Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: The next chapter after this will be much more interesting, I promise. It will bring us back into the main plot of the story, and in my opinion any chapter with DarkAngelicmon in it is always interesting! But that's just me! Enjoy!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 162: Escaping Reality

Ken Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

The past and present have come together in ways I could never have imagined, and now all that remains is the future. Right now, the road is covered in darkness and I can't see where it will end. Even if I somehow manage to fight my way through the thick fog of shadows surrounding me, will my children still be on the other side? Will they be waiting for me to reach them, or will I no longer have a place in their future?

After learning the truth about the Emperor, for Ken Ichijouji, hearing his daughter express a sudden desire to speak with him was something he had not even dared to dream about, let alone expect to actually witness with his own eyes, but despite the sudden spark of hope igniting quite unexpectedly inside his heart, he still could not help feeling slightly sick to his stomach. After all, Miya might be willing to speak with him, but that didn't necessarily mean he was going to like what she had to say.

"Please, Dad?" Miya mumbled, avoiding his eyes and shifting restlessly in her seat. "It's kind of important."

Ken nervously twisted his hands together and he glanced uncertainly at Yolei, but instead of offering to remain in the room for moral support, his wife quickly stood up and motioned for Nao to follow her. "We'll be in the kitchen if you need us, Ken. What about you, Minomon?"

"I'll stay here with Ken. I always feel much more at ease in the human world when we're together."

Though Minomon's words were probably true, at the moment they sounded more like a rather unconvincing excuse to remain in the room, for obvious reasons, but Yolei didn't seem to mind. Instead, she quickly nodded her head and she gave the little in-training digimon a warm smile. "I thought you'd say that. Come on, Nao, the dishes still need to be done."

"But-"

"Now, sweetheart."

Yolei's tone of voice was pleasant enough, but Nao must have caught the dangerous sparkle in his mother's eyes because as soon as she looked down at him he quickly closed his mouth and obediently followed her into the kitchen.

Shaking his head in amusement, Ken turned to look at his digimon partner, who was sitting next to him on the arm of the couch, and he gave the little in-training digimon a warm smile. "Thanks, Minomon."

"You don't have to thank me, silly. I'm your partner. You know I'll always be here for you."

"Hey, I'm not that scary!" Miya grumbled, smiling slightly.

Still not quite able to face his daughter yet, Ken turned his attention towards the door leading into the foyer and he smiled at the four young teens and the four small digimon sitting about halfway up the stairs. Since the staircase was quite narrow, Takara was sitting on Dai's lap, and sitting several steps below them, Matty had his head and arms resting on Takara's knees. Ryoko was sitting on the same step as Dai with his back pressed against the railing, his knees drawn up to his chest, and his stockinged feet were resting against the goggle-headed leader's side. DemiEmbermon and his three small friends were all huddled together by Matty's feet, and their normally cheerful expressions were cloudy with concern, just like the faces of their human partners. Not surprisingly, all four humans and all four digimon were gazing up at the second floor hallway, and clearly they were waiting anxiously for Mickey to return. Despite their concern, though, none of them seemed too keen on the idea of venturing any closer to Sam's bedroom, but at the same time it was obvious they couldn't make themselves stay away either, which explained why they were sitting halfway up the stairs, torn between wanting to leave and wanting so badly to stay.

They're hoping Mickey will return with Sam, but I don't think that's going to happen. It's too soon. The pain is still too fresh and strong, and right now I'm not sure if it will ever fade away...

"I understand how Sam feels," Miya said quietly, her soft words startling Ken out of his thoughts. "When someone you love suddenly becomes a complete stranger to you, it's like you have to get to know them all over again, and that's a hard thing to do. When your entire world is suddenly turned upside down, it's not easy to find your balance again, especially when it seems as if everyone has been deceiving you. When everything you thought you knew suddenly becomes a lie, how are you supposed to just forget about all the pain and sadness? How are you supposed to learn how to trust anyone again?"

If I knew, I wouldn't be sitting here wishing you could have had a better father; someone who would be worthy enough to have a daughter like you...

Shaking his head, Ken finally turned to gaze helplessly at his daughter, and reaching out, he hesitantly placed his hand against her cheek. "Miya, only you can answer that question."

