Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. (Though they stole Dracomon from me! The name, I mean. I came up with it years and years ago! Honestly, I should sue and...yeah, I would so totally lose. Oh well, I'm sure someone out there used it before me, too. But still!)

A/N: Well, we finally get back to Sam! I'm sorry the chapter is a bit short, but the story will be flipping around quite a bit between different groups of characters for the next little while, since there is so much going on right now, and I don't want everyone to get confused. (like me!) I wanted this chapter to be pretty emotional, but I also didn't want to go overboard. As a result, it seems a bit flat to me, but hopefully everyone will still like it. Please review!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 146: Beacons of Light

Sam Ichijouji

File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

Sam Ichijouji stared at the fallen angel standing before him, the silence hovering over the small, dark clearing ringing in his ears. There were tears streaming down his cheeks, but he barely even felt them. All he could think about were the words DarkAngelicmon had thrown so viciously in his face.

"And so the plot thickens, as Piedmon would have said. Only a fool cannot see what lies within his own heart. You know, Sam! The truth has been in front of you this whole time, but you've been too blind to see it, little Emperor! Either that or you just haven't wanted to admit it to yourself. That's right, Sam. You talk about the truth? I'll give you the truth. The Digimon Emperor was your father, Ken Ichijouji!"

No, he's lying. It can't be true, it can't be! My father wouldn't...he'd never treat innocent humans and digimon like that! DarkAngelicmon is just trying to hurt me! He's just trying to make me suffer for what I said about Mickey...

"Well, well, not so confident now, are we, human," DarkAngelicmon hissed, his emerald green eyes flashing with rage.

Sam recoiled and quickly backed away from the fallen angel, feeling both stunned and hurt by the evil champion's sudden outburst. Never before had DarkAngelicmon ever referred to him or any of his friends in such a disrespectful manner, always calling them by their first names instead of using the word 'human' like Vampiramon, Spritemon, Jestermon and BlackWidowmon often did, and the implications of that made him feel like he was losing an important part of his soul.

Have I ruined everything? Does he no longer consider us to be worthy opponents anymore?

Sam knew he should probably be frightened by the sudden change in DarkAngelicmon's attitude, but at the moment, all he could think about was his father. Ken Ichijouji had always been a decent man, a kind and gentle father who somehow always managed to find time to spend with his children, even when he was really busy. For Sam, his father had always been a source of comfort, a shoulder to cry on when he was upset and a pair of strong arms to hug him in those times when he just wanted to be loved. His father had always been a quiet listener, preferring to study those around him instead of joining in on the conversation himself, and because of that Sam knew he could tell his dad anything without fear of his words being passed on to someone else. That was what he loved most about his father. Ken was the kind of person you could always trust, and he was good at keeping secrets.

Maybe a little too good...

Unable to stop the flow of memories surging through his brain, Sam found himself reliving all of the moments he had spent with his father. In the past, his dad had often read him to sleep in the evenings and tucked him into bed at night, and he couldn't even count how many times his dad had comforted him after he had had a nightmare. He could still remember all the times when his father had played with him when he was a kid, helped him with his homework, or joined him in a game of chess, which could quite frequently turn out to be fast and furious. Often, his parents would set aside a family night when all they would do was play a game and everyone would join in, but his favorite memories were the ones when he would spend hours just talking to his father about whatever came to his mind, and his dad would talk and listen, opening up to him in a way that only fathers who were close to their sons possibly could. Those were his most precious memories and every single one that flashed through his mind caused another piece of his heart to break off and drift painfully into oblivion. His father was a genius and a talented soccer player. He could have been the head of a large corporation dedicated to designing popular video games for children and adults all over the world, or the head of any other corporation for that matter. He could have been a brilliant mathematician or even a professional soccer player. He could have been anything, but instead he had chosen to run a convenience store with his wife. Sam had once asked his father why he had given up so many opportunities to become an influential person within society. The answer, to his surprise, had been clear and simple.

