Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Back with another chapter! It's short, I know, and it's lame, I admit it, but there will be some good chapters coming up! I promise! Really, I do. Give me another chapter and then it starts to get good! On that note, feel free to tell me this chapter stinks. I won't be offended, honestly. Next week I'll be posting a new chapter for my Kingdom Hearts story and then it will be back to this one again. That story won't be really long, so I'll be back to this one full time again very soon! Thanks for your reviews ahead of time!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 187: The Pixie Strikes Again

Matt Ishida

File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

"How are we doing, Angewomon?" Kari called back over her shoulder, waving to get her partner's attention.

Swooping up next to MetalGarurumon, and keeping pace with the mega, Angewomon said confidently, "So far it looks like we've managed to escape, but we still need to be on our guard. There's no way of telling who Spritemon might decide to chase after, once she manages to free herself from the rubble created by that unexpected avalanche, that is."

"I think it would be wise for us to land soon," Gabrielmon said seriously, swooping up suddenly on MetalGarurumon's other side, his sapphire eyes sparkling vividly in the afternoon sunshine. "If we remain in the air for too long, our enemies might spot us, and to allow ourselves to become easy prey would be very foolish indeed. The time has come for us to make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible."

"I agree," Kari said seriously, holding up her D-Terminal. "Besides, it looks like Izzy replied to the message I sent him earlier. I'd like to read what he has to say before we plan our next move."

Nodding in agreement, Matt quickly directed MetalGarurumon towards a large, smooth platform jutting out from the edge of the cliff, and frowning at his Digivice he said quickly, "It looks like we're about three quarters of the way up, and judging from our position we appear to be somewhere off to Tai's right, east of his position. Davis appears to be circling west. Most likely he'll land soon, as well. In fact, I think that's probably what he's doing right now, and it looks like Tai's group has just landed too, though I can't be sure. The Digivice's coordinates can be hard to read when we're not all on level ground."

"So, in other words, we're all about the same distance from the peak, but we've taken up various positions circling the mountain," Angewomon replied, swooping beneath MetalGarurumon and coming up on Gabrielmon's left. "Excellent. That means Vampiramon and her allies will have to sacrifice a lot of time and effort if they want to track down all of us."

"But...what about Dai?" Mickey mumbled, glancing anxiously at his D-Coder.

Turning to give is nephew's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, Matt said quietly, "Matty and the others won't let us down. I'm sure they'll catch up to Dai before anything serious happens. Already it looks like they're closing in on his signal."

"Maybe, but...I'm not so sure."

"Matty and the others will be fine, Mickey," Kari said softly, hugging her son tightly from behind. "Your Uncle Tai and Davis will look after them."

Yeah, but who's going to watch our backs?

"Uncle, are you okay?" Mickey asked suddenly, as if sensing his unease.

Shrugging, Matt said simply, "Can't complain."

At least, I would be if I could stop worrying so much about my son...

Landing swiftly on the large platform overlooking the east side of the mountain, the peak looming menacingly above their heads in the distance, MetalGarurumon came to a quick halt, his long silver body bending to a crouch to allow his passengers to slide off his back, and wrapping his arms around the mega's neck in a quick hug, Matt murmured, "Thanks, MetalGarurumon. You were amazing back there."

"Anytime. Be careful, Matt. I don't think we're out of danger yet."

"Neither do I. Watch our backs, will you?"

"Of course."

"Mom? What does Izzy's email say?" Mickey asked curiously, leaning around the female Digidestined's arm for a better look at her D-Terminal.

Face growing pale, Kari quickly wrapped her arm around Mickey's shoulders for comfort, and taking a deep breath she said quietly "Apparently Hawkmon and the others spotted two digimon leaving the peak of Infinity Mountain earlier. According to Izzy, he thinks, thanks to Kara's D-Coder, that Vampiramon and her allies have realized we've all gotten ourselves separated."

"Dai! You...you don't think they've gone after Dai, do you?"

"It's hard to say. Even Izzy doesn't seem to know exactly what it is they're planning. He just says we should be on our guard, but...that's not it."

Raising his eyebrows, Matt said dryly, "Great, just what I needed to hear."

"You mean, there's more bad news?" MetalGarurumon growled, shaking his head in irritation.

As if we don't already have enough problems to deal with. I hope Tai's having better luck than we are...

Frowning slightly, Kari glanced at her D-Terminal again, and after a moment of hesitation she said slowly, "Well, other than what I already told you, Izzy pretty much just said we should keep following our original plan until we can find out a little bit more about exactly what it is Vampiramon is planning to do now that we've all been separated."

"You mean, we're just supposed to forget about the two digimon who left the peak?" Mickey gasped, staring at his mother in disbelief.

