Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon! But I certainly would love to!
A/N: Hello, everyone! Once again I am sorry about the wait, but finally I am back with another chapter! I've been pretty busy lately so thanks everyone for being so understanding and for waiting patiently. Hope you all like it! It's been a great five years writing this story so far and I'm enjoying posting every chapter just as much as I did when I posted the first chapter quite a long time ago. Thank you to everyone for your great reviews and your feedback, and most importantly for giving me the motivation to continue writing. Enjoy the new chapter! Oh, and I have posted Dragermon's name for his mega form on my profile if anyone wants to know what it is ahead of time. I will make sure I check the chapter again for any missed mistakes. Now really, go enjoy!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 197: The Meaning of Courage
Tai Kamiya
File Island, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World
Tai dropped down next to the fallen Daichi and placing a hand on the goggle-headed leader's shoulder, he said quietly, "Dai?"
Dai refused to answer, and turning to gaze at the unconscious bodies of both human and digimon alike strewn all over the peak of Infinity Mountain, Tai could not help wondering how such a straightforward, though dangerous, plan to acquire the Spirit Chip of Bravery could have gone so very wrong.
Dai, look at you. You're falling into the same trap that nearly caught me when I first found my crest. First SkullGreymon and then I couldn't even rescue Sora from the pyramid. I thought I could do everything by myself, especially since at first I was the only one who had a crest, but in the end I found out the hard way just how wrong I was. It's our friends who give us real courage, the strength we feel from them to help us overcome our fears. As much as we might want to think otherwise, we can't do everything by ourselves. If we really want to succeed we have to rely on our friends. We all have our own unique talents, and when we work together, all of our greatest qualities combined make us unbeatable. You're no different from me, Dai. It's only after we've learned to overcome our fears that we can finally harness the power inside.
It was a nice thought, but how was he supposed to bring Daichi around to his way of thinking when the goggle-headed leader refused to listen to him?
If only I could think of the right thing to say...
In front of the unconscious bodies lying sprawled around Dai's slumped form, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon were still trying desperately to subdue Jestermon and BlackWidowmon, and hovering in the air a safe distance away, with Kara's limp body still hanging over her shoulder, Spritemon was smiling triumphantly at the way the battle was clearly turning in her favour. Judging by the expression on her face, she seemed quite willing to spend a few minutes savoring the moment, and it was clear she enjoyed taking her time in combat to get the most out of every fight.
It's now or never. If I don't do something, we'll lose this battle for sure.
With that thought in mind, Tai quickly pulled the younger leader away from Davis, and turning the boy to face him, he said urgently, "Dai, listen to me. You can't give up like this. Do you really want to lose this battle without giving it everything you've got?"
Instead of responding, Dai slowly lifted his head, and gazing directly into the goggle-headed leader's eyes, Tai was unable to prevent a small gasp from escaping his mouth. When it came to the six young members of the new Digidestined team, out of all of them their leader, Daichi Motomiya, was the least likely to succumb to his emotions, and yet, though history had shown this to be true, at the moment, Dai's face was red and puffy and there were tears streaming down his cheeks.
Dai...
Tai didn't say a word. What could he say? Words were useless. And because words were useless, he did the only thing he could do. He pulled the goggle-headed leader into a hug, and holding the boy tightly against his chest he closed his eyes to shield himself from the pain he could feel radiating off of Dai's trembling body.
"I'm not like you," Dai whispered into his chest, his words sounding lost and confused. "I don't know what real courage is."
"And you think I do?"
Startled, Dai lifted his tear-stained face to stare at him in surprise, and shaking the goggle-headed leader gently by the shoulders, Tai said seriously, "Okay, scratch that. Maybe I do now, but that wasn't always the case."
"W-what do you mean?"
"When I first found my crest, I thought since at the time I was the only one who had one, it meant that I had to do everything all by myself. I believed I was the only one who could protect all of us when we were in danger. Because of my attitude, I ended up finding out the hard way just how wrong I was."
