Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Another chapter! And in this one...well, you'll see! I will recheck the chapter tomorrow to catch any mistakes I might have missed.
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 176: The Mark of a Leader
Takara 'Kara' Kamiya
File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World
Stumbling over a series of large boulders, which were oh so conveniently blocking the path leading to the top of Infinity Mountain, Takara gazed miserably at her surroundings, wishing desperately there was some way she could escape from her current predicament. Up ahead, much to Takara's disgust, Vampiramon and DarkAngelicmon weren't having any trouble whatsoever navigating the rough terrain beneath their feet , unlike herself, despite the fact that they were both digimon who on a regular everyday bases would probably have just used their ability to fly to avoid most of the obstacles in their path, a privilege no human could ever take advantage of.
If only Dovemon were here with me. She might not be able to take on two megas at once, but at least she would know how to cheer me up a little bit. Right now I could definitely use a few words of encouragement, and Dovemon always knows exactly what to say to make me feel better.
Unfortunately a quick look at her D-Coder made it pretty clear Dovemon, Dai, and the rest of her friends were still somewhere near the bottom of the mountain.
"Will you hurry up and walk a little faster?" Vampiramon suddenly snapped, her sudden words interrupting the tense silence that had fallen over their small group. "Honestly, you humans are so pathetic. How hard can it be to clamor over a few rocks?"
Crossing her arms over her chest, Takara glared at the vampire digimon, and rubbing her scraped knees she said miserably, "It's not a few rocks. It's a lot of rocks and they're big ones, too!"
"Spare me your pathetic excuses! If you don't start making more of an effort to keep up with us, I'll have to resort to extremes measures. You know what that means, don't you?"
Wrapping her arms around herself, Takara let out a small whimper of fear, and biting her lip she mumbled, "I'm a pathetic human, remember? I can't keep up, you're going too fast for me!"
"What did you say?"
"Enough, Vampiramon," DarkAngelicmon suddenly scolded, frowning at the vampire digimon. "Humans are strong in heart, but physically they are weak compared to digimon like ourselves. If you don't want our hostage to collapse before reaching the top off Infinity Mountain then I suggest it would be wise for us to slow down just a little bit."
"We don't have time for that! Do you want to reach the top of the mountain before Daichi and his little friends, or not?"
"That isn't going to happen," DarkAngelicmon said smoothly. "The Kamiya girl's D-Coder clearly shows Daichi and his friends are nowhere near us."
"Even so, we can't take any chances!"
There's no way I'm going to be able to keep up with them. Oh, Dovemon, I'm nothing without you. I hope you and the others are all okay. Wherever you are, please protect Dai for me...
"Here," DarkAngelicmon suddenly said softly, ignoring Vampiramon and holding out his hand, "let me help you."
Takara stared at the fallen angel's outstretched hand in astonishment and blushing a deep shade of red she said indignantly, "I can walk on my own, you know! I don't need any help, especially not from you!"
"Yes, well, the state of your knees and your laboured breathing tell me otherwise."
"That's not true! I just...need a moment to catch my breath."
Raising his eyebrows, DarkAngelicmon suddenly leaned close to her, and whispering softly in her ear he said, "Vampiramon means what she says. You would be wise to take me up on my offer."
"Talking behind my back again, are you?" Vampiramon snapped, glaring at the fallen angel. "If you have something to say, I'd love to hear it!"
What should I do?
"Well, Takara?" DarkAngelicmon insisted, watching her closely. "What's it going to be?"
Is he...trying to protect me?
Taking a deep breath, Takara gazed directly into the fallen angel's emerald green eyes, and slipping her hand into his palm she mumbled, "Fine, but don't even think about trying anything funny!"
"What in the Digiworld is she talking about?" Vampiramon asked suspiciously, frowning in confusion.
Looking a little uncertain himself, DarkAngelicmon merely shrugged his shoulders, and smiling slightly he said dryly, "Must be a human thing."
A...human thing?
Laughing softly, Takara gave the fallen angel digimon a fond smile. "You digimon."
"Is something wrong?" DarkAngelicmon asked pleasantly, tilting his head to the side and studying her curiously.
