Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: I've got another chapter up! I'm hoping you all like this one! Think it pretty much speaks for itself! There were some characters who to my knowledge were never officially given surnames in the anime, so for one particular character I took it upon myself to create a surname I thought would be suitable. That's it for now! Enjoy!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 269: Harbingers of Darkness

DarkAngelicmon

Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World

DarkAngelicmon's emerald eyes snapped open, and pulling himself into a sitting position he struggled to concentrate with some difficulty, since his mind was still in the process of waking up.

Something was amiss. This time, he was sure of it.

Does my heart deceive me or has one of the humans truly lost their way?

Instinct told him it was some time during the early hours of the morning, and in his heart he could still feel Lucemon's presence somewhere deep within the cavern.

But that wasn't what had caught his attention. Although Lucemon appeared to be sleeping, there was another celestial presence coming from that direction. It was hard to tell who it might be with the thick layer of darkness hovering inside the caves, but he was sure it was a familiar presence.

In fact, it felt suspiciously like Celestimon. And since chances were he could feel the celestial presence of his holy counterparts better than they could pick out his dark essence, he was quite sure he was not mistaken.

That's impossible. He was asleep with his partner and the other Digidestined about a half hour ago. Even in sleep, I cannot mistake their presence. There's no way he could possibly be on the other side of the caves at this hour of the night. Unless...

DarkAngelicmon shot to his feet, and heart pounding heavily in his broad chest he concentrated with every ounce of energy he had. Earlier, the Digidestined had paused unexpectedly in their travels without rhyme or reason to the cause, and the prolonged stop had concerned him somewhat. Even then he had felt as if something was amiss, but before he could come up with a well thought out theory they had continued on their journey once more, only stopping for the night, presumably to get some sleep. He had thought perhaps that one of the Digidestined had faltered in the darkness, and upon doing so they may have been pulled into the crystal mirrors, thus making their fate uncertain, but he had not been rewarded with any proof for his theory.

Until now.

The Digidestined were still sleeping somewhere off to his left, which he could tell from the soft touch of Halomon's presence, but off to the right there was definitely the presence of another angel digimon besides Lucemon.

It was the same celestial presence that should have been with the rest of the Digidestined, but for reasons as yet unknown to him that presence was now somewhere else. And common logic surmised that it had to be Celestimon, since the little rookie was the only other digimon with the Digidestined that gave off a celestial beacon. Patamon definitely wasn't with them, and if Gatomon was, then she was not currently in her ultimate form.

There was no doubt in his mind that the digimon he was feeling was Celestimon, and there was only one possible solution as to how he could have ended up in Lucemon's domain so quickly.

Masato Takaishi had allowed himself to succumb to the Powers of Darkness.

That fool. He has allowed himself to be taken in by the crystal mirrors!

There was no other explanation that made sense. Celestimon would not have touched the crystals himself. Unlike his partner, he was normally sensible, and he would not have gotten himself transported to another area of the cavern all on his own. The only way he would have allowed himself to get transported would have been if he'd been trying to protect Matty or one of the other humans. And since Matty was Celestimon's partner, the younger twin was the most logical choice of being the one who had fallen victim to the mirrors, although DarkAngelicmon knew he couldn't rule out the possibility that it had been Mickey or one of the other humans. Celestimon would have been just as willing to put his life on the line for any of the humans every bit as much as he would for his own partner, particularly Mickey.

That being said, though, his instincts were telling him Matty was the victim, and at this point in time he could not yet tell if anybody else had gone along for the ride. The only one he could be sure about was Halomon, since the little rookie was still back at the place where the Digidestined had decided to spend the night, and chances were Mickey was with his partner. If he was to make an educated guess, he would have to conclude that most of the Digidestined were back at the campsite, and only Matty and his partner had fallen victim to the mirrors.

That would be the most logical explanation, since it is highly doubtful that most of the group would have wandered off and gotten themselves transported through the mirrors.

But that being said, he still had to make sure.

Quite the predicament we now have on our hands...

DarkAngelicmon wasted no time in alerting his fellow companions that circumstances had changed, and giving Jestermon a hearty kick with his black boot, he said with authority, "Get up, it's time to move out."