"I don't understand," Dai mumbled, clearly confused. "Did something happen?"
Only the worst thing that could have happened to me...
Tai turned slowly to gaze silently at the impressive digimon known as WarGreymon, his partner and life-long friend, who was still fighting even now against Spritemon and Jestermon for his sake, and smiling slightly, he said quietly, "While travelling in the Digital World, we ended up coming across this place on Server that looked kind of like the ancient Roman Coliseum. That's where we found Joe's crest. Everything was going great until Etemon showed up and attacked us."
"What happened?" Dai gasped, his dark eyes growing wide at this sudden flashback he clearly had not been expecting to hear. Dai knew about that day, but he did not know everything.
That is, until now.
"Etemon used another Greymon to attack us, and obviously our only option was to defend ourselves. Like with you and your Spirit Chip, at first I could not get my crest to work due to the fact that I had yet to discover the secret of unlocking its power. Earlier, I'd been working Agumon to death trying to get him to digivolve, and since Joe had yet to find his crest at the coliseum, I still felt like I was the only one who could get us out of our current sticky situation."
Dai sniffed and rubbing his arm across his eyes to wipe away the tear stains on his cheeks, he mumbled, "You did something, didn't you."
"I forced Agumon to digivolve even though we both weren't ready; even though I had yet to understand the true meaning of courage. Somewhere along the line I'd lost sight of who I was and my heart became covered in darkness. Not obvious, but it was still there. Though I was able to get Agumon to digivolve, he didn't digivolve the way he should have. What I mean by that is he didn't digivolve in the way that he was original intended to digivolve. Instead of becoming MetalGreymon, he turned into an ultimate digimon known as SkullGreymon."
"SkullGreymon!" Dai sputtered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Agumon mentioned something about a SkullGreymon attacking you guys. Wait, you don't mean..."
There was no turning back, and glancing quickly at the battle taking place, relieved to find that Spritemon and the other evil megas were still momentarily occupied by the fight, thanks of course to WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, Tai hastily told the young goggle-headed leader the entire story, doing his best not to leave anything out. When he was finished, Dai stared at him in shock, unable to respond.
Now do you see? We're not so different from each other. Don't turn your back on those who want to help you...
"SkullGreymon," Dai whispered, his tear-stained face turning a ghostly shade of white. "He attacked your friends and his fellow digimon."
"You're telling me. I won't deny he caused a lot of damage before he finally ran out of energy. Poor Koromon. I felt so bad for him, but I knew I had no one to blame but myself. Though physically he was the one who had attacked everyone, it was my fault the damage had been done."
"Tai, I...I'm sorry," Dai mumbled, looking away from him. "I never realized..."
"Of course you didn't. I never told any of you, even Kara, but now I realize I probably should have a long time ago. After the incident with SkullGreymon, I was scared to have Agumon digivolve again. Can you imagine what that feels like, Dai? Knowing how much you love your partner but at the same time being partly afraid of not only him, but also yourself?"
"Tai..."
"What was even worse, though, was the fact that I knew Agumon was also afraid to digivolve again for fear of hurting us. Thankfully, Piximon showed up to set us straight. Especially me. I still remember that cave and my training. I was supposed to find my way back."
"I don't see how finding your way out of some cave was supposed to help you and Agumon get over your fear."
Smiling at the goggle-headed leader, Tai said softly, "I wasn't really finding my way out of the cave. I was finding my way back to myself, and Agumon and I were finding our way back to each other. And it worked. That light in the distance... The more we fought, the further away from the light we got. I could see myself as a small child. I remember telling my younger self not to give up."
"It's all about overcoming your fears," Dai said softly, a small smile beginning to form on the goggle-headed leader's face.
"You got it. Funny...I think I said the same thing at the time. Both Agumon and I were afraid he would digivolve back into SkullGreymon, and it wasn't until we were able to confront that fear that we were able to overcome it."
