Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Well, after this chapter, I will be posting my new FTFOD one-shot. It's a Taysuke/Ryoko friendship story, so if you are a fan of either character be sure to check it out. It's going to be called 'What Makes a Hero.' That's pretty much it. This chapter sort of explains itself.
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 144: A Leader's Burden
Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya
File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World
As the sounds of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon battling against Jestermon and Spritemon began to fade away into the distance, Daichi Motomiya came to an abrupt stop and caught Mickey's arm to prevent the older twin from attempting to reach the ocean, and more importantly, from inadvertently leaving the rest of the group behind. As a result, Ryoko was forced to skid to a stop behind the two of them, nearly knocking Mickey face first onto the grass in the process, and Gabrielmon had to launch himself into the air to avoid crashing into Ryoko's back. Tirimon, who was lucky enough to have taken the lead, merely came to a stop and glanced curiously over his shoulder, his icy blue eyes coming to rest on his partner's handsome face. "What's going on, Ryoko?"
"Is something wrong?" Embermon asked, standing on Tirimon's head and crossing his arms over his chest. Ryoko glanced at the two digimon and let out a loud snort. "I don't know. Why don't you ask Daichi?"
"What's wrong, Dai?" Mickey gasped, tugging anxiously on his arm.
"The darkness is getting stronger. We must hurry!" Gabrielmon urged, settling himself on the grass next to Mickey and pointing towards a long line of trees that appeared to be following the coast.
Dai frowned at the sparkling blue patches of water peeking through the tops of the trees and slowly shook his head. "There's nothing wrong, not really, but I think from now on, we need to be extra cautious. DarkAngelicmon is around here somewhere, according to Angelicmon and Gabrielmon here, and there's no telling what he might do to Sam if we make him angry. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not really in the mood to ambush an evil digimon, especially if we can find another way to rescue Sam. Besides, if we do confront him, he might try to punish us by hurting Sam. I think we'll have better luck if we sneak up on DarkAngelicmon slowly. That way we'll be able to see the whole picture, and then hopefully we'll be able to rescue Sam without putting his life in danger."
"If he isn't already in danger," Embermon muttered.
Dai rolled his eyes, and stepping in front of Tirimon, he tugged lightly on one of his partner's ears before turning to look at Mickey and Gabrielmon. "Can you guys tell where the darkness is coming from?"
Mickey chewed anxiously on his lower lip, and like Gabrielmon, he quickly pointed towards the forest. "There's darkness everywhere, but at the moment, most of it seems to be coming from the forest, not the ocean."
"I thought so. Judging from Sam's position on my Digivice, it looks like he just entered the forest right before we got here. I think he must be at the centre of the woods by now."
"There's no need to fear the ocean," Gabrielmon said quietly, placing a reassuring hand on his partner's shoulder. "It is merely watching us, nothing more and nothing less. I do not deny it appears to be waiting for something, or perhaps someone, but I cannot say for sure what has captured its attention. All I know is that it will continue to wait, forever if it must, until the light of the Digital World and all those who dwell within it can no longer hold back the darkness."
"What a cheerful thought, Gabrielmon. Thanks so much for sharing," Ryoko said sarcastically.
Gabrielmon smiled at the golden-haired Digidestined and turned to gaze solemnly at the trees in the distance. "Don't worry, Ryoko, that will never happen. DarkAngelicmon is close by and his presence is very strong here. Mickey and Matty may be right about where the darkness is truly coming from. I don't believe the forest itself has created the darkness, it's more like the darkness originated from something inside the forest, something that has caused the forest to become covered in darkness. I believe that something might be Sam, not DarkAngelicmon. The darkness seems to be moving with Sam. Wherever he goes, the darkness follows, which is why we cannot see it at the moment. It is as Mickey feared. The darkness we feel must be the darkness within Sam's heart."
"All of this because of the Digimon Emperor," Mickey whispered, covering his face with his hands. "All of this because of someone who found a way to break free from the darkness! Why can't Sam understand that? I know we don't know exactly what happened, but all the hints have been there right from the very beginning. Our parents and their partners never said it in so many words, but from the little we know so far, it sounds like the Emperor found his way back to the light. I know it in my heart, and if I'm right, then Sam should be proud of being compared to the Emperor!"
"How can you truly appreciate the light if you do not understand what it means to lose your heart to the darkness?" Gabrielmon murmured.
"What do you mean by that?" Ryoko asked slowly.
