Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Well, another chapter done! So, Daichi and his friends will leave through the gate at the end of the next chapter. Now, the next one is my longest chapter yet, so it may take me two weeks to get it up instead of just one. I'm going to try to get it up next week, but with the Easter weekend and everything, I might not have the time. If not, it will be the week after, but I'll try for sooner!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 117: The Ruler of Darkness

Gatomon

Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World

"Hey, Gatomon, do you think Vampiramon's master still has us surrounded? It's hard to tell with the way the guards keep slipping in and out of view all the time."

Gatomon slowly raised her head and peeked over the roots of a large tree where she, along with Gotsumon and Gomamon, were curled up to keep themselves hidden from the watchful eyes of their enemies. She could not see any guards at the moment, but that did not mean they weren't crouching behind the bushes or hiding within the trees. She could feel them watching her, and the intensity of their gazes made her claws itch with the desire to scratch something. "Don't get too optimistic, Gotsumon. We might not be able to see them, but that doesn't mean they've given up yet. They're definitely still waiting for us to try and get past them, and they can just keep on waiting as far as I'm concerned."

"I wish Benjamin and Ogremon would hurry up. I'm getting hungry!" Gomamon complained.

Gatomon rolled her eyes at Joe's partner and quickly ducked out of sight before the guards could spot her white, furry coat hiding amoung the roots. The tree she and her friends had chosen for a hiding place was very old, and it had thick, large roots. They were spread out across the ground in a network of bumpy veins, and together they created several alcoves where a rookie or a small digimon of a higher level could remain hidden. At the moment, Gotsumon was waiting patiently on her right and Gomamon was sulking on her left. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but luckily none of them were tall enough to be spotted unless, of course, their enemies decided to walk right up to them and stand over their hiding place.

And in Gomamon's case, it's only if he decides to let himself be seen! I can't believe this. It's not fair! I should have been chosen to go with Benjamin and the others, but instead of helping Mickey and Matty, I'm stuck here like a mouse caught in a trap without even a piece of cheese to tempt me! We're supposed to be the ones hunting the guards, not the other way around! If I could digivolve into Angewomon, they wouldn't stand a chance against me!

After Leomon's group had left, Jackie and Andromon had immediately decided to show themselves in order to keep Vampiramon's master occupied while Leomon and the others slipped out of the forest. Both Jackie and the android digimon had waited only long enough for Leomon's group to reach Vampiramon's campsite before they had slipped through the trees and gotten close enough to their enemies in order to be seen. Many of the evil digimon had cried out in triumph at the site of Andromon and Jackie acting as spies, and with a quick word from Vampiramon, the guards had immediately surrounded the area where they now knew for sure Leomon and his friends had been hiding all afternoon. In other words, they were trapped, and Gatomon had no idea how Benjamin and Ogremon were going to reach them without getting caught.

Now that Vampiramon and her evil digimon know exactly where we are, our chances of escaping from the forest are practically non-existent. What was Benjamin thinking when he made up this plan? At first his words sounded pretty good, but now I'm not so sure...

Gatomon frowned at the deep red sky and slowly shook her head. As soon as Jackie and Andromon had returned, the two of them had immediately ordered everyone to find a hiding spot before the guards could surround them and figure out how many of them there actually were. Most of them had hidden in groups around their small campsite, and that was how she had ended up hiding in the roots of a large tree with Gomamon and Gotsumon. Biyomon was hiding in the branches above them with Hawkmon, Hogan, Jose, and Tentomon. Penguinmon, Armadillomon, Candlemon, and Ilya were hiding in a clump of bushes nearby while Jackie, Andromon, and Centarumon slipped in and out of the trees to keep the guards occupied and to stop them from glancing too closely at all the areas where someone could be hiding. Biyomon, Gomamon, and Candlemon had been chosen to show themselves occasionally, whether it be a wing, a flame, an ear, or some other part of their bodies, in order to prevent the guards from thinking some of them had managed to escape. Andromon, Jackie, and Centarumon, were also letting themselves be seen, but the rest of them had been ordered to keep out of sight in an effort to stop the guards from figuring out exactly how many of them there were. At the moment, their enemies still believed all of them, including Leomon, Ogremon, Benjamin, Gabumon, and Agumon, were hiding somewhere within the campsite, and Jackie wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. The guards were standing all around them in a circle, but so far nothing of importance had happened.

