Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, as I've stated many times before.

A/N: Another chapter done!! After this they'll finally be on their way up the mountain.

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 171: The Road to Infinity Mountain

Lucemon

File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

Crouching behind the thick trunk of a large tree at the very edge of the forest, Lucemon silently watched the three angel digimon, who were huddling beneath the shadowy form of Infinity Mountain, suddenly disappear from view, and leaning back on his knees, he let out a deep sigh. "And so it begins. I had a feeling DarkAngelicmon would be here already, and judging from the look on Gabrielmon's face, along with the expressions of Angelicmon and Angewomon, it looks like I was right. Although...the looks on their faces are not really telling me anything I don't already know for myself."

"Can you feel DarkAngelicmon's presence?" MarineAngemon asked hesitantly, gazing anxiously at the dark peak of Infinity Mountain.

"His presence is overwhelmingly strong here on File Island, but at this distance I cannot pinpoint his exact location on Infinity Mountain, though I can tell he's definitely somewhere on the mountain, however faintly, but that's mostly due to the fact that I've been paying close attention. And just as I can tell he's on the mountain, he can probably tell I'm in the forest, but like me there's no way he can know for sure just exactly where I am. Although, if he is ignoring me, he may have missed my presence altogether."

"Wouldn't that be a nice change, but somehow I don't think he's going to let you off the hook that easily. What about Gabrielmon and his friends? They weren't able to sense DarkAngelicmon until they reached the base of Infinity Mountain, but you're able to sense him all the way from here. How come? Is it because of your close bond with DarkAngelicmon?"

"Yes, I have known DarkAngelicmon a lot longer than the Digidestined have, and because of our once powerful friendship we are able to feel each other instantly on a much deeper level than other celestial digimon. Perhaps, in time, Gabrielmon and his friends will be able to establish the same kind of bond with DarkAngelicmon, or even me, but for now they must settle with the connection they do have, however elusive it might be."

"Speaking of the Digidestined, Angelicmon and the others know we're here," MarineAngemon whispered anxiously. "Angewomon pointed right at us!"

"Indeed she did, but that was to be expected."

"But...but I thought you wanted to keep your distance from the Digidestined."

Smiling slightly, Lucemon nodded in agreement, and scooping the little mega into his arms he gestured towards the base of Infinity Mountain. "You're right, MarineAngemon, but in order to keep up with what's going on, I can't disregard them completely."

"But..."

"It is true I want to keep my distance from the Digidestined, but we still need to know what's going on. The only way to keep track of what DarkAngelicmon is planning is to follow the Digidestined, since it would be foolish of me to confront DarkAngelicmon myself, but unfortunately there is a slight setback. In order to keep an eye on the Digidestined, I knew I would need to establish a strong bond with at least one of their celestial digimon, which I was able to do last night when the Digidestined passed by us on their way back to the human world. Only, instead of just one, I was able to connect with both Angelicmon and Gabrielmon. The bond I share with them certainly isn't as strong as the one I share with DarkAngelicmon, but it will grow with time. At least, I hope it will."

"But it is strong enough for you to follow their movements, which will allow you to maintain contact with their whereabouts, and that in turn will allow you to keep track of what Daichi and his friends are doing."

"Indeed, and knowing exactly what they're up to will allow me to keep an eye on DarkAngelicmon."

"Gabrielmon and his friends must feel strongly about you since they were able to sense your presence so easily. I guess you were right. You didn't need to speak to them after all. You just needed to feel them."

Lucemon nodded in agreement, and frowning to himself he humbly bowed his head. "Yes, we've definitely overcome that hurtle, but although they seem to feel strongly about me, my bond with them doesn't explain how they feel."

"They must care," MarineAngemon said firmly. "You said it yourself. If they didn't, they wouldn't have any reason to feel close to you."

"I suppose we shall see."

"Lucemon, you've been adamant about wanting to keep your distance, but now that Gabrielmon and the other celestial digimon know about you, aren't you afraid they're going to say something to their partners? If Mickey, Matty, and Kari find out about you, they'll tell the other Digidestined for sure! If that happens, everyone will know. I mean, this is now the second time Gabrielmon and Angelicmon have felt your presence. They must know by now that you're following them..."

Thinking back on the three angels as they had sat there gazing into the forest, Lucemon couldn't help but think they had understood his predicament. "No, MarineAngemon, they won't say anything."

