Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: I love it when you can just feel the chapters building up to something big!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 140: A Fool's Errand

Miya Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

What is Sam doing? Why is he so far away from the others?

Miya Ichijouji frowned at the computer screen from her seat next to Taniko and turned to glance anxiously at Davis. The former leader was staring at the computer screen, as well, and he looked a little bit worried. "Davis, what do you think is going on? You don't believe Sam's been captured, do you?"

Davis shrugged his shoulders and rested his chin in his hands. "I have no idea. Maybe he was captured, but then again, maybe it's part of the plan to find the Spirit Chips. You never know with Izzy's plans. What I don't understand is why the others aren't going after him."

"Maybe that's part of the plan, too," DemiVeemon suggested, settling himself comfortably on Shadow's back and smiling hopefully at his partner.

T.K. slowly shook his head and let out a deep sigh. "No, something is definitely wrong. There's no way Dai would let someone from his team wander off on their own."

"Thanks, T.K., we all feel so much better now," Davis said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I'm scared," Nao whimpered, hiding his face against the former leader's side.

Sam...

Miya gazed helplessly at her little brother for a moment and let out a soft sound of distress. The fear in her heart must have shown on her face because she felt Taniko's arm slip around her shoulders, and Noah gave her fingers a tight squeeze.

"We're all scared," Ami said quietly, "including me, but I know Dai won't let anything happen to Sam."

"Cheer up, Nao!" Rina said enthusiastically, scrambling out of her dad's embrace and throwing her arms around the lavender-haired boy in a big hug. "My brothers will keep Sam safe. They're good at that kind of thing."

After a brief hesitation, Nao slowly nodded and smiled shyly at his dark-haired friend. "I guess so."

Patamon nodded in agreement, and leaping off T.K.'s head, the little digimon settled himself on Nao's lavender hair and used one of his long ears to stroke the little boy's smooth cheek. "You can trust Mickey and Matty. They won't let Sam get hurt."

"I wish we knew what was going on," Mimi complained, giving the computer screen a dirty look.

"Well, Izzy's got his laptop with him. Why don't we send him an e-mail?" Palmon suggested.

Kenzo leaned over the back of Taniko's chair for a closer look at the glowing dots on the screen, and his dark eyebrows narrowed into a deep frown. "It might not do any good. I get the feeling Izzy's a bit tied up at the moment. I doubt he has time to be answering e-mails."

"What kind of attitude is that?" Ema snorted, poking Kenzo sharply in the ribs and leaning over his shoulder to look at the screen herself.

"Ouch, Ema! Will you cut it out? You're crushing me, by the way."

"I am not, you big baby. You're even worse than Tay sometimes."

"I heard that! Ema, quit trying to flatten Kenzo! Oh, and you're in the way. I can't see the computer screen," Taysuke added, nudging his female friend aside and leaning over Kenzo's shoulder for a better look.

"Hey, that was my spot!"

"Now who's being a baby."

"Quit it, guys! It was bad enough with just one of you, but now you're both crushing me!" Kenzo shouted.

Jun frowned and gave the group surrounding Taniko a stern look. "Cut it out, you three! You're giving me a headache."

"Now you know how I feel," Davis smirked.

Jun elbowed her brother in the ribs, but before she could say anything Mimi suddenly pointed towards the door and held up a hand for silence. "I think I hear someone coming."

Shadow immediately raced for the stairs, with DemiVeemon on his back, but before the little puppy could make it through the door, Noriko, Cody, and Rosa entered the room.

"You're back!" DemiVeemon said excitedly, leaping into Noriko's arms. Noriko cuddled the little digimon against her cheek and turned to look at her husband. "What's going on? Did we miss anything?"

Davis made a face and motioned for his wife to take a seat. "We have a problem. Sam's gotten himself separated from the rest of the group."

"What do you mean?" Cody asked, stepping around Shadow, who was attempting to lick his feet.

"Sam's signal has detached itself from the rest of the group," Taniko explained, tapping rapidly on the keyboard and bringing up a clear view of the map. Miya immediately recognized it as the area where Sam was currently located. "It looks like he's heading towards the ocean."

