Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: This is the first of three chapters I managed to finish during the week, and I will be posting them one by one as I type them up on the computer. I hope you enjoy it!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 264: A Familiar Face

Ryoko Ishida

Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World

Ryoko moved along the path in silence, and crossing his arms over his chest, he refused to look at the goggle-headed leader walking beside him. They had been making their way along the path for several hours now, and they still had yet to find one that led back towards their fellow Digidestined. It was starting to make him nervous, and though it was impossible to tell from inside the tunnel, the time on his D-Coder Digivice was telling him it was now past nightfall.

Though they traveled the same path, the two of them had not said a word to each other since leaving the blocked passage behind, and the tension between them made Ryoko feel uneasy.

It was unlike Dai to remain quiet for so long, not that Ryoko could blame the goggle-headed leader. He knew it was all his own fault, and though he wanted to be left alone, there was still a part of him that wanted Dai to reach out to him.

Not that he will. Maybe I never really did trust him after all. It explains why we couldn't even get along as little kids...

"What's that?" Dai suddenly asked, squinting and pointing to where the tunnel curved sharply up ahead.

Ryoko took a closer look, and recognizing the pink glow lurking around the corner, he came to a dead stop. He knew exactly what was waiting for them in the darkness further up the path, and all of a sudden he had no desire to go any further.

Those shadows...What if I hear them again?

"What's with you?" Dai asked, frowning in confusion.

"Is something wrong?" Alopemon asked, moving to stand next to him.

Ryoko pointed at the tunnel up ahead, and after a brief hesitation, he said slowly, "There are more of those crystals further in, like the one that transported us here."

Dai nodded, and looking determined, he said, "Come on, let's go."

Ryoko wanted to protest, but he didn't see any other way around it, and chances were they would run into those crystals on other paths somewhere along the line, as well.

"Are you coming?" Alopemon asked, tugging on his arm.

A quick glance at Dai and Alopemon made it seem as if the other two were completely unaware of the shadows or the voices, and all of a sudden Ryoko couldn't help questioning his own sanity.

Ryoko took a deep breath, and marching along the path he rounded the corner and found himself in a tunnel filled with purplish-pink crystals. They were more dense here than they had been on the other path where they had encountered the mysterious mirrors earlier, and he could feel them watching him in the dim light. Though the tunnel was fairly wide, he felt like the crystals were moving in on him, and all of a sudden the darkness felt suffocating.

"Do you think if we touched one of those crystals again that it would transport us back to where we were before?" Dai asked, gazing curiously at the walls.

The goggle-headed leader didn't seem particularly concerned about the crystals, and Ryoko felt a sudden stab of envy in his chest.

Was Daichi immune to the crystals and their strange pull?

Does the darkness in this cave have no effect on him?

"Somehow I don't think that would be a very good idea," Alopemon snorted, making a face.

"Why not?" Dai asked.

Ryoko glared at the goggle-headed leader, and crossing his arms over his chest, he said coldly, "Chances are we would just be transported to somewhere entirely different again, and knowing your luck we'd end up in an even worse situation than the one we're in now."

Dai frowned, and lifting his chin a little higher, the goggle-headed leader said, "If you think I'm going to let you get to me, forget it. That's not going to happen this time."

With that, Dai started walking again, and Ryoko gaped at the goggle-headed leader before hurrying to catch up. That wasn't exactly the reaction he had expected, and glancing at the crystals lining the walls, he wrapped his arms around himself for protection. He could see the shadows beginning to form inside the crystals again, and somewhere at the back of his mind he could hear the voices whispering softly in his ears.

What do they want from me?

A quick glance at Dai and Alopemon made it seem as if the other two were completely unaware of the shadows or the voices, and all of a sudden Ryoko couldn't help questioning his own sanity.

Am I the only one who can hear those voices?

There was only one way to find out.

Refusing to look at the goggle-headed leader, he said stiffly, "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Dai asked, looking confused.

"You don't hear anything at all?"

"No, am I supposed to?"

Ryoko could feel the goggle-headed leader's eyes on him, and looking up he jumped as their gazes met for the first time in several hours.

"Are you okay?" Dai asked, looking surprisingly concerned.

Ryoko felt the goggle-headed leader's hand come to rest gently on his shoulder, and though his first instinct was to pull away, he chose to remain where he was.

For some reason being close to Dai made the voices in his head fade somewhat, and the shadows within the crystal mirrors seemed to pull back a bit.

