Following the Footsteps of Destiny

by Broken Angel01

It's not an easy road to follow the path of a legacy that spans over several generations of Digidestined, but when those who are innocent succumb to the darkness, that is when the pages of history reveal themselves in the prophecies of File Island. Their numbers are growing, and the time has come for Daichi Motomiya and his friends to harness the true strength of their hearts.

280. The Black Abyss

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: Once again I apologize for the long wait! I've had quite a few setbacks these last couple months that have caused my writing process to slow down considerably compared to my normal pace, so I want to thank you all for your patience. On top of that, this particular Spirit Chip arc has not been easy to write either, and it's had me frustrated on many an occasion up until this point. I'm determined to make it through, though, so thank you to everyone for sticking with me this whole time!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 280: The Black Abyss

Ryoko Ishida

Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World

Ryoko didn't even have time to react to Matty's words before Angelicmon was suddenly leaping in front of the goggle-headed leader, the celestial digimon's bold stance indicating that he was determined to stop the shadows from reaching Dai as they continued to crawl out of the dark pit with ecstatic shrieks of triumph. Angelicmon was holding his golden spear out in a defensive position, and though his Litany Spear attack was working well against the shadows, there were just too many of them for one digimon to handle without any proper backup. Even with Tirimon's help to hold them back, the celestial champion was only just barely managing to destroy the shadows before they could reach Dai, and not only that, but for every dark figure he managed to eliminate, another would immediately take its place.

Unless we have more digimon with light attacks to help Angelicmon fight, there's no way we're going to win this battle. This place is full of evil, and if we lose to the shadows, we'll all be consumed by the darkness. No one is safe anymore, and if the shadows take away the light inside our hearts, it'll be all my fault. They're acting like this because I'm weak, and now everyone is going to suffer for it...

"Dai!" Matty shouted in pure terror, the sudden panic in his normally calm voice echoing off the walls of the chamber. "Move! Get away from there!"

Dai...Matty said...He said the shadows were coming for Dai, not for me...

Ryoko shook his head in confusion, and frowning at the sudden flurry of activity, he watched in dazed silence as Matty raced over to the goggle-headed leader's side, nearly slipping on the ice several times as he tried to maintain his balance. Dai, for his part, merely watched the younger twin without expression, and tugging frantically on his arm, Matty said urgently, "Come on, we need to get you away from the pit!"

Dai hadn't moved from where he still knelt upon the ice, which was the same spot where Ryoko had left him a few minutes ago to put some distance between them, and shaking his head, the goggle-headed leader said in a low voice, "I won't believe it. I can't believe it."

"Believe what?" Matty asked rather impatiently, still pulling on the dark-haired boy's unresponsive arm.

Dai was staring at the ice that was glowing a faint blue beneath his knees, his pale face lacking expression, and though the shadows were still attempting to slip past Tirimon and Angelicmon to reach the goggle-headed leader, the dark-haired boy didn't seem to notice. Instead, his coffee-coloured eyes, which had appeared lifeless only moments ago, were beginning to sparkle with an intensity that far surpassed anything Ryoko had ever seen before, and he felt his heart skip a bit at the unexpected change in the goggle-headed leader's demeanor. There was something about that look that made his breath catch in his throat, and without raising his head, Dai said very quietly, "I'm not moving. I'm not going anywhere."

"Don't be stupid," Matty said harshly, a sharp edge to his voice. "Those shadows are coming for you. We need to get you out of here!"

"No," Dai replied, his voice growing stronger as he pulled his arm out of Matty's tight grip. "He won't let the shadows hurt me. I know he won't. He won't let them take me away from him."

What?

Ryoko froze, and staring at the goggle-headed leader in shock, it took him a moment to process what the other boy had said.

How...how can he still say something like that?