"Success doesn't always translate into happiness, Sam. It's the simple things in life that truly make you happy."

How could a man whose most important goal in life was to do everything he could to protect his family and friends and love them with all his heart have possibly been the Digimon Emperor?

Glaring at the fallen angel through a haze of tears, Sam slowly lifted his head and clenched his hands into tight fists. "You're wrong! I don't believe you. My father would never...he wouldn't hurt innocent digimon or his friends."

DarkAngelicmon smiled bitterly and turned to face the trees, keeping an eye out for more of those strange black shadows. "Did I not tell you sometimes it is better to hide from the truth? Look inside your heart, Sam, you know I'm not lying. Deep down inside, you've known the truth all along."

Sam blinked in surprise and slowly shook his head in denial. As quickly as that, the fallen angel had reverted back to using his name, and the firm, yet gentle, words left him feeling scared and confused. He was pretty sure he was in shock, and his heart was pounding so frantically in his chest, it was making his ears hurt, but even so, he still found himself trying to deny the fallen angel's words. "No, I don't know what you're talking about. My dad isn't evil! He can't be..."

"Look around you, Sam!" DarkAngelicmon snapped, waving his hand at the dark trees circling the small clearing. "This place, this darkness, this is your father's gift to you. This is your father's legacy!"

Sam could hear someone crying, but it was a moment before he realized the sobs were his own. "No! You're just trying to hurt me! You're just trying to...to..."

"No, Sam, don't listen to him!" Glowmon cried, his glowing belly flickering before growing dark and shadowy. "Even if what he says is true, it doesn't change the fact that your father still loves you! Maybe he did do some bad things when he was younger, but he's changed since then. You can see that for yourself."

Sam jumped as Glowmon suddenly zoomed into his arms, and squeezing his eyes shut, he buried his face against the little rookie's soft, leathery skin. Ever since he was little, he had always wanted to be like his dad, but now he was starting to wonder if maybe he had put his trust in the wrong person. His father had been his biggest hero ever since he could walk and talk, and he had always believed he would be able to count on his dad, especially when it really mattered the most. Never had he thought his father would ever become a source of pain and sadness, instead of a solid pillar of love and comfort, and it made him feel like his entire world was turning upside down.

Ever since he had first come into the world, his father had been there keeping a watchful eye over him, protecting him and helping him to become the best person he could be, but none of that seemed to matter anymore. His heart, normally brimming with happiness and respect for his family and friends, felt empty inside, as if every single emotion he was capable of feeling had leaked out of his body and disappeared into thin air. He had always believed he knew his father as well as he knew himself, but now, for the first time in his life, all of a sudden he felt like he didn't know his dad at all anymore, had maybe never truly known him to begin with. "It...it just can't be true..."

"Please, Sam?" Glowmon whispered, anxiously fluttering his small, transparent wings. "You have to listen to me. I don't care if your dad was the Emperor, and neither should you. I won't deny the Emperor did some terrible things, but people change, humans and digimon. You can't tell me your dad isn't a good person. I like him, and I'll let Vampiramon turn me into data before I let you turn your back on him!"

Sam could barely see Glowmon through his tears, but the little rookie's unexpected ferocity caught him by surprise. Normally Glowmon was quite passive and shy, and because of that if felt odd to see the little rookie acting so aggressive.

I don't understand...how can Glowmon be sure of anything anymore?

Clinging tightly to the little rookie's small body, Sam turned to face DarkAngelicmon and angrily brushed away the tears clouding his vision. "After everything you've done, do you really expect me to believe you? Do you really expect me to believe my father was the Digimon Emperor?"

DarkAngelicmon lowered his gaze to the forest floor and placed a hand against his chest. "What does your heart tell you?"

"Sam, I'm really sorry," Glowmon whispered tearfully.

Sam gave up his useless attempts to stop the tears from falling down his cheeks, and very slowly he sank to his knees, his hands lifting to cover his face. He could feel Glowmon hovering anxiously next to his shoulder, but even his partner's comforting presence wasn't enough to stop a wave of terrible sadness from drowning what was left of his heart.