"Huh? How do you know for sure?"

"I feel it in my heart. I trust them and I know they'll keep my secret safe. I could see it in their eyes. Besides, I want so badly to believe they also trust me."

"They knew we were watching them," MarineAngemon insisted. "Well, maybe not me, but they definitely know about you, and while we were watching them, they were watching us in turn. From here on in, you know they'll be keeping an eye on you. How can you stand it? How can you keep your distance when you so badly want to help them? You can say you need to keep your distance all you want, but in reality you're not avoiding them at all!"

Instead of denying MarineAngemon's words, Lucemon nodded slowly, and frowning slightly he quickly turned his face away, unable to look the little mega in the eyes. "Maybe you're right. It seems I am a failure at almost everything I do..."

"Lucemon..."

You know why I can't get close to the Digidestined, MarineAngemon. If I do, DarkAngelicmon's wrath will rain down upon their heads like a vicious hurricane. I have to keep my distance. It's the only way to protect them.

As reluctant as he was to meet the Digidestined, though, there was a small part of him that could not help secretly hoping Gabrielmon and the other two celestial digimon would reveal his secrets.

Even though I must stay away, I still have to remain close by. How else will we know whether or not the Digidestined are in trouble? Besides, I couldn't bear to avoid them completely...

And yet, if they did ever need his help, would he have the courage to offer them assistance, despite DarkAngelicmon?

If that were to ever happen, I wouldn't have to worry about my presence causing DarkAngelicmon to take his anger out on the Digidestined. By that time, he would already be trying to hurt them, with or without me somewhere close by.

And there was also the possibility that the Digidestined wouldn't want his help. That, above all else, even more so than DarkAngelicmon, was the main reason why he was so reluctant to meet them, though the fallen angel was most definitely first on his priority list. After all, it didn't matter how the Digidestined felt about him as long as they were safe.

I can't let DarkAngelicmon hurt them, no matter how they feel about me. I...I just can't...

"And what about DarkAngelicmon?" MarineAngemon scolded, hovering around his head in a circle and giving him a disapproving look. "You say you want to avoid him, as well, but so far you haven't been doing a very good job of keeping your distance."

"Perhaps you're right, but I am doing the best I can. It's impossible to avoid him completely, especially if we want to keep tabs on the Digidestined. Like us, he too must follow Mickey and the others if he wants to keep track of where the Spirit Chips are, but that was to be expected. After all, how else will he be able to steal the Spirit Chips? Don't worry, MarineAngemon, I will stay far enough away from him that he won't be able to capture me. I must admit, I'm surprised you are so worried. Earlier you were the one who was so insistent about meeting the Digidestined, and although you didn't say it I could tell you wanted us to contact DarkAngelicmon as well. No doubt in an effort to change his mind. Why the sudden change?"

"I'm worried about you," MarineAngemon mumbled, his small cheeks turning a slightly darker colour than the rest of his skin. "Ever since we stumbled upon Armadillomon and Hawkmon last night, I've been afraid something bad is going to happen. To who, I don't know, but if the Digidestined aren't being threatened then it could be you."

"MarineAngemon..."

Even now I still cause a lot of pain to those who are close to me. It seems I am doomed to hurt all those who try to befriend me...

After witnessing Sam's flight through the gate the night before, and after coming in contact with Celestimon and Gabrielmon, Lucemon had gone on a quest to discover what the Digidestined had planned for the next time they returned to the Digital World, and after wandering around File Island with MarineAngemon for most of the night, fully expecting to come up empty handed, he had accidentally stumbled upon Hawkmon and Armadillomon, who much to his astonishment had been gathering food near the ocean a little further down from where he had seen Sam leave through the gate. Upon meeting them he had discovered exactly what the Digidestined planned to do the next day.

Apparently, just after he had left the gate near the ocean, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Gatomon, and Gotsumon had arrived at the same gate where they had proceeded to talk to Izzy. Izzy had, of course, asked them to watch Infinity Mountain, and Gatomon and Gotsumon had gone ahead, leaving Hawkmon and Armadillomon behind to gather the food they needed for dinner. Clearly, after talking to Daichi's group, they had finally decided to stay near the gate by the ocean, but since Sam had obviously reached the gate long before them, it was clear they had made several stops along the way before arriving at their destination, one of those stops being Primary Village, according to Hawkmon's information. After finding what they were looking for, the two had then gone on to join Gatomon and Gotsumon at the gate near the base of Infinity Mountain.

