Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Nope, not a character, a line, a digimon, the idea, or anything.

A/N: Well, I managed to get this chapter out and I will actually be posting a new chapter title list soon to give you guys a hint/preview of what's to come. Just look for it on the forum soon!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 210: Before the Bell

Masato 'Matty' Takaishi

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

"I wonder what's taking them so long," Ryoko grumbled to himself, glaring around at the other students sprawled across the school's front lawn in various standing and sitting positions, clearly impatient to hear some news.

Matty stood next to his irate cousin, and leaning against one of the two large trees standing on either side of the concrete sidewalk leading up to the school's front doors, he shrugged his shoulders in response, even though Ryoko hadn't really been speaking to him at all.

Earlier that morning, he had left his brother behind to walk with Ryoko because Mickey had wanted to be with Sam before heading to school, and despite the fact that he, too, would like to have been there to support Sam, he couldn't stop himself from feeling as if he would have been more of a hindrance than a help, especially when it came to trying to understand Sam's feelings. Mickey had always been better at that sort of thing than he was, and though he didn't hold a grudge against Mickey for being who he was, he still felt a little bit useless this morning.

Besides...I can't forget about last night. Mickey's really hurting and it's all because of me...

Now that was something Matty did not want to think about, so instead he turned his thoughts to Dai, a slight smile on his face.

He was still a bit unsure about things between them, but he knew he needed to trust Dai. The strength and power of the Digidestined depended on it, and he was going to make sure he didn't end up being the one to let the team down.

Not that I want anyone else to either, but I'm still afraid. I feel like it's only a matter of time before one of us does something we won't be able to take back...

"And where are Dai and Kara?" Ryoko complained, tossing his head in annoyance. "I can understand why Mickey and Sam might take a little longer to get here, but those other two have no excuse!"

This time Matty didn't bother responding, having recognized the obvious signs of Ryoko getting ready to launch into a huge rant about Dai, and smiling to himself he carefully adjusted the straps on his backpack so as not to disturb Goldmon.

Ryoko could pretend all he wanted, but Matty knew the truth. It was so obvious, he couldn't understand why he hadn't figured it out years ago. Though their relationship was a complicated one, it was obvious Daichi and Ryoko were made to be best friends, which was something even Matty himself could not deny.

So...where does that leave me?

It was a difficult question, but perhaps Dai was right. There was no law saying a person couldn't have more than one best friend, and the truth was, he fit nicely in the middle. Dai and Ryoko were always going to fight, no matter how great their friendship was, and in those moments when they were both bound to lose their courage to face one another they were going to need someone else to turn to instead.

And deep down inside, he supposed he had always known that someone was him. They were going to need to be able to count on him because he was just as important to both of them as they were to each other.

And he was okay with that.

He still had his uncertainties, but at the moment he had other things to worry about. Besides, Dai said everything would be okay, and if there was one thing he did know for sure, it was the fact that he could trust the goggle-headed leader without any reservations. Dai meant what he said and he lived by his words.

That alone made his words good enough for Matty.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Ryoko suddenly snapped, interrupting his chain of reflective thoughts.

Startled, Matty realized he had been gazing at his cousin's face, searching for any signs that Ryoko just might feel the exact same way he did.

"I...sorry. It's nothing."

"Matty..."

Matty could tell Ryoko was still unsure of the awkward rift between them that still lurked just out of reach, and wanting to reassure his cousin, Matty smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. Here come Dai and Kara now."

He wants to know what Dai and I talked about last night. I can tell by the look on his face. Well, if he wants to know I'm not going to tell him. He's going to have to find the courage to ask me first.

Would he be able to, though? That was the real question.

"Where were you two?" Ryoko scolded, glaring at the two newcomers.

Both Takara and Daichi came to a stop panting in front of them, and making a face, Dai shot back, "What are you yelling at us for? Sam and Mickey aren't here ether! Besides, we have plenty of time before the bell rings."

"Which is good cause there's something I want to tell you guys," Takara added, beaming with a kind of pride that left Matty feeling slightly confused.

I wonder what she's so happy about...