Ryoko didn't really want to talk about it, but he needed to know for the sake of his own sanity, and that was why he couldn't stop himself from asking questions. "I'm fine. When you look at those mirrors, what do you see?"

Dai looked more confused than ever, and glancing at one of the crystals, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don't know. I don't really see anything. They just look kind of dark and shadowy inside, but that's about it. Why do you want to know?"

Ryoko couldn't answer. For him, the shadows within the crystals had taken on shape and form, and even though he wasn't looking directly at the mirrors, he could see the shadows stretching their arms out towards him.

"Ishida, what's up?" Dai asked, placing a hand on his other shoulder so they were facing each other. "What's wrong?"

Ryoko couldn't answer, and ducking his head he tried to ignore the whispers that were growing louder inside his mind.

"Wait...what do you see?" Dai asked, looking suddenly suspicious.

Ryoko jerked away from the goggle-headed leader, and hurrying off down the path, he called out over his shoulder, "We need to keep moving. I want to get out of this tunnel before it gets really late."

"Ishida, wait!" Dai called out after him, racing to catch up. "You're hiding something from me! What's going on!"

"Nothing!" Ryoko called back, trying to keep his distance. "Stop wasting time!"

"If you think I'm going to give up that easily, forget it!" Dai snapped, his voice coming closer.

Ryoko gasped as the goggle-headed leader suddenly grabbed his arm and shoved him against the wall. He could feel the crystal that was dangerously close to his head pulsing with life, and it caused a shiver to race down his spine. What if the shadow on the other side suddenly grabbed his arm and tried to pull him into the crystal? Now that he was so close to one of them, he could feel the darkness radiating from its surface, and it seemed to linger within the tunnel, coating everything in a dark mist.

"What did you see?" Dai demanded, shaking him by the shoulders.

Ryoko couldn't have responded even if he had wanted to. Behind Dai, Ryoko could see the shadows moving within the mirrors, and now that he was looking directly at them he could see their strange violet eyes glowing in the darkness.

They look like the one that was in the castle on Cyber. Could they be the same shadows as the ones that attacked Sam in the World of Darkness?

"What are you looking at?" Dai asked sharply, letting go of him. "What are you seeing?"

Ryoko watched in horror as one of the shadows stuck its hand through the crystal, its dark fingers reaching out for the hood of Dai's jacket. With a gasp, Ryoko shoved the goggle-headed leader onto the icy ground, and he winced as his own elbow hit the stone. Above him the shadow slid its arm back into the crystal, and Ryoko let out a small sigh of relief.

"Ouch, what's wrong with you?" Dai groaned, shoving him to the side. "What did you do that for?"

"Stay close to me," Ryoko snapped, glancing down the tunnel. It turned sharply once again up ahead, and he thought he saw something moving in the darkness.

"Uh...Ryoko? Are you feeling okay?" Alopemon asked hesitantly, coming slowly towards him.

Ryoko sat up, and brushing snow off his coat, he said calmly, "I thought I saw something moving in the tunnel up ahead."

"Where?" Dai asked, frowning in confusion as he glanced down the tunnel himself. "I don't see anything."

"I don't either," Alopemon informed them.

"Maybe you should stay close to me, not the other way around," Dai said dryly, watching him closely. "Although I do appreciate the sentiment. At this point, I'll take what I can get."

Ryoko felt his face turn red, and climbing to his feet he made a show of brushing himself off. He knew Dai was trying to get a reaction out of him, but he wasn't going to fall for it.

Every time I let my heart soften even just a little, I feel like I'm betraying Matty somehow...

Up ahead the tunnel not only turned sharply, but it also branched off in two different directions, one path going around the curve, the other path heading towards the left. Neither path seemed to head in the direction he wanted, though, and he could feel himself getting more and more frustrated.

Are we ever going to find our way to the others?

Just then he thought he saw something dart across the path. It came from the left path before making its way around the curve, and something about it looked familiar.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?" Dai asked, raising his eyebrows.

Ryoko hesitated before saying, "I thought I saw something heading around the curve up ahead."

"Was it DarkAngelicmon or one of the others?" Alopemon asked, stepping in front of them and taking up a battle stance.

Ryoko shook his head, and speaking slowly, he said, "No...it...it looked..."

Like Matty.

Ryoko glanced at his D-Coder, and it showed him exactly what he had expected to see. Matty's signal was still with the rest of the Digidestined, and none of them were close to where he was.

But if the person he had seen wasn't Matty, then who was it?

It looked so much like him...

"Looked like what?" Dai asked, glancing over his shoulder at the curve in the tunnel.