Jestermon let out a deep groan, and lurching to his feet, he grumbled, "You don't have to be so rough. What's the hurry, angel boy? It's the middle of the night!"

"Early morning, to be precise. It is past midnight. As to your question, there's a change of plans."

"At this hour?" Jestermon snorted, giving him a look.

DarkAngelicmon didn't answer. Instead, he bent down to give Spritemon's shoulder a gentle shake, and stirring the little pixie opened her eyes and mumbled, "What's going on?"

"It's time for us to be moving," DarkAngelicmon said shortly, stepping over her to wake Vampiramon.

"Already?" Spritemon complained, standing up and shaking out her long brown ponytail. "I was having a super nice dream, you know. You interrupted right when it was getting to the good part."

DarkAngelicmon chose to ignore this, and shaking Vampiramon's shoulder she woke with a hiss, her deep red eyes immediately coming to rest upon his face. He could tell the vampire digimon was annoyed, and it pleased him to know he could get under her skin so easily.

"What is the meaning of this?" she snapped, brushing his hand away.

"I fear at least one of our Digidestined has decided to go for a late night stroll. I can't say I approve of his method of transport, if I am to be frank about the situation."

"What in the Digiworld are you talking about?" Spritemon interrupted, frowning at him as she smoothed out her skirt.

DarkAngelicmon slowly rose to his feet, and gesturing with his hand, he said, "Although my theory is still yet to be determined, I believe Masato Takaishi has succumbed to the darkness of the crystals. Thus, he has been separated from the rest of the group. This could potentially ruin everything."

"How do you figure that?" Jestermon asked, scratching his green temple in confusion.

"Common sense and logic, my dear comrade, both of which you do not possess. This is rather unfortunate as we cannot allow the Takaishi boy to fall victim to the caves."

"Why not?" Spritemon grumbled, looking rather put out that her beauty sleep had been interrupted.

DarkAngelicmon paused, wondering how much he should reveal to them. Two of the Spirit Chips had already been located, which meant the owner of the current Spirit Chip they were looking for could not possibly be Daichi or Sam. Though he did not have as much proof as he would have liked, since he had not witnessed the Digidestined's arrival at the Ice Caverns for himself, he wasn't inclined to believe it belonged to one of the Takaishi twins. From the reports he had heard, the light the Spirit Chip was emitting from the Ice Caverns was blue, which meant the most likely owner would be Ryoko Ishida, since he was the only one who carried a blue D-Coder Digivice. Takara's Digivice was green, and neither one of the Takaishi boys had a blue D-Coder either. That being said, though, he didn't like to assume, but the fact that the Spirit Chip was hidden in an area suited to Alopemon's tastes, it was hard to find an argument against his initial assumptions.

But should he reveal that information to his comrades, who were obviously not as observant as he was?

It is a toss up, but I must convince them to follow.

"Well?" Vampiramon demanded.

DarkAngelicmon hesitated, and opening his mouth, he said slowly, "I have reason to believe that the Spirit Chip we are after belongs to Ryoko Ishida. If anything happens to the Takaishi boy, it could jeopardize Ryoko's chance of activating the Spirit Chip, which in turn would ruin our chances of stealing it for ourselves. We cannot let that happen."

"So wait...let me get this straight. You want us to go on a rescue mission?" Spritemon asked, staring at him in disbelief.

DarkAngelicmon raised his eyebrows, and smiling slightly, he said, "Think of it as protecting our assets."

"And what makes you so sure that the Takaishi kid is in danger? What has you so convinced that he will ruin our chances of getting the Spirit Chip? You said yourself you don't think he's the owner. How can he wreak our plans if it doesn't even belong to him?"

DarkAngelicmon turned his back on her, and speaking quietly, he said, "These caves are unpredictable. If anything unpleasant were to happen to the Takaishi boy, Ryoko's Spirit Chip would be useless to him. Even more so if he were to lose Matty, whether it was death or the darkness that took the boy. The Takaishi twins are his cousins, and family ties are important in the human world. Humans are bound by their love for one another, and Ryoko loves Matty. He's fiercely loyal to the boy, and his heart would be in no condition to receive his Spirit Chip if something irreversible were to happen to Matty."