"You accuse me of lying, and yet you know what I say is true. Why do humans always make things more complicated than they have to be? I do not understand it, though I suppose that's part of their charm."

Sam didn't even look at DarkAngelicmon. Instead, he merely began to cry softly into his hands. "I hate you."

"Innocent and free of guilt, and yet the messenger is always the first one to receive the blame," DarkAngelicmon sighed. "We always think we suffer alone, and yet that is rarely ever the case. When we suffer, there are those who suffer with us."

Sam wanted to reply, but he could not find the words to describe how he was feeling inside. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew DarkAngelicmon was right. When he thought about everything he had learned from Veemon, Agumon, Wormmon, and Gennai, his father being the Digimon Emperor made perfect sense. That, along with his father's secrets and the way his father had reacted every time someone had mentioned the Digimon Emperor, only confirmed what he wanted so desperately not to believe. The name 'little Emperor' couldn't mean anything else. His father had joined the new Digidestined team much later than Davis, Cody, and his mother, all of which made sense if his father had been the Digimon Emperor. After all, his dad wouldn't have had time to join the Digidestined while he was busy trying to take over the Digital World through the use of Control Spires and Dark Rings.

Then there was his father's crest. It had been connected to the Emperor's base and now he understood why the two went hand in hand, even though he still didn't know exactly what had happened back then. Wormmon hadn't wanted to tell him the truth because the little rookie had been trying to protect a friend. Who would Wormmon care about more than his own human partner? It also explained why Elecmon had suggested going to Wormmon about information concerning the Digimon Emperor and why Centarumon had been so secretive.

All of those things pointed to Ken Ichijouji being the Digimon Emperor, but it was the behaviour of the adult Digidestined and their partners that more than anything else confirmed the truth.

They wanted to protect my father because they were afraid of how I might react if I ever discovered the truth about the Digimon Emperor. They were afraid I might never want to speak to him ever again. They were afraid I might end up hating him...

And maybe their fears were justified.

What about me? Were they trying to protect me, too, because they haven't. All they've done is make things even worse...

Everything Wormmon and the others had said about the Digimon Emperor had somehow been connected to his father, and now he knew why. There was no other possible explanation. His father truly was the Digimon Emperor. It was so obvious, he could not understand why he hadn't figured out the truth a long time ago. It had been right there, right in front of his face the whole time, and yet he hadn't been able to see it.

It's bad enough my parents, their friends, and even the digimon kept the truth a secret from me, but at least they had what they believed to be good reasons for it. DarkAngelicmon and his allies wanted to torment me before completely ripping my heart out, but what about Gennai? Even he kept the truth from me! How could I have been so stupid? How could I have missed making such an important connection?

Then again, maybe he hadn't missed a single thing. All of a sudden, he understood what DarkAngelicmon had been trying to tell him. Deep down inside, some small part of him had known the truth all along, but he hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. He had been scared to accept the truth because that would have made it real, and the horror of what that would mean was something he hadn't wanted to face.

"Shame on you, Ken. How can you keep the truth about the Digimon Emperor a secret from your own son?"

From me...

"What are you going to do, Ken? Are you going to kill me?"

"No, DarkAngelicmon, I'm not going to kill you."

"Really, then what are you going to do? Please, enlighten me, I'm dying to know."

"The same thing my friends did to me. You know what happened to the Emperor. If he can be saved then so can you..."

But was he really?

All this time he had been trying so hard to hide from his father's past, but that was no longer an option. Ken Ichijouji was undeniably the Digimon Emperor, and Sam could no longer try to make himself believe something that wasn't true. His brilliant father had created the Control Spires and Dark Rings, and he had used them to try and control innocent digimon. On top of that, his dad had tried to take over the Digital World, and he had even tried to kill the Digidestined, including his own beloved wife, not once, but many times over and over again. So many innocent digimon had been hurt at the hands of Ken Ichijouji, who had used his brilliant mind for evil rather than good.

