Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Once again I'm sorry about the wait. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter as I know the ending to it isn't really ideal and it definitely could have been longer, but I've been having a very distracting couple of weeks, so I figured it was just best to end it here and start fresh from Ryoko's POV in the next chapter. I apologize for this, but I hope you all still enjoy it.

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 258: News From the Digiworld

Masato 'Matty' Takaishi

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Masato Takaishi stood by the window with his back facing out towards the classroom, and gazing out at the afternoon sunshine he let out a troubled sigh. It was Friday, October the eleventh, which meant that it had been just under four weeks since they had last stepped foot in the Digital World, and under the circumstances that was a big deal for Matty. Not only that, it was almost four weeks since Kenji and Tal had told them the truth about DarkAngelicmon, and within those last four weeks Matty had been unable to think of anything else.

DarkAngelicmon had started out as an innocent digimon with a noble goal of saving his beloved homeland, and somewhere along the line his vision had gone terribly wrong. Matty still wasn't quite sure how that could have happened, but since learning the truth he found himself thinking of little else. Whatever the factors were for turning DarkAngelicmon away from the light, it must have been a terrible ordeal, so much in fact that many of his memories over the incident were now lost to him. Looking back now, it was hard for Matty to accept that the truth had been there all along. Every so often DarkAngelicmon had shown a glimpse of recognition, but the light in his eyes would fade before he could grasp the truth about the past. It explained why he could use Angelicmon's celestial attacks, and it explained the way he kept wavering back and forth between the powers of light and darkness.

In fact, it pretty much explained everything about DarkAngelicmon, and for the first time since meeting the fallen angel, DarkAngelicmon was finally making sense to him. There was only one problem. What was he supposed to do with that knowledge?

At one time, he was just like my partner. Underneath all that darkness there's a good heart waiting for us to set it free from the dark prison surrounding it. And somehow it all has something to do with Lucemon. Ever since the beginning, DarkAngelicmon has wanted to protect Lucemon. I think that's obvious now, but...why? And what is he trying to protect him from? I'm starting to think that the way he is now has something to do with Lucemon. Something must have happened back then involving Lucemon, and whatever it was it caused DarkAngelicmon to turn away from the light...

Matty shook his head in despair, and resting his forehead against the glass he watched the students outside wave to their friends before taking off down the street to head for home.

During the last four weeks life had almost seemed to return to normal, minus the digimon friends who were still watching over them in their world. Dai had returned to attending soccer practice and getting caught up on his video games, and Takara was attending her own practices and taking some time to hang out with her female friends. Mickey had returned to his drawings, and Sam and Ryoko were back to challenging each other in a game of chess. It all felt so normal, but underneath the pleasant familiarity of everyday life there was an underlying sense of tension and urgency.

For Matty's part he had spent a lot of time with his camera. For him, photography was a soothing hobby and it gave him a chance to look at the world around him more clearly. He had always felt as if there was a hidden message in every photo, and he loved to study his work to try and decipher those hidden tidbits he might otherwise miss. Lately, though, every photo he took seemed to somehow remind him of DarkAngelicmon, even when the photo had no relation to the fallen angel whatsoever.

I can't seem to stay away from him, but even if I wanted to I don't think I could. It's not as if I've tried that hard to distance myself.

During the last four weeks they had kept in touch with Tal and Kenji's group, but so far they had little to show for their efforts to find the next Spirit Chip. They had made a point of checking in with Mr. Sugiyama every day, and his daughters had even come to pay them a visit, but so far they didn't have much for Seta to relay back to Kenji and the others. Although Matty trusted Gennai, the waiting was hard, and after all this time he was starting to wonder if they'd ever make it back to the Digital World.

The others are probably worried about me...

He and his friends had spent a lot of time together over the last four weeks, and although Matty felt like they were closer than ever he knew his mind had grown a bit distant from them. Ryoko too seemed more quiet and thoughtful than usual, and there had been times when Matty had felt as if Ryoko was avoiding Dai.

I wonder if that's my fault?

He did feel somewhat guilty, but at the same time his thoughts were so full with DarkAngelicmon that he didn't have much time to dwell on the matter.

He was angry, hurt, and frustrated with the fallen angel, but at the same time he wanted to understand.

After all this time could Micky have been right about DarkAngelicmon?

Matty had been convinced since the beginning that the fallen angel wanted is brother, but now he wasn't so sure. He still believed that DarkAngelicmon wanted Mickey for something, but could he, Matty, possibly be just as important?

Mickey seems convinced that I'm the one DarkAngelicmon really wants, but I just can't believe that. I'm not strong like Mickey. My Spirit Chip would probably be useless to DarkAngelicmon.

