Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Well, I'm finally back with a new chapter. I apologize for the delay! It's been a really crazy month for me, and I'm hoping things will be a little better now when it comes to finding time to write. I don't think this chapter is my best work, but I hope you all like it anyways. Once again, I'm sorry if it's not the greatest!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 262: On Thin Ice
DarkAngelicmon
Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World
DarkAngelicmon leaned against the damp, stone wall, and crossing his arms over his chest he let his gaze wander over the damp ceiling, his mind still going over what had happened with the Ruler of Darkness earlier in the morning.
There was a deep sense of anger and hatred burning in the pit of his stomach, but outwardly his expression remained composed. Somewhere out in the thick darkness that circled through the labyrinth he could feel the warmth of Lucemon's presence, and while it worried him that his old friend had yet again been stupid enough to venture into the heart of danger, at the same time it eased his mind somewhat and gave him a sense of peace.
After all, it was comforting to have a close friend nearby.
Due to the nature of the cave, this particular mission was going to be especially difficult, and he needed to keep his wits about him if he wanted to make it out in one piece.
"Well?" Spritemon demanded, hopping up beside him and giving his shoulder a sharp poke. "Can you still feel them?"
DarkAngelicmon lowered his emerald eyes from the ceiling, and gazing into the darkness of the tunnel that led back the way they had come, he said, "Their presence is faint, but deep within the darkness I can still feel them coming towards us. They're making good progress, as far as I can tell. For now, at least."
"Whatever you do, don't lose track of them," Vampiramon snapped, giving him a dirty look. "Without them we'll never track down the Spirit Chip in this place. As much as I hate to admit it, we need them."
"The fool does not like relying on children showing him the way," Jestermon grumbled, wrinkling his green nose.
"Neither do I, but we don't have a choice," Vampiramon shot back, glaring at the court jester. "Without them we're lost in this place. We could be here for days and never find the Spirit Chip."
"I hope somebody remembers the way out of here," Spritemon spoke up, bouncing on her toes. "This is gonna take forever. Those Digidestined are so slow. They could be in here for days every bit as much as we could be before they ever manage to find the Spirit Chip."
"If that's the case we may have to encourage them a little," Vampiramon smirked, brushing snow off her cape. "Do we have an idea of where they are right now?"
DarkAngelicmon stepped away from the wall, and shaking the ice out of his dark hair, he said calmly, "They are in the tunnel of crystals we passed earlier. As far as I can tell, we chose the correct path. They're still heading in our direction."
"That's a nasty place," Spritemon remarked, shivering and wrapping her arms around herself.
"I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you," Jestermon warned, tugging on one of Spirtemon's wings. "There are probably more of those crystals up ahead."
DarkAngelicmon chose not to get involved in the conversation, and thinking back on the crystal passage they had traversed earlier, he felt a shiver race down his spine. Even now he could still hear the whisper of the voices in his head, and the shadows moving within the crystal mirrors clouded his vision.
To the others the bodies in the mirrors might have looked like shadows, but to him they were the faces of two very familiar friends. Would his past never cease to haunt him, even after thousands of years?
Is that how they truly see me, and are the mirrors a form of deception? What is real, and what is merely a figment of my imagination? And more importantly...will the Digidestined make it through unscathed? This labyrinth is not a place for the weak at heart...
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Spritemon shouted in his ear, tugging vigorously on his wings.
DarkAngelicmon jumped in surprise, and giving himself a shake, he said dryly, "There's no need to get violent. I was merely enjoying the scenery before you rudely interrupted me."
Spritemon gave him a look, and speaking hesitantly, she said, "Are you feeling okay?"
The Ruler of Darkness is using me, and I am sick at heart. I should be with my friends, but instead they have deserted me. How am I supposed to feel when the darkness hurts my soul and steals away the light inside me? Who am I really? Why have I forsaken a past that brought me joy as well as suffering? Now, all I seem to do is suffer...
"Well? Hey, stop ignoring me!" Spritemon snapped, stamping her foot in frustration.