"In order to fully appreciate the light inside, you must first understand the darkness. It is those of us who have suffered at the hands of evil, and against all odds have found a way to break free from the darkness, that truly understand what it means to be pure of heart."
"People like...like the Digimon Emperor!" Mickey gasped.
Gabrielmon smiled at his partner and gently ruffled the older twin's golden hair. "There is darkness inside of every heart, but if we believe in ourselves and each other, the darkness can never take away what is pure and good."
"Our innocence," Mickey said softly.
Dai frowned and turned to look at Gabrielmon. "What exactly are you saying?"
Gabrielmon slowly came towards him and placed a hand on his head. "We must believe in the Emperor and we must believe in Sam. If we don't, we will all lose our hearts to the darkness."
There was a moment of silence, and taking advantage of the quiet atmosphere, Dai turned to gaze thoughtfully at the trees in the distance. The forest was still and silent, and even though the sun was shining through the leaves on the trees, something about it seemed a little bit disturbing. It was too quiet and there was an ominous feel to it. Not only that, but the sun was starting to sink lower in the west, creating shadows at the edge of the forest.
Gabrielmon's right. If we don't believe in each other, how can we ever defeat Vampiramon and DarkAngelicmon, let alone their master? I might not feel the darkness as strongly as Mickey and Matty do, but that doesn't mean I haven't been affected by it. I know how much it can hurt me if I let it fester inside my heart, but more importantly, I know how much it can hurt my friends, and I'm not going to let that happen! If I did, what kind of a leader would I be? My dad would never let something like that happen to his friends, and I'm not going to let anything happen to my friends either!
"The darkness is coming from the forest, is it?" Ryoko said quietly, holding out his blue D-Coder. "Well, I guess I can't argue with that."
"Why not?" Mickey asked curiously.
"It's like Daichi said, Sam's signal is coming from the forest. If the darkness you're feeling really is the darkness in Sam's heart then, like Gabrielmon said, that would explain why it too appears to be coming from the forest."
"And now that DarkAngelicmon is so close to us, I can tell his presence is also coming from the forest," Gabrielmon said quietly.
"In that case, we must not waste any more time," Tirimon growled softly. "Gabrielmon, Embermon, and I will take the lead; the rest of you stay close, and as Dai said, we must be cautious. Do not let yourselves be seen until it is absolutely necessary."
"Sounds good to me, let's go!" Embermon replied, tugging impatiently on one of Tirimon's pointy ears.
Glancing nervously at Sam's weak signal on his red D-Coder, Dai quickly hurried after Mickey and Gabrielmon, both of whom were attempting to keep up with Tirimon and Embermon. Lost in his own thoughts, it was a moment before the goggle-headed leader realized Ryoko was making absolutely no effort to follow him. Instead of hurrying towards the forest, the golden-haired Digidestined merely hung his head and proceeded to gaze miserably at his feet.
"Uh...Ishida, aren't you coming?"
"I...I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
Shaking his head, Ryoko squeezed his eyes shut and let out a soft sound of distress. "I can't face Sam. Not now, not like this. He won't...he'll never..."
Dai stared at Ryoko for a moment, and frowning slightly, he clutched his D-Coder tightly in his hand and glanced over his shoulder at Mickey and the digimon. Tirimon and Embermon were still in the lead, moving silently towards the forest, and Mickey was hurrying after the two digimon, his amber eyes burning with determination. Not surprisingly, for once it looked as if Gabrielmon had decided to give his wings a rest in order to keep an eye on Mickey, because instead of soaring beautifully through the air, he chose to walk gracefully over the grass in an effort to remain close to his partner's side. Despite his eagerness to reach the forest, Mickey must have sensed the sudden tension in the air because the older twin came to a stop and slowly turned to face them. "Aren't you guys coming?"
"Dai, please," Ryoko whispered, giving him a pleading look. "You don't understand. You don't know..."
If it hadn't been for the fact that Ryoko had just called him Dai for only the second time in his entire life, excluding when they were really little, he might not have taken the golden-haired Digidestined very seriously, but under the circumstances, he felt he didn't really have a choice in the matter. Ever since leaving Matty and the adults behind, Ryoko had been unusually quiet, and Dai was positive the golden-haired Digidestined's odd behaviour had something to do with Sam. No, not Sam. The Digimon Emperor.
It made perfect sense. Ryoko's face had turned almost pure white when Mickey had first mentioned the Digimon Emperor, and ever since then the golden-haired Digidestined had been unable to look any of them directly in the eyes, until now.
