Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Well, I sort of lied. Because I'm going to be really, really busy for the next two weeks, I doubt I'll have any chapters posted until a few weeks from now, but because I feel so bad, I decided I would post another one this week to make up for it, so here it is! And after that I promise it'll be one a week again!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 155: Explanations and Speculations

Davis Motomiya

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Davis wasn't quite sure how he did it, but despite all the unanswered questions racing through his mind, he somehow managed to make it through Izzy's entire story without uttering a single sound. Tai, Daichi, and the rest of the Digidestined who had travelled to the Digital World that afternoon were quick to fill in all the blanks during those times when Izzy hadn't been present for some of the more important parts of the story, a lot of which revolved around Sam, the Emperor, DarkAngelicmon, the forest, and the ocean. Although Gennai's information about the Spirit Chips had certainly been interesting, unfortunately it paled in comparison to the news of Sam's discovery concerning the Emperor's true identity. Even the sudden appearance of what could only have been the Dark Ocean did not come close to the Emperor fiasco, though DarkAngelicmon's ability to use an attack he never should have been able to perform was a different story. With the Spirit Chips, DarkAngelicmon, and the Emperor all coming into play at the exact same time, it was hard to figure out which of the three was more important at the moment, and it made it almost impossible to focus on only one thing at a time. As a result, Davis was sure the only reason he had managed to keep his mouth shut was because for the first time in his life, even more so than the day he had received his Digivice, he was truly, utterly shocked. Even finding out his son had somehow become a Digidestined hadn't surprised him as much as all the information he was currently trying to absorb all at once.

I don't know why I'm so surprised. It's not like I didn't know Sam and the others would find out the truth about Ken eventually, but still...it's not just Ken. It's everything. Look at what happened to Sam. I always had this feeling, even after we defeated MaloMyotismon, that we hadn't seen the last of the Dark Ocean, and it looks like I was right. There's still so much about that place we don't understand, and now it looks like our lack of knowledge is starting to catch up with us. Even Izzy doesn't fully understand the World of Darkness, and he's been studying it for a long time, but maybe now he'll finally get his chance. I always did feel like we had unfinished business with that place...

Even though the thought made him uneasy, it didn't stop him from feeling a strong sense of determination to find out the true origin and meaning behind the World of Darkness. It had all started with Tai's group, and for some strange reason he had a feeling it was his son's group who were finally going to figure out the truth, with help perhaps from DarkAngelicmon and Lucemon. When that happened, and he had no doubt that it would, it wasn't really going to be the end of it. If anything, it would just be the start of a new beginning.

But first, we have to deal with Sam. If he can't find a way to put the past behind him and forgive Ken then we'll never be able to find out the truth about the World of Darkness or save the Digital World. And then there's Miya and Nao, and what about Noah and the others?

Davis turned slowly to look at the non-Digidestined children, his dark gaze coming to rest on his daughter, and a sad smile slipped across his face. All of them looked shocked, confused, and completely unable to believe what they had just heard about Ken, except for Kenzo. For some strange reason, the dark-haired boy was the only one who didn't look the least bit surprised about the Emperor's true identity. Unlike the others, he merely appeared resigned and willing to accept the truth, however reluctant he was to admit it.

"I can't believe it!" Ema whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "Ken, of all people. I never would have picked him to be the Digimon Emperor. I mean...he always acts so nice. It's hard to imagine he would have let himself be deceived so easily. All those poor innocent digimon..."

"It wasn't just the digimon," Taysuke said quietly, his gaze coming to rest on his Aunt Kari. "He tried to hurt his friends, too."

Kari nodded in agreement, and moving over to Taysuke's side, she gently slipped her arms around her nephew's shoulders in a tight hug. "Yes, he did. We forgave him...but I still can't help wondering if he ever forgave himself."

"But...why? I don't understand. Why would he have wanted to rule the Digital World? I mean, I understand he had a difficult past, especially with his brother's death, living in his brother's shadow, and even trying to compensate for his parents' loss by taking over Sam's role in the family, but still...why couldn't he see just how meaningful his life could be if he only learned to let go of the past?"

"Well, in the end that's exactly what he finally came to understand. It might have taken him a little longer to get there than maybe it should have, but if the darkness in your heart is really strong, then sometimes it can't be helped."

"Poor Sam," Taniko murmured, frowning miserably at her feet. "No wonder he looked so devastated when he came through the gate, and what about Nao and Miya?"

"It'll be hard on Miya, but she's really tough. She'll be fine, I know it," Noah said stubbornly, though he didn't look very convinced. "She...she has to be..."