Once they had left, Lucemon had remained behind until the next day, intending to wait until the last moment to once again come in close contact with the Digidestined. That was why he had only just arrived in time to see the three angel digimon crouching behind the rocks at the base of Infinity Mountain.

After talking amongst themselves, Hawkmon and Armadillomon were unknowingly able to tell me everything I needed to know. Now I have just as much information about the Spirit Chips as DarkAngelicmon and I know exactly what the Digidestined are planning to do from here on in. No longer does DarkAngelicmon have an advantage over me and for that I am grateful. In fact, if I'm lucky, I may even know more now than he does. Hawkmon and Armadillomon were quite free with their tongues. It's a good thing MarineAngemon and I were the only ones watching them.

There was only one thing that was bothering him. In listening to what they had to say, he now knew exactly what was wrong with Sam and knowing how the raven-haired Digidestined had taken the news about the Emperor made him feel like there was a fist clenched around his heart.

Sam...if only there was a way for you to understand just how lucky you really are...

The news about Sam, which Izzy had given to Hawkmon and the other remaining digimon partners, hurt him deeply, but his first sight of the Takaishi children, though they had been too high up in the air for him to see them clearly, had brought a smile to his face, but he was also worried about them as well.

Are they really having problems as Hawkmon and Armadillomon seem to believe?

"Well, now that we know DarkAngelicmon is on Infinity Mountain and the Digidestined are planning to get their hands on the Spirit Chip of Bravery, what are we going to do?" MarineAngemon asked curiously.

Gazing thoughtfully at the peak of Infinity Mountain and settling himself comfortably in the bushes, Lucemon said softly, "Now, we wait."

Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya

File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

Sitting on the rocky ground next to Embermon, his legs stretched out in front of him, Daichi waited impatiently for the three angel digimon to return, his thoughts drifting back to his earlier conversation with Takara. The female Digidestined had always been a bit of a mystery to him, but thanks to the Spirit Chip of Bravery, he was starting to see her in a whole different light. Deep down inside, he had always known she was strong, brave, and capable of doing anything she put her mind to, but only now was he starting to realize just how truly special she was.

She's so different from all the other girls at school. I don't think there's anyone like her in all of Japan. Maybe even the whole world. What is it about her that makes her so unique? I feel like I should know what it is, but every time I think I'm close to figuring out the mystery behind her smile, the answer always slips away from me, kind of like a faint echo in the forest or the sound of laughter floating on the wind. She's like an illusion that always seems to drift just out my reach...

Blinking in surprise at his own poetic thoughts, Daichi nervously adjusted the goggles on his spiky head, and feeling a little embarrassed he quickly turned his face away from the rest of the group sitting a few feet away from him to hide the blush on his cheeks. For some strange reason, lately his thoughts seemed to be focusing an awful lot of Takara, much more so than usual, but no matter how hard he tired to focus on something else, he couldn't seem to stop thinking about the female Digidestined whose name alone would somehow cause what felt like a herd of butterflies to attack both his heart and his stomach.

At first he hadn't thought much about it, but now he was starting to wonder if perhaps there might be something wrong with him.

It's like my thoughts have a mind of their own. How am I supposed to function like a normal person under these conditions?

Well, it was all technically Takara's fault. Could the female Digidestined have possibly cast some sort of a spell on him? He had always known girls were weird, but it still never ceased to amaze him just how much they managed to get away with, especially during those moments when they would somehow proceed to turn an entire group of boys into a bunch of babbling idiots, just by doing nothing at all. At least, nothing he could ever see. If they could do that then who knew what else they were capable of? It also didn't help that the female Digidestined was sitting unusually close to him on his right, and every time she would turn her head, her long ponytail would brush gently against his cheek, the soft silky strands of her hair tickling his nose every time he gazed at her when she was looking in the other direction.

Her hair smells nice. Like vanilla and peaches. Actually, now that I think about it, all of her smells kind of nice. Wait, what?

Shaking his head at his own confusing thoughts, Dai blinked, trying unsuccessfully to clear his brain, and frowning he jumped when Takara's arm suddenly brushed against his side, startling him so badly he nearly shot to his feet in surprise. The two of them were sitting a little apart from the other Digidestined, with only their digimon partners for company, and the female Digidestined's powerful presence was starting to make his head spin a little bit.