"Vampiramon must have warned her servants not to get too close because so far none of them have tried to enter our campsite. I bet it's because she thinks we'll delete them all," Gomamon snorted.

"It's like Leomon said earlier, they won't attack us unless it's absolutely necessary," Gotsumon whispered. "Vampiramon thinks she knows exactly what we're planning to do, but now that we haven't tried to reach the castle, she's starting to have second thoughts. There's no way she's going to try and delete us because she's curious to find out exactly what it is we're up to. She obviously doesn't trust us and that's why she wants her guards to keep an eye on what we're doing."

Gotsumon's right. We're useful to her, and that's why she won't attack us unless we give her no other choice. She'll definitely get rid of us if we try to make our way to the castle, but what will she do if we turn around and try to leave the forest? Will she still attack us if we head in the opposite direction of her stupid castle? I know Jackie, Benjamin, and some of the others are afraid that might happen, but the whole point of the guards surrounding our campsite is to stop us from making it to the castle, not the gate. I guess they might want to stop us from meeting up with the Digidestined at the gate, but what would be the point? If Dai and the others make it out of the castle with Gennai and the crests, Vampiramon and her evil digimon would more likely go after them instead of us. Then again, the only way they would know or suspect that of happening is if we try to escape. They might not know where the gate is or that we're even heading towards a gate, but if they suspect we are then they might come after us because they think we'll lead them to the Digidestined, which is exactly what would happen, but, like I said before, there's no way they could find out about any successful attempts to get the crests back in time to stop Dai and the others, could they? It's all so confusing, I don't know what to think anymore!

"Hey, Gatomon, do you really believe Benjamin and Ogremon will make it back without getting captured or possibly destroyed?" Gotsumon asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Gatomon glanced at the sky, which had turned a deep shade of navy blue, and waved her paw in the direction of the trees. "They have a chance. The sun has almost completely set, which means they might be able to slip past the guards without being noticed. We can't see our enemies very well anymore, and you know what that means, don't you?"

"They can't see us," Gomamon smirked. "Does that mean I don't have to keep popping my head up anymore?"

"No need, Gomamon. If anything, you should be watching your tongue. You don't want our enemies to hear what we're planning, do you?"

Gatomon jerked around at the sound of a new voice and smiled at the sight of Benjamin and Ogremon standing behind her. It was Benjamin who had spoken, and he looked very pleased with himself. "You're back. So, how did it go?"

"So far everything has gone according to plan, but we're not out of the woods yet."

"Literally," Gomamon snorted.

"Jackie, where are you? You guys can stop hiding now," Ogremon muttered, waving his hand around the campsite and motioning for the others to show themselves.

Jackie, Andromon, all of the digimon, and the rest of Gennai's counterparts immediately left their hiding places and quickly crowded around Benjamin and Ogremon in a circle.

"Did they get the crests?" Hogan whispered.

"What about Gennai? Were they able to help him escape?" Tentomon asked, hovering anxiously over Ogremon's shoulder.

Benjamin held up a hand for silence and a brilliant smile slipped across his face. "Dai and the others have definitely proven their worth, my friends. They were indeed able to gain possession of the crests, and with our help, they were able to get Gennai safely out of the castle. In fact, they're probably waiting for us at the gate, even as we speak. Dragermon was kind enough to drop Ogremon and myself off here in the forest, and true to our word, we're going to help you escape."

"How did you manage to get past the guards?" Biyomon asked curiously.

Ogremon smiled fondly at his club and gave it a gentle pat. "I had to take out a few of them in order for Benji and I to get on the other side of their circle and back into our camp, but that was the easy part. I just snuck up behind them and deleted them with my club before they even had a chance to scream. The rest of the guards we glimpsed didn't even twitch, so I'm assuming they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It's what happens next that's going to be the hard part."

"Benjamin, do you really think Vampiramon's master will have his servants attack us if we try to leave the forest?" Candlemon asked anxiously.