"Of course she'll be fine!" Rina said cheerfully, folding her hands together and beaming at the dark-haired boy. "And don't worry about Nao. He has a big heart. I know he'll be able to forgive Ken."

Davis stared at the little girl in surprise, along with everyone else, and to his complete astonishment, he found himself smiling in amusement. "You sure sound pretty optimistic."

"Just because Nao and I are little kids doesn't mean we don't understand what's going on," Rina said solemnly. "Ken did some bad things, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person. I do bad things sometimes, too, and Mommy and Daddy always forgive me, even if I don't deserve it, so why shouldn't we forgive Ken?"

Good point, Rina. That's how I felt when everyone else had such a hard time forgiving Ken. We like to overlook our own mistakes, so why should overlooking the mistakes of others be so hard? If we can learn to accept the mistakes of those around us, and our own, then the answer is simple. We gave Ken a second chance and he's never once taken it for granted. I won't let all of his hard work to overcome the past be for nothing.

"I'm right, you know I am," Rina said softly, moving towards him and gently tugging on the sleeve of his shirt.

Reaching out, Davis ruffled the young girl's dark hair and gave her a warm smile. "I couldn't have put it better myself, Rina. You think like me, and don't let anyone ever tell you that's a bad thing."

"No, it might be the best thing that could have ever happened to her," T.K. agreed, smiling slightly.

Huh?

Davis glanced over Rina's dark head and felt his face turn pink when he realized both T.K. and Kari were smiling at him, their expressions stating quite plainly just how proud they were of their daughter.

Did T.K. just compliment me?

Although the two of them were good friends, in the past they had certainly had their moments when both of them would find it difficult to get along with each other, but ever since the day they were finally able to work out their differences, any misunderstandings between the two of them had immediately ceased to be a problem. And to think all it had taken was for T.K. to finally admit the one thing Davis had wanted to hear from him all along, the one thing he had needed to hear above everything else. Even though it might have been difficult at first, T.K. had grown to respect him and to appreciate his friendship, and in turn he had done the same for T.K.

It's all thanks to Noriko. She was the one who truly saved our friendship.

There was only one problem. Even though he had developed a strong friendship with T.K., actually hearing the golden-haired Digidestined compliment him to his face instead of keeping thoughts like that left unsaid still took some getting used to, and although he appreciated the nice compliments, they still had a tendency to make him feel slightly embarrassed, especially if there were other people around to hear the unexpected praise.

"You always say stuff that makes a lot of sense," Rina said happily, beaming at him and throwing her arms around his neck.

"Really? You think so?"

Rina nodded and cuddled her cheek against the side of his forehead. "You're so silly, Davis. I think Ken could learn a lot from you."

Well, I guess that means I'll have to help him, whether he realizes he needs my help or not. This is probably where Yolei would tell me to leave Ken alone and give him a little space, but sometimes that isn't always the best answer. I've already let him down once and I won't let it happen again, especially if the relationship he has with his children really is on the verge of falling apart...

Wincing at the thought, Davis gave Rina's small frame a quick squeeze and gently tweaked her nose. "I think Ken could learn a lot from all of us, but he's not the only one. Sam could learn a few things, too."

"Yes, what happens now is going to depend a lot on Sam, Miya, and Nao, not Ken," Cody said seriously.

"Speaking of Sam's dad, that brings up another question. Kenzo, what is up with you?" Ema asked bluntly, gazing suspiciously at the dark-haired boy. "How come you don't look the least bit surprised about Ken being the Digimon Emperor?"

Blushing slightly, Kenzo quickly lowered his dark eyes to the cream-coloured carpet and shrugged his shoulders. "I...I already knew."

"What?" Taniko gasped, nearly falling off her chair in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell us you knew?" Ema shrieked.

"It's not like I wanted to keep it a secret, but I didn't have much of a choice. It wouldn't have been fair to Ken or Sam if I'd gone around telling everyone the truth about the Digimon Emperor. Besides, I only found out today. I figured it out just recently when my dad told me how he and Ken didn't used to get along very well."

"I'm not proud of it, but I had trouble forgiving Ken for all the terrible things he did as the Digimon Emperor," Cody said slowly. "It was hard for me to trust him, but he made me believe he could change. I almost made a big mistake, and I don't want the same thing to happen to any of you. Please, you have to trust Ken. For Sam."

"For Sam..." Taysuke said quietly.