"Why would he be heading towards the ocean?" Rosa asked, reaching down to scratch Shadow's ears.

Taniko let out a deep sigh and shrugged her shoulders. "No idea."

"Yolei's going to go ballistic when she finds out," Cody muttered.

"Can we just not tell her what's going on?" Davis asked hopefully.

Noriko frowned at her husband and sat down next to Nao on the cream-coloured carpet. "Davis, don't be ridiculous. Yolei deserves to know what's happening with her son."

"In that case, you can be the one to tell her because if she reacts the way I think she will then I'm not going anywhere near her. How much do you want to bet she'll find a way to blame me for Sam's disappearing act?"

Noriko sniffed and gave her husband a dirty look, but the former leader's words seemed to have caught her attention because all of a sudden she didn't look too eager to have a conversation with Yolei either.

"Daddy's going to be really scared when he finds out," Nao whispered, pulling Patamon into his arms and squeezing the little rookie tightly against his chest.

Noriko let out a deep sigh and gently ruffled Nao's lavender hair. "As if Ken didn't have enough problems to worry about."

Too bad nobody will tell us what they are.

Miya rested her elbows on the desk and turned to look at Taniko. The younger girl's dark brown eyes were filled with sympathy, but Miya barely noticed. All she could think about was Sam. "My brother has been acting really funny lately, and I know he's been worried about the whole thing with the Digimon Emperor, but...it's more than that. You saw the way he was arguing with Ryoko earlier. Those two never fight. I don't know what's going on, but something is definitely wrong. Sam has always been a cautious person. He would never wander off by himself in the Digital World unless there was a good reason for it."

"Come on, Miya, I know you're worried, but I'm sure Sam's fine. I'll send my dad an e-mail. I'm not sure if he'll have a chance to get back to me, but it's a start," Taniko said softly.

Miya slowly nodded and gave the younger girl a quick hug. "Thanks, Taniko."

"Until Izzy does get back to us, you'd better keep an eye on Sam's signal," T.K. warned, smiling at Taniko and shooting Davis a look. The former leader's rant about Yolei's behaviour quickly subsided and he nodded in agreement, though he looked a little annoyed about the fact that nobody had been listening to him.

"Well, I would if these three would quit assaulting me," Taniko grumbled, waving her hand at Ema, Taysuke, and Kenzo. Taysuke and the other two were crowded around Taniko in a semi-circle and they kept trying to lean over her for a better look at the screen.

If only we knew who the Emperor was. Maybe then Sam would finally be able to move on and concentrate on what's really important.

"Look!" Ema suddenly shouted, pointing at something on the map. "Dai must have realized Sam has gone missing because his dot has started moving towards the ocean, too."

"Matt, Sora, Tai, Ryoko, and the twins are with him," Taniko added, "but why have my parents and Kara stayed behind? I'd better ask Dad in my e-mail."

"How can you tell who is who?" Taysuke asked, gazing curiously at the screen. "I mean, Izzy's dot is purple, too. How do you know he's not the one heading towards the ocean instead of Sam?"

Taniko raised her eyebrows and gestured towards the screen. "Their signals are different shades of purple, just like Matt's and Ryoko's signals are different shades of blue. It's the same for all the Digidestined. Add Ken into the mix, and you'll find that his signal is a different shade of purple from both Izzy's signal and Sam's signal. Really, Tay, you should learn to be more perceptive."

"You mean like Ryoko? I can be like that. I can!" Taysuke protested.

Miya ignored the younger kids and continued to gaze anxiously at Sam's signal. Noah's hand was still wrapped tightly around her fingers, and she gave it a quick squeeze. In response to her nervous gesture, Noah leaned forwards and placed his lips close to her ear. "Sam will be fine, Miya. He's a tough kid. He's made it this far, hasn't he?"

