Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: It's back to Sam after this!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 157: The Crest of Reliability

Joe Kido

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

At the sound of his name, Joe Kido jerked his head up in surprise and he turned to stare at Izzy with his mouth hanging open, still not quite able to believe his crest had the power to change the fate of the Digital World. With his help, Dai could finally digivolve to the ultimate level, and for his nephew to have to rely on him was something he had never really experienced before. Of course, they weren't exactly sure yet if the Spirit Chip really did belong to Dai, but deep down inside he was certain his nephew was the owner. Dai was a strong person, just like Davis, and because of that they were the type of people who didn't often have to rely on others, at least on the surface. And yet, that was one of their greatest qualities. Even though they were both strong and independent, they still knew they couldn't do everything alone, and as a result, they willingly asked for help from others and accepted it graciously when it was given to them. That was why both Daichi and Davis had become leaders of the Digidestined, and the same was true for Tai. The three most daring members of the team were the kind of people you could trust beyond a shadow of a doubt, even if they didn't always make the right decisions. They never backed down and they never gave up, even when the odds were against them. That was why, in the end, they always found a way to win the battle, even if their chances of securing a victory looked pretty slim. They really understood teamwork and they knew how to use it to their advantage, and even though he had never admitted it, that was one thing Joe truly admired about the current leader and the two leaders who had come before Daichi.

"Well, Dad? Aren't you going to say anything?" Ema asked cheerfully, her lips twitching into a small smile. "You heard what Izzy said. It looks like Dai and the others are going to need your help."

"And the sooner the better," Izzy said mildly.

Joe nervously scratched his head and gave the computer expert a weak smile. Even though he wasn't wearing his hospital attire today, since he had spent most of the afternoon at the office visiting with several of his patients, he still felt like he was wearing scrubs and a lab coat, which made him feel slightly uncomfortable outside a hospital environment. At the moment, he felt like he was being confronted by all of his patients at once, and every single one of them was asking him a question he didn't have an answer for. "Me? Are you sure about that, Izzy? Maybe there was some sort of a mistake..."

"Dad!" Ema groaned, smacking herself in the forehead.

"There's no mistake," Izzy said calmly, trying unsuccessfully not to smile. "Gennai was quite clear. We know for sure the Spirit Chip of Bravery is the one stationed at the top of Infinity Mountain, but in order for us to get our hands on it, we need to break the two seals that were placed around it to prevent it from getting stolen. The Spirit Chip of Bravery is being protected by the Crests of Courage, Friendship, and Reliability, which means we need you to help break one of the seals, the other seal merely requiring the proper D-Coder."

"Come on, Joe, don't you want to help your nephew find his Spirit Chip?" Agumon asked curiously.

"Agumon!" Dai shouted, his cheeks turning bright pink. "Look, we don't even know for sure if the Spirit Chip of Bravery really does belong to-"

"It's definitely your Spirit Chip," Ryoko said bluntly, interrupting the goggle-headed leader before he could finish his sentence. "No question about it."

Dai quickly snapped his mouth shut, and blinking in surprise, Joe stared at his nephew in confusion. "What's wrong, Dai?"

"Nothing. I just...I hope I don't end up disappointing everyone..."

"Like that would ever happen," Davis snorted.

"Dai, we'll always believe in you even if you end up getting one of the other Spirit Chips," Takara said fiercely, giving the goggle-headed leader a stern look. "Besides, all of the Spirit Chips have great meanings. You should be proud no matter which Spirit Chip you get."

"Not to mention we've already narrowed down which Spirit Chips could even belong to you," Ryoko said shortly. "Your only options are bravery, loyalty, and wisdom, so take your pick."

"Bravery suits you the best, though that's not to say you don't possess any of those other qualities because you do," Noriko said softly, smiling gently at her son. "You're a little bit of everything, Dai, and that's what makes you such a great leader."