Being one of those rare individuals who have no use for personal space, having never bothered to construct a bubble around himself like so many other members of the human race, Daichi Motomiya was not the type of person who usually noticed things like the feel of someones hand on his arm or the presence of someone sitting close beside him. Whether it was a hug, a friendly pat on the back, a handshake, or an arm draped across his shoulders, he took it all in stride, the process of connecting with another human being feeling so natural to him, it wasn't really something that was worth spending a lot of time thinking about. Sure, he would sometimes get embarrassed if his parents or his sister would hug him in front of his friends, and of course he hadn't failed to notice Ryoko's unusual behaviour towards him, most notably those fleeting moments of affection that were so rare and so hard to read he often wondered if maybe he had only just imagined them, but they weren't things he dwelt upon, analyzing every touch and every gesture until he exhausted all the possibilities of what they could mean. It didn't really matter what they meant. What mattered was that they took place. You enjoyed the moment while it lasted and then you moved onto the next one. The way you interacted with other people wasn't supposed to be something that was difficult or hard to do, and Daichi wasn't the type of person who would let his fears and insecurities stop him from getting his point across. It wasn't even really that he didn't notice the closeness of others. On a subconscious level, he was sure he did, but to him it really wasn't that big of a deal, and therefore most of the time he didn't bother to notice.

Communication is the key to survival. If you distance yourself from others, you become your own worst enemy.

It was his own personal motto. Perhaps that was the reason why everyone at school knew his name. Maybe that was why so many people smiled at him in the hallways, or if they knew him personally they would take a moment to chat with him before moving on to their intended destination. Maybe that was why so many guys tried out for the soccer team every year.

Maybe, just maybe, that was the very reason why he had been chosen to become the next leader of the Digidestined.

I bet Kara would think so. She's always saying things like that.

Kara, his childhood friend, whose hand was resting on the ground just inches away from his own. It wouldn't take much to reach out and touch her fingers, and for some odd reason he couldn't really explain, he wanted desperately to feel the texture of her skin against his palm. The sensation made him think of yesterday when Takara had been sitting on him instead of beside him and his face suddenly felt like it was on fire. At the time, due to his practical nature, it had only made sense, since there was very little space on the Ichijouji staircase for all of them to sit comfortably side by side, but now that he looked back on the moment, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe his heart had had other intentions. Could he have encouraged Takara to take a seat on his lap because he had wanted to be close to her, or had he merely been thinking of space? Even more astonishing was the fact that Takara hadn't objected to using him for a comfortable seat in the slightest, which made him wonder if maybe she had been hoping for a chance to get close to him as well.

What am I thinking? She probably just didn't want to hurt my feelings.

Despite numerous attempts to figure out what it was about Takara that fascinated him so much, he still couldn't put his finger on exactly why she felt so special to him. It wasn't because she was pretty, that he knew for sure. There were tons of pretty girls at his elementary school, some of whom could even be considered prettier than Takara, though he didn't think so and would vehemently deny it if anyone ever even suggested such a thing. No, it was something else, and if he didn't figure out what it was soon, he was sure it was going to drive him crazy.

Could it be because I do like her maybe just a little more than I should, maybe even more than I think I do? But...she's my friend. I'm so confused...

"Dai? Hey, are you feeling okay?" Takara suddenly whispered in his ear, her lips just inches away from touching the sensitive skin on his neck.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking."

"Really? About what?"

Ducking his head, Dai turned to gaze uncertainly at the shadowy base of Infinity Mountain and jumping at the sudden feel of Takara's fingers brushing against his hand, he mumbled without thinking, "Your hair is really pretty and you smell really nice."

"Sorry? Did you say something?" Takara asked curiously, obviously misunderstanding his jumbled words.

What am I doing? How could I have said something so stupid?

Feeling his face heat up, Dai nervously pulled his hand away and shrugging his shoulders he said, "It's nothing. Oh, look! I think I see Angewomon coming now!"

Sometimes I look at her and she's my friend. Other times, I feel like there's something more between us. Is it because I really do like her, more than if she was just my friend? I don't know. I can't seem to decide. What is wrong with me? Why does my brain feel so scrambled?

