Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or any of its awesomeness. (Apparently that is actually a word!)

A/N: New chapter! This one's kind of stupid, but they do get better. (How many of you actually believe me on that cause I keep saying it and then I go back on my words!) Anyways, good stuff to come, including more Sam being depressing and Daikara! And some very important background info and history. It is now after this chapter that the stage is pretty much set for upcoming events, so look forward to upcoming chapters!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter: 217: Reaching Sam's Heart

Vampiramon

Server, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

"Oh, Vampiramon, I've got some news for you!"

That voice. How it irritated her. Not that her master's other servants didn't also get on her nerves, especially a certain fallen angel digimon, but considering the kind of mood she was in at the moment, her level of tolerance for general stupidity had almost reached its limit.

It had better be good news because I am not going to waste my time putting up with fools and their idiotic nonsense today.

"Don't look so excited, Vampiramon. You're not killing the suspense at all," the same voice drawled, a smirk in her tone.

Vampiramon reluctantly turned to gaze at the sprite digimon fluttering towards her, a scowl on her pale, and slightly scary, face. "If you're wasting my time, I'm going to throw you into a sinkhole and watch with great pleasure as you cease to be an annoyance. I don't have any patience for your stupid games. Now, what is it you have to report?"

Spritemon rolled her deep brown eyes, her hands on her hips, and making a face, she said, "Just because you're in a bad mood today doesn't mean you have to take your anger out on me. I'm not the one the Ruler of Darkness favours, in case you didn't notice."

"Do not speak to me about that idiot fallen angel!"

"Jealous?" Spritemon smirked.

Vampiramon bared her teeth at Spritemon, instantly regretting having brought her along as a companion. Not that she'd had any choice. Out of all of them, Spritemon was their best scout, and with being so tiny and talented in the art of stealth, she almost never got caught spying, making her a valuable asset to the Ruler of Darkness. DarkAngelicmon was also an excellent scout, but due to his celestial nature, unfortunately his talents could not be put to good use this time around, and she'd had to settle for Spritemon.

And considering the way the sprite digimon was currently mocking her, she would almost have preferred DarkAngelicmon's company.

Almost.

"Well, spit it out already. What is it you're so anxious to tell me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Spritemon teased, fluttering her small wings and clapping her hands together in delight.

"If you don't-"

"Okay, okay, I get it. Well, first of all, that annoying little brat Takara nearly sunk herself into an early grave," Spritemon snorted, a gleeful smile on her face. "Shame that stupid goggle-headed leader of theirs had to save her, though I suppose it's for the best. That means I still have a chance to finish her off myself, which I am most definitely looking forward to."

"That's all you have to say for yourself? Do I look like I care about your obsession with the Kamiya girl? I want real news, not useless gossip."

"You have absolutely no sense of humour at all, do you," Spritemon complained, tugging angrily on her silky brown locks. "And for your information I do have other news to report."

"Hurry up with it then. We don't have all day to fool around, and I'm sick of listening to you already."

"Pardon me, my ladies, but the Vilemon are getting anxious," Ivymon informed them, coming up suddenly behind Spritemon and bowing her head to show her respect. "They are growing tired of waiting, it seems."

"Well, they're going to have to wait a little bit longer, I think," Spritemon replied, smiling mischievously. "According to Leomon, the Spirit Chip is apparently located about half a day's walk from a small town called Modem that lies right here in the swamp. It's apparently going to take the Digidestined about two days to get there."

"Which gives us plenty of time to torment the Emperor's son," Ivymon murmured, glancing at the Spritemon for confirmation.

"Exactly. Now we just have to figure out how we're going to go about such an important task."

Vampiramon remained silent for a moment, thinking the matter over in her head, and reviewing what Ivymon had said about the Vilemon earlier, an evil smile came to her face. "Well...I'm not comfortable with allowing the Digidestined to become aware of our presence just yet, which means we'll need to be discreet."

"Makes sense," Spritemon agreed, nodding to show her approval.

"And...I think we may just have the means to torment Sam while still remaining virtually invisible."

"How so, your evilness?" Ivymon asked curiously, her words tinged with a spark of excitement.

"The Vilemon. We can use them to torture Sam. For one thing, there are a ton of Vilemon on Server, and on every other continent too, for that matter, as they are one of the more common species of digimon here in the Digital World. As a result, the Emperor's son won't immediately link the Vilemon to us if they can play their roles convincingly."

"You want them to act as if they're merely digimon who are native to Server. Or in other words, digimon who know the tale of the Digidestined," Spritemon finished, smiling in anticipation.

"Correct. Let them play with Sam for a while. They will enjoy torturing him about his father, I'm sure."

"You know, I think I'm starting to like this plan."