Dai quickly lowered his eyes to the ground, trying unsuccessfully to hide his embarrassment, and shrugged his shoulders. He looked quite pleased about the amount of praise he was receiving, but at the same time he also looked a bit sheepish. "Thanks, guys. I know you're all right, but with everything that has happened today, it's kind of hard to believe in anything right now..."

"I believe in you and I always will," Davis said simply.

"Same here," Tai added.

Joe nodded in agreement and gave his nephew a warm smile. "You know, for once I'm in complete agreement with everyone else. You might have your doubts, Dai, but the rest of us believe in you. And, if you're still not sure, well...it might not mean much, but I think the Spirit Chip of Bravery belongs to you."

How could it belong to anyone else?

"Really, you think so?"

"Well, I mean...it makes sense, doesn't it?"

Instead of responding, Dai quickly got to his feet, and to Joe's complete surprise, the goggle-headed leader suddenly sat down next to him and gave him a fierce hug. "Thanks, Uncle."

"Oh, um...you're welcome."

"Good job, Dad. You always say the right thing, even if you don't always realize it at the time," Noah laughed, sprawling onto the floor next to him and gently patting him on the back.

"It doesn't matter," Dai mumbled into his shoulder, "you're still a great uncle."

Joe glanced down at the top of his nephew's spiky head and smiled in amusement. Even after thirteen years, he still found it hard to believe that Daichi Motomiya, of all people, was his nephew. The two of them were completely different, and yet despite the fact that they weren't the least bit alike, Dai never wasted an opportunity to speak with him or to spend some time with him when they were visiting one another. Dai always seemed genuinely happy to see him, and he knew the goggle-headed leader shared a close bond with Noah. As a result, their two families had grown quite close over the years, and it had done a lot for Davis and Jun, who instead of fighting each other, were more often than not ganging up on everybody else.

It's bad enough with Dai, but having Davis for a brother-in-law is another thing I don't think I'll ever get used to. Then again, I never thought I'd end up falling in love with Jun either, but if I hadn't then Noah and Ema wouldn't be here, and they're two of the best things that have ever happened to me. They're great kids, even if they do act a lot like their mother and their uncle. Besides, it might not be that noticeable, but every once in a while I'll see a glimpse of myself reflected in their words and actions. I think it makes for a nice combination and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"You're coming with us tomorrow, right Uncle?" Dai asked hopefully. "Gomamon really wants to see you and if the Spirit Chip of Bravery really is mine then..."

"What is it, Dai?"

The goggle-headed leader blushed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing, only...well, when I get my Spirit Chip, I want you, Dad, and Mom to be there. It's too bad Aunt Jun can't come, too..."

"I'll be there with you in spirit," Jun said enthusiastically, ruffling her nephew's hair and giving him a quick squeeze.

"That goes for the three of us, too," Ami said firmly, pointing at herself and waving her hand at Ema and Noah.

"For now," Ema sniffed, "at least until I find a way to get there in person."

"Thanks, guys, you read my mind. I kind of wanted all of you to be there, too," Dai mumbled. "Also..."

Joe raised his eyebrows and gave his nephew a curious look. "There's something else?"

"Uh...kind of.."

"Yes?"

"Well, like Izzy said, the Spirit Chip of Bravery is protected by the Crests of Courage, Friendship and Reliability, which means it's protected by Tai, Matt, and you too. I mean...no offence to everyone else, but that's also kind of why I'd like it if the Spirit Chip did belong to me..."

"Daichi, you idiot," Ryoko sighed, shaking his head and smiling softly to himself.

"Hey!"

"Dai, that wasn't an insult," Matt said mildly, glancing ever so slightly at his son.

Ryoko glared at his father, but Dai didn't seem to notice. Instead of responding, the goggle-headed leader merely ignored the blond duo and frowned thoughtfully at his hands. "It's dumb, but..."

"No, it's not dumb."

"Huh?"

