Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: New chapter! It's not long, I know, but I wanted to get back to Odaiba and let everyone know a bit about what's going on there now. Also, there was a poll up on my profile page to vote if you wanted to see a chapter focusing on the parents in the springs. Most people voted yes, so that will be the next chapter. After that, we'll really start getting into the story again with Sam and searching for his Spirit Chip!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 224: Voices in the Night

Miya Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Miya carefully stepped over the bodies of her younger friends lying in sleeping bags on the floor, doing her best not to accidentally step on an arm or a leg, and sitting down on the edge of Ami's bed she stared blankly at her hands, her thoughts bordering on the edge of fear and confusion.

The room was dark, and moving her gaze to the younger children on the floor, excluding Rumi who was the same age and Rina who was in the bed, she allowed a small sigh to escape her lips. Almost all of the others were asleep, and the one who wasn't looked ready to nod off within the next couple of minutes.

Miya knew her cousin Rumi was watching her, but she chose to ignore the other female's gaze for the moment.

In the centre of the group snuggled up in their sleeping bags was Renmi, her soft snores filling the room, and surrounding her were Ema, Taniko, and Rumi. Both Ema and Taniko were asleep, and Miya just caught Rumi's sympathetic smile before her cousin rolled over to face Ren, her eyes drifting closed again.

Outside the half open door, Miya could hear the soft voices of Davis and Noriko as they paused in the hallway to enter the master bedroom across the hall, and dropping her head in her hands, this time she let out a soft sound of despair.

Earlier when they had received a message from Izzy explaining what had happened during their trip to the Digital World thus far, it sounded as if Sam wasn't getting any better. If anything, she was convinced he was only getting worse, and she was worried. Very worried.

What if Sam can't get his Spirit Chip? What if it won't work for him? What if...what if he never forgives Dad?

"Aren't you going to come to bed?" a voice suddenly asked softly in the darkness, interrupting her thoughts.

Miya jerked around in surprise, and spotting Ami's dark eyes watching her silently in the pale moonlight streaming through the open window, she blushed and quickly pulled off her glasses before handing them to her dark-haired friend. Ami set them gently on the nightstand to the right of the bed, where they wouldn't get damaged, and although she didn't say anything else, Miya could practically hear her friend's thoughts.

Ami was lying propped up on her side, and next to her in the middle of the bed, Rina was curled up in a little ball, her dark head just poking out of the sheets.

The left side of the bed was free for Miya herself, yet she still hesitated, knowing there was no way she would be able to sleep.

"Come on," Ami urged, giving her a sad smile. "I know it's hard, but you still have to get some rest."

Miya chose not to respond to her friend's gently scolding tone. Instead, she quietly slipped under the blankets, her head coming to rest on one of Ami's pillows and her amber eyes closing tightly to hide the fear in her shadowy gaze.

Next to her, she could feel the heat of Rina's small body against her side, and though it comforted her somewhat, she was still scared.

Not for herself, but for Sam.

"Miya?"

It was Ami's voice again drifting out of the darkness, and Miya felt a hand reach over Rina to touch her shoulder. It was a simple gesture, but the sincerity and obvious concern that the contact of Ami's hand conveyed affected Miya so deeply that something inside of her seemed to shatter into pieces. Before she even realized what was happening she was sobbing, the tears steaming down her face and soaking into the pillow she was hugging tightly against her chest. "I'm sorry, I can't..."

Without a word Ami carefully climbed over the sleeping Rina, and a moment later Miya felt the younger female's arms go around her in a tight hug. She wanted to finish what she'd been trying to say, but the words didn't seem to want to leave her throat. Realizing it was a lost cause, she simply buried her face against her friend's neck and hung on as tight as she could.

"I know you're scared," Ami whispered softly in her ear, gently rubbing her back, "but both your dad and Sam are strong people. Your dad proved that when he was able to break free from being the Digimon Emperor, and Sam isn't his son or your brother for nothing. I'm not going to lie to you, Miya. It's going to be a tough road, and things are probably going to get even worse before they get better again, but somehow I know they'll both pull through. I can't say for sure, but in the end I believe their bond will be even stronger because of all that's happened."

"I know that. I really do. My mind tells me the same thing, but..."