"It's nothing. Just forget it. Clearly I have nothing to worry about."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that!" Vampiramon snapped, tugging angrily on her skirts. "DarkAngelicmon might have a special fondness for human pets, but I certainly don't! Now, if you two are done chatting, can we please be on our way?"
"How nice of you to ask," DarkAngelicmon smirked, smiling in amusement. "By all means, let us be on our way. After you, Vampiramon."
Instead of responding, Vampiramon merely scowled at the fallen angel, and whirling around in disgust, her red and black skirts stirring up a cloud of dust, she proceeded to stomp down the path in a fit of anger, her long red hair streaming out behind her.
"Quite the temper she has, wouldn't you agree?" DarkAngelicmon commented, shaking his raven head. "I must admit, I much prefer your company over that of my fellow companions. You, at least, appear to have a sense of humour."
Holding tightly to the fallen angel's hand, which felt surprisingly warm, Takara frowned thoughtfully at the deep blue sky hovering above her head, and stepping carefully over the rocks beneath her feet she said hesitantly, "You're making a big mistake."
"What do you mean?"
Even the strongest can lose their focus and confidence.
"Dai won't be able to get the Spirit Chip of Bravery, let alone use it, if he loses sight of who he is. Your plan could backfire on you big time."
"Perhaps, but I doubt very much that will happen."
Gazing at the fallen angel in disbelief, Takara quickly snapped her mouth shut, unable to believe the way he had just cast aside her words of warning so easily without even a second thought. In fact, the surprise she felt was so overwhelming, if it hadn't been for DarkAngelicmon catching her around the waist right at that very moment, she most likely would have impaled herself on a series of large jagged rocks shooting out of the ground in front of her, no doubt losing an eye in the process.
"Careful," DarkAngelicmon warned, releasing his grip on her waist and grabbing onto her hand again in an effort to help her regain her balance.
Blushing a deep shade of red, Takara mumbled her thanks, and trying unsuccessfully to hide her embarrassment she snapped, "How can you be so sure? Everyone keeps saying that the Spirit Chips work like the crests, and I'm sure you know what happened to Matt's crest when he stopped believing in himself and in his friends. If Dai stops listening to his heart, the darkness could..."
"It will do nothing to Dai. Nothing," DarkAngelicmon said quietly, his firm tone leaving no room for argument. "He is his father's son, is he not?"
"Yes, but even Davis had his moments of self-doubt. Don't get me wrong, I'll be the first one to admit Davis never let the Powers of Darkness get to him, but that doesn't mean he's completely invincible to the darkness either. And as much as Dai resembles his father, in both looks and personality, he's also a lot like his mother too..."
"I see. So...you disagree then?"
"No, it's not that. It's just...Noriko had her fair share of problems in the past and Dai knows that better than anyone. You, I think, know that as well."
"And yet, as much as Daichi takes after his parents, he is also a lot like your father, just like Davis is," DarkAngelicmon said softly, almost to himself. "Even the chosen child of courage didn't always act like the hero he is today."
Huh?
Takara stared at the fallen angel in shock and tugging nervously on her ponytail, she said hesitantly, "What are you talking about?"
"You may not know this, but Daichi has something your father never had. The same was true for Davis. Unlike your father, Daichi isn't walking blinded-folded along a deserted road covered in darkness. He isn't alone. Like Davis, Daichi has a chance to learn from the mistakes of the leaders who came before him. Having never joined forces with Takahiro Kuroki and his partner Kibomon, your father never had that privilege. Do you not see it? Daichi will not make the same mistakes the Child of Courage made. I doubt very much your father will let that happen."
My...father? Wait a minute, is he saying my father succumbed to the Powers of Darkness sometime in the past? Just...just like Matt? Is my father perhaps keeping a secret much like Ken's?
"You believe in your father, don't you, Kara?" DarkAngelicmon asked quietly, watching her closely.
"Of course I do!"
"Then you have no need to worry. Your father will see to it that Daichi does not fail us."
"Even so, nothing is ever set in stone. You know how Dai feels about his friends. If he's desperate enough to save the people he cares about, he might give in to the darkness in his heart. If that happens, you'll never get his Spirit Chip! Even he won't be able to get his hands on it. And even if he did it wouldn't matter. It would still be useless to him. Like I said, they work like the crests, which means they'll be powerless to us unless we believe in ourselves, our digimon, and our friends."