"Dai, we have to hurry," Mickey said anxiously, nodding his head towards the forest. "Sam might need our help. His dot isn't moving anymore, which means something in the forest must have caught his attention. What if he really has met up with DarkAngelicmon? We know both of them are in the forest, and chances are, somewhere along the line their paths are going to cross."
Dai turned slowly to face the older twin and waved his hand at the forest. "Why don't you go on ahead with our digimon. Ishida and I will catch up with you in a few minutes, but don't think this means I've given you permission to do something reckless."
"But-"
"Don't worry, Dai, I'll watch him like a hawk," Embermon said firmly, interrupting the older twin before he could protest. "We'll wait for you at the edge of the forest, how does that sound?"
"Perfect! Thanks, guys."
"Oh, Embermon," Mickey sighed.
"Don't take too long," Tirimon warned, frowning at Ryoko before racing off towards the forest.
Instead of remaining on Tirimon's head, Embermon quickly leaped onto the ground and moved over to stand next to Mickey, which earned him a grateful smile from Gabrielmon. Although Mickey hadn't said anything, Dai was sure the older twin could sense Ryoko was on the verge of revealing something very important because instead of arguing about the decision to split up, Mickey merely nodded his head and motioned for Gabrielmon to lead the way. "Be careful, Dai, and you too, Ryoko. I don't want to lose you guys."
"To lose a friend is to lose a piece of your heart," Gabrielmon said softly.
Dai nodded and managed a weak smile. "We'll be quick, I promise."
He called me Dai. I know I didn't imagine it, which means there must be something really wrong if he's willing to go as far as using my nickname just to get my attention...
Dai waited until Mickey, Embermon, and Gabrielmon had caught up to Tirimon before turning to Ryoko and he blinked in surprise when he realized the golden-haired Digidestined had fallen to his knees on the grass. Frowning slightly, Dai quickly knelt in front of Ryoko and peered anxiously into his friend's deep blue eyes. "Ishida, is there something you wanted to tell me?"
"No! Yes. I mean...I...I don't know if I can..."
"Listen, Ishida, you've been acting really weird lately. Does this have something to do with what you were trying to tell me earlier?"
Ryoko blushed and gazed uncertainly at his hands. "I don't know what you're talking about. I never-"
"You wanted to tell me something earlier, but before you could say anything, Mrs. Hanari showed up and started accusing us of causing trouble. I told you we weren't done yet, before Vampiramon showed up, and you know I always keep my word. If you don't mind me asking, does this have something to do with Sam?"
"What? No way! Why would you think that?"
Dai hesitated and slowly placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ishida, you never fight with Sam, but today you were being a big jerk to him. Why?"
"You really don't get it, do you. It's not Sam who's the problem."
"Really, if that's true then why were you acting so rude to him?"
To Dai's complete astonishment, instead of denying the accusation, Ryoko's lower lip started to tremble and his sapphire eyes began to sparkle with what looked suspiciously like tears. "Because...because I'm a lousy friend."
"Huh?"
"It's true!" Ryoko wailed, covering his face with his hands. "I'm a horrible friend! It's my fault Sam left! If anything happens to him..."
Dai shook his friend hard by the shoulders and Ryoko immediately fell silent. For a long moment the two of them just stared at each other, and growing impatient, Dai quickly shook his head and managed a faint smile. "You're not a lousy friend, Ishida. At least, not to me, you aren't. You definitely have your moments where I'm extremely tempted to knock some sense into you, but that doesn't mean you're not a good friend."
There, I've said it. Maybe now he'll finally get the picture.
Ryoko slowly lifted his head, and Dai smiled when he realized the golden-haired Digidestined was staring at him in complete astonishment. Watching his friend closely, he fully expected Ryoko to comment on his surprisingly friendly attitude, but unfortunately the golden-haired Digidestined's obvious surprise at his words didn't have quite the impact he'd been hoping for because instead of commenting on his unusual display of affection, silent tears began to stream down Ryoko's face and he shook his head in denial. "No, it's true. I know it's true. I am a horrible friend."
He doesn't really believe that, does he? Is this because of me? Am I the reason he has such a low opinion of himself? I'm the one who keeps telling him he doesn't make a very good friend, even if I don't say it in those exact words...
Feeling a sudden surge of guilt in his heart, Dai gave his friend's shoulders a reassuring squeeze and let out a deep sigh. "Don't be stupid, Ishida. You are a good friend. In fact, you're a great friend, but how do you expect us to appreciate just how much you care when you always keep your feelings hidden inside your heart? As much as there are times when I wish I could read your mind, I can't, and neither can Sam or the others. If there's something you want to say then you need to say it. If you don't, we'll never know how you really feel."
