Following the Footsteps of Destiny
A/N: And here's another chapter! Hope you all like it!
Chapter 201: The Spirit Chip of Compassion
Sam Ichijouji
Odaiba, Japan, Earth
"So, what do you think, Izzy?" Kenzo asked curiously, exchanging a look with Mina.
Sam didn't want to admit it, but he too was curious as to what Izzy would say. Last time, Gennai had been close at hand to guide them to the Spirit Chip of Bravery, thanks to his knowledge of what awaited them on Infinity Mountain. Though he had not actually physically led them to the Spirit Chip in person, he had still played an important role in their mission to save the Digital World. Thanks to Gennai, the Spirit Chip of Bravery had been pretty simple to find, but now that they were moving onto the second Spirit Chip, that was no longer the case. This time they didn't have a single clue where to start looking next, and Gennai, who had been so helpful the last time, appeared to have left them to fend for themselves.
I wonder what Izzy will do. Even he can't accurately plan our next move without at least a little bit of information to go on.
"Well, this certainly is quite the predicament we have on our hands," Hawkmon observed, gazing meaningfully at Izzy through the computer screen. "I do hope you have some idea of what to do next."
"Well..."
While Izzy struggled to come up with a reply, Sam stared blankly at the computer monitor, lost in his own thoughts, and to his surprise, the screen suddenly changed, like a television screen switching channels, catching him completely off guard. Gone were Hawkmon, Armadillomon, and Gotsumon, and in their place stood a young man in a long white robe and a pink bowling ball with wings hovering by his side.
"Gennai!" Mickey gasped, staring wide-eyed at the computer screen.
"Piximon!" Ryoko shouted, glaring at the little pink digimon hovering next to Gennai's shoulder.
"A little late in coming, as this was the reaction I'd been expecting when I first met you rookies, but I suppose it will have to do," Piximon snorted, ignoring the angry look on Ryoko's face. "It still beats the rude greeting I received after Gennai kindly offered to tell you about the Spirit Chips, yup yup. I hope you've all been keeping up with your training."
"What training?" Dai asked curiously, scratching his spiky hair in confusion. "You never offered to train us."
"That doesn't mean I don't expect you to train yourselves. Your parents should be passing on my words of wisdom!"
"Right...we'll get to that," Tai replied, exchanging an amused look with Matt.
"Um, Gennai...I mean, you are Gennai and not one of the others, right?" Mickey asked hesitantly, looking unsure of whether or not he should continue.
The robed figure on the screen smiled at Mickey, and he nodded in response to the question that had been asked of him. "It appears all of you are in need of assistance, but before I offer some guidance, I'd like to congratulate you all on receiving the Spirit Chip of Bravery. Well done, Daichi! The Digital World was quite right in seeking you out as the next leader of the Digidestined."
Though he had never lacked confidence, Daichi was not exactly used to receiving all that many compliments and blushing a deep shade of red, he mumbled, "Thanks, but how did you know about the Spirit Chip already?"
"Benji, Leomon, Ogremon, and several of our other comrades are watching the castle on Cyber. As you can imagine, there was quite a lot of commotion going on once Vampiramon and her allies arrived on the scene. Needless to say, upon arriving home, they weren't very happy about the way things had transpired on Infinity Mountain, and I must say they were quite vocal about it."
"But-"
"Benji and I might be on two different continents, but we still have ways of communicating with each other, just like I have ways of communicating with all of you."
"Um...Gennai? Was DarkAngelicmon with them?" Mickey asked hesitantly, avoiding the robed figure's eyes.
"He arrived a little bit later than the others, but yes, he did return to Cyber."
"Did he...seem upset?"
"Subdued I think would be a more accurate description, though I may not be the best judge, since I wasn't there to see him for myself. Aside from that, though, unlike Vampiramon and the rest of his companions, he appeared to be in a surprisingly good mood. What to make of that, well...you'll just have to draw your own conclusions."
"Not exactly an easy thing to do," Matt replied, shaking his head. "So, you said you can help us with the next Spirit Chip? We kind of need at least a little bit of information if we want to travel to the Digital World tomorrow with some sort of a plan."
