Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Back with another chapter! I apologize for some of them being so short, but as much as I would like to make them longer, it would then take me about a month to update this story every time I want to post. Also, I only have two chapters left of my Kingdom Hearts story, and once they're done, I'm going to be focusing all of my energy on this story and Trinity. I doubt I will post anything new until Trinity is done. Also, that way I can update this story faster, as well, since I won't be focusing on three or more stories at once. Enjoy the new chapter!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 129: Taking Sides
Vampiramon
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Vampiramon marched down the long, stone corridor, BlackWidowmon scurrying along behind her, and burst through a set of large, wooden doors into the castle's spacious courtyard. The sun was shining brightly in the east, and there was a gentle breeze blowing through the leaves on the trees, but she barely even noticed. The sight of DarkAngelicmon, Spritemon, and Jestermon lounging in the grass at the foot of an old stone bench had unfortunately captured her attention, and the fact that the fallen angel was surprisingly still in one piece was enough to make her want to hit somebody.
Better yet, maybe I'll just kill DarkAngelicmon and be done with it. How could our master have let him live after he allowed the Digidestined to escape with the crests?
"Vampiramon, how nice of you to join us. We were just talking about you," DarkAngelicmon smirked, his emerald green eyes sparkling in the sunshine. The fallen angel was lying on his stomach, his wings fluttering gently in the breeze, and he had his chin propped up in his hands. Spritemon sat next to him, and every so often she would brush the fallen angel's feathery wings out of her face with a sharp flick of her wrist. Jestermon sat on DarkAngelicmon's other side, and as usual the fool was juggling a set of three glowing, black balls in his hands.
"What's the matter, Vampiramon? You seem a little upset," Spritemon said innocently.
Vampiramon ignored the little sprite digimon and turned to glare furiously at the hateful fallen angel. Last night she had been expecting the Ruler of Darkness to finish off DarkAngelicmon once and for all, but apparently the fallen angel's death was not exactly at the top of his priority list at the moment. Still, even so, she had thought the Ruler of Darkness had made the rest of them leave the room because he had wanted to dispose of the fallen angel without any outside interference.
Unless...
As much as she didn't want to admit it, DarkAngelicmon and the Ruler of Darkness had an unfortunate habit of keeping their conversations a secret from all of the other digimon in the castle, including herself. More than likely the two of them had been discussing something they didn't want anyone else to hear. They had had similar conversations in the past, and the fact that it looked as if they were making plans together behind her back infuriated her more than she would ever admit, especially in the presence of DarkAngelicmon.
I'm supposed to be our master's most faithful servant! Why is he confiding in DarkAngelicmon instead of me?
The answer made her want to rip the fallen angel to shreds, but sadly enough, that was not an option at the moment. Before she could destroy DarkAngelicmon, she needed to figure out what he was up to first. All during the night she had been wondering what had become of DarkAngelicmon and it wasn't until this morning she had learned from a group of passing Bakemon that the fallen angel was, incredibly, alive and sitting comfortably in the courtyard. The only good thing that had come out of the situation last night was the fact that she, along with the rest of her master's most valuable servants, had at least gotten to hear about what had happened in the castle earlier before getting kicked out of the room, but more importantly, they had also learned the truth about Luciamon and Lucemon.
I never did trust those two, but DarkAngelicmon always spoke so highly of them. If only the Ruler of Darkness had listened to me. If he had, I could have killed them before they started causing trouble. Luciamon might be gone now, but that will mean nothing if Lucemon finds a way to join forces with the Digidestined. He may prove to be more of a nuisance than Luciamon was. It was foolish of DarkAngelicmon to let her inside the castle. He should have known she would turn against him, but obviously he was too blind to see the truth. When is that idiot going to learn never to trust anyone, especially digimon who claim to be your friends?
She had disliked Luciamon right from the very beginning, and the female angel had never tried to hide the fact that the feeling was mutual. Lucemon, though, had merely acted as if she, Vampiramon, didn't even exist, and that had angered her even more than the attitude she had received from Luciamon.
Lucemon's no doubt going to try and stop my master from taking over the Digital World, just like that meddlesome Luciamon, so why doesn't the Ruler of Darkness want us to kill off the last of DarkAngelicmon's traitorous little friends? He knows Lucemon has turned against him, so why isn't he doing anything about it? I never did agree with his decision to refrain from killing the Digidestined until after we have the Spirit Chips in our grasp, but at least it made some sense, even if, as I suspect, the plan came from DarkAngelicmon, but keeping Lucemon alive makes no sense whatsoever. Even our master's plan, or should I say DarkAngelicmon's plan, to steal the D-Coders after we get the Spirit Chips makes more sense than allowing Lucemon to live!
Scowling to herself, Vampiramon placed her hands on her hips and gave the fallen angel what she hoped was a sweet smile. "Tell me, DarkAngelicmon, how are you still alive?"