"Nothing. Let's keep going."

"Are you sure?" Alopemon asked, looking unconvinced.

Ryoko nodded, and pointing up ahead, he said, "I'm probably just seeing things. Let's take the path to the right. It looks more promising than the other one."

Dai was looking at him funny, but surprisingly the goggle-headed leader didn't argue. Instead, he merely turned and started heading down the path, and Ryoko hurried to catch up to him. He didn't like the idea of being too far away from Dai, especially after what had happened with the crystal.

If I hadn't intervened, what would they have done with Dai?

Ryoko didn't want to know, and keeping pace with Dai he took comfort in the goggle-headed leader's quiet strength. That more than any words Dai could have spoken kept him from focusing too closely on the shadows.

More and more of those shadows were starting to reach through the mirrors, but Ryoko firmly ignored them and kept his eyes focused on the path up ahead. He made sure that all three of them walked in the centre of the tunnel where the shadows could not reach them.

The voices are getting louder now. They sound so familiar. Is that you, Matty? It sounds so much like you, but...why do you sound so mean? Why are you accusing me of trying to hurt you? I wouldn't! I would never do that...

Just when Ryoko thought the voices were going to drive him insane, the scenery changed and the crystals around them disappeared. He could still feel the darkness within the cave, but it wasn't as thick now, and it gave him a bit of a reprieve.

Instead of the crystals, the walls of the tunnel were now made up of simple gray stone. They were also damp, but the stone floor was covered in ice. They would have to tread carefully if they didn't want to slip and fall. The ice seemed to glow a pale blue in the darkness, and though there was the odd glowing stalagmite jutting out from the ground, for the most part the path was clear.

It must be really late now, and though we've come so far I feel like we haven't accomplished anything at all.

The only bright side was the fact that he was no longer surrounded by those horrible crystals, but considering the circumstances that wasn't really much to be happy about.

I know I saw something. Was that really Matty or is my guilt playing tricks on me?

"It looks like the tunnel widens up ahead," Dai announced, squinting in the darkness. "Some kind of chamber?"

This was the path Ryoko had seen Matty take, and increasing his pace he quickly burst out of the tunnel into what appeared to be an average sized chamber. There were stalagmites and stalactites scattered throughout the chamber, and he could see an opening to another path on the opposite side of the chamber. A small river ran across the path, and it appeared to flow into an underground channel that must have led to another area of the cavern. The flow of the river seemed to come from a small waterfall on the left side of the chamber before exiting on the right, and though the water was clear it had a faint violet tinge to it.

The chamber itself glowed a pale blue, and the stone beneath their feet was covered in a light dusting of snow. Patches of violet ice littered the floor, and the stalagmites seemed to pulse with life.

"There's only one way out of this chamber, and it's on the other side of the river," Dai commented. "How are we supposed to cross it? It's not only pretty wide and deep, it's probably freezing cold. We can't afford to get wet or we'll freeze to death."

"That's easy enough to do," Alopemon replied, his tone filled with confidence. "I can always digivolve to Tirimon and carry you guys across. My body was made for the cold! I quite like it, and getting wet won't affect me in the slightest."

Ryoko could see no sign of the thing he had thought looked like Matty, and letting out a sigh, he said, "That's all well and good, but it's getting pretty late. We should probably stop for the night."

"This seems as good a place as any," Dai agreed, yawning and stretching is muscles. "These backpacks get pretty heavy after a while. Where do you think would be a good place to set up camp?"

Alopemon pointed closer to where the waterfall was, and indicating a small alcove, he said, "I can sense a bit of heat coming from over there. We should take a look."

Ryoko quickly followed the little rookie, and coming to a stop near the alcove, he noticed a small pool of steaming hot water. All around the pool there seemed to be natural vents in the rocks, and Ryoko could feel the heat escaping through them. It didn't get rid of the cold entirely, but it made it much more bearable at least.

"Seems like a good place to me!" Dai cheered, pulling out his sleeping bag and setting it out near one of the vents in the rocks. They were still a few feet away from the pool, but even so Ryoko could still feel a pleasant flow of warm air on his face.

"I wonder where the heat is coming from," Alopemon commented, making himself comfortable in a pile of snow and curling his tail around his small body. "Seems out of place here in the Northern Hemisphere."

"Don't question it, just enjoy it," Dai scolded, rolling himself into his sleeping bag. "Not that you care all that much about the heat."

Alopemon snorted in agreement, and closing his eyes he proceeded to make a show of falling asleep.