"I'm scared, too," Ami replied, speaking quietly so as not to wake the others. "You know as well as I do that Dai can be a bit reckless sometimes. I know I shouldn't worry, but I still do. There's nothing worse than knowing that the people we care about are in danger. Especially when we know there's really nothing we can do to help them..."

Miya pulled back slightly to gaze at her best friend, and for a long moment the two of them merely lay there facing each other in the darkness, their eyes locked in silent communication. Eventually Miya couldn't take the silence anymore, and lowering her head, she whispered, "I guess I am being a bit selfish. I know I'm not the only one who has reason to-"

"No, I wouldn't say you're being selfish. After all, you do have the biggest reason to worry out of all of us."

Sam...

Miya rubbed at the tears on her face, trying unsuccessfully to dry them off, and with a soft sigh she moved back towards her friend, taking comfort from the warmth Ami's slightly smaller form provided. "I feel like I'm going crazy."

"I don't blame you," Ami snorted, her darker eyes once again growing serious. "If I were you, I'd feel the exact same way. Just don't forget you're not alone. I'm always here with you, and so are all the others."

"I know."

"You have to be strong for Nao," Ami whispered in her ear, waving her hand for emphasis. "He needs you right now, and with the rest of your immediate family in the Digital World, someone has to be here to support him."

Miya knew Ami was right, but even so she still felt uneasy. She felt almost as if the darkness in the room was trying to tell her something. As if...it was giving her a warning of sorts.

That's stupid. I'm just imagining things. Or...am I?

"Ami, I know it sounds stupid, but I can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen. I'm worried it might...have something to do with Sam."

Ami paused for a moment, pondering her words, and then the brunette smiled, her dark eyes sparkling in the darkness. "You might be right, Miya. Maybe something bad will happen, but even if it does I know your dad, my brother, and everyone else will make things right again. Sam's not alone either, you know. Like you, he has friends who believe in him, and they're not going to let him down so easily. Even if I can't be certain about anything else, that much I do know for sure."

Miya smiled in response, and hugging Ami tightly around the shoulders she closed her eyes and let her mind drift, knowing the best thing she could do for herself now was to get some sleep. These days, it wasn't so easy to find someone you could truly call a friend, and Miya knew she was very lucky to have someone like Ami, just as Sam was lucky to have all of his friends. Like her brother Daichi, Ami was honest and loyal almost to a fault, and she was also the type of friend you just knew you could count on without fear of being tossed aside.

There were a lot of people out there who were very quick to proclaim what good friends they could be, but Ami truly defined those words. Plus, she didn't need to boast about it to convince those around her. That was why Miya loved her as both a friend and a sister, and that was why she hoped she had succeeded in returning the favour.

"Noah's really worried about you, you know," Ami suddenly whispered, a slight hint of amusement in her tone.

Miya felt herself blushing, and avoiding her friend's eyes, she mumbled, "I know."

"I'm...worried about him too, Miya. He is my cousin after all. Don't you think maybe it's time you...you know..."

She's right. Like usual...

Miya took a deep breath, and squeezing her eyes shut she nodded, knowing exactly what Ami wanted to hear. "Yeah, I think it is."

There was no denying she had feelings for Noah, and it was pretty obvious he cared about her, too. She knew she loved him, even if that sounded silly coming from someone her age, and maybe now was the time to tell him how she really felt. There might not be an opportunity to do so in the future, and she didn't want to let what could be her only chance to tell him pass her by. If Noah moved on to someone else, she knew she would never forgive herself for hesitating, and if there was one thing Sam had taught her since the Emperor's identity had been revealed, it was not to waste a single moment with loved ones or to let them slip away.

Now if only you could see that for yourself, Sam...

She wasn't going to let what had happened to Sam happen to her, and somehow she hoped her little brother would realize the same thing before it was too late.

"Come on, let's get some sleep," Ami murmured, returning the hug and settling back down against the pillows, Rina unconsciously curling up against her back for warmth.

Miya nodded, and keeping an arm around Ami she finally drifted off to sleep, the faces of Noah, Sam, and her dad keeping the darkness closing in around her at bay.

Nao Ichijouji

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Though there were bodies sprawled all around him on the floor, Nao felt very cold and very alone. Due to this unpleasant feeling, he was quite sure there was no way he was going to get any sleep that night regardless of how tired he was.