"Indeed. While you've been on your quest to secure the Spirit Chip of Bravery, myself, along with Piximon, the Four Guardians, and many of our other allies have been searching for the location of the next Spirit Chip, and as you may have guessed already, we were successful in our search."
"That's great! So...um...where is it?" Takara asked hesitantly, tugging nervously on her ponytail.
"It's right here on Server, in the Eastern Hemisphere."
"Server? That's right, you did say earlier that there was one on the continent of Server," Mina remarked. "I take it you've found out exactly where?"
"Yes, but I will explain that more in detail once you arrive on Server tomorrow."
"Server...Well, that shouldn't be too had," Joe replied, glancing at Izzy for confirmation. "At least we'll know the area pretty well."
Since Joe was looking in his direction, Izzy nodded in agreement, and crossing his arms over his chest he said, "True enough, but we'll still need to be careful."
"Which Spirit Chip is it?" Matt demanded, gazing meaningfully at Gennai. "You must have some idea this time around. If we want to get our hands on it before Vampiramon does, we'll need to know who to bring along."
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do happen to know which one it is. Thanks to a lot of the digimon on Server we were able to get close enough to discover its identity. The one on Server is the Spirit Chip of Compassion."
"Which means...the Spirit Chip on Server is protected by the crests of Kindness, Knowledge, and Sincerity," Mina said quietly, her dark eyes gazing at each person in the room before moving onto the next face. "In other words, we're going to need Ken, Izzy, and Mimi for sure."
"I knew it," Matt muttered, making a face. "Well, if Mimi has to come with them then I'm coming too!"
"Yolei will probably want to come, as well," Kari interrupted, letting out a deep sigh. "Ken will need some moral support and she did own the Digi-egg of Sincerity at one time."
"I'll let them know as soon as we get home," Miya promised, trying to smile. "Er...if that's okay with you, Izzy."
"I suppose it probably would be best to have Yolei come along, and yes, Matt, I know nothing I say is going to change your mind."
"So, it's settled then?" Noriko asked, glancing at Izzy for confirmation.
"Yes. It'll be myself, Yolei, Matt, Ken, Mimi, and I think Cody and Rosa should come along, as well. Just in case we need the extra help. Like Yolei, neither one of them has had a chance to visit the Digital World yet, and the Digi-egg of Knowledge did used to belong to Cody. He already missed out on the Crest of Reliability for one Spirit Chip, though he'll have another chance with the Spirit Chip of Loyalty, but even so...it only makes sense for him to come along. Plus, I know it will make Gotsumon and Armadillomon happy."
"Hawkmon, too!" Nao interrupted, beaming at the computer expert.
"I guess that settles it then," Ryoko sighed, shaking his head. "Only...Mom, just don't do anything crazy."
"What he said," Matt quickly intervened, glaring at his wife. "Don't you dare do anything wild, crazy, stupid, or...or Mimi-like!"
In response to Matt's outburst, Mimi burst out laughing, and smiling at her husband and son, she said, "I'll behave, I promise, but only if you two take your own advice."
"Don't look at me," Ryoko snorted, rolling his eyes. "I was one of the few who didn't put themselves in danger this time around!"
"Can it, Ishida!" Dai grumbled, glaring at the golden-haired Digidestined.
"The Spirit Chip of Compassion," Mickey said softly, gazing thoughtfully at the ceiling. "If we take into account which crests are protecting it then that means the Spirit Chip has to belong to either Ryoko or..."
"Sam," Matty finished, a slight edge to his voice.
"Which means only their D-Coders should glow when we come within close enough range to the Spirit Chip," Rosa added.
The silence in the room was so profound, Sam could almost hear his own heart beat echoing off the walls of the small bedroom Davis and Noriko used for an office, and even though there was a possibility that the Spirit Chip of Compassion could also belong to Ryoko, Sam could not help noticing that for some reason everyone appeared to be staring at him instead of his golden-haired friend.
Dad...