DarkAngelicmon raised his eyebrows, and ignoring Spritemon's dirty look, he leisurely fluttered his wings. "I will not deny the Ruler of Darkness was angry; you saw that for yourself, but he can be very understanding when he wants to be, especially if you manage to turn your failures into something that just might work to his advantage."
"So in other words, you got lucky."
"Luck had nothing to do with it, Vampiramon. You, of all digimon, should know that. Let's just say our master is well aware of the fact that the Digidestined also need the crests, as well as the D-Coders, to get their hands on the Spirit Chips."
Vampiramon let out a low hiss and tugged angrily on her skirts. "I've put up with enough of your foolishness to last me a lifetime. Why did our master want to speak to you alone? Answer me, DarkAngelicmon! Why did he make the rest of us leave the room?"
"I really don't think that's any of your business. Besides, if our master's plan succeeds, then you'll find out soon enough."
"The Ruler of Darkness may have spared your life, DarkAngelicmon, but that doesn't mean he hasn't lost his faith in you," BlackWidowmon smirked.
DarkAngelicmon slowly sat up and his eyebrows narrowed into a deep frown. "What do you mean?"
"Well, the Ruler of Darkness spoke to Vampiramon and myself this morning, and he wants us to go to File Island. Like you, DarkAngelicmon, our master believes that is where the Digidestined will arrive when they undoubtedly come to the Digital World this afternoon. I'm guessing Gennai still has a lot of information to pass on to the Digidestined, since he wouldn't have had a lot of time yesterday to tell them everything he knows, and our master wants Vampiramon and myself to find out exactly what that information is and how we can use it to our advantage."
"The Ruler of Darkness wants you to spy on the Digidestined?" Spritemon snorted.
Vampiramon lifted her chin and smiled triumphantly at the little mega. "Exactly. We need to know precisely where the Spirit Chips are before we can attempt to steal them. That way we can get to them before the Digidestined do, and once those little brats get their hands on the Spirit Chips, we can steal them right out from under their noses! How much do you want to bet Gennai will be revealing that information to the Digidestined when they arrive on File Island?"
"If he hasn't already," Jestermon muttered.
"It doesn't matter either way. As long as we can keep the Digidestined in our sights, they'll lead us directly to the very objects they are trying so desperately to keep hidden from us. Our master believes there may be a Spirit Chip on File Island, and he believes the Digidestined will try to go after that one first, but we can't be sure. That's why we can't let the Digidestined slip away from us. Any information Gennai gives them could be useful to our master. He believes we cannot get our hands on the Spirit Chips without the Digidestined."
"And where do you think he got that idea from?" Spritemon smirked, glancing leisurely at DarkAngelicmon.
Vampiramon felt her face heat up and she glared at the little sprite digimon before turning to face the fallen angel. "It doesn't matter who gave him the idea. The point is, because of your failure, DarkAngelicmon, the Ruler of Darkness has chosen BlackWidowmon and myself to fulfill his request. Clearly he believes Spritemon and Jestermon are incapable of following his orders, too, because he has decided to leave them behind as well. I wonder, DarkAngelicmon, how does knowing you are no longer our master's favorite anymore make you feel?"
"What are you three going to do today, stand around and twiddle your thumbs?" BlackWidowmon said innocently, the corners of her mouth turning up in a nasty smile.
DarkAngelicmon slowly got to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you really believe the Ruler of Darkness would let my talents go to waste? I'm sorry to disappoint you, BlackWidowmon, but our master has given Jestermon, Spritemon, and myself an assignment that he believes may be even more important than the one you and Vampiramon have received."
What? That's...impossible...
"Came here to gloat, did you?" Spritemon said sweetly, leaping to her feet and slipping her arm around DarkAngelicmon's waist. "Well, look who's gloating now!"
"Were you hoping to become our master's favorite instead of me?" DarkAngelicmon smirked. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but once again it looks as if you're going to have to play second best."
Vampiramon's blood began to boil with rage, and glaring at DarkAngelicmon through a haze of fury, it was all she could do to prevent herself from tearing the fallen angel into pieces. "Where are you going?"
"If our master wanted you to know, he would have told you."
"You're just like Lucemon!" BlackWidowmon snarled, glaring at the fallen angel. "If you betray us, our master will have your data for lunch!"
DarkAngelicmon's green eyes narrowed into angry slits, and his pale cheeks turned an unpleasant shade of red. Normally the fallen angel was usually very much in control of his emotions, but BlackWidowmon's comment seemed to have struck a nerve. "I have no intention of betraying anyone, especially our master. A word of advice, BlackWidowmon, you'd better watch what you say or you may not live long enough to fulfill our master's ambitious plans."
"Is that a threat?"