"So...the key was trusting each other. Trusting your friends."
"Believing in them and believing in yourself. After that, Agumon was able to digivolve again, but despite our success the test was only just beginning."
"Sora and the pyramid," Dai said solemnly.
Good. WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon still have Spritemon's attention. This might be my only chance. Better make the most of it.
"Once again, my ego was my own worst enemy because I thought, due to Izzy's newest theory, I could feel no pain. I took huge risks that I shudder to think about now. Once I understood what we were really up against, again my courage failed me and darkness covered my heart. I couldn't save Sora because I let my fear of the firewall overcome me. When I did finally began to understand just how much Sora needed me, when I finally began to trust in my friends and their advice, it was then that I was finally able to understand the true meaning of courage."
"But...what is the true meaning of courage?" Dal pleaded, desperate for some answers. "I just don't know..."
Remembering his own words from the past, Tai gazed directly into the goggle-headed leader's dark eyes and said firmly, "A man must face himself before he can face his enemies."
"Huh?"
"Dai, courage isn't a lack of fear. Its knowing you're afraid and finding the strength within yourself to overcome your fears."
"That...sounds like something Kara would say."
"Not just Kara. Ask your father. He'll tell you the same thing. He had to learn a similar lesson in order to get his hands on the Digi-egg of Friendship. It all comes down to the same thing. Trust your friends, trust your partner, trust yourself. Only then will you be able to make your Spirit Chip work for you."
Dai nodded slowly, and frowning thoughtfully at his knees, he glanced over at his father's lifeless body and said hesitantly, "I think I understand."
"Now that you know the truth...how does it make you feel about me?"
For a moment, Dai didn't answer, and just when Tai thought he wouldn't respond, the goggle-headed leader said softly, "I wish I could be more like you and Dad."
Dai...
"Don't let your mom here you say that! But seriously...you can be, but you can't give up on yourself."
"But...it's so hard..."
"Of course it's hard! If it were easy, it wouldn't mean anything."
"I guess..."
"I take it this means you're not going to pull a Sam on me?"
To his surprise, Dai actually managed a weak laugh, and shaking his head, the goggle-headed leader said bluntly, "No offence to Sam, but I haven't reached that level of stupidity yet! Ryoko had the right idea. He forgave Matt, didn't he? And since Kara's not awake to forgive you, I guess I'll have to act in her place. You'll tell her, won't you?"
"I'll tell everyone, I promise."
"She'll forgive you. I know she will."
Kara...you're so much like your mom...She forgave me too, even though she didn't have to...
Smiling at the goggle-headed leader, Tai reached out a hand to help him to his feet, but instead of accepting the friendly gesture, Dai pulled away from him and turned to stare miserably at his feet.
"What is it, Dai?"
To his surprise, silent tears once again began to run down Dai's cheeks. "I lied to you."
"What do you mean?"
"I was followed. Spritemon's flunky was a little DemiDevimon. Embermon, he..."
So...that's what happened. Just like what happened in the past, only...
Tai once again glanced nervously at the battle raging behind them, and discovering they were still in the clear so far, he gave Dai his full attention. "He deleted him?"
Unable to look at him, Dai nodded his head, his dark eyes sparkling with regret and sorrow. "It's my fault. If I hadn't run away from all of you guys..."
"DemiDevimon probably still would have caused us trouble, but instead of being on his own, he would have had Spritemon to back him up."
"I know, but still...he was so little and defenceless. I didn't trust him because I couldn't forget the DemiDevimon who had tried so hard to trick you and your friends back when you were trying to save the Digital World. I took him for a liar, without even giving him the benefit of the doubt, and he payed the price for it. He suffered because of me, and the funny thing is, I think...mostly he was telling the truth. Can you imagine what Mickey and the others will think of me after this? I'm such a failure..."
Dai...You can't really believe that...