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Ryoko asked curiously, forgetting for the moment that he was supposed to be annoyed.

"I'll let you know when Sam and Mickey get here. I'm sure Tay has probably told Ema, Noah, and all the others by now. It's only fair I do the same."

"Um...is there something wrong?" Dai suddenly asked hesitantly, looking slightly nervous as his dark eyes travelled over Ryoko's face before settling, Matty realized in horror, on his own.

He must have sensed the awkwardness between me and Ryoko. I don't want him to think...

"It's nothing," Ryoko said quickly, turning his face away to hide the blush on his cheeks.

This left Matty to the mercy of Daichi's penetrating gaze, and smiling at the goggle-headed leader, he said softly, "You worry just as much as Mickey, even if you won't admit it. You know that, don't you?"

Daichi gaped at him, but before the goggle-headed leader could respond, Takara suddenly pointed towards the street, a smile on her face. "There they are! Mickey! Sam! Over here!"

"Hey, guys," Sam said quietly, making his way towards them with Mickey, a faint smile on the raven-haired Digidestined's face. "For once, we're all actually early for school. I don't think that's happened in...well...forever!"

"Usually because of Daichi," Ryoko smirked.

"Hey! Nobody asked you, Ishida!"

Unable to stop himself, Matty glanced quickly at his brother, and he blushed when he realized Mickey was gazing back at him, a solemn expression on the older twin's face. The two of them hadn't said much to each other since waking up that morning, and Matty had to admit he was still a bit embarrassed about what had happened the night before. Not because he disliked showing Mickey how he really felt, it was more because he was afraid his actions from the night before would make Mickey worry even more about him.

The rift between them was huge, but how was he supposed to fix it when even DarkAngelicmon believed, as he himself secretly did, that he was going to hurt Mickey sometime in the near future?

It's not fair. I just want things to go back to the way they were before...

"Your parents still plan on coming?" Dai demanded, giving Sam a searching look.

"They'll be there. Taka and Makku are also planning to come, and I suspect several of my other cousins will end up showing up, too. Just to warn you ahead of time."

"Well, the more the merrier!" Takara said cheerfully, beaming at everyone in the group. "We need all the support we can get!"

Ryoko rolled his eyes, and turning to Sam the golden-haired Digidestined said shortly, "So...how did things go last night? You said you were going to ask your mom about...you know...seeing if there was a way you could hear your uncle's voice and the way he sounded in real life."

Sam hesitated before saying, "It went...better than I expected, but before I say anything, I think we'd better move a little further away from the front doors. Mrs. Hanari's standing on the front steps, and she keeps glaring suspiciously in our direction."

Yikes! The last thing we need is Mrs. Hanari finding out about the Digital World!

Matty glanced anxiously over his shoulder and sure enough he spotted Mrs. Hanari glaring at him from the front steps.

For some reason he suddenly felt guilty, even though he had yet to do anything wrong, and turning hastily from his teacher's deadly gaze, he grabbed onto Ryoko's arm and proceeded to drag his cousin around the corner of the building, where they would be out of Mrs. Hanari's sight.

"Start talking, Sam!" Dai demanded, as soon as they were huddled against the wall beneath a thankfully closed classroom window. You never knew who might have gone inside early and the less chances they had of being overheard, the better.

"My mom managed to get a couple of old tapes from my grandparents last night. I only got the chance to watch them this morning and...I...it was him. I mean...the voice. The very same."

"So...you really did hear your uncle then..." Takara said slowly, shaking her head in disbelief. "You knew his voice before you ever once heard it."

"But...what does it mean?" Glimmermon whispered softly from Sam's backpack.

Mickey, who hadn't spoken a single word until now, suddenly opened his mouth and said hesitantly, "I don't know what it means exactly, but I do know one thing. Sam, you obviously share a deep connection with your uncle, even though you never had the chance to meet him. The fact that you had this dream...it's obviously important and I don't think you should ignore it."

"But, I..."

"We have no way of knowing whether or not your dream is real, and I doubt we'll ever find out the truth, but why worry about something like that?" Ryoko insisted, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Mickey's right. It doesn't matter either way. What's important is that it was real to you."