Vampiramon impatiently shoved BlackWidowmon out of her way, and stepping in front of DarkAngelicmon, she poked the fallen angel sharply in the ribs. "I may not be able to kill the Digidestined, yet, but as soon as our master no longer has any use for them, they will be mine. Do you hear me?"
"I don't think so," DarkAngelicmon said quietly, his voice just barely above a whisper. "Lucemon may have betrayed our master, but he has more nerve than you could ever hope to have."
Vampiramon turned her back on the fallen angel and tossed her long, red hair over her shoulder. "Is that a fact? Say what you want, DarkAngelicmon. The Digidestined belong to me, and when I finally get my hands on them their leader will die first!"
Without waiting for a reply, Vampiramon stalked back towards the northwest entrance into the castle and pushed her way through the doors. BlackWidowmon hurried along behind her and the two of them came to a stop in a dark, deserted corridor.
"Are you ready to go?" BlackWidowmon asked.
Vampiramon nodded and smiled to herself. "Come, BlackWidowmon, let us hurry to File Island. Soon our master will have no use for DarkAngelicmon, and as soon as that moment arrives, we will be the first ones there to see that he is disposed of properly."
"What about Lucemon?"
Vampiramon held up a hand for silence and glanced down the corridor to see if anyone was listening. "I think DarkAngelicmon's orders have something to do with Lucemon, but I can't be sure. We do know our master wants Lucemon alive, and he may have asked DarkAngelicmon to find our traitorous friend. Either way, it doesn't matter."
"It...doesn't?"
"No. Lucemon's time will come one way or another. He can't escape death forever, and if all goes according to plan, DarkAngelicmon will soon be joining him at Primary Village. I'm sure Luciamon will be delighted to have some company."
"Indeed, life as an egg must be pretty boring," BlackWidowmon said dryly.
And so much more convenient for us. Laugh all you want, DarkAngelicmon. Even the Digidestined won't be able to stop me now...
Jestermon
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Jestermon waited silently until Vampiramon's black cape disappeared through the doors before getting to his feet and turning to face the fallen angel standing beside him. The doors to the courtyard slammed shut behind BlackWidowmon, and after a moment of silence, the fool was able to find his voice. "Hey, angel boy, in case you didn't notice, Vampiramon's really got it in for you. I'm not sure what's gotten into her lately, but I'd watch your back if I were you."
"Vampiramon isn't as tough as she likes to think she is," Spritemon snorted, dismissing the vampire digimon with a wave of her hand.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Jestermon muttered.
Spritemon ignored him and fixed the fallen angel with a penetrating stare. "DarkAngelicmon, do you think Vampiramon and BlackWidowmon are lying, or do you really believe the Ruler of Darkness didn't tell them about the assignment he's given us?"
"The Ruler of Darkness only gives us information he feels is necessary for the task at hand. I thought you would have figured that out a long time ago."
Jestermon's sickly green lips twisted into a nasty smile, and he gave the fallen angel an elaborate bow. "So, in other words, you believe our master kept that information a secret."
"Yes, just as he kept Vampiramon's assignment a secret from us," DarkAngelicmon said stiffly, looking none too pleased at the way Vampiramon had clearly ruined his perfectly good morning.
Jestermon gazed thoughtfully at the fallen angel for a moment and resumed his juggling without even realizing what he was doing. For some reason DarkAngelicmon seemed unusually quiet this morning, and the fool was sure it had something to do with their master's orders. Instead of spying on the Digidestined like Vampiramon and BlackWidowmon, the Ruler of Darkness had instructed the three of them to search for Lucemon. They were supposed to bring the rookie angel to him using any means necessary, but unfortunately there was one exception. They had to capture Lucemon alive. Anyone who killed or attempted to kill the rookie angel would be deleted on the spot.
I wonder why the Ruler of Darkness wants Lucemon alive so badly. There must be a reason for it. Usually our master isn't so generous, especially when it comes to traitors...
Spritemon must have been thinking along the same lines as him because the female mega suddenly turned towards DarkAngelicmon and frowned in confusion. "I thought you wanted to kill Lucemon yourself. Whatever happened to that idea?"
Interesting question. Could that be why DarkAngelicmon is in a rather strange mood this morning?
"The Ruler of Darkness has forbidden me to lay a hand on Lucemon," DarkAngelicmon said stiffly, his bright green eyes glittering in the sunshine. "As you may well have noticed, our master was quite clear about wanting Lucemon alive. It would not do well for any of us to disregard his orders."
Jestermon scratched his wrinkled green forehead, the golden bells circling his wrist jingling softly as he did so, and gave the fallen angel a thoughtful look. The three black balls he had been juggling had fallen soundlessly onto the grass, but he barely even noticed. "I've got a question for you, angel boy. You never did tell us what happened in the crest room between you and our master after the Ruler of Darkness made the rest of us leave the room. I can understand why you wouldn't want Vampiramon or BlackWidowmon to know what the two of you were talking about, but you can tell us."