"The Digidestined...What are their plans for the next two days?"

"Walking mostly," Spritemon snorted, shrugging her shoulders. "According to Leomon, they're planning on spending their first night here in the swamp, and then they'll be spending the next night in Modem before making their way to the Spirit Chip."

Vampiramon smiled, pleased by the news Spritemon had just reported. "Excellent. We'll do it tonight then."

"My lady?" Ivymon replied, looking confused.

"The Vilemon. We'll send them to Sam tonight once they're settled, though preferably while the rest of the Digidestined are occupied with other tasks. It's best if the Vilemon get Sam alone. I don't want the other Digidestined interfering. Knowing Daichi and his friends, they'll try to convince the Ichijouji boy that the Vilemon are trying to trick him, which is exactly what we don't want them to do. If Sam is to suffer, the Vilemon must be able to convince him that his father's crimes are unforgivable. The further he falls into darkness, the better our chances are of gaining the Spirit Chip for ourselves."

"Or so DarkAngelicmon says," Spritemon shot back, a knowing look on her pretty face. "If the Icjijouji boy falls too far though, I don't see how we're going to get him to have need of his Spirit Chip."

"We must be careful. Just the right amount of darkness to prepare the Emperor's son for what is to come. Once we have him right where we want him, in the palm of our hands, then..."

"Then what?"

Vampiramon let out a sound of disgust, her fingers clenching tightly around the small knife that had appeared almost unconsciously in her hands. "I'm sure DarkAngelicmon already has plans for what comes after Sam has sufficiently submerged himself deep within the darkness of his own heart, and no doubt he'll enjoy revealing those plans to us once the time is right, but unitl then we must focus on performing our part of the plan without making any mistakes."

"Of course," Spritemon muttered, shaking her head in disgust. "Well, in that case, let's start putting this plan into action."

"Agreed. Ivymon, gather the Vilemon and bring them here to me. I will inform them of exactly what it is I want them to do tonight, and you will direct them in secret, as the Digidestined may remember you from our castle on Cyber. Understand?"

"Yes, your evilness. I will gather them at once."

Ivymon gave a quick bow before disappearing into the trees, and turning her back on Spritemon, Vampiramon lifted her crimson red eyes to the heavy clouds hovering over Server, a nasty smile on her face.

Sam Ichijouji would suffer. She would make sure of that, and in doing so, she would prove to both DarkAngelicmon and the Ruler of Darkness just exactly who should be in charge of their missions, whether the fallen angel liked it or not.

Sam Ichijouji

Server, Eastern Hemisphere, Digital World

"We've been walking for hours! I feel like my feet are going to fall off," Daichi complained, kicking at the soggy ground and making a face.

Sam, who hadn't really been paying attention to the time, looked up in surprise to find that the sky had grown darker, indicating that the sun was most likely starting to set. He couldn't actually see the beginnings of a sunset, thanks to the heavy clouds still threatening to burst in the sky, but considering the air was also starting to get cooler, he figured that probably meant the afternoon was drawing to a close and night would soon be upon them.

"We have been walking for quite a long time," Takara commented, glancing shyly at Daichi before ducking her head to hide the blush on her cheeks.

The female Digidestined had been unusually shy around Dai ever since the incident with the sinkhole, and watching her now, Sam was astonished to find that he had not yet lost his ability to smile, despite the fact that he wasn't in a particularly good mood at the moment and hadn't been since the discovery of the Emperor's true identity.

"There's something bothering me," Ryoko suddenly said slowly, a frown forming on his handsome face.

"What now?" Dai groaned, rolling his dark eyes. "There's always something bothering you."

Ryoko glared at Dai before deciding to just ignore the goggle-headed leader, his frown deepening into a scowl. "This swamp...there aren't any digimon in it."

"Actually, now that you mention it...well, it does feel kind of empty, doesn't it," Matty agreed, glancing curiously at his twin, who merely shrugged in response.

"No kidding. Other than that pack of Gizamon we saw about an hour ago, who kept going on about how great Leomon is, there hasn't been a single digimon in sight," Dai snorted, looking mildly indignant over the fact that those Gizamon had been more interested in praising Leomon than meeting a group of humans who just happened to be the Digidestined.

At least, that was what Sam suspected, though Dai would never admit it. They had met the Gizamon merely in passing and hadn't stopped long to chat, but now that Ryoko mentioned it, they hadn't seen a lot of digimon while traveling through the swamp, nor, Sam realized, had they seen many digimon in the Digital World as a general rule, even when they had first come to the Digital World.

That is kind of strange...

It was almost as if Mickey had read his mind because the older twin suddenly looked at Leomon and said, "Ryoko's right. There doesn't seem to be a lot of...life in this swamp. And it's not just the swamp. The whole Digital World appears to be...well, lacking in digimon."