How can anyone who has done so many horrible things leave such a terrible past behind? How could anyone who was deceived so easily by the Powers of Darkness find their way back to the light? How could anyone who was so...so evil possibly be my father? Is darkness also my destiny? Am I going to end up just like my father, a slave to the Powers of Darkness?

Sam slowly lifted his head and found himself gazing into Glowmon's large, violet eyes. He could tell by the look on his partner's face that Glowmon also understood the truth, and yet even though the little rookie knew what the Emperor had done, there was no hatred or disgust reflected in his gaze. There was only sadness, and it left Sam feeling confused and uncertain about his feelings. It also made him remember what Wormmon had said at Primary Village.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I want to, but if I did, I'd end up betraying a very good friend of mine."

Is that how Glowmon feels about me?

The thought made him wince and suddenly Mickey's words came back to him.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. You're not evil, Sam. You're not going to turn into another Emperor no matter what others say about you. We love you, and we'll never stop being friends with you, no matter what."

But...what about my dad?

"So, you're finally starting to believe me. I can see it in your eyes," DarkAngelicmon said quietly. "I have not told you anything you didn't already know."

"Why?" Sam whispered, his tears dripping slowly onto the grass. "Why do you want to hurt me?"

"You say I am trying to hurt you, but sometimes that is the only way to break someone free from the darkness."

So many secrets. My father, Gennai, Ryoko...Sam suddenly jerked his head up and clapped a hand over his mouth in horror. Wait a minute, Ryoko...

"There are other people out there who have fallen even deeper into darkness than my dad did. Are you telling me you wouldn't be able to forgive them either?"

"What? Wait! I didn't mean...it's not like that! Ryoko, I wasn't trying to say anything bad about your dad. I just-"

"Everyone deserves a second chance! What would you do if you were in my place, disown your own father? Would you never speak to him again? Huh, Sam? Is that what you would do?"

He knows. Ryoko knows the truth about my father. He knew and he didn't even tell me...

Sam wasn't sure how, or when, Ryoko had finally figured out the truth, but it didn't matter. It was too much. It was one thing for his father and the rest of the adult Digidestined to keep secrets from him, he was getting used to that by now, but it was another thing entirely for Ryoko to treat his feelings with such disrespect. His friends were some of the most important people in the world to him, and he trusted them with his most deepest secrets. They were the ones he had believed he could always count on. They were the ones who were supposed to stand up for him, believe in him, help him, and stick by his side no matter how tough things got. For Ryoko to keep something so important a secret from him was unthinkable.

Blinded by tears, Sam quickly staggered to his feet and turned to face what he knew to be the direction of Infinity Mountain. "No...no! Ryoko..how could you?"

"What is the matter?" DarkAngelicmon asked quietly, his words just barely reaching Sam's ears.

"Sam!" Glowmon cried.

It was just too much for him to handle. Letting out a sob of despair, he began to run back the way he had come, Glowmon fluttering madly behind him to keep up. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he much care, but he did know he had to put as much distance between himself and DarkAngelicmon as was humanly possible. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he could not stand the fallen angel's presence anymore.

Ryoko...

Suddenly, without warning, a bright beam of orange light shot through the trees and came to a stop by his feet, creating a pool of orange light around his body. At first, he thought he was imagining things, but a second later the glowing orange beam was joined by rays of blue and red light.

"Wow, pretty!" Glowmon gasped, his belly lighting up in response to the glow.

The light felt warm around Sam's body, and there was something about it that made him feel like he wasn't alone anymore. It was almost like it was calling to him, a beacon of colourful lights acting as a guide to show him the way out of the forest.

No, not the forest. They're showing me a way out of the darkness. They're bringing me back to the light.

It was a crazy thought, but Sam didn't care. Unable to ignore the strange glow shooting off into the distance, he did the only thing he could think of. Leaving DarkAngelicmon behind, he ran as fast as he could towards the source of the light.