Ryoko hadn't forgotten the hateful words that had escaped from his mouth in a desperate attempt to sever all ties with the goggle-headed leader once and for all, and thinking back on the way the life had drained from Dai's normally expressive eyes at the complete and utter rejection of a possible friendship between them, he felt a sharp pain pierce is already battered heart. As much as he hadn't wanted to do it, he had said those horrible things to protect Matty, but even though the goggle-headed leader had no clue that his terrible confession was a complete lie, somehow Dai had still managed to find a small thread of hope to hold onto.

And that small spark seemed to be growing stronger within the goggle-headed leader's dark eyes as he slowly lifted his head to look at Matty.

How can he still believe in me after all the horrible things I said to him? I don't deserve that. Not after what I've done...

Ryoko could feel the threat of fresh tears stinging his eyes, and unable to look at Dai, he turned his face away and proceeded to gaze at the ceiling without really seeing it.

It's like...he wants to be friends with me, but...why? He doesn't even like me. He's made it only too obvious in the past. And even if it were true and he did feel some affection for me, why would he say that with Matty here? Is he trying to hurt his own best friend? How can he not see how mad it makes Matty to see the two of us acting like friends? How can he put himself at risk so easily without thinking about the consequences of his actions? If he doesn't stop saying stupid things like that in public, Matty's going to hurt him to punish me. We can't be friends, no matter what. I have to protect Matty. I can't hurt him by taking his best friend away...

"Ryoko, we can't hold them off for much longer!" Tirimon warned, his Frozen Specter attack knocking over a line of shadows. "We need to get your Spirit Chip now before the shadows overwhelm us!"

The shadows...They were supposed to be coming for me. I'm supposed to be the one they want...

At that moment, Ryoko realized that the cavern seemed darker than usual, and squinting through the mist, he could barely see what was going on with Tirimon and Angelicmon. The purple fog was starting to grow even thicker, especially around the Spirit Chip of Loyalty, and deep within the gloom of the cave, he could barely see the icy blue light coming from the small trinket shining across the chasm anymore.

On top of that, he could tell that Dai was still in danger, but for some reason his feet didn't seem to want to move. Somewhere inside of him, that small spark of light that was hidden in the deepest corner of his heart was screaming at him to save the goggle-headed leader, but the black fog that was clouding his brain was making it hard for him to think straight.

Dai...it's my fault the shadows want to attack him. It has to be. First me, then Matty, and now the shadows. I'm the worst thing that's ever happened to him. Even though I want to save him, there's nothing I can do. I might be able to stop the shadows from taking him away from us, but if I do that then Matty will know how much I care about him. And if Matty knows, he'll just end up hurting Dai before the shadows can do it. I'm a disloyal coward, and because of how weak I am, the shadows are going to steal Dai's heart. They're going to take him away from me, and then he'll be gone forever...

"Vampiramon, release Halomon from his bonds immediately!" DarkAngelicmon suddenly commanded, leaping into action. "We're going to need his strength to fight against the shadows."

DarkAngelicmon...He's going to help Dai?

Vampiramon looked like she wanted to protest, but recognizing the fact that they were clearly outnumbered, she settled for a glare before turning and waving her hand at the celestial rookie in an offhand sort of manner. Immediately Halomon's bonds disappeared with a flash of light, and turning to Mickey, the little rookie said anxiously, "Hurry, Dai needs me! I need to digivolve right away!"

Unable to talk, Mickey turned to look at DarkAngelicmon, and nodding in agreement, the fallen angel said quietly, "Do it. We need your partner's light to combat the darkness."

Mickey nodded silently in return, and closing his eyes, the older twin began to concentrate on his partner digimon.

There was a flash of orange light from the small bag Spritemon was holding securely in her hands, and then Halomon digivolved into his champion form.

With a nod of thanks to the fallen angel, Gabrielmon leaped in front of Daichi and Angelicmon, and wasting no time at all, he shouted, "Heavenly Vortex!"

The terrible screams of a large group of shadows echoed off the cavern walls as they were sucked through the portal, and smiling in relief, Angelicmon put a brief arm around the other angel's waist and said, "Glad to have you with us. We can definitely use the help."