"But can we not use the Takaishi boy's misfortune to our advantage to gain the Spirit Chip for ourselves?" Vampiramon countered, watching him closely. "If anything, this sounds like a pleasant turn of events to me."

DarkAngelicmon nodded, and gazing thoughtfully at the dark ceiling, he said, "We can in a controlled environment, if we stage the scenerio ourselves. And I don't mean like the reckless behaviour Jestermon showed with Makiya earlier. That was a disaster that could have cost us dearly. Masato Takaishi must remained unharmed at least until the Spirit Chip is activated. If we leave his fate in the hands of the darkness flowing through this cave, there's too much of a possibility that something could go wrong before we're ready to steal the Spirit Chip."

"So...we rescue the boy and then use him to our advantage?" Jestermon surmised, an evil grin beginning to form on his wrinkled face.

"Something like that, yes."

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Spritemon demanded. "Let's get moving!"

DarkAngelicmon nodded, and turning his back on them he proceeded to hurry thorough the dark tunnels towards the celestial presence waiting for him at the end of the road.

Vampiramon was quick to catch up to him, and studying his face, she said coldly, "One question. How did you discover the inner workings of these caves? How do you know how the crystal mirrors work?"

DarkAngelicmon did not reply, but the answer was there in his heart. He knew because he too was at the mercy of the crystal mirrors, and even now the shadows taunted him and the faces of his two closest friends stalked him through the tunnels.

All because one of the humans brought the mirrors to life. Was it you, Matty? Or was it one of the others?

That, unfortunately, was still a question where the answer was yet to be determined.

I will find out. I will not let the faces of my friends become my greatest nightmare.

As he made his way down the path, there was only one thought running through his mind.

I must warn Lucemon. I must warn him to leave before he is discovered...

Masato 'Matty' Takaishi

Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World

Matty woke with a soft groan, and opening his eyes he found himself gazing up at a tall ceiling that was covered in crystals. Upon closer inspection, he appeared to be in a vast cavern that seemed to stretch out in all directions, and from his position on the ground he could not make out just how big the cavern actually was.

Where am I?

Matty slowly sat up, and wincing at the pain in his right shoulder he took a closer look at his surroundings. The cavern was huge, and it seemed to stretch out for an eternity. In the distance, he could see a small lake, and some purple object appeared to be glowing from the centre of the water. It looked like there was something coming out of the purple light, and somehow it was flowing into the lake. From there it seemed to spread out and trickle into the streams that connected to the larger body of water, and it exited the cavern via an underground chamber that carried it to other parts of the Ice Caverns.

Matty wasn't entirely sure what that purple light was, but he could sense that it was dangerous.

This cave feels even darker than the tunnels. What is this place? The darkness is so thick here.

Matty knew he had been transported to somewhere else in the Ice Caverns, just like Dai and Ryoko before him, and glancing over his shoulder he spotted a giant purplish-pink crystal rising up from the ground.

So Joe had been right after all.

That must have been the offending crystal mirror that had transported him to the vast cavern in the first place, and staggering backwards he stared at it with wild, frightened eyes.

Unlike the crystal mirrors adorning the walls in the tunnels, this crystal was huge. It looked to be more than six feet tall, and this time Matty could see his own reflection staring back at him from its surface. That alone was a surprise since he hadn't been able to see himself in the smaller crystals. The mirror gave his reflection an odd purplish-pink tint, and it made his face look a tad distorted, as if he was seeing a twisted version of himself.

Don't look. Don't stare into the mirrors.

Taking his own advice, Matty quickly turned away from the crystal, and catching sight of the scenery around him he froze with his mouth hanging open. Apparently the crystal that had transported him to his current location wasn't an anomaly. They were everywhere, and all of them were huge. As far as he could see, the purplish-pink structures loomed in the darkness, their silent forms watching over the lake, and he felt his blood turn to ice. Though they looked innocent enough, peaceful and serene, he could feel them watching him in the darkness. Some were half buried in snow, but there were others he could see clearly as they glowed brightly in the gloom.