"Do you think they were able to find out any news for us?" Embermon asked hopefully.

"I hope so," Dovemon sighed, anxiously flapping her small wings. "I would hate to have to climb Infinity Mountain practically blindfolded."

Hopping to his feet and holding out his hand for Takara to grab a hold of, Daichi couldn't help but smile at the two little rookie digimon chattering by his feet, completely oblivious to the actions of their partners. Thankfully, Dovemon didn't appear to have heard his words earlier either, which was a good thing because if the little rookie had been listening to him, she most certainly would have mentioned his embarrassing slip of the tongue to Takara.

Unless she's just waiting for the right moment to spill the beans. What if she says something to Takara when I'm not around?

Waving Angewomon over to her side, Kari beamed at the female angel, her lips twitching into a warm smile. "You're back! So, what's the situation?"

"Well, it's a little complicated, in more ways than one."

"DarkAngelicmon is most definitely on Infinity Mountain, but unfortunately we cannot speak for Vampiramon and the other megas," Angelicmon announced, landing gracefully on the rocky ground next to Matty. For some strange reason the celestial digimon kept glancing anxiously at Angewomon, and despite the smile on his face he seemed nervous about something.

I wonder what's going on. Is he acting weird because of DarkAngelicmon, or is it something else?

"They are waiting for us, all of them," Gabrielmon said quietly, landing next to Mickey. "I feel it in my heart. We must be extremely careful."

"Well, whether it's all of them or just DarkAngelicmon, it doesn't really matter to me," Matt said darkly, glancing suspiciously over his shoulder at the shadowy base of Infinity Mountain. "Either way whoever is on that mountain is going to have their sights set on Ryoko and Dai, which means keeping them out of trouble will be our main priority."

"I don't need a babysitter!" Ryoko grumbled, glaring at his father.

Raising his eyebrows, Matt gave his son a level look, the neutral expression on his face never changing. "If I recall, the last time both of you insisted you didn't need a babysitter Vampiramon nearly sliced you to pieces."

"That was different!"

"You will stay close to both me and Gabumon," Matt said seriously, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I'm sure Alopemon won't object."

"Don't worry, Matt, you can count on me," Alopemon said firmly. "I won't let Ryoko stray from your side."

"Alopemon!"

Frowning at his partner, Alopemon said quietly, "You are too stubborn for your own good, Ryoko."

"Oh and like you aren't!"

"Matt does make a good point, though," Tai interrupted, reaching out to ruffle Ryoko's golden tresses. "We can't ignore who their targets are. Thankfully they don't know about Takara, but at some point in time they're obviously going to go after Dai and Ryoko and when they do we need to be ready for them."

Smiling at Tai and glancing at his father, Dai rolled his eyes and said, "What about you, Dad? Does this mean you're going to stick to me the whole way, just like Ishida's getting stuck with Matt?"

"Of course! I'm not going to let Matt get away with looking like a better parent than I am!"

"Uh, Dad, I think you're missing the point."

"Don't worry, Dai, Embermon and I will protect you!" Veemon said enthusiastically, throwing his arm around the scarlet rookie's small shoulders.

"That's right," Embermon agreed, nodding his head vigorously for emphasis.

"Thanks, guys."

"Besides," his father whispered quietly in his ear, "If I don't, your mother will kill me."

"I think it's a good idea for all of our digimon to keep their eyes on both Dai and Ryoko," Joe said reasonably, his eyebrows narrowing into a small frown. "We don't know what's going to happen on Infinity Mountain, but we do know they want Ryoko and Dai, which is why they should be our main priority. The Spirit Chip comes second."

"Good idea," Noriko agreed, nodding her head in approval. "What do you think, Penguinmon?"

"I think it's a great idea."

"Do you think you guys can handle it?" Joe asked, smiling at each of the digimon in turn.

"No problem, Joe," Gomamon said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. "You can count on us."

"Are we ready to go then?" Kari asked, glancing at her brother for confirmation.

"Yeah, but we'd better keep from digivolving for now. As much as I want to teach Vampiramon a lesson, we need to be inconspicuous, especially since we aren't sure how many of them are waiting for us."

"You ready, Dai?" Takara whispered softly in his ear, giving his fingers a tight squeeze.

Trying unsuccessfully to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, Dai lifted his head and said firmly, "Let's go."