There was no way around it. He was going to have to go to the Digital World with his father whether he wanted to or not, and somehow he was going to have to make it through the experience without losing his heart in the process.
Compassion...what is it really? What does it really mean? Ryoko probably knows better than I do. He was able to forgive his father for what happened in the past so easily, but I...I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I'm strong enough...
Earlier, he had been so angry at Ryoko and Dai for keeping the truth about his father a secret, but now it no longer mattered. Now, all he wanted was to have his friends back.
Ryoko tried so hard to tell me. When he told us the story about his dad, so many time she hinted at what he suspected might be the truth about my father. He was so angry at me because he knew. He knew exactly how I would react, and he tried to warn me. He tried, but I just wouldn't listen...
"I don't know about this Spirit Chip," Dai said slowly, making a face. "It's going to be a tough one."
"What do you mean?" Davis asked, glancing curiously at his son.
"Well, it could work for either one of them. It's not going to be as easy to guess this time around as everyone seemed to think it was the last time around."
"Wait, what?" Ryoko gasped, staring at the goggle-headed leader in disbelief. "You actually think it could be mine?"
Dai glanced at Ryoko, and spotting the look on the golden-haired Digidestined's face, he immediately went on the defensive. "What's wrong with that? The way you forgave your dad earlier was pretty cool. That kind of...you know...qualifies as compassion, right?"
"I guess, but...just...coming from you..."
"What?" Dai snapped, his cheeks turning red. "Spit it out already, would you?"
"I...um...thanks," Ryoko mumbled, avoiding the goggle-headed leader's eyes.
Clearly that wasn't the answer Dai had been expecting, and Sam had to smile. As a general rule, the way Dai and Ryoko always acted kind of awkward around each other when they weren't fighting exasperated him to no end, but now it made him feel kind of lonely. He missed being a part of that. He missed being on the inside with his friends instead of watching them from the outside.
"I guess this means we should all get some rest if we want to be in fighting form tomorrow," Sora sighed, getting slowly to her feet.
"That would be best," Gennai agreed, nodding in approval. "Once you arrive on Server tomorrow, I would very much like you all to come pay me a visit. Izzy, you know where you can find my house. I hope you haven't forgotten the way."
"Like I could ever forget," Izzy replied, shaking his head in amusement.
"Once you arrive at my residence, I will explain more in detail about the location of the Spirit Chip, and also...there is something else I would very much like to show you, which I am quite sure you will find very interesting. It may even help you on your quest to save the Digital World, though I have not yet figured out how or in what form this knowledge might become useful to you."
In response to Gennai's mysterious words, Izzy's eyes immediately lit up with excitement, that familiar fanatic gleam his dark gaze always established whenever it came to the Digiworld becoming much more prominent within the depths of his dark orbs. "What is it?"
"You'll find out once you've paid me a visit. In the meantime, rest well, Digidestined. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day."
"My thoughts exactly," T.K. groaned, exchanging a look with Patamon.
"Well, at least today was successful," Kari said with a smile. "Thanks for the information, Gennai. Have a good night."
"You too, Piximon," Rina giggled, waving at the little pink digimon, who beamed in response.
After giving Izzy a few more last minute instructions, Gennai quickly signed off, causing the image on the computer screen to switch back to Hawkmon's group, and glaring indignantly at Izzy, the little bird digimon snapped, "What is going on and why did we lose contact with you?"
"Relax, Hawkmon," Tai snorted, smiling in amusement. "It looks like you, Armadillomon, and Gotsumon are going to have a chance to meet up with your partners in person again!"
"Really!"
"Seriously?" Gotsumon gasped, pushing Hawkmon out of the way for a better look at the screen.
Izzy, being in the spirit, quickly explained what had happened with Gennai to Hawkmon's group, and giving the computer screen a stern look, he said, "Make sure you guys are ready to meet us on Server tomorrow."
"Not a problem," Hawkmon said confidently, nodding his head for emphasis. "There are many digimon of the sea who live on or around File Island. One, or a few, of them will be sure to give us a ride. Tomorrow afternoon then?"