It was unnerving to see his own reflection gazing back at him several times over, and wrapping his arms around himself he turned to see something small and white lying on the ground close to where he was standing.

Celestimon!

Matty quickly scooped the little rookie into his arms, and cuddling Celestimon close to his chest, he whispered, "Are you okay? Wake up, Celestimon! Please don't be hurt!"

As far as Matty could tell, the little digimon seemed fine, but he had not yet regained consciousness. That was a small cause for some concern. The little rookie's inability to wake up seemed unnatural, as if their was something preventing him from opening his eyes.

Is it the darkness that's affecting him? Don't worry, Celestimon. I'll keep you safe. I'll protect you!

The words comforted him somewhat, but he was still acutely aware of how defenseless he was. It made him feel very alone, and crouching with Celestimon in his arms, he gazed nervously at the crystals.

What was that sound he'd just heard?

It's nothing! You're just scaring yourself. There's no one there!

And yet he could feel a presence in the cave, and something was telling him he was no longer alone.

How could I have been such a fool? I knew it was dangerous to touch the mirrors, but even if I hadn't...Those shadows, they would have pulled me in even if I had tried to get away...

He knew in his heart that he wasn't just saying it to make himself feel better. It was all true. The shadows were relentless, and even if he had gotten away, they would have kept stalking him until they managed to lure him in.

Because I'm weak. I'm not strong enough to fight them, and they know it.

The thought made Matty lose his strength, and cuddling his partner against his chest, he found himself thinking of the others. Would they noticed he was missing? Would they even care that he was gone? And what about Mickey? Would his twin be worried about him?

And what about Dai and Ryoko? Will they see that I've disappeared like they did? Will they be upset or happy that I'm gone?

Out of the corners of his eyes he thought he saw a flash of blond, and he turned just in time to see the edge of a blue skirt disappear around one of the crystals.

Well, that was odd. Last he checked, neither Ryoko or Mickey were in the habit of wearing skirts, and nobody else in the group who was blond would have been small enough to fit the description of the figure he had just seen. Certainly none of the females had a blue skirt on, and besides, none of the women currently in the group had blond hair.

What's...going on?

Without even thinking about what he was doing, he followed after whatever it was he had seen, his momentum gathering as he began to run.

Stop! Wait! I need some answers!

Up ahead, he heard the faint sound of laughter, and he paused to orient himself. The tone was soft and airy, like the wings of a butterfly. It sounded female, as if he had heard the voice of a young child.

There were no young children present in the Digital World at this time.

Where are you?

Up ahead, Matty caught another flash of blue, and weaving between the crystals he came to a stop when he spotted a figure waiting for him further along the path. It was a young girl, and she was standing in the centre of a circle of crystals, their tall structures towering over her small body.

She had her back to him, but he could tell that she had long, pale blond hair, and she was wearing a blue sundress. Her feet and her arms were bare, but the ice beneath her bare soles didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. She stood erect with her arms behind her back, and Matty could see a single white daisy clutched loosely in her hands. She appeared to be singing softly to herself, but he couldn't make out the words to the song.

Her voice sounded familiar, though, and Matty hesitated, uncertain of whether he should go to her or not.

I know this girl. I have to go to her.

Matty wasn't quite sure how to describe it, but he felt like he was in a dream. His body seemed to move of its own accord, and he had little control over his own thoughts. His mind was chaotic, but despite the feeling that he was an unwilling puppet in some kind of twisted game, his brain had sense enough to scream at him that he was in serious danger.

I want to go back to the others. I want to go home...

At first the girl did not seem to be aware of his presence, but a few moments later the song she was singing came to an end, and she said with a touch of disapproval, "You're late."

The voice was definitely familiar, and frowning, Matty said, "Late for what?"

"The party, of course," the girl replied, the sound of her musical laugh catching him off guard. "We can't start without you."

Matty wasn't quite sure what to say to that, and quickly changing the subject, he said hesitantly, "What are you doing here? Aren't you cold in that dress?"

"I'm not cold at all," the girl replied, turning slowly to face him. "The darkness keeps me warm. The darkness gives me strength."