"Exactly. That shouldn't be a problem for Daichi."
"But...you can't know that for sure."
"Can't I?"
Takara stared at the fallen angel, and reaching out he gently placed his hand under her chin, giving her no choice but to look directly into his bright green eyes. "Do you not understand why I'm so confident in my plans? Can you not see why I am so certain everything will work out as I keep saying it will?"
"I don't-"
"It's because I believe in Daichi, and I think you do as well."
Dai...
"You know he won't fail," DarkAngelicmon said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Giving in to the darkness in your heart...it could happen to anyone, even to those whose strength cannot be measured by the power of a Digivice. Everyone is vulnerable to the Powers of Darkness. No one is safe. But...succumbing to the darkness within... It won't happen to Daichi."
No, I do believe in Dai. He might get a little carried away sometimes, but I know he won't forget what's really important. Knowing Dai, he's probably really worried about me right now. But...even if he does have a habit of getting a little worked up when there's trouble, I'm sure he'll find his way through the darkness. I know he will! If he couldn't fight the darkness and win, he wouldn't be Daichi.
"Changed your mind, have you?" DarkAngelicmon asked softly, smiling in amusement.
Takara blushed, and gazing thoughtfully at her feet she allowed the fallen angel to help her over a couple of broken boulders and some jagged rocks whose presence appeared to have been caused by a rock slide from somewhere further up the mountain. Considering her current position, she had every reason to be afraid, and yet in her heart she could not deny the fact that for some reason being around DarkAngelicmon made her feel oddly safe. "I never had to change my mind. Weren't you the one who said I've always believed in Dai?"
"Indeed I did. You're catching on."
Frowning slightly, Takara gazed curiously at the fallen angel walking beside her, and leaning close she whispered, "The others...they don't know, do they. Why? Why didn't you tell them about Sam and the Emperor?"
DarkAngelicmon stared at her, and tightening his grip on her hand he murmured, "They do not need to know. It is of no importance to them."
"How can you say that? Now that Sam knows the truth about his father, who knows what might happen to his Spirit Chip? I believe in Sam just as much as I believe in Dai, but like I said before, nothing is ever set in stone. Fate has a way of changing the whole world upside down, and once you lose your heart to the darkness, it's not easy to find your way back again. That much, at least, I've learned from the stories my parents, their friends, and their digimon have told us. They might still have their secrets, I'm sure they do, but I'm not completely blind. I know what the darkness can do to you. Are you trying to tell me the fate of Sam's Spirit Chip isn't important to Vampiramon and the rest of your allies? Are you trying to tell me they don't care if his Spirit Chip is in jeopardy?"
"Of course they would care, but seeing as how Sam's Spirit Chip is perfectly safe, I don't see why there's any reason for them to know about my conversation with the Emperor's son," DarkAngelicmon said quietly, his bright green eyes sparkling brilliantly in the sunshine. "Since I am fully confident in Sam's abilities to harness the power of his Spirit Chip, I see no reason why I should worry my companions over something so trivial as Sam knowing the truth about his father."
"Does the Ruler of Darkness know?"
DarkAngelicmon stared at her for a moment, his emerald green eyes studying her intently, and just when she thought he wouldn't answer her question, the fallen angel suddenly said stiffly, "No, he does not."
"But..."
"The fate of all those around us is determined by the choices we make, and in turn our own fate is often decided by the choices of those very same humans and digimon whose fate rests within the palm of our hands, but...be that as it may, it is ultimately the choices we make for ourselves that truly decide our fate. No one can force us to walk a road we did not choose for ourselves. If we find out paths have been led astray, it is because we lacked the courage and strength to listen to our hearts."
"And if we listen..."
"Then fate is no longer a shadow taking refuge within our hearts, a shadow that ultimately leads to sadness and despair. It is a rising sun, one that opens a whole new world of possibilities for us. Remember, Kara, we choose our own destiny. Fate is merely the result of our choices, not the other way around."
"You...really believe in Sam."