At first Dai thought Ryoko wouldn't answer him, but after a quiet moment of thoughtful silence the golden-haired Digidestined slowly lifted his head and wrapped his hands tightly around the blue D-Coder clenched between his fingers. He held the Digivice close against his heart, and blinking in surprise, Dai suddenly found himself gazing directly into Ryoko's sad, blue eyes. "Dai?"
"What?" he whispered, still unable to believe Ryoko was calling him by his nickname.
"No matter what happens, please don't ever stop being my friend."
Did...did he really just say that? Does he really think I would ever give up on our friendship? Wait a minute, is he saying he actually values my friendship? Is he saying he really does consider us to be real friends?
Unable to suppress the sudden surge of emotions swirling around in his heart, Dai quickly reached out and gave his golden-haired friend a brief, yet at the same time fierce, hug. Ryoko was so startled he nearly dropped his D-Coder, but Dai ignored the golden-haired Digidestined's obvious shock and embarrassment, and instead of commenting on his friend's amusing reaction to something so simple as a hug, the goggle-headed leader merely smiled and shook his head. "No way. Do you really think I would ever give up on any of my friends? Come on, Ishida, you know me better than that. No matter what happens, we'll always be friends, even if you do make me want to strangle you half the time."
"Promise?"
Dai took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "I promise."
Ryoko stared at him in astonishment, and feeling suddenly vulnerable, Dai quickly lowered his eyes to the ground and gazed uncertainly at his hands. He had never really had many opportunities to comfort Ryoko before, due mostly to the fact that the golden-haired Digidestined rarely confided in him, and as a result, he felt a little bit uncertain about his earlier actions. After all, he had never actually hugged Ryoko before like he had his other friends many times in the past, not because he hadn't wanted to, but mostly because he had always assumed Ryoko would just brush him off if he ever even attempted such a thing. All of that had changed, though, a few days ago when Ryoko had somehow found the courage to hug him first. Although he would never admit it, he was glad Ryoko hadn't tried to push him away because treating the golden-haired Digidestined differently from his other friends just felt...wrong.
Does this mean he really doesn't hate me? Have I only been seeing what I believe to be the truth instead of what's really important?
"Even if what you say is true, that doesn't change the fact that Sam is in danger because of me," Ryoko whispered, his face a mask of fear and sorrow.
Dai raised his eyebrows and gave his friend's shoulders a sympathetic squeeze. "What do you mean? I don't understand, you just said you haven't been acting weird because of Sam, but so far every single word that has come out of your mouth tells a different story. No offence, Ishida, but what you said to Sam was really harsh. You were practically accusing him of hating your father, and for some reason you seemed to think he was mad at your dad for giving in to the Powers of Darkness. Well, it's more like Sam was horrified by what Matt had done, but you know what I mean. Ishida, you...you don't hate Sam for what he said about your dad, do you?"
"What?" Ryoko gasped, staring at him in horror. "No, of course not! Sam's one of my best friends! I could never hate him! Never! Daichi, don't you see? It's the other way around. I...I think Sam might hate me!"
"Why would he hate you? That doesn't make any sense."
"He might not hate me yet, but he will when...when he finds out I've been keeping something really important a secret from him."
"Uh...I think you've totally lost me."
"I couldn't do it," Ryoko mumbled, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I couldn't tell him, and now it might be too late. I wanted to, I really did, but I was scared. I can't lose him as a friend. He means a lot to me, just like all of my friends do, but it doesn't matter anymore. It never did. No matter what I say or don't say, he's going to hate me for knowing the truth. Maybe he already does. I just have this feeling...You heard Gabrielmon. DarkAngelicmon is somewhere in the forest, and if he has somehow caught up to Sam...I can't explain it, but I think Sam might already know. If he does, then it really is too late..."
At first Dai didn't know what to say, but then he suddenly remembered Ryoko's reaction to what Mickey had said earlier. "Does this have something to do with the Digimon Emperor?"
The words had barely left his mouth before he received an answer to his question. The Digimon Emperor's name alone had been enough to make Ryoko wince and for his pale skin to turn almost pure white. Unable to hide his shock, the golden-haired Digidestined quickly leaped to his feet and backed away a few paces, his sapphire eyes burning with emotion. "How...how did you know?"