"I know, but...it's so hard."

"It doesn't make any difference, though. No matter how you feel about me, it doesn't change the fact that I still love you. You'll always be my little girl, and I'll always be there to watch over you, even if you feel like you no longer need me anymore. Feel whatever you want to feel; it won't stop me from caring about you. One day, if you ever have children of your own, you will understand."

Thick tears began to stream slowly down Miya's cheeks, and letting out a soft sob, she suddenly flung herself into his arms and buried her face against his chest. "I'm so angry and so sad right now, and I just don't know what to think anymore, but..."

"What is it?"

Miya slowly lifted her head and she gave him a tearful smile. "I feel so confused right now, but...despite being so unsure of everything, there's one thing that hasn't changed at all, and it's something that I can't doubt, even for a minute. I know because I've tried and every single time my feelings never waver. They just keep listening to my heart."

"Will you tell me?"

"I know I still love you, and I'm starting to think that just might be enough."

Overcome with emotion, Ken held his daughter as tightly as he could, and he pressed his cheek against her dark hair. "Miya..."

"When I see how easily Dai and the others can forgive you, it's hard to stay mad," Miya mumbled into his chest. "Besides, if you still really wanted to be the Emperor, you wouldn't be here with me now, and I probably never would have been born. I guess, in a way, that means I should be glad you were the Emperor. If you hadn't tried to take over the Digital World, you might never have met Mom, and if the two of you had never gotten together...well...then I wouldn't even have the privilege of existing. It wouldn't be possible to have it both ways, and if I have to choose which one is more important than there's really no contest. I'd much rather be here with the Digimon Emperor, experiencing one of his hugs, then be a person who never got a chance to exist in a world where there was no Digimon Emperor. What do you think, Dad? Don't you agree?"

Ken tightened his arms around his daughter's shoulders and he gently ruffled her dark hair. "How could I ever disagree? I wouldn't have made it this far without you in my life. I don't think you could even begin to understand just how precious you are to me, you or your brothers."

"Sure I can," Miya whispered quietly in his ear, "because I feel the same way about you."

"But you still don't forgive me yet."

"Give me one night to stay mad at you. That's all I need. When tomorrow morning comes, everything will be just like it used to be, only with one major difference."

"What might that be?"

Miya pressed her cheek against his heart and she hugged him tightly around the waist. "I'll have even more respect for you than I did before. You turned away from the darkness, and without a strong heart there's no way you could have done that. I hope Sam can be as strong as you are."

I hope so, too.

Unable to believe his good luck, Ken held Miya protectively against his chest and he gently kissed her forehead, the excruciating pain in his heart easing somewhat thanks to his daughter's encouragement and praise. Clearly, Miya still needed some time to come to terms with the truth about the Emperor, but Ken could tell she was already well on her way to accepting what could never be undone. Like, Nao, she appeared willing to put the past behind her, and that, more than anything, was fueling the determination and courage he needed to stop himself from giving up on his desperate need to reach Sam's heart. If two of his three children could forgive him for all the terrible things he had done, then there had to be a way to reach the one who needed to forgive him most of all.

The fate of the Digital World was hanging in the balance between light and darkness. If Sam let himself succumb to the pain in his heart then there was no telling what might happen. All of the possibilities, most of them terrifying and incredibly painful, made Ken feel sick to his stomach, but at least Miya was willing to give him a chance and that was a start.

A small start, but an important step forward. Miya...loves me. She still cares, even after everything I've done...

"Sam's always been pretty sensitive. I'm not surprised he's taking the news about your past as a personal insult," Miya murmured, her eyebrows narrowing into a thoughtful frown. "I mean, I know Nao's pretty sensitive, too, but unlike Sam he seems to have an easier time of staying positive when something terrible happens. I don't blame Sam for feeling hurt and betrayed, but I also think he's being a bit selfish. How does he expect to move on with his life if he won't even try to forgive you?"

"If only we could find a way to make him happy again," Minomon said sadly, shaking his tiny head and glancing miserably towards the door to the foyer.

Sighing softly, Ken nodded in agreement and he reached out to stroke his partner's small body. "I've never felt so lost in my whole life, not even as the Emperor. I just...I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to say to Sam to make him change his mind about me? How am I supposed to talk to him when he doesn't even want to look at me? How do you connect with someone who know longer believes you have any value?"