"He is broken, but in time he will mend, and when he does he will become a force so powerful, even my master will not be able to ignore the strength of his heart."
Takara bit her lip, and shaking her head she said softly, "Maybe you're right, but...I don't think it will be that easy. I don't doubt he'll eventually be able to overcome the truth about his father's past, but I don't think he can do it alone. His heart can't heal itself. I think...he's going to need a little bit of help."
"And help he will receive. Like Dai and your father, Ken will not fail us either. It is those of us who can see our way through the darkness that eventually find the brightest light."
It's true. Ryoko and Ken were right about DarkAngelicmon. He really is starting to think like them. He really believes knowing the truth about Ken will help Sam, not hurt him. Or maybe...like Ryoko and Ken were saying, deep down inside his heart this is how he has felt all along. He may have lost his focus somewhere along the line, but because of Sam, he's starting to remember why he was so intrigued by us to begin with...
"It's not just Ken, though. Sam needs all of us, and we're not going to give up on him. Not ever!"
DarkAngelicmon nodded in agreement, and bowing his head he said quietly, "You are very wise indeed for such a young human. Perhaps that will prove to be your greatest strength..."
"What do you..."
Instead of responding, DarkAngelicmon merely smiled, and tugging gently on her hand, he proceeded to help her over yet another obstacle in their path. Up ahead, Vampiramon was trying unsuccessfully to ignore them, but Takara could tell by the look on her face and the tension in her shoulders that she was not at all pleased with the fallen angel's bad habit of consorting with the enemy.
"There's no need to worry," DarkAngelicmon said quietly, nodding his head in the vampire digimon's direction. "She's too far away to hear us."
Nodding slowly, Takara chewed anxiously on her lower lip, and glancing shyly at the fallen angel she said hesitantly, "You know...Mickey's really worried about you."
"Mickey's concerned about his brother, nothing more."
"You don't believe that anymore than I do! Mickey cares a lot about his brother, but he also cares about his friends, too! Mickey cares about everyone. That's just who he is."
"Perhaps that is true for humans, but a digimon like myself is of no value to him," DarkAngelicmon said coldly, turning his face away.
"You're wrong! Mickey cares about digimon who are especially like you! Don't you understand? Mickey would love to be your friend, if you'd let him."
"And what would be the point? I've already been betrayed enough as it is!" DarkAngelicmon snapped, his bright green eyes flashing with sudden anger. "He's so much like Lucemon..."
Speaking of Lucemon...
Takara frowned, unsure of whether or not she should add fuel to the fire, but before she could stop herself she blurted," Why? Why aren't you searching for Lucemon like you should be? I don't understand... We know that's what the Ruler of Darkness has planned for you so..."
"I cannot hide from Lucemon and he cannot hide from me," the fallen angel murmured, almost to himself. "Our connection is too strong even for the trivial amount of power my master has promised to bestow upon me."
"Huh?"
Gazing directly into her hazel eyes, DarKAngelicmon let out a soft sigh, and placing a hand against his chest he said seriously, "Takara, do not think for one moment that I have forgotten Lucemon. He is always on my mind, of that you can be sure."
"What about Mickey? Why do you want to hurt both him and Matty?"
"Do I?" the fallen angel said so softly Takara just barely heard him. "Think what you will, Kara, but...even I am not so certain of what it is I want anymore."
"W-what do you mean?"
"The Spirit Chip of Innocence...it will grant me power greater than anything I've ever wielded before, and yet...is the power I am seeking truly the power I will gain if my plans are fulfilled? Perhaps instead of receiving the power I seek, I will be given the power to control my own destiny..."
"Your...destiny?"
"True power," DarkAngelicmon whispered, "The power I once held in the palm of my hand. The power I lost. The power Lucemon still holds..."
True power...What does he mean by that?
Tugging on the fallen angel's hand, Takara gave him a warm smile, and tilting her head slightly to the side she said teasingly, "Would you mind if I told Mickey that you have a soft spot for him?"
A ghost of a smile slipped across DarkAngelicmon's face, and to Takara's surprise, instead of answering, or even getting angry, the fallen angel merely squeezed her hand, the strength of his grip conveying all she needed to know.
