Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, but if I did there would be no worries as I probably wouldn't have changed a thing. (Except the last episode of season two, which I would not have changed, I just would have cut it off at the scene where the butterflies go flying. Interpret your own couples, and everything else, as we do everyday on this lovely site!)
A/N: I'm so excited! I'm so excited, I don't know if I can speak! Nope, can't. Mickey! You're the most responsible one, other than Kara, but since she's in la la land over Dai, you'd better take over from here.
Mickey: Oh! *blushes* Um...okay! I'll try! Well, Heather's really excited because she really loves this chapter and she's really happy to finally have a chance to share it with all of you! I really like it, too, so I hope all of you feel the same way. She always tries her hardest to write us to the best of her ability, while still keeping all of us and our story within the true spirit of Digimon. That spirit all of you love. So...I hope you all continue to read about us! There's some really interesting stuff in this chapter that took me and all my friends by surprise, so we hope you enjoy it! Um...is that okay, Heather?
Heather: Perfect! Only, you forgot one thing.
Mickey: *gasp* That's right! I almost forgot! Matty, why don't you take over?
Matty: Huh? Me? Well, if you're sure...Okay then, Heather would like to dedicate this chapter to her good friend RoyalKnightX, who was a big inspiration for this chapter as he was the one who put the idea in her head for...well, I can't tell you, it'll spoil the chapter, but the idea came from him a very long time ago and Heather really loved it, so she decided to use it. Thanks, RoyalKnightX, we owe you one!
Heather: Thanks, guys! *hugs Mickey and Matty* You two better get back to the gang now before, like, DarkAngelicmon tries to attack you or something.
Matty: Don't even joke!
Mickey: Bye, everyone!
*Both twins hug Heather and scurry off through the nearest Digiworld gate to rejoin the gang on Server.*
Heather: I'd also like to say a big thank you to Miss. Anonymous hp for her many thoughts and ideas for this fic, and for putting up with all my long FTFOD rants over MSN all the time. She knows so much about this story now, she's like a plot spoiler all on her own! Both her and RoyalKnightX have inspired so many ideas into me from the early days of this story, so really it's every bit their story as much as it is mine. Love you guys to pieces! XOXO. Now, on with the chapter! Also, to Shire Folk, great minds think alike, right? You'll get what I mean if you read the chapter!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 214: The Child of Optimism
Sam Ichijouji
Server, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World
For a long moment, nobody said anything, and staring at the now blank screen with his mouth hanging open, much in the same fashion as the rest of his fellow Digidestined, Sam was finding it hard to believe what he had just heard, his mind unable to accept Gennai's words from the past, words that had been spoken long before he had ever existed.
The Ruler of Darkness. A digimon with no face and no name. Could he have truly come back from the past, despite the fact that Gennai had told them specifically that the digimon who had first come from behind the Wall of Fire had been defeated by Tal and his friends?
"It can't be. It just...it can't!" Takara gasped, shaking her head in denial. She was clutching Dai's arm in support, and Dai, in turn, was clinging to Takara's shoulders, unable to respond, which was extremely unusual for the current leader of the Digidestined, who always had something to say about everyone and everything.
The present day Gennai, who was standing off to the side of the huge television screen, merely smiled and said, "Did you all find this scene to be as interesting as I did?"
Interesting? Well, I guess that's one way to put it...I can think of a few different words, though...
Sam suddenly noticed his father shifting restlessly on the floor and glancing at the raven-haired Digidestined, he was surprised to find that the former Emperor was frowning at Gennai. "If you don't mind me asking, what was it that we just saw? The Ruler of Darkness...Were they really talking about what we think they were talking about? After all this time..."
"It can't be!" Yolei interrupted, throwing up her hands in defeat. "How can an evil digimon from the past who was defeated be causing all this trouble in the present? That was years and years ago. It doesn't make any sense."
"Maybe not, but...don't forget, Yolei, Tai and his friends thought Myotismon was defeated and then...well, you know what happened after that," Cody reminded the female Digidestined, his green eyes growing dark and serious, despite the bright fluorescent lights in the room. "You just never know."
"But...that was only four years, not over thirty years!"
"We can't rule out anything, Yolei," Hawkmon scolded, glancing meaningfully at Armadillomon, who was seated beside him. "That's what usually gets us into trouble."
"A lot of trouble," Armadillomon agreed.
"Gennai, what happened back then?" Matt asked quietly. "I think you know something and I want to hear what it is you have to say."
"Tell us!" Ryoko demanded.
"Please?" Dovemon added, smiling apologetically at the robed figure for Ryoko's rudeness.
Gennai turned to gaze thoughtfully at the black screen for a moment, lost in his own memories, and without removing his attention from the monitor, he said, "Daichi, do you remember the long conversation I had with you and your friends back on File Island earlier?"
"Of course I do. You were telling us all about the Spirit Chips."