"Come on, spit it out!" Spritemon snapped, glaring at the fallen angel. "We deserve to know, since we're going to be helping you track down Lucemon. And while you're at it, you might as well tell us how you managed to talk your way out of punishment!"
DarkAngelicmon sent the sprite digimon a very cool look and turned his back on her. "I really don't think that's any of your business either. I got you out of trouble, didn't I? You should be thanking me, but so far all you've done is complain. Really, Spritemon, there are better ways of showing appreciation, but I guess I should have expected no less from someone as ungrateful as you are!"
"How dare you insult-"
"As for you, Jestermon," DarkAngelicmon interrupted, ignoring Spritemon's shrieks, "it really doesn't matter what our master and I discussed earlier. None of it is important at the moment, nor does it apply to the task at hand. Right now we need to focus on capturing Lucemon."
"And just how do you expect us to do that?" Spritemon said sarcastically. "Server is a large continent. He could be anywhere!"
DarkAngelicmon slowly sank down onto the stone bench and turned to gaze up at the sun. At that moment, a large, puffy cloud moved to block the sun's bright rays, and the courtyard was plunged into shadow. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we're not going anywhere near Server today."
Huh? Why not?
"Why not?" Spritemon demanded.
Jestermon slowly sank down onto the bench next to his fallen angel companion and bent over to retrieve the black balls he had dropped earlier. "If we're not going to Server, then...where are we going? I thought that was where Lucemon was."
"We're going to File Island."
"What?" Spritemon shrieked, her face turning a nasty shade of purple. She glared at the fallen angel and placed her hands on her hips in what she clearly thought was an intimidating pose. "Have you completely lost your mind? Why would we go to File Island when Luciamon said Lucemon was on Server? I don't care how much of a human lover you are! If you try to disobey our master's orders, he'll turn you into data for sure!"
DarkAngelicmon frowned and impatiently shook his head. "Would it kill you to use your brain once in a while? We know the Digidestined will appear on File Island this afternoon because that would be the best place to start looking for the Spirit Chips, and we know for a fact they were heading east. Lucemon must know what happened here in the castle by now, and how much do you want to bet the first thing he's going to do is try to find the Digidestined? News travels fast in the Digital World, especially with a bunch of nosy humans hanging around, and Lucemon did always have a bad habit of knowing things he shouldn't. He's probably on his way to File Island right now, so it would be pointless for us to go to Server. At first I suspected the Digidestined would make locating Lucemon their number one priority, but now I'm more inclined to think Lucemon will end up finding them first. After all, the Digidestined have business with Gennai, and it will take them a while to locate Lucemon. More than likely my traitorous friend will end up finding the Digidestined before they end up finding him. Lucemon, unfortunately, is too fond of doing the right thing, and in the end, that will be his downfall. He may be uncertain of what to do at the moment, but eventually his heart will lead him right to the Digidestined, and that could be a problem."
"You just want to keep your eye on Vampiramon and make sure she doesn't kill the Digidestined," Spritemon snarled, pointing an accusing finger at the fallen angel.
DarkAngelicmon clenched his hands into fists, and the anger in his green eyes was so fierce, Jestermon was unable to prevent himself from flinching. He quickly inched away from the fallen angel and was pleased to see Spritemon do the same.
"I will not let that useless, pathetic vampire destroy the Digidestined, and if I hunt down Lucemon along the way, then so much the better! Well? What are you two waiting for? We can't let Vampiramon get a head start. You two had better meet me at the front doors of the castle in three minutes otherwise I'm leaving you behind!"
Without another word, DarkAngelicmon stomped out of the courtyard in a flurry of black feathers, and after a moment of silence, Jestermon slowly closed his gaping mouth and turned to look at Spritemon. "I do believe DarkAngelicmon is starting to lose his wits."
"You're not the only one. Come on, let's go. I have a feeling something funny is going on around here, and I'm going to find out what it is before DarkAngelicmon completely loses his head."
Jestermon slowly followed Spritemon back into the castle and frowned thoughtfully to himself. Spritemon was definitely right about one thing. There was something strange going on with DarkAngelicmon, and he was pretty sure it had something to do with Lucemon and the humans.
DarkAngelicmon seems unusually fond of the humans, and that in itself is rather odd for a digimon who claims to follow the Ruler of Darkness. And then there's Lucemon. DarkAngelicmon insists he wants to kill Lucemon himself, but I find that hard to believe. I don't understand why the Ruler of Darkness wants Lucemon alive, but that's not the part that concerns me. What I don't understand is why do I get the feeling DarkAngelicmon doesn't want to bring Lucemon anywhere near the Ruler of Darkness?