But if that's the case then what exactly had happened in the World of Darkness?

All that light...It came from me. But that's impossible. My heart isn't really that strong. I'm just good at hiding how weak I am sometimes. When it comes to this sort of thing it pays to be a good actor. Like with Ryoko. He's a good actor too. Sometimes he's almost too good. And that's why I can't stop worrying about him...

Even after his talk with Dai, there was still that seed of doubt. If Ryoko and Dai became good friends, would they forget about him? Would he end up getting left behind?

They wouldn't ever do it on purpose, but sometimes these things just happen...

"Matty, you're thinking too hard again," a voice scolded from somewhere near his feet.

The sudden reprimand startled him, and turning away from the window he spotted Palelymon gazing up at him with big green eyes. Goldmon was next to Palelymon, and his sapphire eyes were solemn.

"Sorry, guys, did you say something?"

"No, we were just worried about you," Goldmon said softly, giving him a stern look.

Matty picked up the two little digimon, and holding them comfortably in his arms he sat down on the floor where DemiEmbermon and the others were chowing down on a bag of food.

He wanted to give the two digimon a reassuring smile, but unfortunately he didn't feel much like smiling at the moment.

"You're making Mickey worry," Goldmon said disapprovingly.

Matty made a face, and stroking Goldmon's fluffy ears he let his mind wander again. Mickey had insisted that DarkAngelicmon wanted to use him to hurt the older twin, but what did Mickey mean by that?

Why would he want to hurt Mickey? The only thing hurting Mickey would accomplish is causing me a great deal of pain.

And an opportunity to succumb to the Powers of Darkness.

Matty almost dropped the two digimon in his arms, and sitting up straight a gasp escaped his throat. He was pretty sure is eyes probably looked like they were popping out of his head, but before he could further explore his thoughts the door opened and his twin came hurrying into the room.

"There you are, Matty! I was looking for-"

Mickey immediately broke off, and dropping down beside him the other twin looked at him more closely and said, "What's wrong?"

Matty immediately rearranged his face into a more neutral expression, and shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Nothing."

"Matty, don't insult me like that. You know I always know."

Matty stubbornly refused to reply, despite his brother's pleading look. The thought was so new to him that he wasn't sure if he understood it himself yet. He needed time to explore it before he would ever dare to voice it to his brother.

I'm sorry, Mickey.

Mickey must have gotten the hint because the older twin let out a deep sigh and shook his head in regret. It made Matty feel guilty, and he jumped when the older twin suddenly wrapped his arms around him and said softly in his ear, "I know you're hiding something. You never used to hide things from me before. It makes me worry."

Matty closed his eyes, and taking comfort from Mickey's soothing gesture, he said in return, "I'm not trying to hide things from you. I just want to keep you safe."

"You need to stay safe yourself."

Matty smiled, and nodding his head, he said, "I know."

There was still a lot of tension between them, and it pained Matty to know that he was the cause of most of it, but it was at moments like this when everything felt right, and he was careful to cherish every second of it.

I know you're out there, DarkAngelicmon, and I know you're keeping an eye on us. Which one of us do you really want, and how am I supposed to bring you back from the darkness?

The door suddenly opened again, startling Matty, and glancing over Mickey's shoulder he spotted the rest of his friends pouring into the room. Sam was scolding Dai for something, but the goggle-headed leader was laughing and didn't appear to be taking Sam's words seriously. Ryoko was looking a tad grumpy, and even Takara was shaking her head at Dai.

"What did you do this time?" Mickey asked, giving the goggle-headed leader a knowing look.

Dai was the picture of innocence, and pretending to look offended, he said, "Mickey, how can you accuse me of such a thing?"

"Because you're always getting yourself into trouble," Matty snorted, speaking up before his brother could respond.

Dai looked outraged, and crossing his arms over his chest, he said in his defense, "Not always! Just most of the time! And where were you to back me up?"

Matty rolled is eyes, and climbing to his feet, he said, "Let me guess...You did something to make Mrs. Hanari get mad at you again?"

"I was making small paper airplanes and throwing them at Ishida's head before we left," Dai smirked.

"And why would I back you up on this?"

"You're no fun," Dai pouted, giving him a dirty look.

Matty raised his eyebrows, and feeling amused, he said, "Unlike you, I take my cousin's wrath very seriously. I'm not about to end up on his hit list just because you want to have a little fun."

"And Mrs. Hanari didn't stick you in detention?" Mickey asked, looking surprised.

"She tried, but Sam came to my rescue," Dai laughed.