"So you've noticed," Leomon replied, inclining his head to Mickey. "And why do you think that is so?"

"Um...well...I guess it goes back to what Luciamon told us on Cyber. The digimon there were afraid of being recruited by the Ruler of Darkness against their will, and even though she'd been hiding her true identity at the time, what she had said about the digimon was obviously true, and DarkAngelicmon had used the widespread fear on Cyber as a ploy to have Luciamon meet up with us. I guess...what was true for the digimon on Cyber is also true for the rest of the Digital World too, especially now that the Ruler of Darkness and his servants have been causing chaos within all four hemisphere's of the Digital World."

"Indeed," Leomon agreed, quite impressed by the accuracy in which Mickey had described the atmosphere in the Digital World. "The digimon of this world are afraid, especially now that news about the Ruler of Darkness and his servants has spread to all four corners of the Digital World. No digimon wants to live in fear of being brainwashed, nor do they want to be tortured into becoming a servant of the Ruler of Darkness. They do not want to live in fear of his wrath, and who can blame them?"

"So...in other words, the digimon in this world have taken to hiding and most of them are probably not planning to venture too far from their homes any time soon," Matt said slowly. "They're probably waiting and hoping that we, the Digidestined, will defeat the Ruler of Darkness so they can live without fear again."

"Most digimon think very highly of you and your partners. Now that news of your arrival here in the Digital World has spread, they're willing to do what they can to help you, even if it isn't much. And if you need them to fight by your side, they will do so without question. Not all digimon here in this world are fighters, though, and they don't have the privilege of fighting with a human partner, but they will do what they can to help too, even if it's from a distance."

"We have a lot of friends here," Gabumon said quietly, his expression serious. "Even if they aren't always visible, they're with us every step of the way."

"Though most digimon prefer to stay out of sight during dark times in our world, myself, Gennai, and our friends have met quite a few daring ones on our quest to locate the Spirit Chips, digimon who are still traveling despite the threat of the Ruler of Darkness, and there have also been many digimon who have come out of hiding to speak to us about anything out of the ordinary they might have seen to help us locate the Spirit Chips," Leomon informed them, glancing warily through the bushes up ahead, his sword at the ready. "It may not always seem so, but we are not alone in our fight to save the Digital World. Of that I have no doubts, and neither should all of you."

"I don't," Dai said easily, dismissing the thought with a wave of his hand. "I know the digimon in this world have our backs."

We're not alone. I'm not alone...

Sam glanced shyly at his father, who was merely standing there staring at nothing in particular, an unreadable expression his face, and frowning Sam shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to clear his thoughts.

Dad...even though you hurt them, the digimon in this world still support you...

"It's getting late and we've come a long way," Izzy suddenly interrupted, too caught up in his fascination with the Digital World to notice the sudden solemn change in the atmosphere. "We should probably find a good spot to spend the night before it gets dark. Any suggestions, Leomon?"

"Well...if I remember correctly, there's an old abandoned lodge in the swamp that lies somewhere between the city of Code, which lies outside the swamp, and the village of Modem here within the swamp. It used to serve as a rest stop for digimon traveling between the two towns, but ever since the Syakomon who used to run the lodge packed up and moved on to bigger and even wetter places, no one stops there any more. If I recall, the lodge plays host to a giant spring with pure, clean water, a good place for washing up and staying cool here in the swamp."

"Really?" Takara asked, gazing hopefully at the lion digimon. "Does that mean I can wash all this mud off?"

Leomon laughed before nodding his head in confirmation. "That's right. We shouldn't be too far from it now. The lodge will offer us at least some protection from our enemies, and it'll give us a chance to defend ourselves if we see them coming. Not as safe as it would be if we were in town, but it's still better than spending the night out in the open."

"You won't hear any arguments from me!" Mimi cheered, pumping her fist into the air. "I've been sweating to death all afternoon. A nice bath would do me wonders!"

"Why did I have a feeling you were going to say that?" Matt muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Since it seems we're all in agreement. Why don't we move on then and find this place?" Rosa suggested.

Cody nodded in agreement and said, "Lead the way, Leomon."

Sam let out a deep sigh, and mumbling to himself, he quickly fell in behind the rest of the group, his feet dragging on the muddy ground.

Despite the fact that the air had gotten cooler, he still felt hot and tired, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore the prickling sensation on the back of his neck, he still felt like they were being watched.

Not that he would mention his suspicions to the others. They would probably just accuse him of being paranoid if he did. Either that or they would say he was being difficult on purpose, just because of the situation with his father.

Maybe I am being paranoid...