Davis nodded in agreement and smiled at the young boy. "We forgave Ken. If we can do it then so can you guys."

"Hey, Davis? I haven't forgotten you were the one who never doubted Ken," Cody said softly. "I really admire you for that."

Both T.K. and Cody in one day?

Normally Davis would have been glad to accept any kind of compliment from his friends, but under the circumstances he didn't really feel like he deserved any praise. After all, even though whether or not to reveal the truth about the Emperor hadn't been his decision to make, he still felt like he had somehow failed both Ken and Sam.

"Cody, could you tell us the same story you told Kenzo?" Taniko asked hesitantly. "I mean, we know mostly everything about Ken's past now, but..."

"I might as well, though Izzy pretty much told you everything already."

"He didn't tell us about your feelings towards Ken."

Bowing his head in acknowledgement, Cody quickly told the rest of the kids what he had explained to Kenzo earlier, only this time it was obvious he elaborated a bit more about exactly what had happened instead of speaking in riddles. At least that was the impression Davis got, just from the way Cody was speaking. Adding the dark-haired Digidestined's story to the vast amount of information Izzy had already explained earlier about Ken's past, it wasn't too hard for Ami and the others to get the whole picture.

"Wow, Cody, I never thought you'd be the one to have such a hard time forgiving Ken," Noah said slowly, shaking his head.

"We all did in our own way," T.K. said quietly, "not just Cody."

"Well, except Davis," Kari interrupted, a faint smile slipping across her face. "I don't really think it's something to be surprised about. After all, aren't all of you struggling with the exact same thing right now?"

"Not everyone can be like Davis," Jun laughed.

Like anyone even asked her!

Davis frowned at his sister, but instead of making another joke, Jun gave him a surprisingly fond smile, her expression stating quite plainly that she would have done the exact same thing.

Well, why not? As much as I hate to admit it, in many ways we're a lot alike.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Kari insisted. "About Ken. Aren't all of you fighting the same battle, a quest to understand the true meaning of forgiveness?"

There was silence.

Smiling slightly, Davis turned to look at his son, and to his surprise he received a small smile in return. Earlier, when Dai had first come back home through the gate, Davis had felt as if he'd been gazing at a stranger instead of his vibrant, feisty, outspoken son, and the sensation had made him feel extremely uneasy. Thankfully that no longer seemed to be the case. Kari's words appeared to have given Dai new life, and instead of looking helpless, the goggle-headed leader appeared ready and willing to accept the challenge of helping Sam, and anyone else who might need it, to forgive Ken for the terrible things he had done as the Digimon Emperor. It was a relief to see some of the old familiar sparkle return to Dai's deep brown eyes, and the look of determination creeping slowly onto the goggle-headed leader's face made it obvious he had already come to his own conclusions about Ken.

He feels the same way I felt when Ken first gave up his past as the Digimon Emperor. Forgiveness is always the best choice, even if it isn't the easiest road to follow. Ami understands that, too. Thank you, guys. I'm so proud of you...

As for the others, Mickey and Matty were gazing solemnly at their feet, their expressions and posture identical to one another. Both of them appeared quite willing to forgive Ken, though obviously their first priority was Sam, not the former Digimon Emperor. It made sense, since Sam would more than likely be the one to decide Ken's fate. Kara, on the other hand, merely looked thoughtful, and occasionally she would nod her head, as if agreeing with whatever she had already decided to be the best course of action. As far as Davis could tell, it looked as if her heart and mind were working together in perfect harmony, and to him that was definitely a good sign. At first Ami, Noah, and the younger children had seemed shocked by Kari's words, and in some cases they had even looked a little bit ashamed of themselves, but now their eyes were beginning to light up with smiles and determination, a sign of their eagerness to prove just how strong they could be.

"You're right, Kari," Taniko said finally, breaking the silence and giving the female Digidestined a warm smile. "Now it's our turn to prove what our hearts are made of, even if it might be one of the hardest things we'll ever have to do."

"It's a test to prove the strength of our faith, the faith we have in ourselves and each other," Noah murmured.

For the first time since coming through the gate, Matty actually smiled, and holding Goldmon tightly in his arms, he let out a soft sigh. "Well, when you put it that way it doesn't seem so hard."

"Uh...Matty?" Mickey asked uncertainly, since as far as Davis knew this was the first time the older twin had actually spoken to Matty since coming back from the Digital World. Davis hadn't failed to notice the tension between them, though it seemed to have grown slightly less hostile.

I wonder what happened between them...