"Especially since our stubborn leader doesn't want to move," Gabrielmon replied, frowning at the dark-haired boy, who was now gazing defiantly at the wave of shadows coming towards him.

Despite the alarming number of dark forms that were trying to reach him, Dai didn't look at all afraid, though he sat on the threshold of impending doom. The goggle-headed leader was still refusing to go with Matty, despite the way the younger twin was desperately pleading with him to get up, and though his face was still pale, the intensity of his dark eyes somehow made the cavern appear less gloomy.

Though Dai had not yet looked in his direction, Ryoko could sense that it was coming, and once that happened, he knew with terrible certainty that he wouldn't be able to maintain his bizarre sense of indifference at what was going on around him anymore. Those dark eyes had a way of pulling him in, and once they managed to catch his attention, he knew there was no way he would be able to continue acting as if he hated the goggle-headed leader.

At least not in such a way that it would seem convincing enough to pass as genuine dislike.

And who can blame me for that? It's not genuine. I don't hate him. I never have. If I did, this wouldn't be so hard. It's because I care about him that I can't let go...

"Your turn," DarkAngelicmon said shortly, turning to glance at Kari. "We are going to need Angewomon as well."

Vampiramon scowled at this, but instead of arguing, she quickly released Gatomon's bonds and stepped back with an air of disapproval, her expression indicating that not only did she disapprove of the fallen angel's rash decisions, she also wasn't the least bit concerned about the hoard of shadows still rushing out of the pit.

Once Gatomon was free, Kari quickly closed her eyes to concentrate on her partner, and this time a flash of pink light erupted from the small pouch in Spritemon's hands.

A moment later, Gatomon digivolved into Angewomon, and nodding his head in satisfaction, DarkAngelicmon motioned for her to join the others at the edge of the chasm.

Like Gabrielmon, Angewomon also didn't waste any time talking. Instead, she gave her partner a reassuring smile before nodding to DarkAngelicmon and leaping into the air, her sudden movement sending feathers spinning towards the ground. Without a word, she flew into battle, and using her Heaven's Charm attack, she aimed it at a group of shadows that were trying to knock Angelicmon off his feet. The impact of the blast lit up the cavern with a blinding flash, its warm glow giving the shadows an eerie pink radiance before they disappeared in a burst of energy.

DarkAngelicmon was the last one to enter into battle, and as he moved to join the fight, he said briskly, "Spritemon, you will remain behind to watch the Digivices and the Digidestined. Vampiramon and Jestermon, you two will help us fight. You can assist Tirimon. We need the three of you to hold the shadows back with your attacks to give us a better chance of destroying them."

"Why should I waste my energy helping the Digidestined?" Vampiramon snapped, giving the fallen angel a scathing look.

"Because I told you to, that's why," DarkAngelicmon replied, sounding impatient. "If you want that Spirit Chip for our master, you'll do as I say."

"Well, I'm up for a bit of a game," Jestermon cackled, bouncing on his toes. "This will be a nice warm up for the grand finale."

"More like a waste of time," Vampiramon hissed back, swatting at the fool.

Jestermon made a face at his female companion, and summoning his deadly black balls, he said, "You're no fun."

"This isn't supposed to be fun!"

"Well, I for one intend to enjoy myself a bit," Jestermon smirked, a nasty grin on his face. "Time to put on a show!"

And with that the fool danced his way into battle, his black balls zooming around the cavern like a barrage of speeding bullets. The force of their impact sent the shadows sprawling onto the ice, and the moment they hit the ground, DarkAngelicmon would pick them off easily with his Celestial Star attack.

Vampiramon was using her Scarlet Lightning attack to temporarily stun the shadows, giving Gabrielmon a chance to pick them off with his sceptre, and watching the fallen angel with intense curiosity, she said quietly, "How are you able to do that?"