Tai quickly grabbed the goggle-headed leader firmly by the shoulders and gazing directly into the younger Digidestined's eyes, he said sharply, "You are not a failure. I doubt very much that your friends will think any less of you just because you made some mistakes. I know I don't. They're not perfect themselves, Dai. They make mistakes, too. Look at Sam! Look at Matty! We all do. I definitely can't deny that I've made my own fair share. To hold your mistakes against you would be the same as having never learned to accept their own mistakes."
"But...Kara could get really hurt because of me," Dai whispered, clearly unwilling to forgive himself for having caused so much trouble. "What if she doesn't make it?"
Tai couldn't help it. He winced, and turning to gaze at the unconscious bodies of his friends, giving him an excuse to avoid Dai's eyes, he said quietly, "Dai, I'm not as blind as you seem to think I am. In fact, I think I might understand your feelings even more than you do."
"What?" Dai gasped, his tear-stained face turning a deep shade of red.
"If you care about Kara as much as I think you do then you have to stop doubting yourself. You can't hesitate. Kara's life might depend on it."
"But...if I fail you'll hate me forever," Dai whispered, the words getting caught in his throat.
"Is that what you think? Dai, you might not be my son, but that doesn't mean I can't care about you as if you are. No matter what happens, how I feel about you won't ever change."
Can't you see that?
Staring at him with wide eyes, Dai said meekly, "Really?"
"I wouldn't lie about something like this."
"Then...it doesn't bother you?"
"You mean...this whole thing with you and Kara?"
Blushing, Dai quickly nodded, unable to answer directly, and Tai couldn't help but smile in amusement.
"Dai, let me ask you something. Do you even understand how you feel?"
"I..." Dai hesitated and taking a deep breath, he said shakily, "Not really, but...if I think about what's been going on lately, I think...maybe Kara might mean more to me than I've been able to admit so far..."
"Well, that's a start, I guess."
"Kara's always been a great friend to me, but I don't know...what should I do?" Dai asked anxiously, clearly embarrassed not only to be asking but also to be having this conversation with the father of the girl he was obviously attracted to.
How could he think I wouldn't notice? He stares at Kara the way I used to stare at Sora. The way I still stare at Sora!
Reaching out to ruffle the goggle-headed leader's hair, Tai said gently, "The only advice I can give you is to take your time. You're still really young and this isn't the kind of thing you can rush. Above all else, it's important you learn to understand your feelings first before you make a decision on what it is your heart is trying to tell you. You have plenty of time and I encourage you to take advantage of it."
Plus, we really don't have time to be having this conversation at the moment. Come on, WarGreymon...
"But-"
"We'll save her, Dai. We'll save her and we'll save everyone else, too."
You might not be my son now, but that doesn't mean I don't hope you will be eventually...
"You really don't mind?" Dai asked hesitantly, anxiously scratching the back of his head. "You know...about me and Kara?"
In response to Dai's question, Tai once again hugged the goggle-headed leader tightly against his chest, and frowning over Daichi's spiky hair at the battle still raging between his partner, MetalGarurumon, and the two evil mega digimon closer to the entrance to the peak, he let out a frustrated sigh. So far, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon were managing to hold their own against BlackWidowmon and Jestermon, but even at a distance Tai could tell his partner was starting to lose energy and the same seemed to be true for MetalGarurumon. Clearly they were geting tired and Tai knew if he didn't think of something soon, they really were going to be in serious trouble.
"Spritemon, what are you doing?" A new voice suddenly shouted from the air, catching Tai completely off guard.
Looking up in surprise, he spotted a large bat fluttering around Spritemon's head and tightening his hold on Dai, he felt his heart sink like a heavy rock inside his chest.
"Vampiramon!" Dai gasped, his face turning white.
Ignoring the goggle-headed leader, Vampiramon settled herself elegantly on the rocky ground, and turning back into her human form she looked up at Spirtemon and snapped, "Get down here right now and tell me what's going on!"