"Try not to look so cheerful, would you?" a voice suddenly snorted softly in his ear, almost giving him a heart attack.

Clutching his chest, Sam turned to glare at the person walking beside him, and he stared stupidly at his companion when he realized it was Matty. "What do you want?"

"Nice talking to you, too," Matty shot back, giving him a dirty look.

Sam wearily rubbed his eyes, glancing uncertainly at Glowmon, who was fluttering in the air beside him, the little rookie's tiny belly flickering softly in the dim glow of twilight before turning back to his friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just..."

"If you would just talk to him you'd feel a lot better, you know," Matty interrupted, glancing meaningfully in the former Emperor's direction.

"Probably, but I could say the same thing about you. If you would just talk to Mickey, you would feel a lot better, too."

"Maybe..."

"What happened between the two of you last night? And don't try to deny it. I know something happened. Mickey's being weird, and so are you for that matter."

Matty frowned before saying slowly, "Nothing really...I don't know, it's hard to explain..."

"Try me."

"I think..."

"What? What is it, Matty?"

Matty glanced at his twin, who was chatting with Dai and Ryoko up ahead, an odd look on his face, as if he couldn't decide what it was he really wanted to believe. "I just think maybe Mickey and I need...a little time apart for a while, just to sort out our thoughts...because..."

Sam was confused. "Because why? I don't understand."

"Being apart from Mickey like this...it makes me realize just how important he is to me," Matty mumbled, unable to look at him. "I don't want to forget what that feels like. I...I don't want to forget what's important. Sometimes I think maybe we take each other for granted, but being apart, it makes me appreciate him all the more. Does that...make sense?"

Sam felt his heart clench painfully at Matty's words, and wrapping his arm around the younger twin's shoulders, he said softly, "It makes a lot of sense, Matty. And...if that's how you feel, take your time. You know Mickey will understand."

"I know."

"Hey, Matty...I think sometimes all of us expect a lot from Mickey. He understands all of us so well. We always rely on him to solve our problems for us. That's a lot of pressure, and it never ceases to amaze me how well he handles all of that pressure. But even so...Mickey can only handle so much."

Matty nodded, his hands clenching into tight fists. "I know, and that's why this time I want to be the one who's there for him, not the other way around. Mickey...he believes in all of us. The problem is..."

"We don't believe in ourselves."

Matty stared at him for a long moment, and Sam stared back at his golden-haired friend, confused by the sudden silence. Even Glowmon, who had been listening intently to their conversation, looked confused, and Sam was sure if Celestimon hadn't been cuddled in Mickey's arms at the moment, Halomon fluttering alongside the older twin, he too would have been confused.

"You're right," Matty said finally, his lips turning up in a faint smile. "Which brings us back to you."

"Matty..."

"Enough about me. You're the reason I came over here in the first place. Maybe there isn't much I can do, since I'm not so good with words, but...I can give you a push in the right direction."

"Hhh?"

Before Sam could come up with a more coherent reply, Matty gave him a hard push that sent him tumbling forward, nearly knocking him off balance. A pair of arms caught him before he could land on his stomach, and looking up he let out a gasp as he came face to face with his father. He hadn't realized the former Emperor had been walking just ahead of him, thanks to the whispered conversation he'd been having with Matty, but apparently the younger twin had noticed, and this was the result.

Thanks a lot, Matty!

Sam twisted his head around to glare at Matty, who merely smiled at him before racing ahead to join Takara and Rosa at the front of the group.

"Careful," his father murmured, without looking at him.

"Sam, are you okay?" Glowmon cried, hovering anxiously around the former Emperor's head.

"I'm fine."

Sam wiggled in his father's grip, trying to get free, and the former Emperor immediately let go of him, giving him some space. Sam made to step away, but before he could move, Wormmon nudged the backs of his legs, sending him stumbling back into his father's arms.

It's like a conspiracy or something! Stupid, annoying...amazingly awesome friends...

"If you want me to let go, I'll respect your wishes, but it'll be against my own will," his father said softly into his hair, holding him close. "Especially when every part of me is screaming not to let you slip away again."

Sam stood frozen for a moment, his arms slipping around his father's waist of their own accord and his face burying itself against the former Emperor's chest, unsure of what to do. He wanted to say something, but there were no words to describe how he was feeling inside.

Why...when we're like this...Why don't I care about the Emperor anymore? Why doesn't it matter to me what he did? Why can I forgive him for...for not believing in me...

"Sam..."

Sam slowly pulled away from his father and turning his back on the former Emperor, he said quietly, "I'm the one who's been pulling away, but...I never said I wanted you to pull away."

And with that, he hurried off to catch up with Matt and Mimi, his father's silence echoing in the twilight behind him.