"And you also told us a bit about the history of the Digital World," Matty added.
"That's correct. If you recall, I also briefly mentioned Takahiro Kuroki and his friends at Tai's request to know a bit more about the first Digidestined."
"That's right. You also told Dai and the others a bit about Tal's involvement with the Highton View Terrace incident, and you mentioned the digimon that Tal's group defeated had come out from behind the Wall of Fire," Mimi said slowly, looking to Izzy for confirmation.
Izzy nodded in agreement and said, "You told us quite a bit that day, but there are still a few holes."
"Yes...Do you remember what I said when I mentioned the first digimon who had come out from behind the Wall of Fire? The one Tal's group defeated?"
Sam stared at Gennai for a moment, and thinking back on the robed figure's words, he let out a loud gasp, causing everyone in the room to look at him in surprise. "You said...it can't be the same digimon. That's what you said. It was like you were talking to yourself, like the rest of us weren't even there."
"Yes, I remember now! You said a few other things, too," Mickey interrupted, his amber eyes lighting up with sudden excitement. "You also said something about some kind of barrier, how it would have been broken if they were the same digimon, but it's still intact. You also mentioned something about...Data Cores, I think you called them. You mentioned them again just now before we saw the video. You also mentioned the name, the Ruler of Darkness."
"I must say, I'm quite impressed. You all have excellent memories. Yes, that is what I'd said and I think now is finally the time for me to explain to all of you what I was talking about, now that I've had some time to think."
"What are you waiting for? Let's hear it then," Rosa interrupted, her tendency to get a little impatient sometimes showing itself magnificently.
"As I mentioned to you earlier, thirty-three years ago a digimon of tremendous power came out from behind the Wall of Fire, causing a warp in space that threatened to swallow both the Digital World and the human world and plunge them into darkness. His mere existence held that kind of power, but it wasn't until he had managed to gather several powerful servants to aid him in his quest for power that his presence within the Digital World began to cause the warp to expand and become truly dangerous. It wasn't something that happened right away, as it might have sounded to Tai's group when I first mentioned the incident. It took careful planning and a lot of work."
"So...in other words, the warp in space remained in a sort of dormant state at the beginning and didn't become a threat until near the end, after he'd already been in the Digital World for a while, plotting and planning to submerge both worlds in darkness,"Alopemon said bluntly, exchanging at look with Ryoko.
"Exactly. He was a player in the game from the very moment Tal's team entered the Digital World, but it wasn't till closer to the end that we realized this digimon was what was causing the balance of power here in the Digital World to shift in favour of the darkness. We only discovered this after we found out his true origins."
"So...he must have come out from behind the Wall of Fire just before Tal's team was called to the Digital World," Celestimon said slowly, wrinkling his nose in concentration. "He was the reason why they were called to the Digital World in the first place."
"Precisely. He was a formidable opponent, and as you now know, he called himself the Ruler of Darkness."
"So...is he the same evil digimon we're dealing with now?" Embermon demanded, asking the one question everyone was dying to know the answer to.
"I wondered that myself, since the digimon we're dealing with right now calls himself by the same name, but after careful consideration, I've come to the conclusion that the answer is no. I do not believe they're the same digimon."
"Say what now?" Dai sputtered, staring at Gennai in disbelief. "But...but...if that's the case then why did you bother showing us this old footage in the first place?"
"Because...although I do not believe they are the same digimon, I do believe there is some sort of a connection between them. We cannot ignore the fact that they call themselves by the same name. That can't be a coincidence."
"So...what exactly are you trying to say?" Gotsumon asked, scratching the back of his rocky head in confusion.
"I don't get it," Glowmon complained.
"Let me explain. There is a reason why I don't think they're the same digimon. Thirty-three years ago, the digimon calling himself the Ruler of Darkness had another name, a name many digimon feared, with good reason, due to the fact that what he was attempting to do was related to a very dark prophecy that comes out of File Island and has existed since the dawn of the Digital World. This digimon's name was GranDracmon, and thanks to Tal and his friends, GranDracmon was never able to fulfill the prophecy. He was defeated before that could happen."
"He sounds mega evil," Matty mumbled, shuddering slightly and wrapping his arms around himself for warmth.
"He was and it was no easy task to defeat him. In order to prevent the spread of his darkness, Tal and his friends had to give up the power of their Data Cores, and to this day those Data Cores have a very important role. They act as a barrier of sorts, and because of that I know this digimon who is calling himself the Ruler of Darkness cannot be GranDracmon."
"What are the Data Cores?" Wormmon asked curiously, sounding a little confused.
"I assume they were some kind of tool to help with the digivolving process," Izzy explained, before Gennai could answer. "Kind of like the crests and the Spirit Chips."