"That's right. We'll meet you by the shore. There's a gate on the beach west of Gennai's house. Do you know where that is?"
"Yes. We've had lots of time to travel since Yolei and her friends left the Digital World and we know the continent of Server quite well now. We'll be waiting for you as soon as you arrive."
"Sounds good. You guys have a good night."
"Goodnight, Cody," Armadillomon called out.
"Goodnight, Rosa!" Gotsumon added, not to be outdone by his rookie friend.
After a few more last minute goodbyes, Izzy shut off the computer, and stretching the computer expert said, "Time to go home then?"
"Mom, Dad, if you guys don't mind, I'm just going to go walk a part of the way with my friends," Dai suddenly spoke up, gazing calmly at his parents. "I promise I won't be gone long and Shadow could use a walk."
"Oh...well, yes, I suppose that's fine," Noriko stuttered, clearly caught off guard by Dai's sudden willingness to for once actually take his dog for a walk.
Davis, on the other hand, could tell his son had an ulterior motive, but instead of pointing this out, he merely waved his son out the door with a smile on his face.
"Come on, Sam, let's go," Mickey suddenly said softly in his ear, startling him badly.
It's now or never. I did promise Dracomon I would...
Though he was reluctant to do so, Sam quickly followed the rest of his family and friends out the door, and once they were all standing on the sidewalk outside the Motomiya residence he turned to his brother and sister and said, "You guys go on. I'm just going to walk with the rest of my friends for a bit. I'll meet you guys back at the house."
"What about the rest of you?" Sora asked quickly, frowning at each of the six rookie Digidestined in turn.
"Yolei and Ken will be especially worried," Jun commented.
"You guys go on," Ryoko said easily, waving them off. "We'll all be back at our respective homes in a little while."
"Okay, but be careful, it's getting late," Mimi replied. "The sun will be setting soon."
Sam glanced anxiously at his sister, but before he could ask again, she said, "I'll let Mom and Dad know where you are."
"Don't stay out too late or we're going to come looking for you," Tai warned, frowning at his daughter.
Several reassurances later, Sam finally found himself alone with his five friends, their digimon partners, and Shadow, and moving over to sit beneath a large tree lining the sidewalk, he turned to gaze at the Motomiya house without really seeing it.
"Well, here we are," Ryoko said simply, sitting down next to him. "You've managed to get us all alone. Obviously you have something you want to say. Don't you think now would be a good time to say it?"
"What's wrong, Sam?" Mickey said softly, sitting down on his other side and placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Compassion. When all you feel is anger, how do you allow yourself to give in to your emotions? Vampiramon will probably think whoever owns this next Spirit Chip is weak, but...what about DarkAngelicmon? Is compassion a sign of weakness or a sign of true strength?
Across from him, Sam could feel Matty, Dai, and Takara watching his every move, each of them sprawled in the grass in various positions, Shadow curled up against Dai's thigh and their digimon hidden in their backpacks, and gazing deeply into their eyes he said quietly, "Dreams are a funny thing, aren't they?"
"Huh?" was Dai's intelligent response.
"There are so many ways to dream, awake or sleeping. Two different types, but still essentially the same thing. Most people pass them off as just dreams. Dreams about the future and what we hope to achieve in life and dreams to pass the time while we sleep, almost like a movie, but..."
"But they're more than that," Takara finished for him, reaching out to give his hand a sympathetic squeeze. "Much more."
"I think...our dreams are the real key to discovering who we are. They have meaning and purpose, but...they're not always clear, especially those dreams we experience at night that we pass off as being silly in the morning, compared to what we dream for the future. How can the voice of someone I never knew in life teach me so much, only to pass it off as being insignificant?"
"What?" Mickey whispered, his amber eyes growing wide.
Sam had thought by this time he would have nothing left, and yet here he was, tears in his eyes and a smile on his face, and though he couldn't explain it, sitting there with his friends felt so good and so right.
"I had a dream. Sam Ichijouji, my uncle, he spoke to me from the World of Darkness, and he showed me where to find the light. I want to find a way to reach that light, but I can't. Not by myself. Not without you guys...and my dad."