Dai slowly stood up and took a hesitant step closer to his golden-haired friend. "I didn't, until now. You know something, don't you; something the rest of us don't know, and I can tell it's somehow connected to Sam. What are you hiding, Ishida? What are you so afraid to tell us? What are you so afraid to tell Sam?"
"I...I can't..."
"Why do you think it will make Sam hate you?"
"It's...it's hard to explain..."
Closing the distance between them, Dai gently placed his hands on the golden-haired Digidestined's shoulders, and taking a deep breath, he gave his friend what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Ryoko, tell me. I can't help you if you keep pushing me away all the time. Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me? Come on, we've known each other since we were babies. Doesn't that mean anything to you? We should be able to tell each other almost anything, but you don't tell me a single thing. You might think I'm stupid, but I know what I'm talking about. You have to trust me, and if you're not going to do it for my sake, then at least do it for Sam."
"For Sam," Ryoko whispered. "Dai, I..."
The golden-haired Digidestined immediately fell silent, and the sadness in his sapphire eyes suddenly faded away, only to be replaced by what looked surprisingly like a spark of hope. It was barely visible, but at the same time it was so powerful, it made Dai's heart skip a beat. At that moment, he knew he had said something he hadn't meant to say because there was an odd look on Ryoko's face and the emotion in the golden-haired Digidestined's eyes made his cheeks turn bright red. Thinking back over their mostly one-sided conversation, it was a moment before Dai realized what had captured Ryoko's attention. Out of everything he had said, there was only one thing that could have caused such a drastic change in Ryoko's attitude, and as soon as he understood what it was, he felt his heart come to a complete stop. Without even realizing it, for the first time since he was little, he had called his friend 'Ryoko' instead of 'Ishida' while in the golden-haired Digidestined's presence.
What was I thinking? I must be losing it. Maybe spending too much time in the Digital World has fried my brain or something. Well, at least Ryoko doesn't look mad. Does that mean he really meant what he said about us being friends?
Whatever the case, his momentary lapse in concentration, concerning the use of his friend's first name, appeared to have had a huge impact on Ryoko because instead of getting upset or refusing to speak, the golden-haired Digidestined slowly lifted his head and chewed anxiously on his lower lip. "If I tell you something, will you swear not to tell anyone else, especially Sam?"
"Is this the same thing you wanted to tell me earlier when Mrs. Hanari interrupted us?"
"Yes."
"In that case, do you even need to ask? Of course I won't tell anyone. How many times do I have to say it? You know me better than that."
"I...I guess..."
"Tell me, I want to help."
Ryoko took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "I know."
"Then quit stalling and tell me!"
"Dai," the golden-haired Digidestined whispered, once again calling him by his nickname, "I know who the Digimon Emperor is."
At first Dai was sure he hadn't heard Ryoko properly, but as the tears continued to slide down the golden-haired Digidestined's cheeks, he had no choice but to accept the fact that every word he had heard out of his friend's mouth had indeed matched the words that had reached his ears. "That's...impossible. How could you know something like that? Did your dad tell you last night? That would explain why you've been acting like such a nutcase recently."
Ryoko let out a soft sob and slowly shook his head. "No, he didn't tell me. Dai, it's so obvious. We should have figured it out a long time ago. It was all there, right in front of our faces, but we were too blind to see the truth. There were so many hints, so many opportunities to realize what we should have known all along, and not once did we ever put the pieces of the puzzle together. How could we have been so stupid?"
Dai clung tightly to his friend's shoulders to stop his hands from trembling and gazed anxiously into the golden-haired Digidestined's sapphire eyes. Although he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, he knew he had to ask. "Who is he? Please, for Sam. I need to know if you want me to help you protect Sam."
Ryoko let out a soft moan and collapsed against his shoulder. "Dai, it's...it's Ken. The Digimon Emperor is Sam's father!"
No. It...can't be...
And yet, even though he wanted nothing more than to scream at Ryoko and call his friend a liar, he knew the golden-haired Digidestined was telling the truth. As much as he didn't want to believe it, Ken Ichijouji was the Digimon Emperor. It made too much sense not to be true. Ken had joined the Digidestined team late, and although Dai still didn't know exactly what had happened, there had apparently been some sort of issue with the raven-haired Digidestined's crest, which had made it unavailable for use twenty-five years ago. There was also the fact that everything Veemon, Gennai, and the others had said about the Emperor had somehow been connected to Ken.