Benjamin gazed thoughtfully at the dark trees and shrugged his shoulders. "The guards will definitely try to come after us if we head towards the castle, but I'm not entirely sure of what they'll do if we try to go back the way we came. I'm going to assume they will, though, because it's better to be safe than sorry. That's the approach I took earlier, and I don't think it would be a good idea to let our guard down at this point."

"Benjamin, should we really be standing out in the open like this?" Armadillomon asked, glancing warily over his shell.

"Now that we're all here, it doesn't really matter if we let ourselves be seen. In fact, it means we're better off because the guards now know for sure we're all here and that we haven't tried to get around them."

"But...we're not all here. What about Leomon, Agumon, and Gabumon?"

"I'm sure the guards will just assume those three are still hiding. They don't appear to be very smart, do they."

"Exactly, the only thing we really have to worry about is someone overhearing what we're saying so keep your voices down," Jose scolded. "As Benjamin said, the guards won't attack us now that they know, or think they know, we're all here, but that's only if we don't try to leave, if, of course, we're going by Benji's assumptions."

"As if we're going to try and do anything else," Gomamon smirked.

"And just how are we going to escape without being noticed?" Hawkmon demanded. "That's what you want, isn't it? If they do come after us, we'll lead them right to Dai and the others."

Benjamin nodded in agreement and smiled slightly. "Yes, which is why I've come up with the makings of a plan."

"Will this plan stop Vampiramon's master from following us?" Centarumon asked quietly.

"I hope so. There are no guarantees no matter what we do. I want all of you to slip back into the trees again and keep yourselves hidden as much as possible. Stay in groups if you can, and all of you rookies should stick with one champion in case you have to fight your way out. If you do have to take on some of the guards in order to escape, be as quiet as possible, and get rid of them as quickly as you can. I, along with Gatomon, Gomamon, and Jackie, will keep ourselves in full view of our enemies to give you guys time to escape and then we'll follow you. Hopefully Jackie and I will be able to capture the guards' attention and prevent them from paying too much attention to what's going on in the forest around them. What do you guys think?"

"Well, it's not like we have much of a choice," Ilya muttered.

Hogan nodded in agreement and made a face. "At least the sun has finally set. Hopefully the darkness will provide a little bit of cover and keep us hidden from Vampiramon's guards."

"I really wish Mina could have been here," Candlemon moaned.

"I feel the same way about Noriko," Penguinmon mumbled. "Are we all ready to go?"

I can't let Kari down. She's counting on me to protect Mickey and Matty. Well, at least I finally get to do something instead of sitting around and growing roots myself! I hate being stuck on the sidelines!

"I'm ready. What about the rest of you?" Ogremon smirked.

Gatomon ignored the virus digimon and turned towards Benjamin. She gazed at the robed figure for a moment and slowly lifted her chin. "I'm more than ready. Let's go."

Vampiramon

Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World

Vampiramon paced restlessly over the hard, dry earth about eight feet away from the front door of her master's tent and glared at the two digimon sitting on a small ring of rocks just behind her. Jestermon and BlackWidowmon were both sprawled leisurely on a boulder of their own choosing with their feet propped up, and the two mega digimon looked extremely bored. Jestermon kept yawning into his hand, and BlackWidowmon was gazing at the dark sky with a frown on her face. Neither one of them were paying the least bit attention to what was going on around them, and their lack of focus made Vampiramon's blood boil. Without a word, she stomped over to them and slapped Jestermon hard across the face. The stupid fool tumbled off his rock with a squeak of surprise and ended up falling on his face.

That should teach him a lesson! My master would do well to find himself some more useful servants!

BlackWidowmon slowly turned to look at her and waved her hand in Jestermon's direction. "Do you really think that was necessary, Vampiramon? I know he's a fool, but so far he hasn't had the opportunity to do something incredibly stupid yet. I'd save your anger for later, if I were you."

Vampiramon tugged angrily on her skirts and pointed an accusing finger at the spider digimon. "Will you two quit slacking off and start paying attention? We need to be alert in case Leomon and the others try to make a run for the castle."

