a tough road ahead of you, my friend."
"I always am. I should be the one worrying about you, not the other way around!"
Dragermon descended towards the forest and landed gracefully in the centre of a large clearing, which was thankfully big enough to hold such a large digimon. The shadows of the trees danced across the grass beneath the dragon digimon's feet, and without a word, Benjamin and Ogremon leaped to the ground.
"Come back alive, or else!" Davis threatened.
"Take care of Biyomon and the others," Takara whispered.
Ogremon crossed his arms and smirked at them. "We'll be fine. You guys are the ones who need to watch your backs!"
"Good luck," Benjamin said softly.
Dracomon bowed his head and gently fluttered his wings. "Same to you, my friend."
"I hope Gomamon isn't trying to scare Vampiramon off with his jokes!" Palmon moaned.
Benjamin gave them one last smile before disappearing into the forest with Ogremon, and Dragermon quickly leaped into the air again. Matty watched the trees grow smaller beneath him, and a shiver raced down his spine. It's like the world is falling into pieces all around me. I don't know what to believe anymore.
Mickey must have sensed what he was thinking because his twin's arm suddenly went around his shoulders, and he clenched his hands into fists. Gatomon, I hope you and the others are safe...