"You should learn not to give up on me so easily," Matty said calmly, his gaze flicking ever so slightly in the older twin's direction before once again focusing on his blue and white sneakers.

Mickey's face turned pink, but instead of getting upset, the older twin merely smiled and beamed at his brother. "That's better. That's the Mattty I know so well."

"I don't have any problem with Ken, but I do have an issue with Sam," Matty mumbled, pretending not to have heard his brother's words, though the embarrassed look on his face stated otherwise. "How could he have said all those horrible things to Ryoko? If he's willing to act like that towards a friend who didn't even do anything wrong, then I don't even want to know what he has in store for Ken."

"No kidding," Dai muttered. "I wish you guys could have witnessed the way Sam acted when he first came out of the forest. If you could have seen the look on his face..."

"Trust me, Dai, I think we already have a good idea of how he must have looked," Taysuke said sadly. "I'm sure it must have mirrored the expression that had been on his face when he came through the gate earlier."

"You don't think he really...hates Ryoko, do you?" Ema asked, glancing anxiously at the golden-haired Digidestined.

Davis turned to look at Ryoko, as well, and he winced at the lack of expression in the golden-haired Digidestined's sapphire eyes. Out of all the kids in the room, Ryoko was the only one who hadn't expressed any kind of reaction in response to Kari's words, but he just knew it wasn't because the young blond held a grudge towards Ken. It was because of Sam.

"Ryoko, are you going to be okay?" Taysuke asked anxiously, hurrying over to the golden-haired Digidestined's side. He slipped an arm around Ryoko's shoulders, clearly hoping for some reassuring words of comfort, but unfortunately it looked as if he was going to have to suffer a huge disappointment. Ryoko just sat there staring at nothing, his expression lacking any kind of emotion whatsoever. It was almost as if the small part of his heart that used to belong to Sam was gone and in its place there was nothing but a deep black hole.

"Ryoko, Sam could never truly hate you!" Ami said fiercely, launching herself at the golden-haired Digidestined and flinging her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "I refuse to believe it."

Normally at this point in time, Ryoko's cheeks would have turned a deep shade of pink, but instead of growing flustered, the golden-haired Digidestined merely continued to gaze at nothing in particular, his cheek resting gently against Ami's shoulder.

"I agree with Ami," Matt said simply, reaching around the dark-haired female to give his son's shoulder a quick squeeze. "Sam didn't mean anything he said."

"But, how can we be sure?" Takara asked hesitantly.

"When I was younger, like Sam I said some pretty terrible things to my friends when we were travelling together in the Digital World, but I didn't mean any of the words coming out of my mouth either."

"Matt, you idiot," Tai sighed, smiling fondly at his best friend.

Ken is the same way. He didn't mean any of the things he said or did as the Emperor either. If only Sam could understand that...

"Ryoko, no one could ever hate you," Mimi said firmly, leaning over Taysuke and giving her son a quick kiss on the top of his head. "Sam least of all."

"Matt, Mimi, and Kara are right. I swear, Ishida, I'm not going to let Sam hate you if it's the last thing I do," Dai said quietly, his dark gaze studying the golden-haired Digidestined's pale face.

At first Ryoko didn't respond, but after a moment of tense silence, his sapphire eyes finally settled on Dai's face and his lips twitched into a faint smile. "I know. I believe you. Listen, guys, I know you want to help, but can we please talk about something else now?"

"But this is important!" Taysuke protested.

Ryoko wrapped his arm around Taysuke's shoulders and gave the younger boy a grateful smile. "Thanks, Tay. I appreciate your concern, but I just don't feel like talking about it right now."

"Okay, but don't forget we want to help you."

"I won't."

"I'm with Dai. I won't let Sam hate you," Ami said fiercely. "You only kept what you knew a secret because you wanted to protect him."

Blinking at Ami in surprise, this time Ryoko did blush, and after a slight hesitation he slowly slid his other arm around her waist. "Thanks, Ami, I won't forget."

Well, it could be worse. At least it's Ryoko and not some boy I'd never trust to come anywhere near my daughter! I wonder what Dai thinks about all of this...

"I hate to admit it, but Ryoko's right," Izzy said reluctantly, shaking his head in despair. "Ken and Sam aren't our only problems. There are other things we need to discuss."

"Yeah, I almost forget about Vampiramon and the Spirit Chips," Taniko groaned. "Talk about a bad day."

"It wasn't all bad," Noah said, his dark eyes beginning to sparkle with excitement. "Can you believe it, Ami? You, Miya, and I could have been Digidestined!"