"Is that what you believe?" Miya snorted, rolling her eyes. "Dad, I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. Do you honestly believe Sam doesn't care about you anymore? That's just plain ridiculous. The reason Sam is so upset right now is because he cares about you and he just can't believe someone who is so important to him would ever do such terrible things. Don't you see, Dad? You're not the one he hates, even if on the surface it might seem like you are."

"But-"

"The person he truly hates right now is himself. It's simple really. He loves you, and he hates himself for being unable to stop loving you, even after everything you've done. Those feelings are eating him up inside, and all he wants is for them to disappear. To hate those you love without fear of feeling guilty...it's a nice thought, and very tempting. Too bad life doesn't work that way, and I think Sam is finally beginning to realize that, even though he won't admit it."

Ken slowly lifted his head, and blinking in surprise, he pulled back slightly so he could look directly into his daughter's amber eyes. "You really believe that?"

"He wants to hate you, but he can't," Miya said simply, her lips twitching into a faint smile. "Just like me, only there's one major difference. Unlike Sam, I've decided I'm not going to ignore what my heart is trying to tell me, even if it means taking a big risk. Mom's always telling us to follow our hearts, and every time she says something like that I groan about it, but well...maybe it's time we finally followed her advice. Besides, if you listen to your head, all it does is confuse you. That's not how it works with the heart. Your heart always knows the way. You just have to let it guide you in the right direction."

Just like mine led me to Davis and my other friends...

Gazing down into his daughter's smiling face, Ken quickly nodded in agreement and somehow he managed a smile of his own. "I love you a million times over, Miya."

Miya kissed his cheek and said softly, "Same here."

"If it means you'll forgive me then you can be angry at me all you want tonight. Take your time, and when you're ready I'll be here waiting for you."

"I know. Thanks, Dad. Listen, I know it's hard to believe, but one day Sam will understand. He just needs a little bit of time to come to terms with your past. Don't give up yet, and don't worry about the future. Nao and I will help you in any way we can, I promise. You can be sure Mom will help and I know the four of us will find a way to open Sam's eyes. He's not capable of hating the people he loves and he knows it. That's the real problem."

Ken frowned thoughtfully at his daughter's words, but before he could ask her if she really believed what she was saying, there was a sudden commotion that caused him to look up in surprise. Frowning in confusion, he slowly let go of Miya, and getting to his feet, he quickly moved towards the door for a better look at what was going on, his long strides allowing him to cross the room with ease. Unfortunately, what he saw made his heart leap into his throat. Sam stood alone at the top of the stairs, his cheeks stained with tears, and his normally vibrant gaze lacked any expression whatsoever. He looked like someone who had lost his soul, and the fact that Mickey hadn't followed him made Ken feel very uneasy.

"Sam," Miya whispered, appearing suddenly in the doorway with Minomon in her arms. Ken hadn't even heard his daughter come up behind him, and the sound of her voice startled him so much it was all he could do to stop himself from leaping backwards and stepping all over her feet. Yolei must have heard the commotion in the foyer, as well, because she suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, behind Miya, Nao clinging tightly to her purple skirt. Poking her head around the doorway, she let out a soft gasp at the sight of her eldest son standing at the top of the stairs. "Sam, what..."

"Where's Mickey?" Matty demanded, lifting his head and frowning suspiciously at the raven-haired Digidestined.

Instead of answering, Sam suddenly started to make his way down the stairs, and seeing as how it didn't look as if the raven-haired Digidestined was going to stop, even for his friends, the four young teens and their digimon quickly flattened themselves against the railings on either side of the staircase to prevent themselves from getting trampled. Without even so much as a smile, Sam silently moved past his friends, and as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he quickly made his way towards the door.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Dai snapped, leaping to his feet and crossing his arms over his chest.

Sam paused, his hand on the doorknob, but instead of answering Dai he merely ignored the goggle-headed leader and turned to gaze unemotionally at his mother. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I can't stay here tonight."

"You idiot," Matty muttered, shaking his head.

Letting out a deep sigh, Yolei slowly moved towards the raven-haired Digidestined and she gently pulled him into her arms. "Where will you go?"