Matty found himself gazing into a pair of pale blue eyes, and a strangled gasp escaped his lips as he staggered backwards from the shock. The girl was thin, and her porcelain skin, white-blond hair, and icy blue eyes made her look fragile, like a fine piece of expensive china. She was gazing at him with no expression on her face, and though it had been two years since he had last seen that particular countenance, he still recognized it instantly. How could he possibly forget that fragile, ethereal beauty?

Somehow, impossibly, he was standing face to face with the youngest daughter belonging to Willis and Catherine Young.

"Lily?" he whispered in utter disbelief, unable to take his eyes off the young girl.

There was no denying what he was seeing. Thanks to some bizarre twist of fate he was in the presence of seven year old Lily Young, who by rights should not have been anywhere close to the Digital World.

"Lily, what are you doing here?"

"Come," Lily scolded, reaching out to take his hand. "Come and join the party. Everyone's expecting you."

Matty allowed the young girl to take his hand, and he shivered as he could feel the darkness emanating from her touch. Her fingers were soft and gentle, and on any other occasion he would have gladly taken the girl's hand and joined her in her flight of fancy, but on this particular occasion he wanted nothing more than to pull away from her sweet, childish grip.

Humming to herself, Lily led him through the maze of crystals, and as another figure appeared up ahead, she dropped his hand and gave him a gentle push.

"Go ahead. He's waiting just up ahead," Lily informed him, tugging playfully on his arm so she could whisper mysteriously in his ear.

"Who's waiting?"

Lily giggled, and dancing around him in a circle, she placed a kiss on his cheek and said, "I'm not telling. You go ahead and find out for yourself!"

And with that she turned and raced off, her small body weaving in and out of the crystals with an air of familiarity. The daisy she had been carrying in her hand fluttered to the ground at his feet, and he watched in shock as it shriveled and died right before his eyes. Her childish laughter continued to echo in the cavern long after she had gone, and taking a deep breath, Matty moved slowly towards the dark figure waiting patiently up ahead.

"We must hurry," a soft male voice called out to him, a hand bathed in shadows beckoning him forward. "The clock is ticking."

This boy, too, had a musical voice, and his words echoed like wind chimes tinkling together in the vast cavern.

Like Lily, this boy had white-blond hair and icy blue eyes, and his fair skin was the same porcelain shade as that of the young girl who had taken it upon herself to act as his guide. This boy also had the same ethereal beauty, and if Matty hadn't recognized the face, he would have been convinced he was gazing at a life-sized china doll instead of at a real person. The boy looked fragile, like glass, and like Lily, he too wore blue. The short-sleeved shirt and cotton pants he wore brought out the colour of his eyes, and the curve of his lips were turned up in a soft smile. He stood with his hand outstretched, and his feet were bare. Despite the fact that he must have been freezing, there was a pleasant expression on his handsome face.

It can't be..

But it was.

This boy was the only son of Willis and Catherine Young, and like his younger sister he appeared to have taken on the role of a guide.

"How can you be here?" Matty whispered, unable to look away from the handsome boy in front of him.

Twelve year old Jayden Young smiled at him, and speaking in that alluring voice he had, he said gently, "Don't you want to see your brother?"

"Mickey?"

Matty quickly grabbed onto the outstretched hand, and he shivered as Jayden tugged him forward through the maze of crystals. It was the same as with Lily. He could feel a thick concentration of darkness seeping out of the hand that held comfortably to his own, but he couldn't seem to pull away. Jayden's touch was soft and secure like Lily's, and there was a quiet strength to it that appealed to Matty. Under other circumstances he wouldn't have minded it, but at the moment he wanted nothing more than to snatch his hand away and run from the other boy.

He liked Jayden. They were friends, and they always got along really well when Willis and his family would come to visit. The last time he had seen Jayden in person was two years ago, but he had seen the most recent photos of Jayden that Catherine had sent his mother only a couple of weeks ago. And not only that, the two of them still talked all the time via instant messaging.

Jayden had gotten taller in the two years since Matty had last seen him in person, and he had filled out somewhat as well. He also seemed to have grown a bit more bold since the last time they had spoken over the internet, but underneath all of that he was still the same boy Matty had hung out with two years ago.