He missed his dad and his mom, and most of all he missed his big brother. Normally it wouldn't be so bad, but with Miya acting so sad and scared he truly felt like he was all by himself, with no one to turn to for comfort.

Even Rina isn't here to cheer me up...

Nao let out a small whimper of despair, and cuddling closer to Taka, who was on his right, he buried his face in his pillow, his whole body shivering with fear. On his left, Taysuke was mumbling to himself in his sleep, and near his head Nao could see the lump that was Kenzo sleeping peacefully on his side.

They were all so close, but to Nao they seemed so far away from him. He tried to fight it, but that horrible sensation of feeling so cut off from everyone else brought tears to his eyes.

"Nao, come here," a voice called softly from the darkness, the gentle tone immediately capturing his attention.

Nao hesitantly poked his head out of his sleeping bag to glance at Dai's bed, and he spotted Noah's dark form beckoning him to come closer. Next to Noah, Makku had removed his glasses, and he was sprawled out under the sheets in a rather awkward position, his loud snores bringing a smile to Nao's face. It was a wonder Noah even had any room at all to sleep on the bed with Makku sprawled next to him, seeing as how the red-head was doing a spectacular job of taking up all the room and stealing the sheets in the process.

"Nao?" Noah urged, coaxing him forwards.

Without a second thought Nao scrambled out of his sleeping bag and threw himself onto the bed, nearly crushing Noah's legs by accident. He knew his sapphire eyes probably looked huge in the darkness, but at this point he was too upset to hide his fear. "I thought you were asleep."

"How could I fall asleep knowing how scared you are?" Noah scolded, settling back down onto his side and using his elbow to keep his chin propped up.

Nao quickly scrambled under the blankets, and climbing over Noah he cuddled himself between the two older boys for warmth. Beaming at the dark-haired teen, whose facial features strongly resembled Dai's, he said, "I didn't think anyone noticed."

"Worried about your brother?" Noah asked softly, placing an arm around his shoulders.

"Yes...but not just him. My dad, too. And Miya..."

"Miya?" Noah asked, raising his eyebrows. "What about her?"

Nao hesitated before answering. "She's so sad. I can tell she's really worried about Daddy and Sam, and it scares me."

"It scares me too. Nao...how do you feel about all of this? You know, the thing with your dad and Sam."

Nao paused to think about it for a moment, and smiling shyly at the older boy, he whispered, "I'm really scared for them, but both Sam and Daddy are really strong people. It'll probably be hard, but I think they'll be okay. They're way stronger than me, and I believe in them. That's why I want to be just like them when I grow up."

To his surprise Noah smiled back at him in the darkness, and he felt the older boy reach out to gently ruffle his lavender hair. "For being so young, you're pretty amazing, Nao. I wish...I wish Miya could share some of your optimism and the faith you have in your family."

Nao, being quite young, wasn't quite sure what to make of Noah's words, but it sounded like a compliment and it made him blush. "Mommy and Miya are really strong too, but...they're also grownups and grownups always make things harder than they have to be. I guess Daddy's like that too, and even Sam's been acting more like that lately. Why is it so hard for grownups not to worry about everything all the time?"

For some reason Noah started to laugh, and Nao happily allowed himself to be pulled into a hug. "You're absolutely right, Nao. Grownups do worry way too much. Sometimes things really are quite simple, but we make them out to be more complicated than they have to be. If we all thought like you, Nao, maybe then Sam wouldn't feel so sad and lonely."

"He'll get better though, right?"

Noah nodded, the fierce look in his eyes leaving no room for doubt. "Yes, he will. It might take a little time, but with friends like Mickey and family like you, there's no question he'll get better. We just have to be patient."

"But what about Miya? I'm scared she's worrying too much..."

Noah didn't answer right away, and Nao clung to his shirt, needing some reassurance.

He doesn't think anything bad will happen to Miya, does he?

"Noah?"

Noah finally glanced at him, and Nao was surprised to see how serious the older boy looked. "You said it yourself, Nao. Miya's a strong girl. With our help she'll pull through, just like Sam and your dad."

Nao wasn't quite convinced, and he bit his bottom lip to keep it from trembling with fear. "You'll help protect her, right?"