"I bet DarkAngelicmon's having a lot more fun than we are," Jestermon muttered, shaking his head. The bells on the fool's hat tinkled at his sudden movement, and lifting his chin, he gave BlackWidowmon a dirty look. "You could have warned me, you know."

"Why? It's not like you didn't have it coming to you."

"You're the one who's got your head in the clouds, not me!"

Curse you, DarkAngelicmon! I should be the one capturing the Digidestined, not you!

Vampiramon yanked angrily on her long, red hair and scowled at her two campanions. She had been angry over their master's decision to leave DarkAngelicmon and Spritemon back at the castle, but common sense had told her to keep her mouth shut until a more appropriate time. Unfortunately Jestermon's sudden joke about DarkAngelicmon had brought back all the fury she had managed to suppress earlier, and she found herself feeling even more angry than she had before. DarkAngelicmon was likely to ruin everything, and although she wanted the Digidestined to be safely locked away in the dungeons, she did not think she would be too upset if the fallen angel failed because at least then her master might finally remember she was the one who was supposed to be in charge. He had chosen her to be the leader of his army, and she wasn't about to let anyone take that away from her, especially DarkAngelicmon!

I'd be of much more use back at the castle than I am here. What was my master thinking?

She, along with Jestermon and BlackWidowmon, had been instructed to check on the guards every so often and make sure Benjamin and the others were still in the forest, but so far she was the only one who was bothering to do so.

So much for taking turns. They're leaving me to do all the dirty work! When my master finds out about this, and he most certainly will, BlackWidowmon and Jestermon are going to wish they'd spent more time following his orders and less time trying to annoy me!

"Vampiramon, hurry! Benjamin and the others are getting away!"

Vampiramon jerked around in surprise and spotted a Gazimon running towards them. The little rookie looked extremely upset and his face was filled with fear.

"What did you say?" BlackWidowmon snapped, leaping to her feet.

The Gazimon's ears drooped and he winced at her tone. "We were watching Benjamin and the others hiding in the forest when all of a sudden the entire group, except a few, decided to show themselves. They looked like they were having some sort of a conversation, and as soon as they finished talking, almost all of them went back into hiding again. It's gotten pretty dark outside, but despite that we could still glimpse one of them occasionally, and we thought they were just up to their old tricks again. The only ones who were acting suspicious were Benjamin, Jackie, Gomamon, and Gatomon. Unlike the others, those four stayed out in the open, and we think they were trying to distract us in order to give the others a chance to escape. They waited only long enough to give the others a chance to get past our circle before they, too, slipped back into the trees."

"Which way were they going?" Jestermon asked curiously.

"Well...they must have destroyed a few of my fellow guards because some of the ones who were positioned in the direction of the shore have gone missing."

BlackWidowmon stared at the little rookie in surprise and crossed her arms. "You mean...they're not heading towards the castle? But...that doesn't make any sense! I thought they wanted to help Gennai and the Digidestined! I don't understand, why would they be heading back towards the shore?"

"There are several gates positioned along the shores of the Western Hemisphere. Maybe that's where they're going, or maybe they've decided to head back to the Eastern Hemisphere," Jestermon offered.

There is only one reason why they would want to find a gate or get back to the Eastern Hemisphere. You idiot, DarkAngelicmon! How could you let the Digidestined escape with Gennai and the crests? But...wait a miunte...something doesn't add up. How could Benjamin and the others possibly know something like that? They've been stuck here in the forest this whole time. There's no way they could possibly know yet whether or not the Digidestined have either succeeded or failed in their quest to help Gennai and steal the crests. There's definitely something wrong with this picture, but I have no idea what it might be. What in the name of Hades is going on around here?

"Are you sure they've managed to escape?" BlackWidowmon snapped, gazing suspiciously at the little rookie.

Gazimon nodded vigorously and shifted nervously on his feet. "Yes, my lady, we searched the entire area and their wasn't a single member of Benjamin's group in sight. What should we do?"

"You will do nothing!" a voice hissed from somewhere behind them.

