Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Not much to say here except a big thank you to all my new readers who have given up a lot of their free time to read this fic and to catch up to where it currently stands now. It always makes me happy to know that others are enjoying this story every bit as much as I am.

Chapter 204: From Dusk to Dawn

Sam Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

After having parted ways with Takara and Ryoko earlier, Sam was left to make his way home with only Mickey by his side, but despite the fact that Mickey was keeping pace right next to him, he felt strangely distant from his friend, as if a giant wall had been constructed between them, a wall he was hesitant to cross for fear of perhaps causing even more tension between them, much like the tension that currently existed between Matty and Dai.

When he had been sitting with his friends across the street from the Motomiya residence earlier, he'd felt oddly at peace with himself, despite all of the uncertainties he still felt concerning his father and his friends, but now that he was alone with Mickey, he couldn't help feeling as if he was nothing more than a failure. A failure to his father, his family, and his friends.

Mickey, how can you stand there acting like there's nothing wrong when you most of all must be so ashamed of me and the way I've been acting lately? Why do you call yourself my friend when lately all I've done is hurt you and everyone we care about? I...I don't deserve to be your friend. Not anymore...

"The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" Mickey suddenly said softly, pointing to the sky and startling Sam out of his depressing thoughts. "It's rare to see them so brightly in Tokyo, even in the Odaiba district, but tonight I can see them so clearly. It's nice, isn't it?"

"I guess..."

"Don't sound so excited," Mickey teased, shaking his head in amusement. "You should appreciate moments like this, Sam."

"Hey, Mickey?"

"Yes?"

Sam turned his face away, unable to look at his friend, but he knew no matter what Mickey's answer might be, he needed to speak regardless of the outcome. "You must be really disappointed in me, aren't you."

"Of course I am," Mickey said sadly, gazing mournfully at the dark sky. His hands were shoved deeply into his pockets and judging from his posture, it looked like he was lost in thought. "Sam, the way you've been acting lately... This just isn't like you at all. I know you're stronger than this. I know it, so...why? Why can't you see it, too?"

"Maybe you have too much faith in me. You and Matty."

"Or maybe...you just don't have enough faith in yourself," Mickey said softly, without looking at him. "Matty might not find it as easy to give advice the way I do, but...he says some things that make a lot of sense. I think maybe you, you and all the others, sometimes...miss that."

"Mickey..."

"Sam, I'm sad and I'm disappointed, but I still believe in you," Mickey said gently, turning to smile at him. "I know you'll find a way to be yourself again."

I hope so, Mickey, but...I'm not so sure...

He did feel a lot better after talking to his friends, but it still wasn't enough. The only way he was ever going to feel like himself again was if he could somehow find a way to change what was happening between himself and his father.

But how?

"Sam? Do you remember what Ryoko said?"

"You mean...about how I might not have heard my uncle's voice after all?"

"Yes. Do you...think he might be right?"

Sam pondered the question for a moment, and glancing at Mickey, he said quietly, "What do you think?"

"I believe your uncle really spoke to you, but it's what you believe that really counts."

"I'm going to find out."

"Huh?"

Mickey looked at him surprise, and smiling, Sam said, "Ryoko's right. If I want to know for sure then I'm going to have to do what I can to find out the truth."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"It's like Kara said, I'm sure my mom won't mind helping me out. I think...she really wants me to ask my dad and so does Ryoko, but...I'm just not ready for that. Maybe one day I will be, but in the meantime I can't forget about my mom. I know she's worried about me."

"Everyone is worried about you, Sam," Mickey sighed, shaking his head. "Ask your mom then. I'm sure it will make her feel better to know she's helping you."

"I hope so..."

For several minutes the two of them walked in silence, but Sam's thoughts were far from just being about his father. He had other worries, too, including what was happening between the Takaishi twins, and after what had happened between Angelicmon and DarkAngelicmon that day, he was even more concerned than he otherwise would have been about the rift that seemed to be growing between Mickey and Matty.

"Hey, Mickey? About what Goldmon said when we were still at Dai's house..."

"You mean...all of the things he said about DarkAngelicmon? About Matty?"

Sam didn't answer. Instead he turned to glance at the golden-haired Digidestined standing beside him and he was surprised to find that Mickey's face, and especially his eyes, were completely void of emotion. Normally, Mickey's thoughts could be read quite plainly on his face and usually it was pretty easy to tell how he was feeling at any given moment, but now Sam felt more like he was staring at Ryoko than the sweet, sensitive Makiya Takaishi he had grown up with.

"Mickey...you don't really believe DarkAngelicmon about Matty, do you?"

"Sometimes it isn't always easy to tell what the right thing to do is," Mickey finally said quietly, after a long moment of silence. "And sometimes the answer isn't always absolute."

"Mickey..."

"If you're asking me if I have the answers, I don't, Sam. No more than you do. All I have are questions, and I very much doubt DarkAngelicmon is going to answer them for me. I don't think even Matty can do that, as much as I know he wants to. The answers, I think, are going to have to come from me."

"What do you mean?"

"If I want to separate the truth from all the lies then I'm going to have to find the answers myself. For me and for Matty."

"Then...you don't have any idea why DarkAngelicmon said all those things about Matty?"

Mickey suddenly stopped without warning, forcing Sam to stumble to a quick halt, and gazing up at the dark sky, his eyes, which had held absolutely no emotion whatsoever only moments ago, began to sparkle with a tinge of sadness that ran so deep it made Sam's heart ache for the older twin.

"I think...DarkAngelicmon's trying to prove something to all of us. You, me, Matty, our friends, his allies, Lucemon, and even the Ruler of Darkness himself, but what exactly he's trying to prove, I can't make any sense of it. I don't think he really wants to hurt anybody, but for reasons I can't understand, he feels like he doesn't have any other choice."