Ryoko hesitated before rolling his sleeping bag out next to Dai's, and climbing in he quickly closed his eyes and kept his back to the goggle-headed leader. The sound of falling water comforted him somewhat, and he allowed the rush of the water to wash over his tired body.

"I know you're not exactly happy to be stuck with me, but stay close," Dai advised, his voice echoing slightly in the chamber. "We don't want to freeze to death during the night."

Ryoko didn't respond, but he could feel the goggle-headed leader's back pressing against his own. The shared body heat did keep him warmer, and with the aid of the vent that was close to Dai it felt surprisingly comfortable.

For the most part, at least.

As much as he wanted to get away from Dai, he knew that wouldn't be a very logical thing to do, and on top of that there was a tiny part of him that wanted to stay close and soak in his friend's abundance of strength.

Because I don't have any of my own.

"Do you know why I suggested going after the Spirit Chip?" Dai asked suddenly, his voice carrying in the darkness.

Ryoko grew tense, and speaking quietly, he said stiffly, "I don't need to hear your reasons."

"The only way DarkAngelicmon and his buddies can track us in these caverns is through our celestial digimon," Dai continued, ignoring his words. "While we have you to rely on and everyone else with a connection to the Spirit Chip of Loyalty, they have nothing. The only way they even have a hope of finding the Spirit Chip is if they track our celestial digimon and let us lead them toward the Spirit Chip."

"What's your point?"

"Since we ended up getting separated from the rest of the group, we have no celestial digimon with us," Dai said flatly, making it sound as if he was clearly stating the obvious. "But we do have two D-Coders that could locate the Spirit Chip. DarkAngelicmon has absolutely no way of tracking us. In fact, he wouldn't even know we've been separated from the group. As far as he's concerned, we're all still together. We could find the Spirit Chip right under his nose, and he wouldn't even know the difference. Without Joe and the others, we couldn't actually take the Spirit Chip, but we could at least scout the area and see what we're up against."

Ryoko slowly opened his eyes and said quietly, "What are you implying?"

"DarkAngelicmon is probably stalking Tai and the others even as we speak," Dai said bluntly, shifting slightly in his sleeping bag. "You're so worried about being ambushed, but the chances of that happening are virtually zero. You should be worrying more about Matty and the others more than you should be worrying about us. We're actually safer being separated from them than we would be if we were still with the group. And considering we haven't seen another digimon in here since we came in, the chances of being attacked by a random digimon are pretty much zero, as well. If our friends are in danger, the least we can do is be productive, which might help them later on."

Ryoko realized with a jolt that Dai was right. Logically speaking, their friends were in fact in more danger than they were, but that didn't mean he wanted to give in so easily. "That doesn't mean there isn't a possibility that we could still be in danger."

"Of course there's always a possibility," Dai snorted, shifting slightly. "But sometimes you have to take a few risks. Did you really think I would have made a suggestion like that without weighing the risks and the possible danger we could all be in? I know it's always been my natural instinct to jump right in and be a part of the action, but that doesn't mean I didn't learn a few things when we were tying to find my Spirit Chip."

Ryoko wasn't quite sure how to respond, and though it looked like Alopemon was asleep, he had a distinct feeling that his digimon was listening to every word. "What's your point?"

"We have a good opportunity to survey the Spirit Chip completely undetected, and while there are risks in doing that, there are also risks in trying to find the others."

"You said yourself, though. DarkAngelicmon's eyes will be on them. What if they're attacked and they need our help? If we're not there to support them, things could end up taking a turn for the worst."

Dai was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again his voice was cold. "You should have more faith in Matty and the others. Sometimes you just have to trust other people, because you can't do everything yourself."

The words were like a slap in the face, and Ryoko felt his heart lurch. He could feel Dai close against him, and though they shared their warmth, he felt like they were thousands of miles apart. Would it be so hard for him to explain how he really felt?

The silence seemed to stretch on forever, but just when Ryoko thought that the goggle-headed leader had fallen asleep, Dai spoke again, the tone of his voice burning with emotion. "You told me once that you would follow me anywhere, and now you're acting like you wish I'd never existed. Have you forgotten so easily? It would do you well to remember where your loyalties lie if you don't want to lose everything that's important to you."

And with that Dai refused to speak another word, leaving Ryoko to lie there gazing at the river in silence. The sound of the water flowed in a steady rhythm, and as he closed it eyes, the eerie echo of the river seemed to match the whispers of the shadow lurking around his beating heart.