"Do what?" the fallen angel asked mildly, his Celestial Star attack ripping through six shadows, all of whom immediately disappeared upon impact.

"Angelicmon's attacks. How are you able to use them when you're a dark digimon?"

DarkAngelicmon landed next to the vampire digimon, the loose black feathers from his wings pooling at her feet, and summoning his dark spear, he said without any emotion, "One does not forget attacks that are learned from the moment you reach a particular stage of digivolution, nor do you forget attacks learned right from the egg. A digimon like myself can do almost anything if I put my mind to it. I am nothing if not talented, Vampiramon. Remember that."

Vampiramon raised her dark eyebrows, and pausing in her attacks, she said coldly, "Seems suspicious to me."

"Everything seems suspicious to you," DarkAngelicmon shot back, his spear turning a dazzling gold as he shoved it through the heart of a shadow that had tried to slip around him to get to Daichi. "You are a fool, Vampiramon. One cannot unlearn what has already been learned, and at this particular moment you should be grateful that's the case. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some shadows to slay."

Vampiramon looked like she wanted to continue the argument, but before she could do so the fallen angel leaped into the heart of the shadows and began to take them down one by one with his Litany Spear attack.

There was a flash of golden light for every shadow he stabbed, and as Vampiramon continued to watch the fallen angel with obvious suspicion, the fool came up behind her and said with a shrug of his shoulders, "You have to admit, he makes a convincing argument!"

"Oh for the love of Hades, just shut up already," the female digimon snapped in obvious irritation, tossing her long dark hair. "Instead of annoying me, why don't you go make yourself useful? I suppose we have no choice but to protect the Motomiya boy for now, even if it does turn my stomach."

"Mine as well as yours," Jestermon agreed, making a grotesque face before scampering back into battle.

As the group of celestial digimon and their three other companions continued to wage war against the vicious hoard of shadows, Ryoko watched the scene unfold in horrid fascination as his brain slowly began to catch up to him.

The main group of Digidestined still sat off to the side a fair distance away, an anxious Spritemon hovering over them, and though it was difficult to see clearly with the violet mist hanging like a translucent curtain over the battlefield, he could still sense their obvious fear and distress at the sudden terrible turn of events. If he squinted hard enough, he could even make out the frantic terror in their eyes, and though many of them were now struggling in their bonds to break free, no one, human or digimon, had yet been successful in escaping. Even Spritemon looked like she wanted to jump in and help, and though her charges were clearly ignoring Vampiramon's orders to remain docile and cooperative, the pixie didn't even make an attempt to scold them for their bad behaviour. The whole group was too caught up in what was going on to care about what Vampiramon wanted, and since the female vampire was too busy fighting the shadows, Spritemon's lack of discipline went unnoticed.

Closer to the shadows, Matty was shouting frantically in Dai's ear, and having abandoned all attempts to be gentle, he was now tugging roughly on the goggle-headed leader's coat in an attempt to drag him back across the ice. Unfortunately for the younger twin, though, Dai wasn't budging in the slightest, and ignoring Matty's efforts to protect him, Dai continued to watch the battle in silence, his dark eyes flashing as the celestial digimon hovering around him continued to pick off the shadows with amazing speed and accuracy.

It was an impressive display of skill to watch, and Ryoko, who was standing a little further back from Dai and Matty, shook his head to clear it as the black fog swirling inside his brain began to slowly fade somewhat, allowing him to think more clearly.

Though there was a lot he still didn't understand, he wasn't completely blind to what was going on. The darkness was thick inside the Ice Caverns, and thanks to his own lack of strength, he knew the atmosphere in the caves was affecting him in a negative way. That much he understood, but he was still confused. Though it was his heart that had succumbed to the darkness, the shadows no longer seemed to have any interest in him at all. Instead, they appeared to be focusing their efforts on Daichi, and as their hungry violet eyes continued to glare with hatred at the goggle-headed leader, he knew they wouldn't stop coming until they had received their prize.