Spritemon scowled in response, but despite the dirty look on her face she quickly settled herself next to Vampiramon with a flashy snap of her wings. Glaring at each other, the two female megas engaged in a hurried conversation, exchanging quick words, none of which Tai understood since they were speaking in low voices.
Apparently, though, Vampiramon got the gist of what was going on because she quickly straightened and said briskly, "You really can't give up on the Kamiya girl, can you. Very well then, we'll take her back to the castle."
No! Kara!
"We will?" Spritemon stuttered, staring at the vampire digimon in astonishment.
"If it will teach Daichi a lesson, I don't see why not. Maybe it will finally give him enough incentive to harness the power of his Spirit Chip. I want that last seal broken as soon as possible so we can get the Spirit Chip and get off this treacherous mountain."
Letting out a squeal of delight, Spritemon clapped her hands together and said happily, "I couldn't agree more!"
"Well then, what are you waiting for? I'll take the Kamiya girl back to the castle. You help Jestermon and BlackWidowmon get rid of these pathetic digimon who've allied themselves with the humans. Once you've done that and the Kamiya girl is no longer around, Daichi will be sure to crack."
"Why do you want to take the Kamiya girl back to the castle?" Spritemon complained.
"Because I don't trust you to do the job without screwing it up!"
"You just want to keep the glory of capturing one of the Digidestined all to yourself!"
"Nonsense. I'm only going as far as to hand her over to Airdramon. He can take her back. My place is here on Infinity Mountain. After all, I don't trust you to obtain the Spirit Chip without making a mess of things here either!"
"Like you've never screwed up before!" Spritemon shot back, hoisting Kara into the air and dropping the female Digidestined none too gently over Vampiramon's shoulder. "Speaking of digimon who like to screw up, where's DarkAngelicmon?"
For a moment, Vampiramon didn't answer, clearly annoyed at Spritemon for having asked her such a bothersome question, and shaking her head, she said shortly, "I do not know. I was unable to locate him despite my efforts to pinpoint his whereabouts. I had assumed he'd eventually make his way back here, but obviously that's not the case."
"That's odd. I wonder where he went," Spritemon murmured, tugging thoughtfully on her dark ponytail.
"We'll worry about that later. First let's deliver the Kamiya girl to our master."
Turning, Vampiramon proceeded to make her way towards the edge of the cliff, Kara hanging limply over her shoulder, and jumping in surprise, Tai let out a loud groan as Dai suddenly shot out of his arms, a look of determination on the goggle-headed leader's face.
"Dai-"
Ignoring him, the goggle-headed leader scrambled over to where his D-Coder lay on the ground in front of the pedestal, and holding his Digivice out towards the pedestal, he said softly, "I get it now. I understand."
"What?" Vampiramon snapped, pausing to look back at the goggle-headed leader.
Climbing slowly to his feet, Tai stared at Daichi in astonishment, his breath catching in his throat. "Dai?"
Though there were still tears in the goggle-headed leader's eyes, he was also smiling and his hand was steady. "It's not just about being brave. Even when we screw up, even when we make mistakes, we can't give up on ourselves. We have to believe we can make a difference even if the odds are against us. No matter how scared I am, I can't give up. I have to believe that even if I fail, my friends will be there to back me up. It's not just about me. The real courage I have comes from my friends because no matter how scared I am, I know they'll always be here with me. That's real courage. It's not about being brave. It's abut finding ways to overcome your fears. That's where real friends come in. Friends like Mickey, Matty, Kara, Ryoko, and Sam. They won't ever let me give in to my fears. They believe in me and now...I guess it's time I started believing in myself."
He really does get it. He's finally starting to understand...
Glancing down at the crest in his hand, which he had somehow pulled out of the pocket of his jeans without even noticing his own actions, Tai knew what he had to do.