"Valour, integrity, insight, spirit, and optimism. All admirable traits. Upon arriving here in the Digital World, I do not believe Tal and his friends realized they possessed these traits, but they learned, and I have faith that all of you will do the same with your Spirit Chips."
Sam blushed when he realized Gennai was looking in his direction, not by accident, he was sure, and avoiding the robed figure's eyes, he mumbled, "Could you tell us a bit more about this GranDracmon?"
"I could, but I'm not going to."
"Why not?" Ryoko shouted, glaring indignantly at the robed figure.
"Because I believe there are those who will be able to explain it a little bit better than I can. I think it would be best if you spoke with them instead."
"You don't mean...Tal and his friends?" Cody asked hesitantly, frowning slightly.
"How are we supposed to do that?" Dai snorted, rolling his eyes. "We don't know anything about them. Where they live now, or how to contact them, or-"
"You can start perhaps by asking the principal of your school. I'm quite sure he will be able to help you."
"Huh?" Takara replied, staring at Gennai in confusion.
The robed figure smiled. "Yes, your principal. Principal Sugiyama."
No...way...
"Wait, what?" Dai gasped, his dark eyes growing wide in utter disbelief. "Mr.S? Mr. Sugiyama? He...him?"
"No," Matty blurted out, looking just as shocked as Daichi. "Our principal? Mr. S? It can't be..."
"Mr. Seta Sugiyama. Principal at Odaiba Elementary and a member of the Digidestined. Partner to Gessmon," Gennai said calmly, his blue eyes dancing with amusement. "He will be able to lead you to Tal and the others."
"You've got to be kidding me," Ryoko groaned, putting his face in his hands. "Our principal, Mr. Sugiyama, who sees Dai and Matty at least twice a week, is a Digidestined? This is crazy! I mean, I knew his full name, but...Sugiyama, his last name, isn't really a rare last name, and I never even thought about his first name, even after hearing it mentioned. It's not really all that rare either. And with everything that's been going on lately, our principal was the last thing on my mind, which is understandable considering the circumstances, but still...I just...never made the connection. I never even thought..."
"Well, why would you?" Matty challenged, still shaking his head. "I didn't even know what his first name was, just that it started with an 'S' cause it says so on his door."
"Same here," Dai agreed.
"Figures," Takara muttered.
"That's because you two never pay attention to anything," Ryoko scolded, giving both boys a disapproving look.
"Maybe not, but none of us made the connection, not just them. Now that I think about it, though, it makes sense," Mickey said softly, smiling to himself. "Mr. Sugiyama has always been really nice towards Dai and Matty, despite how often Mrs. Hanari sends them to his office. He seems like the perfect candidate for being a Digidestined to me."
"But still, it's just so crazy," Takara said quietly, a sheepish look on her face. "All this time and we never knew..."
"Prodigious! This is excellent!" Izzy cried excitedly, beaming at Dai. "I'm sure Seta and his friends will be able to tell us a lot of useful information that might help us in figuring out what's going on here in the present. I have to say, I agree with Gennai. I don't think it's a coincidence that both GranDracmon and whoever this new digimon is both call themselves the Ruler of Darkness. There must be some kind of connection."
"A big one," Tentomon agreed.
"The next time you six are in school, you should probably speak with Seta, and the sooner the better. The more we know, the better chance we have of stopping DarkAngelicmon and his allies from doing...well, whatever it is they're trying to do for their master."
"Speaking of which, while all of you are searching for the Spirit Chip of Compassion, myself and a bunch of our allies, including Piximon here, will be looking for the location of the third Spirit Chip. If we find anything, I'll be sure to contact Izzy and let him know. Until then, I wish you well on your journey, and don't forget to pass on my message to Kari and Gatomon."
"We won't," Palmon promise, turning to glance at her partner. "Are we ready to go, then?"
"If Leomon says we are," Mimi replied, climbing slowly to her feet.
Leomon nodded in confirmation, and after a quick goodbye to Gennai and Piximon, they proceeded to make their way back up to the surface of the lake.
Sam was in shock.
Not only was he having issues with his father, but apparently the past wasn't entirely the past after all and his principal was a Digidestined. What else was going to happen considering all the crazy things that had happened already?
Maybe I just don't want to know...
"Come, Sam, you don't want to get left behind," his father said shortly, tugging lightly on his sleeve and startling him so badly he nearly tripped up the stairs. A deep blush stained his cheeks and peeking at his father, he didn't know what to say. Gennai's comment had been a direct hit on him, and both of them knew it.
"Don't say anything," the former Emperor replied, as if reading his mind.
"Then don't look at me like that! Don't you know this is hard enough as it is without you acting like that?"
"Sam-"
"Stop trying to make me feel guilty!"
His father stared at him, but before the former Emperor could say anything, Sam quickly raced up the stairs to join Mickey at the front, his heart growing heavy and a little voice in the back of his head telling him he was the one in the wrong, not his father.