"I'm going to Uncle Mantarou's apartment. Taka won't mind if I share his room tonight, and besides, Aunt Kiyomi is always telling us we should visit more often. I just...I need to get away from all of this. I'm sorry..."

"It's okay. Just...make sure you're on time for school tomorrow."

"I will."

"That's it?" Dai shouted, staring at the raven-haired Digidestined in disbelief. "You're just going to leave? What about the Digital World?"

"I'm not going if he's going," Sam said flatly, avoiding the goggle-headed leader's eyes.

Ken winced, but he did not dare try to defend himself. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he hadn't failed to notice the way Sam seemed unable to look at him, and it was clear the raven-haired Digidestined wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.

It's like I no longer exist anymore. To him, I"m nothing. A passing shadow not even worth mentioning. Am I really of so little importance?

Something inside of Ken seemed to die, and turning his back on his son, he hung his head and closed his eyes in pain. "If it bothers you that much then you can stop worrying. I'm not going to the Digital World tomorrow. Didn't Mickey tell you? I guess that means you're free to go. I suggest you take Dai up on his offer, especially since Joe has agreed to tag along. If you're not going to do it for me then at least do it for Glimmermon."

"Where is Glimmermon anyways?" Fluttermon asked hesitantly.

Ken hadn't expected Sam to answer him, but what did surprise him was the raven-haired Digidestined's failure to respond to Fluttermon's inquiry, so much in fact that he turned around again to stare at his son in astonishment. Was Glimmermon still upstairs with Mickey?

"Fine, leave!" Ryoko suddenly shouted, his face turning an unpleasant shade of red. "Go ahead and run away because we all know that always solves everything! I never thought you could be such a coward, but I guess I was wrong about you!"

"Ishida, will you shut up?" Dai groaned.

"If I recall, you were the coward, not me," Sam said bitterly. "You want me to prove you wrong? Sorry, Ishida, you're the one who's supposed to be proving me wrong, not the other way around."

The anger in Ryoko's eyes suddenly faded away and he hung his head in despair. "Please...don't go."

"Please?" Takara whispered.

Sam stared at Ryoko in surprise, clearly startled by the golden-haired Digidestined's sudden change in attitude, but instead of answering he quickly pulled on his backpack, which he had brought down the stairs with him, and yanked open the door.

"Come back soon!" Nao cried tearfully.

"I won't stop you from leaving, but don't you dare turn your back on us," Miya said sternly, frowning at the raven-haired Digidestined. "If you do, I'm going to make sure you regret it, little brother."

"Sam, we all love you," Yolei said quietly, her voice trembling with emotion. "Don't you ever forget that. When you're ready we'll all be here waiting for you."

I'll never stop waiting. If I have to, I'll wait forever.

Sam must have sensed what he was thinking because the raven-haired Digidestined suddenly stopped and turned towards him. For the first time since Sam had appeared at the top of the stairs their eyes met, and the pain in Sam's deep blue eyes was almost more than Ken could bear. "Sam, I..."

Sam held up a hand for silence and he turned once more to face the door. "Make me want to forgive you. It's our only hope."

Ken couldn't have responded, even if he had wanted to. Sam's words cut through his heart so deeply, he was actually quite surprised to find that he was still standing. Instead of leaving him empty-handed, Sam had given him a small sliver of hope.

I will, Sam. I swear I will if it's the last thing I do.

Ken silently watched his son disappear through the door, and turning to look at his wife he gave her a sad smile. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"He'll be fine, Ken. Mantarou and Kiyomi will take good care of him. Besides, maybe being away from everyone and everything related to the Digital World will do him some good."

"No, it won't!"

Mickey's sharp words echoed painfully through the foyer, and Ken looked up to see the older twin standing at the top of the stairs with Palelymon and Glimmermon in his arms. Out of all the new Digidestined, Ken thought Mickey would be the last one who would ever risk arguing with Yolei, but considering the way the rest of the day had gone so far, it really didn't come as a huge surprise.

"You mean...Sam left Glimmermon behind?" Takara gasped, gazing incredulously at the little digimon in Mickey's arms.

"Smooth move, Sam. Nice way to treat your digimon," Dai muttered.