Unable to look at his friends, Matty took a deep breath and began to speak quietly, talking more to his hands than to the people around him. "It's just like with Oikawa, isn't it? Dai and Kara were able to hear his voice, just like Sam was able to hear his uncle's without having ever met him before. Doesn't it prove something that's really important, or even if it doesn't prove anything, it at least gives us something to think about?"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, frowning in confusion.

"It's just...it makes you wonder, doesn't it? If we can hear the voices of those who have passed away then they're not really gone at all. It means they're still here with us, watching over us and we haven't really lost them. Not really. And...I mean...There must be something more, you know...once we're gone, if they can watch over us from...beyond, so...we should make the most of the time we have now. One day, when we're gone, someone else might need to learn from us and I don't know about you guys, but I want to set a good example. It must be really hard, but also really cool to be able to watch over the ones you love..."

For a moment everybody just stared at him, and he felt his face turn a deep shade of read. "What?"

"Matty, I am so very lucky to have a brother like you," Mickey said softly, beaming at him and looking more proud than Matty had ever seen him look before.

"But, I..."

"Don't argue," Mickey shot back, before he could finish. "You usually let me win anyways."

Huh?

Matty stared at his brother in astonishment, and ignoring his friends, who were all grinning at him, he managed a surprisingly carefree smile in return.

"It all comes down to the same thing really," Dai interrupted, a determined look on his face. "Your dream was trying to tell you something important, and I don't think it would be a very good idea to ignore your uncle's words. They obviously have some kind of meaning and you should listen to what he had to say."

"I know," Sam mumbled. "I...I'm still thinking about it."

"So, what about you, Kara?" Palelymon whispered from Mickey's backpack. "What are you so happy about today?"

Takara glanced up at the large white, puffy clouds floating across an ocean blue sky and smiling to herself, she said softly, "My dad told me everything last night. About SkullGreymon, his crest...everything."

"Really?" Sam gasped, staring at Kara in shock.

Takara nodded and she turned to Dai with a smile on her face. "And I know he told you, too, and I'm glad his words were able to help you get your Spirit Chip."

"But, Dai...you never said anything about Tai telling you his story last night!" Iramon interrupted from Ryoko's backpack, outraged over the fact that the rest of them had been left in the dark.

"Sorry, guys, but it wasn't my story to tell. Kara deserves the honour, not me. I knew Tai wanted to tell Kara himself. That's why I never said anything. Kara's the one who should be telling you her dad's story, not me."

"Thanks, Dai," Kara said softly, smiling at the goggle-headed leader.

"Well then, are you going to tell us, or not?" Ryoko asked, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

Takara gave him a dirty look, but instead of responding, she merely began to recite Tai's tale of uncertainty and the rocky road it took for him to find his courage again.

When she was done, Matty could do nothing at first except stand there staring at his cousin in disbelief, his brain working harder than usual to process everything he had just heard. It was hard to believe that his uncle Tai, of all people, could have shown any sign of weakness during his time in the Digital World. Then again, the same thing had happened to Dachi, so there was really no reason for him to be surprised.

They were only human, after all.

Just like the rest of us...

"Tai suffered just like my dad," Ryoko said quietly, humbly bowing his head. "I guess even the best of us can lose our way sometimes."

"But it also means we all have a chance of turning things around, of overcoming our fears," Mickey insisted. "Look at Uncle Tai and Uncle Matt. Look at Aunt Mimi and Aunt Sora. Look at Joe and Izzy. Davis, Noriko, Cody, Ken, Yolei, my parents...They're all different people from each other, but despite their differences, they were all able to overcome the darkness that threatens all of us."

"What happened to Tai...that could just as easily have been me," Dai said seriously, his deep brown eyes growing dark and shadowy. "Embermon could just as easily have been Agumon. It could have been my digimon who ended up becoming an ultimate like SkullGreymon."

"No one is safe," Kara said quietly, glancing sideways at Sam. "We all have to fight the darkness. I'm proud of my dad. I'm glad he was able to find himself again."