And what about Sam? Everyone keeps comparing him to the Emperor, and we know the two of them are connected somehow. Wormmon and the others made that pretty clear. It also explains why Centarumon told us to talk to Wormmon about the Digimon Emperor, but Wormmon didn't say anything because he didn't want to hurt his partner.
Vampiramon and her allies had used the term 'little Emperor' several times in the past when referring to Sam, and the only way that would make sense would be if one of Sam's parents was the Digimon Emperor. Sam was a lot like his father, so it only made sense for the two of them to be compared to one another. It also made the connection between Sam and the Emperor make a lot of sense.
It all fits. I can't believe Ken used to be the Digimon Emperor. It doesn't make any sense. To me, he's always seemed like a really nice, kind, caring person. What could have made him act so differently back then? Could his brother's death have had something to do with it? I know I'd be pretty upset if something bad ever happened to Ami. She might annoy me sometimes, but she's still my big sister, and things just wouldn't be the same without her...
"Do you see what I mean?" Ryoko wailed, sniffing back tears. "Ken's definitely the Digimon Emperor; there's just no way around it."
Dai slowly pulled away from his golden-haired friend and gently shook his head. "No, Ken was the Digimon Emperor. There's a difference, Ishida. Sam will understand. It might take a while, but I know he'll forgive Ken eventually. He's just going to need some time, that's all."
"You...you believe me?" Ryoko gasped.
"Of course I do. I don't really have much of a choice, do I? It makes too much sense not to be true. I guess Mickey was right after all. The Digimon Emperor really did find his way back to the light."
"Yes, but will Sam see it that way? Do you understand now why I haven't been able to tell him the truth about his father? If I do, he won't believe me, but if I don't he'll accuse me of keeping secrets from him. Either way, he's going to hate me."
"No way! Sam isn't like that. He might get angry, but he'll never hate you, that much I'm sure of. Hey, Ishida, you don't hate Ken, do you? I mean...now that you know the truth?"
Ryoko blinked in surprise and quickly shook his head. "No, why would I hate him? Sam's father is a lot like my dad, and if my dad deserves a second chance then why not Ken, too? What about you? Do you hate Ken?"
Dai lifted his chin and gave the golden-haired Digidestined a defiant look. "I don't know why Ken did what he did, but I do know he definitely had a good reason for it and I'm not going to accuse him of anything until I know exactly what that reason is."
Ryoko nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I should have known you would say something like that."
"Hey, Ishida, do you really think Sam might already know the truth?"
"I'm not sure, but I won't be surprised if he does, especially if DarkAngelicmon really has caught up to him in the forest."
"Why is that?"
"DarkAngelicmon already tried once before to reveal the Emperor's true identity. Who's to say he won't try it again? He seems determined to hurt Sam, as well as Mickey and Matty, and using Ken would be a perfect way to attack Sam where he's most vulnerable."
"You're right. In that case, we'd better find Sam and quick. By the way, thanks for telling me about the Emperor. It's about time you learn to trust me."
"I've always trusted you," Ryoko whispered, brushing the tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand. "Besides, I had to tell someone. It was driving me crazy."
Dai smiled slightly and once again slipped his arm around his friend's shoulders. "No, you didn't have to tell anyone, but you told me. Don't worry, Ishida, I'm not going to let Sam hate you. I'd like to see him try it!"
Ryoko blushed and let out a weary sigh. Now that the golden-haired Digidestined had gotten Ken's secret off his chest, he seemed a little calmer and a little more willing to think things through rationally. "Daichi, now that we know the truth, what are we going to do?"
So he's back to calling me Daichi again, is he? I should have known using my nickname wouldn't last.
Dai was about to answer when a bright flash of light at the edge of his vision suddenly captured his attention. Jumping in surprise, he turned just in time to see seven rays of golden light arc out of the sky and disappear into the tops of the trees. At the edge of the forest, Mickey was staring up at the sky in shock and Gabrielmon was already hovering above the trees, his sceptre clutched tightly in his hand. Embermon and Tirimon were also standing at the edge of the forest, and both digimon were staring up at the sky in confusion.
"Wasn't that...Angelicmon's attack?" Ryoko asked hesitantly, gazing anxiously at the forest. "What...what's going on?"
Dai didn't even bothering trying to come up with an answer. Instead, he grabbed Ryoko's arm and proceeded to drag the golden-haired Digidestined towards the forest, his thoughts about the Emperor momentarily forgotten. He didn't have a clue what was happening, but he did know one thing. Angelicmon was definitely not in that forest. Could it be? Could that light have come from DarkAngelicmon?