Miya didn't bother trying to come up with a reply. Instead, she buried her face against Noah's shoulder and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. She felt him grow tense in surprise, but instead of pulling back, she squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her arms around him. The warmth of his body and the feel of his heart beating against her chest were comforting, and right now she needed all the comfort she could get. The sound of Taniko's fingers flying across the keyboard to type a message that would eventually make its way to Izzy was starting to make her nervous.

Sam might be tough, but what is he going to do if DarkAngelicmon or one of the others find him?

Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya

File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

Daichi Motomiya wrapped his arms tightly around Dragermon's long, scarlet neck and glanced down at the other Digidestined and digimon racing over the grass below him. Tirimon and Garurumon were still in the lead, their sleek, long bodies loping easily over the uneven ground, and at Dragermon's side, Birdramon was scanning the landscape for any signs of trouble. At the back of the group, Greymon and the two angels were keeping watch in case Vampiramon managed to catch up to them, but so far it looked as if Izzy's group had every intention of keeping their word.

"We're getting closer!" Ryoko shouted, waving his glowing, blue Digivice in the air to capture everyone's attention.

"Careful," Matt called out, gesturing at his son's D-Coder, "we don't want that thing to attract DarkAngelicmon's attention."

Ryoko quickly covered his Digivice, and even though Dai was speeding through the air about a hundred feet above the golden-haired Digidestined, it didn't take a genius to realize Ryoko's face had turned a deep shade of red.

Too late, Matt. We didn't cover the crests and D-Coders when they first started glowing, so it's kind of pointless to do it now.

Shaking his head at Ryoko's obvious embarrassment, Dai took a quick look at his own glowing D-Coder and was surprised to discover that Ryoko was right. Slowly but steadily they were getting closer to Sam's purple dot, but despite the impending reunion, Dai could not help feeling a little bit unsettled. There was no telling what they might encounter when they did finally catch up to Sam, and even if DarkAngelicmon or one of Vampiramon's other allies weren't holding the raven-haired Digidestined hostage, that didn't necessarily mean Sam was going to willingly join up with them again.

Something must be really wrong. Sam's always been a very careful person. He would never wander off on his own unless he encountered something intriguing enough to capture his attention and draw him away from his friends, but what could have that kind of power over him? Could Mickey be right about the Dark Ocean, or maybe this has something to do with the Digimon Emperor...

Dai frowned thoughtfully at his shiny, red D-Coder and jumped in surprise when its screen suddenly stopped glowing. "Hey, what happened?"

"Why did they suddenly stop glowing?" Mickey shouted from down below, peering over Ryoko's shoulder for a closer look.

Dai turned to face the couple sitting on Birdramon's back and held up his D-Coder. "What's the deal with these things?"

"We're getting too far away from Infinity Mountain," Sora shouted over the sound of the wind in their ears. "The D-Coders and the crests aren't close enough to the Spirit Chip to pick up its signal anymore."

"Dai, we should land!" Tai shouted, his voice barely audible over the noise of the wind. "If DarkAngelicmon is with Sam, I don't want him to see us coming."

"Tai's right," Angelicmon called out. "We don't want to put Sam in danger, and we definitely don't want DarkAngelicmon to try and make an escape. Dracomon will do his best to protect Sam, but if something has happened to him, then Sam could be in big trouble."

"How much do you want to bet DarkAngelicmon will try to escape with Sam and Glowmon?" Greymon growled.

Dai let out a deep sigh, and waving his hand in the air, he motioned for Gabrielmon to join him. Immediately, the celestial digimon landed next to him on Dragermon's back and pointed towards the ocean.

Frowning slightly, Dai turned to look at the ocean, as well, and made a face. Gabrielmon's message was only too clear. "You feel him, don't you."

"DarkAngelicmon's presence is growing stronger, even as we speak. He's definitely close by and Sam is with him."

"How do you know? I mean...how can you be sure?"

Gabrielmon gazed quietly at his hands for a moment and fluttered his wings in frustration. "I'm not sure, but I feel it in my heart. I can't feel Sam the way I feel DarkAngelicmon, but I can feel the darkness. I know he's in trouble. Mickey is very worried. We have to do something."