"So are we," Mickey said firmly, a look of determination on his face. "I'm proud of my uncle just as much as I am of my parents and the rest of the older Digidestined."

"Same here," Ryoko agreed.

"Can't hold it against Tai when we didn't hold it against Matt or any of the others," Dai laughed.

Matty could feel himself smiling and turning to Kara, he said confidently, "Dai's right. I think Uncle Tai was pretty cool for what he did. Coming back from all of that. That definitely wasn't an easy thing to do."

It was scary to think someone as strong as Tai could lose his heart to the darkness so easily, but he'd fought back and that gave Matty hope. If the older Digidestined had proved anything to him it was the fact that anyone could fight the darkness and win. You didn't have to be someone special. All you had to do was believe in yourself and in everyone important to you.

Believe...Sam...do you believe? Can you really give up so easily on your dad?

The rest of the Digidestined must have been thinking along the same lines as him because as one they all of a sudden turned to look at Sam, and blushing, the raven-haired Digidestined said quietly, "Thanks, Kara. You've...given me a lot to think about."

"Good," Takara replied. "Because I know you forgive my dad and I know you're proud of him. Every bit as much as I am."

"Dai!"

At the sudden sound of an unexpected voice, Matty jerked around to see two members of Dai's soccer team racing towards them, both looking distinctly out of breath.

"There you are!" the shorter boy with black hair, olive skin, and deep brown eyes panted, his hands on his knees.

Matty recognized the boy as Niito Arakaki, one of Dai's fellow soccer players, whom he liked very much.

The lavender-haired boy with violet eyes, who was the taller of the two, and who went by the name of Zen Imamura, said in relief, "We've been looking all over for you, Dai!"

"Why? What's up?" Dai asked curiously, frowning at his two fellow soccer players.

"What have you been up to lately?" Niito demanded, looking both amused and exasperated at the same time. "Coach Watanabe keeps wanting to schedule our next soccer practice, but you're constantly busy all the time and it wouldn't look good to hold a practice without out captain there!"

"We haven't had a practice all week, and I think Coach Watanabe is pretty confused himself," Zen added. "He seemed a little bit worried about you. I mean...none of us have seen you in quite a while, so I can't really blame him. Even Mrs. Hanari has been a bit down lately, and most of the time she can't stand you!"

Matty could tell Dai felt pretty guilty about letting down his team, and doing his best to smile, the goggle-headed leader said, "Sorry about that, guys. I've just...had a lot on my mind lately. Tell Mr. Watanabe I'll be free for a practice next week. How does that sound?"

"We'll tell him. Make sure you show up though or you're going to hear about it from us," Niito scolded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He'll be there, don't worry," Mickey said firmly, giving both boys a reassuring smile.

Zen glanced at Mickey and smiling, he said, "Well, if you say so then for sure he'll be there."

"You always keep your word, Mickey, even if Dai doesn't!" Niito laughed. "By the way, Kara...Rena, Kira, and Megumi were looking for you. Something about 'girl talk', whatever that means."

"She wouldn't tell us exactly what she wanted, just cause we're boys," Zen complained, rolling his violet eyes.

"Oh!" For some reason Takara blushed and avoiding Niito's eyes, she said, "Thanks, guys. Tell them I'll be with them in a few minutes."

"Will do. See you all in class!" Niito replied, waving as he left with Zen.

Turning to Takara, Matty raised his eyebrows. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing," Takara mumbled, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.

I bet it has something to do with Dai. Maybe Megumi and the others suspect or know how she feels about Dai.

Judging by the look on Takara's face, she too appeared to believe the same thing.

"We have just enough time to drop off our digimon in the computer room and for Kara to catch up with Megumi and the others, so we'd better hurry and get into the school," Ryoko said briskly, stepping back out into the open and making his way towards the front entrance.

Matty slowly followed after his cousin, the others trailing along behind, and as he passed Mrs. Hanari on the stairs, he couldn't help noticing that under her scowl, she too looked worried.

Worried enough, in fact, to conveniently ignore the punch Dai had just given Ryoko for another one of his trademark Ishida insults.