DarkAngelicmon stepped away from her, and crossing his arms over his chest, he said shortly, "I'm fine. For now we remain where we are. There's no sense in moving forward until we can figure out which path the Digidestined will take next. They are moving slowly, but steadily. By nightfall they should be well within the heart of the Ice Caverns."
At least, that would be the case if they hadn't suddenly stopped. As far as DarkAngelicmon could tell, their progress seemed to have come to a standstill. Chances were they were nowhere near the Spirit Chip yet, so why would they have suddenly stopped moving?
The crystal mirrors...
Did something happen? Did the Digidestined somehow manage to fall under the spell of those crystals?
Fools. They, of all people, should know to remain wary of the darkness.
"Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, what's up, angel boy? You look a little pale. More so than usual, if you get my drift," Jestermon joked.
DarkAngelicmon shook his head, and turning his back on them, he said quietly, "There's nothing wrong, nothing at all."
"Sure," Spritemon snorted, making a face. "Are we really going to sit around here doing nothing all afternoon?"
"There's not much more we can do at this time. For now, we wait and see what happens."
"That's no fun," Jestermon complained.
DarkAngelicmon chose to ignore his companions, and closing his eyes he allowed himself to concentrate on the presence of his celestial counterparts. Something was definitely amiss, and whatever it was it could jeopardize their opportunity to get their hands on the Spirit Chip.
There's only one explanation...
Somebody's heart had faltered in the darkness, and whoever it was, the only way to free that heart was to harness the power of the light burning deep within.
Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya
Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World
Daichi slowly opened his eyes, and letting out a soft groan he lifted his head and frowned in confusion. As far as he could tell, he was still inside the Ice Caverns, but the tunnel around him looked slightly different from the tunnel he had been in before. Though the light in the tunnel was dim, he could still see the way forward, and sitting up he took a moment to study his surroundings.
The ground beneath him was slick with ice, and the ceiling was covered in pale blue rock formations that were glowing in the darkness. The walls were made of damp rock, but the path was clear, though the tunnel looked as though it was filled with a light clustering of snow.
What happened?
It was then that Dai heard the soft sound of breathing coming from somewhere to his left, and squinting in the dim light he noticed a pair of bodies lying on the ground a short distance away from him. It didn't sound as if they were hurt, but at the same time he didn't want to take any chances.
I remember reaching out to touch that crystal thing, and then there was a flash of crazy light. After that it's all blank, but somebody was yelling at me...
A voice he knew very well. A voice that was always yelling at him.
Ryoko.
Dai let out an involuntary gasp, and scrambling to his feet he hurried over to the fallen bodies that were now covered in a light dusting of snow. He had no idea where the snow was coming from, since they were fairly deep underground, but he was beginning to suspect that the Ice Caverns did not follow the rules of simple logic. In his haste he almost slipped on the ice, but he was able to regain his balance before falling flat on his face. By the time he made it to his fallen friend he was gasping for breath, and collapsing onto his knees he gave the golden-haired Digidestined's shoulder a gentle shake.
"Hey, wake up! Are you okay?"
At first Ryoko didn't respond, and growing anxious Dai started to tug on his fiend's jacket. In response Ryoko let out a soft sound, and finally he began to stir, his bright blue eyes slowly opening.
"What happened?" the golden-haired Digidestined muttered, reaching up to rub a gloved hand across his eyes.
Dai moved back a bit to give his friend some room to sit up, and lowering his gaze he proceeded to stare uncertainly at his knees. Now that he could be sure Ryoko was fine, all of a sudden he felt awkward and out of place. Memories of the last four weeks began to flash across his mind, and feeling unsure of himself he chose to remain silent.
Even though he wasn't always the quickest when it came to picking up on the behaviour of those around him, he wasn't a complete fool either. Ever since their visit to Highton View Terrace, something had changed between them, and though he couldn't quite put his finger on what the difference was, he felt it strongly in his heart. Over the last four weeks Ryoko hadn't been acting like the same person around him, and though for the most part he had kept his feelings to himself, there was no denying that it was slowly eating him up inside. The old Ryoko had always been quick to scold him or get him into trouble, but Dai had still been able to feel a sense of closeness to the other boy. When the need arose, they were able to work well together and coexist peacefully for the benefit of all those around them. Though it was rare, there had been moments when they would allow themselves to open up to one another, and Dai had treasured those moments because they were few and far between. With the old Ryoko he had felt a sense of hope that one day they would be able to break the ice between them, and eventually they would come to understand one another. There had been glimpses of what could be between them if they only managed to cross the barrier that seemed to separate them from one another.