Or was he?

Matty couldn't tell, but he did know one thing. Changed or not, how could he pull away from a friend?

Jayden likes me. He said so himself. He wouldn't hurt me. We play soccer together, and we share the same interest in photography. I've been teaching him to speak Japanese...

Unaware of the turmoil in his companion's fragile heart, Jayden continued on through the maze with a confidence Matty had not seen him portray before. A few minutes later they came to another clearing, and Matty spotted another dark figure up ahead.

"I'll see you at the party," Jayden whispered softly in his ear before letting go of his hand and slipping away into the darkness.

"Wait!"

Matty let his hand drop when he realized that Jayden was already gone, and taking a deep breath he turned to confront his newest guide.

The shadowy figure waiting for him up ahead also had a hand outstretched, and speaking in a beautiful voice that reminded him of fairies, she said, "We're almost there now. Just a little bit further."

Matty stepped into the glow of the crystals, Celestimon held securely in his arms, and gazing at the pale figure standing before him, he wondered for a moment why nobody had reacted to his digimon partner.

Not that it mattered.

None of these people should have been in the Digital World to begin with.

It's impossible, but they feel so real...

The girl in front of him was waiting patiently for his hand, and studying her stunning profile he had the crazy urge to laugh. This was the oldest daughter belonging to Willis and Catherine Young, and like her siblings she had the same pale blond hair, icy blue eyes, and pale complexion. She was tall and slim, and her long blond hair fell to just above her waist. She could have been a young model, but the smile she wore, though pleasant, didn't quite reach her eyes. Like Lily, she was wearing a blue sundress, and her feet were bare. There was also a white daisy nestled in her golden hair just behind her ear.

Fourteen year old Emma Young shared the ethereal beauty of her younger brother and sister, and Matty had the crazy urge to break out into hysterical laughter. Of course she did. The Young siblings were all gorgeous, just like their parents. They looked like young angels, and their beauty was well known among the Digidestined.

Angels of darkness leading me to my doom...

Resigned to his fate, Matty took the offered hand, and moving forwards Emma led him on a path that he was fairly certain would lead to his final destination.

After all, Willis and Catherine didn't have anymore children left. This had to be the end of the road.

As they weaved their way through the crystals he could feel the darkness seeping out of Emma's hand, and though her touch was gentle, he felt like he was holding onto a block of ice. For some unexplained reason he uncharacteristically found himself thinking of Taniko, and now that his mind had wandered in that direction, he couldn't seem to shut his brain off.

Taniko was warm, not like the Emma that was holding so carefully to his hand, and her smile was infectious. He loved the colour of her skin, and the deep brown colour of her sparkling eyes warmed his soul. Her long brown hair was always so sleek and shiny, and the slightly husky tone of her voice was like music to his ears.

I wonder if she misses me...

"This way, Matty," Emma said softly, tugging on his hand as she danced ahead of him. "It's just up ahead."

A moment later they entered a large clearing, and from what he could tell it appeared to be surrounded by large crystals. In the centre of the clearing there was a gathering of rocks that would make a good place to sit, and leaning towards him, Emma whispered, "She's waiting for you. You don't know it yet, but she's the one who's in your heart. Don't you want to see her?"

Matty barely even noticed when Emma slipped away from him and disappeared into the darkness, but he did glance at the daisy that she had place in his hand. He watched with sadness as it withered and died in his palm, but he didn't have time to dwell on the matter.

At first he had assumed he was alone, but then he spotted a figure sitting alone on the rocks. There was no mistaking that shiny dark hair, and though it should have been impossible for her to be there, Matty found himself racing towards the rocks. He quickly set Celestimon on the one closest to him before turning to the familiar face, and feeling a deep sense of relief wash over him he threw his arms around the lone figure and buried his face in her neck.

"Taniko, what are you doing here?" he gasped, tightening his hold on her.

He had seen her face in the mirrors earlier, before being transported to his current position, but he had not allowed himself to focus too closely on her expression.