"I didn't do it because I agreed with your behavior," Sam scolded, punching Dai lightly in the arm. "I only hauled you out of there because we need to be available in case Gennai finds the Spirit Chip and we have to go to the Digital World again."

"Are you saying I deserve to be in detention?" Dai asked, feigning a look of hurt.

"Yes," Sam said bluntly, rolling his eyes.

"You can be glad it was Sam who rescued you," Ryoko snapped, glaring at the goggle-headed leader. "I would have left you there and gone to the Digital World without you."

"Hey, that's harsh!"

"Maybe that's what you need," Ryoko shot back, pushing past Dai to reach Iramon's side. "Somebody has to teach you a lesson."

"Forget that for now," Dai interrupted, quickly changing the subject. "Didn't you guys notice ? Mrs. Hanari has been acting differently around us again. She doesn't seem quite as suspicious anymore."

"Probably because since we haven't been to the Digital World lately we haven't been doing anything suspicious," Takara said, shrugging her shoulders.

Although Dai appeared carefree, Matty could tell Ryoko's reaction had bothered him. That was the reason why Dai had changed the subject, and Matty wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. Ever since talking with Tal and Kenji, Ryoko seemed more quiet and subdued, and he hadn't been spending quite as much time with Dai as he used to. It wasn't a really obvious or noticable change, but even so Matty could tell Dai was aware of it, and it was clear the goggle-headed leader didn't like it one bit.

And that's why he was bothering Ryoko in class today.

Dai hadn't been doing it to be mean. He was doing it because he wanted to make sure Ryoko didn't forget about him so easily.

I don't blame Dai. Nobody wants to lose their friends...

An image of DarkAngelicmon suddenly appeared in Matty's mind, but he quickly squashed the thought and tried to stay focused on his own friends.

Ryoko had seemed hesitant around Dai lately, and there were times when he even seemed shy. It was so unlike him that Matty couldn't help feeling worried.

What did Tal and Kenji say to him that would make him act this way?

Matty didn't really have much time to think about it because just then the door burst open and Taniko and her friends came hurrying into the room. That in itself wasn't all that surprising, since Taysuke and the others often came to visit them in the computer room. What had caught Matty's attention was the fact that Izzy was with them.

"Izzy? What are you doing here?" Dai asked, nearly falling over a chair in surprise.

"You all need to get home and pack right away," Izzy replied, motioning for them to gather their stuff together.

Matty was instantly on his feet, and shoving Palelymon into his backpack, he said, "It's Gennai, isn't it? He's found the next Spirit Chip."

Izzy smiled at him, and nodding, the computer expert said, "He just contacted Davis and Noriko. It sounds like it might be a fairly long journey, so make sure you pack enough for at least a couple of days in the Digital World. Oh, and make sure you bring something warm."

Huh?

Matty glanced at his twin in confusion, but Mickey just smiled and shook his head.

"Do all the others know?" Sam asked, gesturing for Glimmermon to join him.

"I've already contacted everyone to let them know what's going on. Those who can make it will be joining us at Davis and Noriko's house. When you're all ready to go we'll meet at the house and you'll be heading to the Digital World from there. I'll be joining you all shortly. I just want to have a quick word with Seta to let him know what's going on, and then I'm going to go pick up Rina and the other young ones."

"What are you guys waiting for? Let's go!" Ema demanded, making a face.

"Where are Noah and the others?" Takara asked, pulling on her own backpack.

"They're probably on their way already," Taniko replied, smiling at the female Digidestined. "My dad already stopped by the highschool to let them know before coming here. We should hurry."

"Right! Come on, Matty. Let's get home and get our stuff together," Mickey said, taking his arm and gently pulling him towards the door.

Matty was still trying to process Izzy's sudden entrance, but despite the exciting news he hadn't missed the flash of fear on Ryoko's face at Izzy's sudden announcement. Ryoko normally wasn't the type to show his hidden emotions in public, but it seemed he was slipping more and more lately. It made Matty feel uneasy, and he couldn't help wondering if their next mission in the Digital World was going to be a complete disaster...

Nobunari 'Noah' Kido

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

Noah quickly hurried down the street with his friends to the Motomiya residence, and even though he was excited that the mission was finally moving forward again, at the moment he was a tad frustrated.

Actually, scratch that. He was extremely frustrated. Only about twenty minutes ago he'd been standing in the hallway at the highschool with Miya, and he had just been about to ask her out on a date. The setting had been perfect. They'd been standing by the window in the upstairs hallway with the sunlight streaming in, and there hadn't been a single other student in sight. Miya had looked positively radiant in the sunshine, but just as the words were about to leave his throat Ami and Makku had come barreling around the corner babbling about Izzy and the Digital World. A moment later Taka, Rumi, and Ren had shown up, and that had effectively put an end to his hopes and dreams.