Gennai had told them that one of the three crests creating the first seal surrounding the Spirit Chip would merge with the Spirit Chip itself to create a powerful tool which would be used for the process of digivolving to ultimate, and his crest, the Crest of Courage, was the perfect choice for the Spirit Chip of Bravery. It represented everything a leader stood for. It was a piece of who he was, a piece of who Davis was, and now it seemed it was also a little piece of Daichi.
Thanks, Sora. Thanks, Matt. Thanks, Agumon. For everything.
"I said what are you doing?" Vampiramon asked suspiciously, frowning at the goggle-headed leader.
Whirling around, Dai pointed his D-Coder at Kara's motionless body and without warning a sudden stream of red light shot out of its screen and enveloped Kara in a warm cocoon of glowing red mist.
As Tai watched in surprise, Kara's eyes suddenly fluttered open, and gazing directly at Daichi, she whispered, "Trust your friends, Dai. Trust yourself. I believe in you."
Kara!
Tai felt a wave of relief wash over him, and holding out his crest to Dai, he said firmly, "Let's do this."
Dai once again pointed his D-Coder at the Spirit Chip and he closed his eyes in concentration, clearly motivated by Kara's words and the fact that she seemed fine despite the bump on her head. As Tai watched proudly from a short distance away, the inscription on the pedestal began to glow and the final seal surrounding the Spirit Chip shattered like glass and dissolved into thin air, despite the fact that the red light surrounding the Spirit Chip had looked more like a wall of mist than a solid clear surface.
Just like I thought. It couldn't have been anyone but him.
Glowing in response to Dai's D-Coder, the Spirit Chip floated slowly into the air, and Tai gasped as his glowing crest suddenly floated out of his hand, moving towards the Spirit Chip of Bravery. With a flash of bright red and orange light, his crest and the Spirit Chip merged together without hesitation, the crest inserting itself into the empty slot at the top and towards the back of Dai's D-Coder Digivice. Though the Spirit Chip was still red and it still had the symbol of a shield on it, even from a short distance Tai could tell there were now thin intricate orange lines running over its shiny surface.
One down, five more to go!
As Dai stood there holding his D-Coder, there was a moment of dead silence in which nobody spoke. Even WarGreymon, MetalGarurumon, BlackWidowmon, and Jestermon had stopped fighting long enough to stare in disbelief.
Vampiramon was the first to recover, and letting out an angry hiss, she said dangerously, "Give me that Digivice!"
Right...Like that's going to happen!
Dai looked at the female mega, and shaking his head he held his D-Coder high above his spiky hair, his grip steady and his body loose and relaxed. There was no contempt or anger on his face anymore, nor did he seem upset. No longer was there a hint of fear in his eyes, only determination and a deep respect for the amount of power he held within his hand, all contained within a tiny little chip.
Power that came from within himself.
"BlackWidowmon promised to hand over Kara, but she broke her promise. You get what that means, right? I don't have any obligation to hand over my Spirit Chip or my D-Coder. Looks like you guys lose again!"
"Why you little-"
"Dragermon!" Dai shouted, closing his eyes in concentration.
Without warning, Dai's D-Coder exploded with light and Tai had to shield his eyes to prevent himself from temporarily losing his vision. The blinding red light appeared to cover the entire peak and all around him Tai watched in fascination from under his arm as his friends and their partner digimon started to come awake. Even from a distance, Tai could see the look of intensity on Matty's face as he stared at Dai, and it brought a smile to his face. How could he not smile when Matty looked like he wanted to do the exact same thing?
I wonder what happens now with them...
Dragermon was the last to awake and turning his head slightly to face his partner, his body glowing with the light coming from Dai's D-Coder, he said simply, "I knew you could do it."
"Ready, Dragermon?" Dai said confidently, smiling at his partner.
"Oh darn," Jestermon sighed, hopping up and down irritably on his feet and slapping a hand to his forehead in disgust.
Instead of responding, Dragermon broke free from BlackWidowmon's webs, his strength having been restored by the light of Dai's Spirit Chip, and launching himself into the air, he shouted, "Dragermon digivolve to, FireDragermon!"