He wasn't sure why he had been thinking more often about her since being transported to this strange chamber full of crystals, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He was well aware of the fact that his emotions were all over the place, but seeing Taniko now had awoken something in him that was only just beginning to bubble closer to the surface of his heart. He unconsciously found himself stroking her dark hair, but he didn't care. Her body felt good in his arms, and he didn't want to pull away.

What are these feelings? I don't understand. I've never acted this...forward with her before.

At first Taniko seemed to respond, and he felt her arms slip around his waist. He could feel her fingers tracing patterns on his back, and it made him shiver. She smelled nice, and her skin was warm, but why was she dressed all in black?

Matty let out a gasp as Taniko suddenly pushed him away, and leaping to her feet she glared accusingly at him in the darkness.

"You're late," she snapped, a dangerous edge to her voice. "How could you be late to your own party?"

Matty was so shocked that at first he didn't know how to respond, and attempting to process her words, he said, "What party?"

Taniko never snaps at anyone. I don't understand...

"Your going away party," she replied, giving him a sweet smile.

Matty felt somewhat hurt at the way she had pushed him away from her, but it was at that moment that he suddenly felt the taint of darkness pulsing in the air around him.

Immediately his heart began to race, and stepping backwards to put some distance between them, he said slowly, "What do you mean by a 'going away party?' I don't..."

Taniko didn't answer, and Matty gasped as the large crystals around them suddenly exploded with a burst of light. As Matty watched in astonishment, groups of people began to step out of the crystals, and for some reason all of them were dressed in black.

As they slowly began to gather around the rocks, Matty realized that he recognized every face. There were Willis and Catherine, and his parents were standing beside them with Rina. Emma, Jayden, and Lily had reappeared, but this time they too were dressed in black. Standing in the corner he could see Michael and his wife, and he was pretty sure that was Sonya and her husband standing next to them. Michael's son and daughter and Sonya's daughter were standing with them as well.

He could see Digidestined from all over the world standing around the rocks with their spouses and children, and he could see his friends from school, along with their parents and siblings who were not Digidestined. And there were his grandparents from both sides, watching him with disappointment on their faces. But most of all he could see the rest of the Digidestined. Tal and his entire team were there, along with their digimon and families. He could see other digimon who were comrades he had met during his travels in the Digital world, and even Gennai and his counterparts were there.

And was that DarkAngelicmon watching him at the back of the group?

Sam's whole extended family was there, and he could see Taka glaring at him from a distance. All of the families of his Digidestined friends were there, including their parents, but most of all his eyes were drawn to the five closest friends he had.

There they were in the centre of the group dressed all in black.

Daichi, Ryoko, Takara, Mickey, and Sam. They had their digimon partners with them, and Matty felt a sense of dread wash over him.

"What's going on?" he whispered, not really expecting a response.

They can't be here. They're all still sleeping! And the others, they can't be in the Digital World. It's impossible...

Somehow every human and digimon he had ever known in his life was standing in that vast circle of rocks, and all of them were gazing at him with hatred in their eyes.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Takara scolded, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Come on, Matty! Think about it. We know you're smarter than that," Ryoko taunted, a smirk on his face. "Do we have to spell it out for you?"

"Maybe we should, in case he doesn't get the message," Dai laughed, a cruel look in his dark eyes.

The five of them quickly surrounded him, and with a cry he scooped Celestimon back into his arms again to protect the little rookie. "Stay back!"

"Aren't you glad to see us, Matty?" Sam asked, looking a tad disappointed. "We came all this way for you after all."

"We would never missed your going away party," Mickey murmured, a strange smile on his face.

Matty clung to his partner, and backing into one of the rocks, he stammered, "G-going away?"

"Yeah, didn't you know?" Makku called out. "You're going away now."

"Going away forever," Renmi taunted.

"You won't be coming back," Rina giggled, bouncing up and down on her toes.

Matty could feel the darkness pouring off the crowd around him, and every single person and digimon was glowing with a faint purple light. The crystals also continued to glow, almost blinding him with their brilliance.

"The Digital World never should have chosen you," Gennai said pleasantly.

"It was a mistake," Taniko agreed.