Needless to say, he was not impressed.

Now normally it wouldn't have been such a big deal, since there would no doubt be other opportunities in the future to ask Miya out, but due to the fact that this was now the seventh time in almost four weeks that someone had interrupted him in the middle of his confession, it was now starting to become a very big deal. How was he supposed to end up with the girl of his dreams when nobody would even give him five minutes to ask her out?

I must be cursed...

"Noah, hurry up. You're lagging behind," Makku scolded, shaking a finger at him.

The red-head's cheerful voice effectively snapped Noah out of his brooding thoughts, and letting out a deep sigh he allowed himself to be pulled along the street by his new best friend.

As much as he loved his friends, there were some days when they could be rather frustrating.

"What's that look for?" Makku teased, as if reading his mind.

Noah made a face at the red-head, and blushing, he mumbled, "Its nothing."

That should have been the end of it, but instead Makku leaned closed and whispered in his ear, "You'll have plenty of opportunities to ask Miya out later. You know she wants to be there to support Sam when he goes to the Digital World."

How does he do that all the time?

Though they hadn't been best friends for very long, Noah had quickly discovered that Makku had a really bad habit of being able to read his mind. Normally he didn't care, but at a time like this it could be extremely embarrassing and frustrating.

Where's Dai when I need him?

It was rather unfortunate that the goggle-headed leader wasn't around to cause a convenient distraction, but since he wasn't Noah would simply have to make due and hope that changing the subject would save the issue nicely. "Where are Hana and Tams anyways?"

"Hana's with her crazy friends and Tams had practice," Makku said cheerfully.

"Practice?"

Makku nodded, and scratching at his already chaotic hair, he said, "She plays the drums. Tams is cool like that. If you weren't my best friend, she'd be next in line. Or well, if she didn't already have Hana."

Noah raised an eyebrow at that, and shaking his head, he said, "I almost lost out to Tams?"

"Almost," Makku teased, winking at him. "You should be jealous. Aren't you glad you accepted my offer now?"

Noah had to laugh, and pushing Makku ahead of him, he said, "Come on, we don't want to be late. How are Nao and the younger kids getting there?"

"Izzy was gonna sop by the school to let Dai and the others know to get ready, and then I believe he was going to go pick up Nao, Rina, and Hikaru," Ami called back over her shoulder. "Hurry up you two and stop fooling around back there!"

Noah glanced meaningfully at his red-haired friend, and not wanting to encourage Ami's wrath they quickly caught up with Taka and the girls. The group made it to the Motomiya residence about ten minutes later, and making their way up the stairs they joined the adults who were already waiting there.

"Izzy's not back yet?" Renmi asked, glancing around the room.

"Not yet, but he should be here soon," Kari replied.

"In the meantime we've been entertaining Gennai," Mina joked, nodding her head at the computer screen.

Noah jumped when he realized that Gennai was smiling at them from the monitor, and waving to the robed figure, he said, "Hey, Gennai! Sorry to keep you waiting."

"I expect to wait when Daichi Motomiya is involved," Gennai relied, looking amused. "I'm sorry to interrupt your lovely afternoon, but it appears we've finally discovered another Spirit Chip."

"Don't worry about it. If anything we're glad you did," Davis interrupted, giving Gennai a thumbs up. "I think I hear Izzy now. Dai and the others will hopefully be here soon."

A moment later Rina, Nao, and Hikaru came bouncing through the door with Shadow, who must have greeted them at the door. Izzy came in behind them, and making his way over to the computer he gave Gennai an apologetic look. "Dai and the others should be here shortly."

"I assume Dai went to help the others get ready?" Noriko asked.

"That's right. Taniko and her friends went to help out as well. I'm sure they'll be here within the next half hour."

Noah decided to make himself comfortable on the floor next to Miya, and Makku joined him on his other side. He was still frustrated, but at the same time there was a chance he could turn the situation around to his advantage.

If I can keep the others distracted long enough.

He would have to try. More than anything he didn't want to wait until it was too late and let Miya slip away from him, especially since he had a feeling the next mission in the Digital World was probably going to be as stressful as the last one. It might not involve Sam as much this time, but that didn't mean he wasn't still worried about the others, especially when it came to his cousin Dai. Noah hadn't failed to notice Ryoko's strange behaviour lately, and he had a feeling it had something to do with Dai. He had never been one to ignore his instincts before, and right now his instincts were telling him that something bad was going to happen between Dai and Ryoko.

Whatever you do, Dai. Don't mess this up...