And that prize was Daichi Motomiya's strong heart.

But why?

As far as Ryoko was concerned, Dai was the least likely person to let the darkness in the Ice Caverns affect him. The shadows had to be aware of that fact, which meant it was pretty pointless of them to try to steal the heart of someone who could easily overcome their strange pull. Dai was never going to back down, so why would they waste their time trying to take something they didn't stand a chance of stealing?

Dai would never let the shadows get inside his heart. He's strong, unlike me. That's one of the reasons why I admire him so much. There must be a reason, though. I wonder if it has something to do with the way the voices in my head keeps threatening me. They want Dai or Matty. Maybe even both of them. Something about me having to pay the ultimate price...

Except he couldn't put a price on Dai or Matty. They were more valuable to him than even his own life.

Why then? Why do they want Dai so badly?

Ryoko could think of only one possible answer to that question, and if he was right then it did indeed go back to the voices inside his head. Though the shadows were ignoring him for now, he knew at this point his shattered heart could easily be swallowed up by the darkness without much effort, and he had no doubt it was only a matter of time before that happened. In his current state, the shadows wouldn't have any trouble stealing his heart, but despite that there was still a stubborn spark of hope that remained buried deep within the darkness swirling around his tortured soul. That small flame was somehow preventing the shadows from reaching their main goal, which was still him, not the goggle-headed leader, but in order to succeed in taking his heart the shadows needed to snuff out that last spark of light to lower his defenses and steal their greatest prize.

I'm still the real target. They just want to use Dai and Matty to get what they want...

Ryoko knew better than anybody that right now his most vulnerable area was Daichi and Matty, and because the shadows knew it as well, they were trying to take advantage of his weakest point. At the moment, Daichi was the bigger problem over Matty, at least when it came to the current pain in his heart, and thus that was why they had chosen to attack the goggle-headed leader without any hesitation.

Even if the shadows couldn't succeed in corrupting Daichi after all the terrible things Ryoko had done to him, if they could still manage to hurt the goggle-headed leader or cause his death, he knew that would be the final straw for him. If he were to ever cause Daichi to lose his heart to the darkness or to do anything that would result in the goggle-headed leader's death, there would be no way his heart would be able to stand up against the shadows anymore. Just the thought of hurting Daichi, like he had done so only moments ago, made him feel sick to his stomach. He couldn't even imagine how he would feel if he were to lose the goggle-headed leader completely. That would be the end of him for sure, and if that were to ever happen and he ended up succumbing to the despair of losing Dai, then he would undoubtedly become a victim of the darkness himself.

He's always been so strong, but what if his strength fails him? If he does become a victim of the darkness, it'll be all my fault. I'm the one who made him question everything he thought knew about me. I told him I hated him. I told him our friendship was all a lie. If he truly believes that, it might be enough to send him over the edge, and if that happens I'm as good as done for. The darkness will have us both, and it'll be all because of me. All because I wanted something that was never mine to have...

Then again, if his supposed hatred towards the goggle-headed leader was enough to cause Dai to lose his heart to the darkness then that could mean only one thing.

It would mean that Dai didn't, in fact, dislike him after all. Quite the opposite actually. It would mean that Dai cared about him just as much as he cared about the goggle-headed leader in return.

But that's impossible. After everything I've done to him for all these years, how could he possibly care about me?

And yet...that was exactly the way the goggle-headed leader was behaving. Why else would he have been so upset over the thought of being hated by somebody he disliked?

Dai's suffering because of me, and now the shadows want to use him to steal my heart. I can't let that happen. I can't let him make that kind of sacrifice for me.

And the goggle-headed leader would be dumb enough to do it too. Because that was the kind of person Dai was. He wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself if he thought that by doing so he could save the life and heart of a friend who needed him.

It's one of the things that makes me care about him so much, and it's why I've always wanted so badly to be close to him. It's why no matter how hard I try, I can't let go, even though I know I have to for Matty...