Vampiramon let out a gasp, and turning, she immediately fell to her master's feet and bowed her head. Jestermon and BlackWidowmon quickly followed her example, and the three of them kept their eyes focused on the hem of his long, black robe. "Master, I...I thought you were still in your tent."

"The Ruler of Darkness heard your shouts, and he's not at all pleased with your failure to keep Leomon and his friends from escaping the forest," a female vioce smirked.

Vampiramon slowly lifted her head and wrinkled her nose at the sight of Persiamon and Phelesmon standing on either side of her master. The Ruler of Darkness was shrouded in a long, black, hooded robe, and the taint of evil hovering around him made her shiver. She could feel his power, but unfortunately she had never been able to see his face. The only thing she could see was a deep darkness within his hood and a pair of intense, violet eyes. Ignoring Persiamon, she bowed her head again and glared impatiently at the ground. "Master, something doesn't feel right. Leomon and his friends are escaping from the forest instead of trying to reach the castle. You don't think..."

The Ruler of Darkness lifted his head and gazed up at the dark sky, as if searching for an answer to the question she hadn't had the courage to ask. After a long moment of tense silence, he slowly turned to face her again and placed his gloved hand on the top of her fiery head. "Spritemon and DarkAngelicmon have failed me. Obviously something must have gone wrong, and I will not rest until I find out exactly what happened. Leomon and the others must be meeting up with Gennai and those vile humans he's so fond of."

"But...but that's impossible!" BlackWidowmon gasped. "Leomon and his friends can't be meeting up with the Digidestined. Even if Daichi and the other humans have managed to rescue Gennai, there's no way Leomon's group could know that yet!"

"Watch your tone," Phelesmon warned.

I guess my master has found himself some new favorite servants.

Vampiramon fumed silently at the thought and clenched her hands into fists. "Master-"

"It doesn't seem likely Leomon and his friends would know, but the Digidestined and their allies are sneaky. They're constantly getting their hands on information they have no business knowing. Mark my words, Vampiramon, I will not be pleased if Spritemon and DarkAngelicmon have allowed the crests to slip out of our grasp."

In that case, maybe this day hasn't been completely useless after all. It's about time DarkAngelicmon got what was coming to him. My master may end up destroying him before I do. What a shame. I was looking forward to deleting him.

"Master, are you saying you don't want us to go after Leomon and his friends?" Jestermon asked, clearly confused.

The Ruler of Darkness shifted slightly and waved his hand at the forest. "It's too late for that. If what I suspect is true, by the time you fools reach them, the humans will have already left through the gate and the rest of their allies will be well on their way back to the Eastern Hemisphere. We must return to the castle. I have a few words for Spritemon and DarkAngelicmon."

"Yes, master," BlackWidowmon smirked.

The Ruler of Darkness was about to turn away, but at BlackWidowmon's words, he jerked around and let out a snarl of rage. "I'll deal with you three later! Gazimon, come with me. I may spare you because of your honesty, but some of your fellow guards need to be punished. Tell me everything that happened in the forest while we walk. Come, we must round up all the members of my army. I want to get back to the castle as soon as possible!"

"Yes, master." Gazimon meekly hurried over to the robed figure's side, and the two of them, along with Persiamon and Phelesmon, disappeared into the darkness.

As soon as he left, BlackWidowmon flinched, Jestermon let out a sigh of relief, and Vampiramon slammed her fist against the ground. "Curse you, DarkAngelicmon! This is all your fault! When I get my hands on you I'm going to clip your wings!"

"Our master isn't done with us yet. We're definitely going to be punished somewhere along the line," BlackWidowmon muttered.

"Of course we are, you fool! What do you think he meant when he said he would deal with us later? You and Jestermon are to blame just as much as DarkAngelicmon! If you hadn't been slacking off, Leomon and his friends would never have escaped. Come on, let's get back to the castle before we give our master another reason to punish us."

Vampiramon didn't wait to see if the other two were following her. With a shriek of rage, she turned herself into a bat and flew off towards the castle. DarkAngelicmon would pay for destroying their master's plans, if indeed he had allowed the Digidestined to escape with Gennai and the crests. She would make sure of that, even if it meant disobeying the Ruler of Darkness.