"Not exactly. He says if we do happen to intercept them, we're supposed to stop them at all costs, or at least distract them long enough to give Dai and the others a chance to reach the peak of the mountain."

"That will not be an easy thing to do," Angewomon said seriously, exchanging a look with Gabrielmon.

"Maybe not, but his plan does make sense. He's afraid the two digimon who've left the peak might be trying to stop Davis' group and our group from interfering, and if that's the case, it wouldn't be a good idea for us to try and warn Daichi or Tai's group. To do so would risk putting them in danger."

Shaking his head in denial and gazing at his mother in fear, Mickey said quietly, "But what if the two digimon who've left the peak are headed straight for Dai and Tai's group? Since none of them has a D-Terminal, we have no way of warning them."

"Which is why Izzy couldn't send them an email," Kari agreed, smiling regretfully at her son. "If the worst should happen, we have to believe that Tai, Matty, and Ryoko will be able to handle things on their own, at least until the rest of us reach the peak."

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Mickey," Gabrielmon said gently, giving his partner a reassuring smile. "Matty and Angelicmon will not fail us."

"No, but we might fail them..."

Tai, I know you'll keep my son and our nephew safe, but...what about Dai? Whatever you do, just don't do anything too drastic...

As much as Matt trusted his best friend, he knew Tai was hurting right now, and because of what had happened earlier with Dai, he knew the former leader was vulnerable at the moment.

All because of his own past. Maybe he's more like Kari than we thought. He's always so busy trying to help everyone else, I can't help but wonder when he has time to look after himself...

Frowning at the direction his thoughts were taking, Matt quickly turned back to his sister-in-law, and glancing over her shoulder at the email on her D-Terminal he said, "Anything else?"

"No, he just says we're supposed to be careful, and he also mentions that he sent Davis the same email. Other than that, though, we're pretty much on our own."

"We might not like it, but running after Dai will defeat the whole purpose of us splitting up to begin with," Gabrielmon said wearily, shaking his head in despair. "Let's just hope Spritemon hasn't gone after Tai's group. If the two digimon who've left the peak have gone after Dai, and then to have Spritemon to deal with on top of that, Tai will have to face off against three evil digimon instead of just two."

"Gabrielmon, don't say things like that!" Mickey moaned, covering his face with his hands.

"Please don't be upset, Mickey. Personally, I think it's more likely that the two digimon who left the peak would be after everyone who isn't Dai. After all, they don't like the fact that we've all gotten separated."

"But...do you remember what Spritemon said? She has a spy following Dai and it could be Jestermon! If that's true then that means only one member of Vampiramon's group is with Kara at the peak. The rest could all be after Dai!"

"I'd almost forgotten about that," Kari said quietly. "I'll let Izzy know, but in the meantime we should still keep our distance. Izzy would probably say the same thing."

"But-"

"Everything will be okay, Mickey," Kari said softly, giving her son a quick squeeze. "You'll see."

Dai...

Slipping a reassuring arm around his nephew's shoulders, Matt quickly pointed towards the path up ahead, and speaking in a low voice he said quietly, "We should get moving. Besides, like Gabrielmon said, it coud be that none of our enemies are after Dai, which means he could be perfectly safe. I wouldn't put much faith in Spritemon's words if I were you."

"And if that's the case, the same would most likely be true for Tai, Ryoko, and Matty," Gabrielmon added, trying unsuccessfully to bring a smile to his partner's face.

"But...if you guys are right then that just means the rest of us are in trouble..."

Glancing at his nephew, Matt raised his eyebrows and said dryly, "Better you than Matty, right?"

Not that I don't feel the same way about Ryoko. We both feel that way about everyone we care about. We'd rather be in danger ourselves then to see our friends in danger. Especially when there doesn't seem to be anything we can do to help them...

"Well, it is easier to concentrate during a fight when you know the people you care about are safe," Mickey mumbled, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red.

"Tell that to Matty. It might be easier for you, but not for him."

Nodding in agreement, Mickey said quietly, "I know."

Walking silently next to his young nephew, Matt hadn't failed to notice the way Mickey seemed especially shy around him compared to Tai and most of the other adults, but considering the fact that he normally wasn't as outgoing as many of his fellow Digidestined, it was understandable that Mickey would feel a little uncertain around him, which was not the case with Matty.

But even so, Mickey never treated him like a stranger and he knew he was just as important to the older twin as Tai was.

It's no wonder DarkAngelicmon can't disregard him so easily.

"You're really worried about Ryoko, aren't you," Mickey said softly, watching him closely.

"I'm scared out of my mind, but your Uncle Tai will look after him. Matty, too."

"I know. I'm mostly worried about Dai."

Letting out a deep sigh, Matt said quietly, "So am I."

"You know, Ryoko's really excited about having a new sibling, and I can't wait to have a new cousin," Mickey suddenly said shyly, avoiding his eyes. "With all this darkness surrounding us, it's nice to have something happy to look forward to."