Joe shrugged and smiled at the surprised look on his nephew's face. "I have to admit, I never thought I'd be that high on your priority list."

"Uncle! Look, you might be a bit of a nerd sometimes...Okay, occasionally you can be a really big nerd, but you're still pretty cool to me."

"Thanks, Dai."

Well, that wasn't exactly what I would call flattery, but considering who his father is, I guess I should have expected something along those lines.

"Look on the bright side, Dad, most of the time Izzy acts like a bigger nerd than you do!" Ema said cheerfully.

"Actually, it's more like they're just two different types of nerds!" Taniko giggled.

"You won't hear any arguments from me!" Noah laughed.

"Hey, I'm not that bad," Izzy complained.

Waving Izzy's protests aside, Joe wrapped an arm around his nephew's shoulders and gave the goggle-headed leader a warm smile. "I had a few cancellations for tomorrow so I'm sure I'll be able to get off work earlier than usual..."

"Does that mean you really will come with us tomorrow?" Dai asked hopefully.

"There's no point in going to the Digital World tomorrow, or any other day for that matter, without you," Izzy insisted. "Before we can even think about defeating Vampiramon and her allies, including the Ruler of Darkness, we need to get our hands on that Spirit Chip. Without it we're stuck, since we don't yet know where any of the other Spirit Chips are, unless of course you come with us."

"It's true, Dad," Ema said nochalantly, trying hard not to smile. "Dai and the others can't move forward without your help. They're useless until they get that Spirit Chip."

"We're not that bad," Matty grumbled.

"In other words, without your help, Dai and the others can't save the Digital World," Noah said softly, ignoring Matty.

Joe nervously adjusted the glasses perched on his nose and smiled hesitantly at his son. Like the situation with Dai, the fact that Noah thought so highly of him still came as a bit of a surprise, but that was the way his son was, and he couldn't be more proud of the way Noah had become such a wonderful person. The same was true for Ema.

She might seem a bit selfish and careless sometimes, but deep down inside she has a big heart, even if it isn't quite as noticeable.

"Well, Dad?" Noah asked hesitantly.

"Of course I'm coming with. Besides, if I don't go to the Digital World soon, Gomamon will never forgive me."

"That's for sure," Davis snorted, smiling in amusement. "I've had to listen to him and the others complain enough as it is."

"Ignore him," Jun piped up, nodding in her brother's direction and rolling her eyes. "Gomamon might give you a hard time at first, but even so, I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

Joe gave his wife's hand a quick squeeze and turned to gaze thoughtfully at Davis. Despite his uncertainties at first, the former leader had turned out to be a great brother-in-law, and as a result the two of them had become close friends over the years, something he had most definitely not foreseen. Before asking Jun to marry him, he had first gone to Davis out of respect for his friend's feelings, and also because he had been nervous about what Jun's answer would be. On top of that, he had been unsure of how Davis would feel about being his brother-in-law, and that was another reason why he had wanted to speak to the goggle-headed leader before going through with his proposal to Jun. Even to this day, he still couldn't figure out how he had managed to summon enough courage to pester Davis about the whole situation with Jun, especially when it came to the former leader's feelings concerning the possibility of having a brother-in-law, but to his complete astonishment, Davis had been surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly supportive. The goggle-headed leader had insisted Jun would say yes, and he had also insisted they would get along just fine as brothers.

If I recall, he said he was glad Jun was at least going to marry someone he actually likes. That's Davis for you.

Despite the amount of time that had passed since then, he still wasn't quite sure how he had managed to fall in love with Jun, and on the surface it seemed almost as if it had happened by chance, but he knew deep down that wasn't the case. He was positive after everything that had happened, their marriage had definitely been meant to be. Noah and Ema were proof enough for him.

"Uh...guys? Do you really think we should go to the Digital World tomorrow?" Matty suddenly blurted out, the sound of his voice catching everyone off guard.