"Will you two hurry up?" Vampiramon suddenly snapped, her angry words causing both of them to jump. "We're almost at the top. I can see something glowing faintly up ahead. If it's what I think it is then the peak of the mountain should be just beyond those large rocks up ahead."
Judging by the way my D-Coder is glowing like crazy, she might just be right.
Catching sight of the boulders Vampiramon was referring to, Takara let out a soft sound of dismay. "Those rocks are huge! I can't climb over those!"
"You won't have to," DarkAngelicmon said smoothly, smiling in amusement.
Takara glanced at the fallen angel in surprise, but before she could ask him what he meant he suddenly lifted her off her feet, his arms going around her waist in a tight grip. Launching himself into the air, high enough to avoid the obstacles in their path, but still low enough to avoid being seen by those pursuing them, DarkAngelicmon quickly flew over the rocks, setting her down only after making sure they were safely on the other side of the boulders blocking their path.
Vampiramon, who had scrambled over the rocks without the use of her bat form, glared at the fallen angel, and scowling she snapped, "What did I tell you about flying?"
"You want the Kamiya girl to be our hostage, don't you? She can't very well play the part if she's stuck on the wrong side of the mountain, so to speak."
"I know that, you fool! Oh, forget it! Just hurry up, would you?"
"As you command, great leader," DarkAngelicmon smirked.
Clinging tightly to the fallen angel's hand, Takara quickly rounded the last corner blocking her view of the mountain's peak, and stopping dead in her tracks, she let out a soft gasp at the sight of what awaited them, the glow surrounding the object that had captured her attention illuminating the startled look on her face.
There, sitting on a makeshift stone pedestal, was the Spirit Chip of Bravery.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" DarkAngelicmon said softly in her ear, leading her over to the pedestal for a closer look.
Gazing down at the Spirit Chip of Bravery, Takara couldn't help but marvel at its brilliance. Surrounded by a glowing orb made up of orange, blue, and gray light, the Spirit Chip itself was actually quite small, about the size of a crest without its tag, and in Takara's eyes it faintly resembled the look of a computer chip, only with one major difference. Carved into its translucent red surface was the symbol of a shield.
DarkAngelicmon's right. It is beautiful.
As Gennai had foretold earlier, the multi-coloured light surrounding the Spirit Chip was clearly acting as a shield, and the light appeared to swirl around the Spirit Chip like mist. It made Takara think of the mist that had erupted from her D-Coder when it had picked up Dovemon's signal. The mist had formed into an arrow which had directed her to Dovemon's pedestal.
I have to admit, Gennai definitely knows his stuff. The light from the crests really is acting as a seal protecting the Spirit Chip.
There was no mistaking the colours in that circular orb of light surrounding the Spirit Chip.
Courage, friendship, and reliability.
Tai, Matt, and Joe...
"Do you see now why the Spirit Chip can't belong to anyone other than Daichi?" DarkAngelicmon said softly, his fingers running over the inscription carved into the pedestal just in front of the Spirit Chip itself.
It was written in a language Takara was unable to understand, but thanks to the old fortress where Embermon had been hidden, she recognized the style of the words in front of her. It was the language of the Digital World, and though Takara could tell even DarkAngelicmon himself wasn't able to read the words, she had a feeling he knew exactly what it said, even without being able to interpret the words.
The inscription itself was connected to one of the seals protecting the Spirit Chip, and even though Takara knew she couldn't decipher the message herself, thus being unable to break the second seal, like DarkAngelicmon, she just knew instinctively what the inscription said. That was how she knew the Spirit Chip wasn't hers, and that was why she knew her D-Coder would never be able to decipher the encrypted message carved into the pedestal. Never mind the fact that the Spirit Chip was red. It was the message that truly gave away its owner.
Bravery
Sudden tears of happiness filled her eyes, and gazing at the fallen angel she whispered, "I guess you were right."
"No, we were both right."
"Oh, Dai..."
Gazing at the words carved into the pedestal, Takara couldn't help but nod in agreement. Below her she knew in her heart exactly what the inscription said:
Courage is the fire that ignites the embers of the heart. Bravery is the symbol of the one who wears the mark.