Matty had forgotten she was behind him, and crying out he staggered into another rock, glancing around wildly for an escape route.

"The rest of us would have made better Digidestined than you," Shinji Iwamoto snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"A pity, really," Catherine said soberly, shaking her head. "My children would have been a much better choice."

"Very true," Willis agreed.

"The Digital World doesn't need you anymore," Anna Kuroki shouted, shaking her fist at him.

Matty gaped at the group, a sudden sense of understanding filling his soul.

"Do you understand now?" his mother called out.

"Have we made it clear to you?" his father added.

Matty felt something wet on his face, and reaching out to touch his cheek his fingers came in contact with the tears flowing freely from his eyes. A sense of dread filled his soul, and he was finding it hard to breath.

"He's not worth our time anymore," Ema snorted.

"Let's get rid of him!" Ami cried.

Maori Sugiyama nodded in agreement, and turning to her father, she said, "Is it time yet?"

"It's time," Seta agreed.

"Time to spell out the truth," Tal called out.

"You hear that, Matty?" Noah shouted. "You're useless to us now!"

"We don't need you anymore," Taysuke snapped.

"Time for you to disappear," Izzy finished, taking a step forward.

The entire group began to close in on him, and Matty dropped to his knees and curled himself into the fetal position, his body racked by heart wrenching sobs. The darkness was overwhelming him, and he didn't know what to do.

"No one needs you anymore, Matty," DarkAngelicmon said softly, sounding almost apologetic. "You mean nothing to us."

The voices of everyone he knew began to chant the same line in unison, and Matty could feel it ripping through his soul and shattering his heart to pieces.

"We don't need you anymore. We don't need you anymore!"

Somebody was screaming, and as Matty squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around Celestimon as tightly as he could, he was vaguely aware that the screams were coming from his own mouth. He was pretty sure he was going insane, but he couldn't seem to stop the tortured cries from bursting out of his own mouth. Tears were pooling at his feet, and his body was shaking so badly his teeth were chattering between every hysterical scream. Sobs burned in his chest, and he could feel the darkness seeping into him from the hands that were touching him and pulling on his clothes.

He was losing his mind, there was no doubt about it. He was going to die. He was going to become a victim of the darkness.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for any of you...

"Grand Cross!"

A sudden burst of light lit up the darkness, and Matty could see it shining behind his closed eyelids. The hands reaching for him disappeared, and screams that were not his own began to fill the air. More bursts of light reflected off the crystals, and Matty could feel the glowing rays slamming into the ground around him.

The screams grew louder, and Matty had to cover his ears to block out the horrible sound.

Eventually the light died away and the screams stopped, leaving the air heavy with silence.

What...happened?

Though he could no longer feel the darkness hovering so closely around him, Matty didn't dare open his eyes. He was afraid. So very afraid.

A gasp escaped his lips as he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around his shaking body, and before he could jerk away, a beautiful voice tinged with sadness whispered, "They're gone now. You're safe with me."

This figure felt different from the others. There was no darkness flowing from this set of arms, and the warmth of the figure's golden glow surrounded him and filled his heart with light. It was more than Matty could handle, and clinging wildly to the figure holding him close he began to sob uncontrollably. The sobs shook his body so much it cause him pysical pain, and trying to get a hold on his sanity he attempted to swallow the hysterics that were bursting out of his mouth.

During the entire ordeal the figure never once let go of him, and after a while he began to calm down. Once he had managed to gain control of his emotions, he quickly wiped the tears off his face and slowly opened his eyes.

Looking up, he caught sight of his rescuer, and he gasped when he suddenly realized one of his hands was clutching a fistful of feathers.

Pale blue eyes stared back at him in sorrowful silence, and though he had never met this digimon personally the figure carried a strong resemblance to a celestial rookie he had met once before.

Matty didn't need an introduction to know who this digimon was. He remembered Sam's description perfectly. The digimon who had rescued him was the very digimon he had been dying to meet, and now here they were, face to face.

"Lucemon," he whispered, gazing at the rookie with wide, tear-filled eyes.

The celestial digimon bowed his head, and speaking in that soft voice of his, he said sadly, "And you're Masato Takaishi."