"We will. I just hope Sam doesn't do anything stupid before we can reach him. Watch Mickey for me, will you? He might try to do something crazy, and I don't want him to end up in the same situation as Sam."

Gabrielmon managed a slight smile and gently patted his shoulder. "I will do what I can. I believe you may be right about my partner. Mickey is a very shy human, but he can be aggressive when he wants to be."

"Yeah, I'm finding that out the hard way. Do you think this would be a good place to land?"

Gabrielmon leaned around Dragermon's neck for a better look and nodded his head in approval. "We don't want to get too close to DarkAngelicmon."

Not when Sam's freedom could depend on it.

Dai winced at the thought and gave Gabrielmon's right wings a quick nudge. "You'd better join your partner. Mickey's an awesome friend, but I don't trust him to refrain from making my life difficult. He's done it before."

Gabrielmon slowly stood up and gently placed a hand against the top of his spiky hair. "You're a good leader, Dai. Don't ever forget that."

Dai felt his mouth drop open in surprise, but before he could say anything, Gabrielmon launched himself into the air and fluttered off to join Tirimon.

Gabrielmon thinks I'm a good leader? Does that mean all the digimon feel the same way he does? I know Embermon believes in me, but I've never thought about what the other digimon might think...

Growing slightly more confident, Dai turned to look at the large bird digimon keeping pace next to Dragermon and placed his hands in a circle around his mouth. "Sora, Birdramon, let's land! Gabrielmon says there's trouble up ahead."

"Great," Tai grumbled, grabbing Sora around the waist as Birdramon began to descend towards the ground.

Dragermon landed smoothly on the pale green grass, and a moment later Dai was racing towards his friends. He came to a stop next to Matty and quickly held out his D-Coder Digivice. "Sam should be somewhere up ahead."

"DarkAngelicmon, as well," Angelicmon murmured.

Mickey let out a soft moan, but Dai barely noticed. He had just spotted two figures moving steadily towards them through the thick clumps of bushes dotting the landscape. The two digimon must have been using the bushes to conceal themselves from anyone who happened to be passing by on the ground or in the air because Dai definitely hadn't spotted them before when he had been keeping watch on Dragermon's back.

They must have spotted Dragermon and Birdramon flying overhead, but why would they want to hide from us?

"We've got trouble," Ryoko muttered, nodding his head towards the two newcomers.

"Who are they?" Sora asked curiously.

Dai took a closer look at the two digimon and clenched his hands into fists. "Jestermon and Spritemon."

"What are they doing here?" Matty asked. "You don't think they know about the Spirit Chips, too, do you? From what Vampiramon and Soulmon had hinted at earlier, they weren't in the forest. At least, they weren't in the forest with Vampiramon and Soulmon."

Good point. I can't answer that, but one thing does make sense. Jestermon and Spritemon knew we wouldn't land here if we spotted them and that's why they hid themselves in the bushes. They could have spotted both Dragermon and Birdramon easily from the air, even from a distance. They were probably hoping we would land, but even if we didn't, they still would have known exactly where we were going...

"I bet they were just waiting for a chance to ambush us," Matty grumbled.

"Looks like they got their chance," Tirimon snorted.

"Jestermon? Isn't he the one who tried to kill Mickey?" Matt said indignantly.

Tai rolled his eyes and elbowed the former musician in the ribs. "Not now, Matt."

"But, but that Spritemon tried to kill your daughter!"

"Let's get out of here!" Mickey cried.

"No time," Greymon growled, moving to stand in front of Tai. "They're here."

Dai jerked around in surprise and found himself standing about twenty feet away from Jestermon. Great, now what?

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Spritemon said sweetly, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "See, Jestermon? He was right to send you along, despite all your complaints. And here I thought we were going to have to work at getting our hands on the Spirit Chips."

Jestermon let out a loud cackle and began to caper around Spritemon in a dizzying circle. "Spirit Chips, D-Coders, and everything inbetween. It's time to have a little fun so let the games begin!"