But now...
This new Ryoko was cold and distant, and there was a bitterness to his heart that had never been there before. Dai felt it keenly, and it was strong enough to slice through the weaker parts of his heart. There was no sense of companionship between them anymore, and he wasn't so stupid that he had failed to notice the way Ryoko was avoiding him. The golden-haired Digidestined never smiled at him anymore, and the determined sparkle in Ryoko's eyes had dulled to a non-existent light. It bothered Dai, but for the first time in his life he felt powerless to do anything about Ryoko's behaviour, and not only did it hurt him, it made him angry.
What could have happened to cause this sudden change in the golden-haired Digidestined's behaviour?
There was no denying that Ryoko was drifting away from him, and for the first time in their short lives Dai wasn't sure if he could count on the golden-haired Digidestined to support him and watch his back if things got tough.
Does he really hate me that much? Does he believe in me at all anymore? Did...did he ever really believe in me to begin with?
"Where am I?" Ryoko muttered, sitting up and gingerly rubbing the back of his head.
"No idea. Somewhere inside the caves still, but as to where exactly I don't have a clue."
Ryoko looked at him, and for a moment it seemed like the issues between them didn't exist at all, but had instead merely been a figment of his imagination. Deep within Ryoko's blue gaze, Dai thought he saw a flash of concern, and the golden-haired Digidestined studied him as if to make sure he was still in one piece.
Dai opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out Ryoko's expression suddenly changed into a look of outrage. Dai didn't even have a chance to move before Ryoko suddenly hit him hard enough to send him toppling over onto his backside.
"Ouch! Hey, what was that for?"
"You idiot," Ryoko practically hissed at him, his deep blue eyes narrowing into angry slits. "I told you not to touch it!"
Dai winced, and rubbing his injured backside, he said defensively, "How was I supposed to know that creepy crystal thing was going to do something like that?"
"Are you completely stupid?" Ryoko replied, his sapphire eyes glittering dangerously in the dim light of the tunnel. "That's exactly why you shouldn't have touched it! It's because you didn't know what it was going to do that you should have left it alone!"
"Hey, what's all the shouting about?" a third voice complained, the words cutting through the sudden tension in the air.
Dai jumped in surprise, and glancing at the smaller body curled up beside Ryoko, he realized the small form was actually Alopemon. The little rookie had only now just regained consciousness, and he seemed a bit confused about what was going on.
"Alopemon, are you okay?" Ryoko asked, pulling the little rookie into his lap and resting his head against the digimon's soft ears.
Alopemon curled his fluffy tail around the golden-haired Digidestined's wrist in a gesture of affection, and nodding his head, he said, "I'm fine, but where are we?"
Dai couldn't help feeling slightly insulted, and without thinking, he said sarcastically, "Sure, you ask him if he's okay, but it's fine if I've broken my neck or something. That's not a big deal or anything."
"You're the fool who got us into this mess in the first place," Ryoko said coldly, turning away from him. "Don't expect me to feel any sympathy for you."
Ryoko was often sarcastic towards him, but it was very rare for the golden-haired Digidestined to act downright mean, and Dai felt his own heart start to freeze over a bit. Not because he felt the same way towards Ryoko, but more as a way to protect himself.
What did I do? What have I done for him to act like he wants nothing to do with me anymore...
"So...what exactly happened?" Alopemon asked in an effort to change the subject.
Ryoko proceeded to dust the snow off his blue jacket, and shaking his head, he said shortly, "As far as I can tell we're no longer where we used to be. When this idiot here touched that crystal mirror it somehow transported us to a different area of the Ice Caverns. At least, that's what appears to have happened."
"So we've been separated from the others," Alopemon finished, looking surprisingly calm considering the situation.