"Of course I will," Noah insisted, leaning close to whisper in his ear. The older boy paused before adding, "I love Miya. I would do anything to protect her, and I promise you I won't let anything bad happen to her."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I knew it!" Makku's voice suddenly interrupted, sounding extremely amused. "I told you it was pretty obvious you have a thing for my cousin!"

Nao squirmed around to stare at the red-head in confusion, but not before he saw the curious blush on Noah's face.

"You were supposed to be asleep," Noah grumbled, sounding rather embarrassed.

Makku responded by giving the dark-haired teen a teasing smile. "Did I mention I'm in the drama club at school? It just so happens that I'm an excellent actor. Chill, Noah, I'm not going to say anything to Miya. That's your job, remember? And you know I don't have a problem with you liking her, and our little Nao here doesn't seem to either. I say go get her! I'll be your cheerleader in the background. How does that sound? I'm sure there's a box of pom poms hanging around the drama club somewhere..."

Noah let out a soft groan at this enthusiastic suggestion, and covering his face with his hands he shook his head in defeat.

"That's the spirit!" Makku said cheerfully, leaning over to wrap an arm around Noah's shoulder. "You know...I really like you. Why did we never hang out before? Especially seeing as how we both have a connection to Miya?"

"Maybe because you're crazy?" Noah suggested, sounding amused.

Ignoring him, Makku said, "Well, you're stuck with me now. From this day forward you will no longer be able to get rid of me. We'll be best buddies, as you have officially just become my best friend."

Noah gaped at the other boy, a startled look on his face. "What?"

"You heard me," Makku said easily, shrugging his shoulders. "My old best friend moved to a different school last year and pretty much decided he wasn't going to waste time keeping in contact with me. I've been looking for someone to fill the position, and you're way cooler than he ever was. And in case you're wondering, you don't really have a choice, so you might as well just say yes and we'll wrap up this little chat for the night."

Noah continued to stare stupidly at the other boy, and scratching his dark head, he said, "Funny enough, I don't feel like objecting. Even if you are crazy, I guess I kind of like you too."

"Of course you do," Makku agreed. "Now how about we get some sleep? You guys are keeping me up way past my bedtime."

Nao, feeling very confused, looked at Noah and said, "You...like Miya?"

"Um..."

Noah looked at a loss for words, but Nao brightened, realizing suddenly what the older teen meant. "Oh! Are you going to marry her someday?"

"W-what?" Noah squeaked in a very unmanly fashion, his face turning a deep shade of red.

"That would be a yes," Makku supplied, grinning in the darkness at his newly recruited best friend. "It'll be a grand affair, and being the amazing cousin to Miya that I am, I will totally trash the wedding for kicks. It'll be a blast."

Nao beamed at his cousin and turning to Noah, he said, "It's okay. I mean, if you wanna marry Miya. I really like you, and then you'd be like my brother, right? I'd like that a lot!"

"Nao, I...thanks," Noah said softly, reaching out once again to pull him into a hug and ruffle his hair. "That really means a lot to me."

"Well, Sam really likes you too, and you're already kind of part of the family. Mommy and Daddy love you so I bet they'd be really happy for you and Miya."

Noah didn't respond, but the intense look in his eyes made Nao feel happy inside.

"And you, Nao, had better not start worrying like Miya and the grownups," Makku scolded, shaking his finger for emphasis. "Your dad and Sam are going to be just fine, and so will your mom and sister. Us Inoues and the Ichijoujis are a tough bunch. Nothing keeps us down for long, and don't you forget it."

Nao nodded in agreement, and tackling his red-headed cousin in a hug, he said happily, "I won't forget. I'll be strong for all of them. I promise!"

"That's good to hear. Now get to bed you little runt," Makku teased, messing up his hair.

"Can I sleep here with you guys?"

"Of course you can," Noah agreed, smiling slightly. "Just watch out for Makku. He's already kicked me three times tonight and he's a major blanket hog."

"How dare you accuse me of such horrible sleeping habits!" Makku gasped, feigning a look of hurt. "I'll have you know I only kicked you twice, and both times I was awake."

Laughing, Noah hit the red-headed teen in the chest, nearly knocking him off the bed, and after a bit of playful fighting the trio finally settled down beneath the blankets, Nao curled happily in the middle.

No longer did he feel cold and lonely, and soaking up the warmth coming from the two teens lying on either side of him, he quickly fell asleep with hopes that his support would reach Sam through the darkness of the night.