"You're worried about Matty, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," Mickey mumbled, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "I always worry about Matty, but it's not because of what DarkAngelicmon said to Angelicmon."

"Huh?"

Sam stared at Mickey in surprise, and turning his eyes to the ground, Mickey said quietly, "I don't believe Matty could ever hurt me, and I know I could never bring myself to hurt him. I'm not saying things are always going to be perfect between us, but I know, no matter what happens, we'll find our way back to each other again."

"But..."

"Even if Matty were to hurt me, I know he wouldn't do it because he wants to, as is the same for me. We'll find a way to work things out. You'll see."

"Are you sure?"

Sam wanted to believe, but after everything that had been happening to all of them lately, including himself, it was hard to feel optimistic, despite the fact that Mickey was usually right about these kinds of things.

"Sam, do you know why I'm so worried about Matty?" Mickey asked softly, lifting his head slightly so they could look at one another.

How could he not know? Mickey was Mickey, after all.

"You're worried because you think Matty will take DarkAngelicmon's words too much to heart."

"Yes. If DarkAngelicmon's goal was to make me fear my own brother, it's not going to work. Threats are meaningless to me, but Matty...I'm afraid, Sam. I'm afraid Matty's going to take DarkAngelicmon's words too literally instead of reading between the lines, and if he does, you know what will happen."

"Matty would do anything to protect you. If he feels like he's a threat to your safety, he'll do his best to drift away from you. Not because he wants to, but..."

"Because he wants to keep me safe," Mickey finished with a frown, shaking his head in despair. "He'll do whatever he can to protect me from himself."

"But...that's so stupid."

"Not to Matty, it isn't."

"Maybe, but how can he be so blind? Pushing you away isn't going to solve anything."

"That's why I can't let it happen," Mickey agreed, a faint smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "Right now Matty needs me, and I need him, just like DarkAngelicmon needs Lucemon. I won't give up, Sam. Matty would never give up on me. It's only fair I return the favour."

I can't even imagine how Matty must be feeling right now. To be afraid of yourself. I bet my dad knows exactly what that feels like. I'm sure he could probably help Matty, at least a little bit. If only I could talk to him without feeling so betrayed...

"Sam, are you okay?" Mickey suddenly asked quietly, as if sensing his thoughts.

Sam jumped at the sudden feel of Mickey's hand on his shoulder, and giving himself a mental shake, he gazed into the older twin's amber eyes and said seriously, "Hey, Mickey, why do you think DarkAngelicmon is doing this? I mean, what's the point of making Matty doubt himself? Won't that affect his chances of getting a Spirit Chip?"

"You would think so, wouldn't you, but..."

"What is it?"

Mickey's face suddenly scrunched up, and wrapping his arms around himself, he whispered, "I don't know why DarkAngelicmon would do something like this, especially after everything he's done for us, but there must be a reason for it. I won't lie to you, Sam, I just can't believe DarkAngelicmon really is our enemy. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but I can't change how I feel. The way he looks at me. I just..."

"Mickey, it's okay. I don't blame you. I feel the same way. As much as I want to hate him for what he's done to me, I just can't bring myself to be angry anymore. I want to believe he told me the truth about my father because he wanted to help me, and in a way he has. If only I could find the courage to use what he told me in a positive way."

"You can, and you will," Mickey insisted, shaking him gently by the shoulders. "I believe in you, Sam. We all do, including your dad. Now you just have to believe in yourself."

"But, Matty..."

"I'll deal with Matty. You just focus on fixing things with your father."

"But-"

"We already know we can't take everything DarkAngelicmon says literally. He likes to speak in riddles and it's important that we learn to read between the lines if we want to figure out the true meaning behind his words. He's not going to make it easy for us. He wants us to understand, but he's not just going to tell us. It's almost like he's testing us, and if we want any answers, we're going to have to work for them. How else are we going to grow as Digidestined? What you said earlier about how DarkAngelicmon's words could affect Matty's chances of getting his Spirit Chip... Maybe that's not entirely true."

"What do you mean?"

"Look what happened to Dai today. DarkAngelicmon was the one who planted the seeds to what could have been his undoing, but instead DarkAngelicmon's actions ended up saving Dai. He forced Dai to take a long, hard look at himself, and that's what turned the tide. Dai didn't like what he saw, and instead of giving up in despair, he did something about it. He changed his way of thinking, and by doing so he was able to overcome the darkness in his heart. In the end, he not only got his Spirit Chip, he also got his freedom."

For some strange reason, Sam felt oddly moved by Mickey's words, and realizing his hands were shaking, he stared at his blond friend and whispered, "W-what are you saying?"

"This pain you feel, the pain that exists inside Matty's heart, the pain Dai experienced," Mickey murmured, his amber eyes serious, "all brought about by the same digimon. By DarkAngelicmon. We already have one Spirit Chip. Maybe we're a little closer to two more than we think we are."

Huh?

Sam tried to answer, but before he could come up with a coherent reply, Mickey suddenly pulled him into a fierce hug and whispered softly in his ear, "Stay strong, Sam, for all of us."

"Mickey-"

"I have to go home now otherwise my parents will probably start to worry about me. Talk to your mom tonight, and if you can, at least try to talk to your dad, even if it's just a little bit."

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises."

"I know. I'll see you tomorrow, Sam."

Sam had to admit, he was afraid, and for a moment he didn't want to let go of Mickey, who to him felt like an undying flame of hope, giving him a sense of stability, but after several moments of clinging tightly to his friend, he reluctantly let go, unsurprisingly with a heavy heart.

"Bye," Mickey whispered, waving to him before disappearing into the night.

Bye, Mickey, and good luck. I hope you and Matty can work things out...