"From the looks of it I would say that's a fairly accurate assumption," Ryoko said stiffly, gesturing at the little rookie to move so he could climb to his feet.
Dai slowly got to his feet, as well, and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat, he said, "So those mirrors are like some kind of transportation device?"
"What do you think, genius?" Ryoko shot back. "How else would you explain what happened?"
Dai narrowed his eyes at the golden-haired Digidestined, his anger burning hotter with every insult. "You don't need to be a jerk about it."
"You think I don't have every right to be angry?" Ryoko said quietly, stepping towards him. "Every time you do something stupid, I'm the one who's usually left to pick up the pieces. And if you want to know the truth, I'm tired of being your babysitter."
Dai hadn't expected this sudden outburst, and turning his face away, he said quietly, "I didn't ask you to watch my back."
"No, you just expected me to," Ryoko shot back. "And as far as I'm concerned your expectations are too high, which isn't fair to me. Don't be surprised if one day I'm not there to get you out of trouble."
Dai was especially shocked by those words, but before he could retaliate Alopemon pushed between them and said, "We need to figure out where we are and how we're going to get back to the others."
Dai stepped away from Ryoko to lean against the wall, and keeping his eyes lowered, he said shortly, "And how are we supposed to do that?"
"Maybe if you used your brain for once, you'd be able to figure it out for yourself," Ryoko said sarcastically, holding out his glowing D-Coder. "Their signals are still visible on the Digivices. From the looks of it they're somewhere behind us, and we appear to be quite far away from them. And if we can see their signals then they can see ours."
"The signals look pretty faint, though," Alopemon spoke up, taking a look at the blue D-Coder himself. "Why have they suddenly become so weak?"
"It's most likely because of the darkness," Ryoko replied. "The darkness is so thick inside these caves it's probably obscuring all of our signals somewhat."
Dai stared at the D-Coder in Ryoko's hand for a moment, and watching the beam of light shooting out of its surface, he said, "So...the others are somewhere behind us, and the Spirit Chip is somewhere ahead of us."
"So we basically have three options," Alopemon concluded, "We can head back to the others, which looks like it will take us a while, we can stay where we are and let the others catch up to us, or we can keep moving forward towards the Spirit Chip."
"We should go back and find the others," Ryoko said instantly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "It's dangerous for the three of us to be alone in here. If we were attacked, we'd never be able to defend ourselves with just one digimon."
Dai immediately shook his head, and waving his hand towards the tunnel leading behind them, he said stiffly, "Backtracking is a waste of time."
"Because you would know all about making good decisions," Ryoko said sarcastically.
Before Dai could respond, Alopemon once again interrupted, and shaking his head, he said hesitantly, "I think I agree with Dai on this one. Backtracking wouldn't exactly be a productive use of our time. I think it would be better if we waited for the others to catch up to us."
Dai crossed his arms over his chest, and giving Alopemon a look, he said, "And standing around doing nothing would be a better use of our time?"
"What do you suggest then?" Ryoko challenged. "Come on, let's hear it."
Da ignored the taunt, and pointing to the tunnel up ahead, he said, "I think we should keep going. We're just as likely to be attacked standing here as we would be while we're moving forward. The others can catch up to us. They're smart enough to pick up on what we're doing. When they see our signals moving they'll follow. They'll know we're heading to the Spirit Chip."
"Were you not listening before?" Ryoko snapped. "It's dangerous in here. We need to get back to the others as soon as possible. Our chances of making it out of here in one piece are greater if we stick together."
"It's a waste of time. We could be ambushed trying to find our way back to them just as easily as we could be moving forward. I don't mean we should just up and grab the Spirit Chip without the others, but at least if we can reach it we can survey the scene and work out a plan to take it while we wait for the others. It would be a better use of our time than fumbling around in the dark trying to find our way back to them."
"It's too dangerous," Ryoko insisted, dismissing the words without a second thought.
"But-"
"I'm done with listening to your ideas," Ryoko said coldly. "You think you can always speak for everyone and make all the decisions? That's not how it works. It's my Spirit Chip, and we're going to do what I want."