Instead of responding to Takara's question, Mickey suddenly scrambled down the stairs and he grabbed onto his twin's wrist. "Come on, Matty! Let's go."

"Huh? What? Hey, where are we-"

"Come on!" Mickey urged, tugging on Matty's arms and pulling him to his feet.

"But-"

"We have to go after Sam!"

Matty scratched his head in confusion, and reluctantly he allowed Mickey to pull him down the last few remaining steps. "We do?"

"Yes! He's staying at our place tonight."

"He is?"

"I'm not going to let him turn his back on his friends. If we have to, we'll kidnap him from Mantarou's place and drag him all the way back to our house!"

"But-"

"You don't want him to drift away from us, do you?"

"Well, no. But...er...do you think Mom and Dad will be okay with that?"

"Of course! They're worried about him, too. He can have my bed tonight. I'll just share with you, but if you start kicking me in your sleep then you're sleeping on the floor."

"But...it's my bed!"

"Are you coming with me or not?"

Matty suddenly pulled his arm out of Mickey's grip, and turning his back on his twin, he bit his lip and gently scooped Goldmon into his arms. "Do you want me to?"

"Would I have asked you to come with me if I didn't want you there?" Mickey mumbled, gazing meekly at his feet.

"Uh...Mickey? You're not going crazy or anything, are you?"

"No! I..."

Surprisingly, Matty started to laugh, and turning to face Mickey he gave the older twin a brilliant smile. "Well, then what are we waiting for?"

Mickey's whole face lit up and he smiled back at his twin. "Thanks, Matty."

"Wait, what happened up there?" Miya asked curiously, nodding her head towards the stairs. "Did Sam talk to you at all?"

"Well..."

Ken listened in silence as Mickey quickly repeated Sam's version of what had happened in the forest to the group, and when the older twin had finished his story, Ken could not help feeling as if someone had just knocked the wind out of him. "So...it looks like we might be right about DarkAngelicmon after all."

"Those shadows that attacked Sam...they're really creepy," Takara murmured, shivering slightly. "When I think of what could have happened..."

"But nothing did happen because DarkAngelicmon saved Sam with his light!" Palelymon said happily.

"His light..." Matty mumbled, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"There's still something he's not telling us, though," Mickey insisted, glancing hopefully at his twin before turning his attention to Dai, "and I think it might have something to do with the way DarkAngelicmon treated me earlier."

Dai nodded in agreement and he groaned in frustration. "But how? I wish we had more answers."

"Um...guys?"

"What is it, Mickey?" Yolei asked curiously.

"I...I'm really sorry I couldn't change Sam's mind."

Overcome with emotion, Ken gently placed his hand on Mickey's shoulder and he gave the older twin a warm smile. "Don't feel guilty, Mickey. You did your best, which is more than I even have the right to ask for."

When I think of how close Sam came to losing himself to the darkness...

"But-"

"If you can convince Sam to come with you to your house, call us and let us know, okay? I'd feel better knowing exactly where he is."

Mickey beamed at him and said softly, "Of course."

"Go on, then."

"Do you want us to come with you guys?" Takara asked hesitantly.

Mickey shook his head and he quickly made his way towards the door. "Don't worry about it. You guys get some rest tonight. Besides, I think it'll be easier to convince Sam to come with us if there aren't a whole lot of people around to remind him of what happened today."

"Forget talking! We're just going to steal him back, remember?" Matty laughed.

"Can we please hurry?" Glimmermon whimpered. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

Mickey gave the little digimon a sympathetic pat on the head and he quickly pulled the door open."We'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Wish us luck!" Matty called back over his shoulder.

As soon as the twins, Glimmermon, Palelymon, and Goldmon had left, Yolei suddenly put her face in her hands and she let out a soft sob. "Oh, Sam, do you even realize how close we came to losing you today? If those shadows had gotten their hands on you..."

Pulling his wife close, Ken held her silently in his arms while Dai and the others got ready to leave for their respective homes. He knew exactly how Yolei felt, but at the same time he also knew who was responsible for keeping his son alive and safe; someone who had every reason to want Sam's heart to become enslaved by the Powers of Darkness.

Someone whose light might end up being the very source of their salvation.

Thank you, DarkAngelicmon, wherever you are...