"Oh, Mickey," Kari murmured, beaming at her son.

How can we ever appreciate the light, if we can't bring ourselves to face the darkness? Gabumon...you were the one who taught me that.

"Uncle, do you think we're all going to be okay?" Mickey whispered, his words trembling ever so slightly.

Leaning close to his nephew and placing a gentle hand on the older twin's shoulder, he said quietly, "Mickey, with Digidestined like you around, I think everyone is going to be just fine."

"Mickey, we have a problem!" Gabrielmon suddenly cried urgently, moving quickly to join his partner. "DarkAngelicmon has left the peak of the mountain!"

"It appears he is one of the two digimon who has decided to come after us," Angewomon added, nodding her head for emphasis. "If, of course, that is their intention."

Summoning his sceptre, Gabrielmon said quietly, "We can sense him close by. His presence hasn't felt this strong since he confronted us at the base of the mountain. Angelicmon has gone after him."

"What?" Mickey gasped, his amber eyes widening in shock. "Then...does that mean that Matty..."

Gabrielmon and Angewomon stared silently at each other for a moment, and lowering her head, Angewomon said slowly, "We think he may have gone after DarkAngelicmon alone."

"But...but..."

"We can't say for certain, but we believe Tai, Ryoko, Agumon, and Alopemon are still searching for Dai," Gabrielmon explained, avoiding his partner's eyes. "Matty, too. I cannot explain it, but I sense Angelicmon is going to try to confront DarkAngelicmon by himself, without even Matty by his side. It's just...this feeling I have."

"That's dangerous!" MetalGarurumon growled, shifting restlessly to stare at the path up ahead. "If that's true then that means Tai and the others only have two digimon protecting them. What if they're attacked? They could end up in serious trouble."

"You're right, MetalGarurumon," Angewomon agreed, fluttering her wings in frustration. "Angelicmon isn't normally the careless type. I must admit, I do not know what to make of this..."

"This is something he feels like he must do, and I cannot say I blame him for it," Gabrielmon sighed, shaking his head in despair. "I just wish he wouldn't be so rash all the time."

"What are you going to do?" Mickey whispered, gazing directly into his partner's sapphire eyes.

Reaching out to place his hand on Mickey's golden head, Gabrielmon said gently, "I will stay here with you, Mickey. Though I am anxious for Angelicmon's sake, I do not think this is something I can help him with. I believe my presence would be more of a hindrance than a help. Perhaps I am making the wrong decision, but deep in my heart I know this is something he must do by himself."

"Are you sure?"

"If he were here now, Angelicmon himself would tell me my place is here with you."

"Too true," Angewomon murmured, smiling sightly. "Come, let us be on our way. We've stood here too long already. It's time we were on the move again."

Nodding in agreement, Matt quickly motioned for Gabrielmon to take the lead and for MetalGarurumon to watch the rear, and brushing his golden hair out of his eyes he proceeded to walk in silence, Mickey by his side.

They had only been walking for less than half an hour when a large group of rocks blocking their path up ahead suddenly exploded in a shower of green sparks.

"Spritemon!" Mickey gasped, waving a hand in front of his face to clear away the dust.

"Well, at least we know she's not following Tai's group," Angewomon said dryly, pulling back the string on her bow and pointing her glowing arrow at the rubble up ahead.

"Everyone get ready," MetalGarurumon warned, leaping to the front of the group and dropping into an offensive crouch.

Squinting, Matt spotted a shadowy figure standing in the centre of the debris littering the path only twenty feet from where they were standing, and stepping out of the cloud of dust hovering above the wreckage, Spritemon said regretfully, "Oh darn. I was hoping to ambush the Kamiya girl's father and her precious goggle-headed leader, but I suppose you three will have to do. After all, I can't have you wandering around without supervision. My goal is, after all, to stop all of you from getting separated, so perhaps this will turn out to be a blessing. I'll deal with Daichi after I round you all up and deliver you to him on a silver platter. Once you're all together again, Daichi will have no choice but to do exactly as we command!"

Huh?

Raising his eyebrows, Matt said slowly, "Hold on, back up a step. You don't want us all to be separated, but then you thought you'd go after Dai, only to change your mind again? Plus, you said you wouldn't harm us, and then you nearly ended up killing my nephew? No offence, but you really need to get your priorities straight."

"Silence, fool!" Spritemon snarled, lifting her arm and pointing the small gun on her right gauntlet directly at his face. From the look in her eyes he could tell she was furious. "Now where were we? Oh yes. I was just about to destroy your digimon partners. Why don't we start with MetalGarurumon. Once I'm through with him, your celestial digimon will be no more able to stop me than a pair of rookies. Now, MetalGarurumon, shall we?"