Dai had to admit that comment stung a bit, as it was completely going overboard. As far as he was concerned, it was also a false accusation, and he didn't hesitate to say so. "I've always listened to you guys and taken your ideas into consideration. What you just said is a fat out lie, and you know it."
"It doesn't matter," Ryoko said coldly. "I refuse to follow you on this one. We're going back, and if you don't like it then by all means you can stay here by yourself. Go ahead and try to find the Spirit Chip all on your own. You won't get very far without me."
Dai pushed himself away from the wall, and stepping past the golden-haired Digidestined, he said shortly, "Fine, we'll do it your way. Come on, Alopemon."
Alopemon hesitated before joining him, and a moment later Ryoko pushed past them to take the lead. Dai could tell Alopemon didn't agree with his partner's decision, but since the little rookie was willing to follow Ryoko anywhere, he wasn't going to argue the matter.
Dai, on the other hand, still believed they were making the wrong decision, but despite his reservations he did not know how to bring up the subject again without another argument breaking out.
I don't get it. He used to trust my judgment. Has he only been putting on an act this whole time? Does he really think I'm that terrible of a leader?
It was a painful thought, but more and more he was starting to suspect that Ryoko didn't believe anymore that he was capable of being the leader of the Digidestined, and as a result their friendship was suffering even more so than usual. What happened to the Ryoko who had assured him that he would always follow him anywhere? Was that all just a lie?
He made me believe that he trusted me. If he really thinks I'm useless how could he lie to me like that? I know I've gotten him in trouble a lot before, but...I only wanted to spend time with him. If I hadn't gotten him involved, he probably would have had nothing to do with me when we were kids...
They walked along the damp path for about an hour, and just when Dai thought the road was never going to end Ryoko came to a sudden halt. It caught Dai by surprise, and he ended up stumbling into the golden-haired Digidestined's back. Ryoko didn't seem to notice, though, as he was staring intently at something up ahead.
"What is it, Ryoko?" Alopemon asked curiously.
Ryoko didn't respond. Instead he held up his D-Coder and pointed it down the tunnel up ahead.
At first Dai couldn't be see anything, and stepping up beside the golden-haired Digidestined, he squinted up ahead into the darkness and said, "What is it?"
Ryoko grabbed his arm and shoved him forward, and stumbling in the darkness he caught himself on the wall. He hesitated for a moment, and then making his way cautiously down the path he followed the stream of blue light until he reached a dead end.
Sometime in the past there had been a cave in on this particular path. The walls had collapsed, and as a result debris had filled the path, completely blocking any passage to the other side.
"Now what?" Alopemon asked, coming up beside him.
Ryoko's golden head appeared out of the darkness, and turning to Alopemon, he said, "Do you think you could blast this rock out of our path if you digivolved?"
Alopemon regretfully shook his head, and giving his partner an apologetic look, he said, "Not by myself, I can't. It looks too deep for that. We'd be here forever if I tried to chip away at it. The others can probably do it from the opposite side, since they'll have a lot of firepower on them, but there's not much I can do on my own."
"This whole cave system is a giant maze," Ryoko murmured to himself. "There must be an alternate route."
Dai chose that moment to step in, and gesturing with his hands, he said, "If there is we have to keep moving forward to find a path that circles back around, which would be a complete waste of our time."
"I didn't ask you," Ryoko snapped back.
"Regardless of what we do, we can't go this way," Alopemon interrupted, trying to keep them on track. "We have to keep moving forward until we find a path that looks like it will take us back around. Once we've done that, we can take some time to figure out what to do next. We don't need to make a decision right away."
"I'm not going to where the Spirit Chip is," Ryoko said stubbornly.
Dai turned his back on the golden-haired Digidestined, and setting off the way they had come, he said, "Come on, we're wasting time."
"You would know all about that," Ryoko muttered under his breath.
Dai caught the words, and looking back over his shoulder, he said calmly, "Even though you're being a complete jerk to me, at leat one good thing has come out of this."
"Oh really? What's that?" Ryoko said sarcastically.
Dai didn't answer, but in his head the words were loud and clear.
At least you're talking to me again...