Joe turned to look at the younger twin and he frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know...what if Sam doesn't want to come with us..."

"You mean because of Ken," Izzy sighed. "Yes, I've thought of that possibility, as well. Depending on how things go with Ken, Sam may end up losing his desire to help save the Digital World."

"But...he can't!" Mickey protested.

"What if Ken just stays behind tomorrow?" Mina asked hesitantly. "There's really no reason for him to go to the Digital World at this time. His crest isn't one of the ones protecting the Spirit Chip of Bravery, after all."

Izzy nodded in agreement and gave his wife a faint smile. "You're right, Mina, which is why I'm sending Tai, Matt, Joe, Davis, and Noriko tomorrow. Tai, Matt, and Joe don't really have a choice, and I'm sending Dai's parents because I know he wants them to be there."

"Thanks, Izzy," Dai said happily, beaming at the computer expert.

Kari suddenly waved her hand at Izzy, and before he could protest, she crossed her arms over her chest and gave the computer expert a stern look. "I'm going, too, Izzy! I want to see Gatomon and I want to help. I'm going anyways, whether you try to stop me or not, and just so you know, if I have to, I can be every bit as stubborn as Davis!"

"It's true," T.K. muttered to himself, smiling slightly.

Izzy threw up his hands in defeat and shook his head in amusement. "Okay, I get it. You can go with, but I'm still concerned about Sam. Even if Ken doesn't go the Digital World tomorrow, that doesn't mean Sam will still be willing to join you. If he really has lost his desire to fight, then whether or not Ken goes or stays home won't matter either way. Sam won't want to go to the Digital World no matter what Ken decides to do."

"What will we do if that happens?" Ryoko asked quietly, his tone suggesting he wasn't sure whether or not he really wanted to know the answer.

"The only thing we can do. If it turns out Sam doesn't want to come with us, we're just going to have to leave him behind."

"What? No! We can't do that!" Mickey cried.

In respond to his brother's shout, Matty let out a deep sigh and covered his face with his hands. "Mickey..."

"Why not?" Rosa asked gently.

"Sam is part of our team! We can't just leave him behind! How can you forget about what Gennai said? If we want to save the Digital World we all have to work together. You guys should know that better than anyone else!"

"I agree with Mickey," Daichi said bluntly. "Sam's not going to get out of this that easily."

"I'm not going to let Sam make such a stupid mistake!" Ryoko snapped. "I don't care if he does hate me! He's coming to the Digital World whether he wants to or not!"

"I agree with Mickey and the others," Takara said softly. "We can't save the Digital World without Sam."

"Well, Matty? What do you think?" Mickey demanded, rounding on his brother.

Matty scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly at his friends. "I guess this means we're going to ambush Sam's house, huh?"

Dai grinned and thrust his right fist into the air. "You got it."

"What ever happened to giving Sam a little bit of space?" Kenzo groaned, rolling his eyes at the goggle-headed leader.

"No time for that now. Sam's going to learn the hard way that he can't give up on his friends without suffering the consequences."

"Dai, you idiot!" Ema moaned.

"Now that one was definitely an insult," Matt muttered. "Ryoko, hey! Where do you think you're going?"

Ryoko and his four friends skidded to a halt in front of the door and turned to look at the former musician. "Where else? We're going to Sam's house. Didn't we just finish saying that?"

"But...it's getting late!" Mimi protested.

"Sam's not going to like this at all," Taysuke mumbled.

"I don't care how late it is," Mickey declared. "Don't worry, we'll all be home soon."

"Keep some food for me!" Dai shouted, waving casually to his parents over his shoulder.

Before anyone could stop them, Dai and the others disappeared through the door and Joe was left staring after them in disbelief.

Well, that was...unexpected...

As much as he wanted to believe their efforts to get through to Sam would work, he still had his doubts. It all depended on what happened with Ken, and unfortunately he had a feeling that whole situation was going to end in disaster.