No matter what he said to Dai, Ryoko knew he couldn't hide the true feelings inside his heart forever. Sooner or later he was bound to slip up again, and there were only so many times he could try to explain away his actions before the goggle-headed leader would eventually get suspicious. Dai wasn't always the most observant or the fastest to clue in when something was amiss, but that didn't mean he was stupid. Quite the contrary, in fact. Dai was actually very intelligent, and if he had his mind on something that was important to him, then he was a sharp as the eyes of a hawk. He didn't miss nearly half as much as others might think, and that was what made him dangerous.

I told him I hated him, and I made it very clear I had no interest in being friends, but I know what he's like. I know my words hurt him, and I saw the light fade from his eyes, but it's not like him to give up so easily.

Because, after all, giving up had never been Daichi's Motomiya's style.

Already Ryoko could see the smoking embers in the goggle-headed leader's dark gaze flickering steadily back to life, and sooner or later he knew Dai was going to confront him again.

And if that happened, he didn't know if he would have the strength to hurt the dark-haired boy with harsh words a second time.

But what else can I do? If I can't convince him I'm not interested in being friends, then Matty's going to hurt him...

Which would also be his fault, since Matty only wanted to hurt Dai to teach him a lesson.

Though he was still upset about Matty's vengeful feelings towards him, no matter how much he tried to express a sense of hatred for Dai on the surface, deep down inside he knew he would never stop caring about the goggle-headed leader, no matter how much Matty probably didn't want him to feel that way. Whether Dai knew it or not, those were feelings he would always carry with him for the rest of his life, even if the burden of those feelings was a weight on his shoulders that was too great for him to handle. After everything he had endured over the last month with both Dai and Matty, it was the only thing he could do, and that was only if he could somehow save Dai from the shadows without giving himself away. On top of that, he had to help Dai in such a way that he wouldn't end up hurting Matty in the process by revealing the truth about his genuine affection for the goggle-headed leader. It was a tough situation to find himself stuck in, but at the moment he couldn't bring himself to care. At this point, nothing else mattered as long as he could keep his feelings for Dai hidden in a safe place deep inside his heart.

Even if those feelings eventually crushed him and destroyed him from the inside out.

There's life in his eyes again, but that hasn't made the pain go away. The pain that I caused. There was so much anguish written all over his face, and that was my fault too. Not only have I hurt him, but he's also in danger because of me. I'm the cause of everything that's gone wrong for him. It's all me. I'm the problem. None of this would have happened if I had just stayed away from him and left him in peace...

And because of that Ryoko knew that if the shadows did manage to take Daichi away from him, he would have nobody to blame but himself. Not only that, but he was pretty sure if he didn't do something to save the goggle-headed leader, Embermon and the rest of the Digidestined would never forgive him. Not only would his failure to act make him a terrible human being, but he would also be branded forever as a coward. And it would prove he cared more about himself and his own misery than he cared about remaining loyal to the people he considered to be his closest friends.

If that were to happen, he knew he would never be able to live with himself, but as much as his decision not to act would upset the rest of the Digidestined, at the moment they weren't his biggest concern. While they might lose their respect for him, it was the hatred in Matty's amber eyes that still remained vivid in his mind. If something terrible were to happen to Dai because of his failure to help, he knew the younger twin would never forgive him, and then he would lose both of them.

There's no way I can make this situation work without hurting at least one of us. If I save Dai from the shadows, Matty will accuse me of trying to take his best friend away, and that's a situation that won't end well for either me or Dai. If that were to happen, there's no doubt Matty will hate me for overstepping my boundaries with Dai, and then I'll end up losing any chance there might still be for a reconciliation between the two of us. And plus, chances are Matty would try to go after Dai again if I show my true feelings for the guy he chose for a best friend. Or he'll try to hurt me the same way he did last night. Maybe he'll attempt to hurt both Dai and I if he still feels as vindictive as he did when he was trying to strangle me to death. But...if I don't help Dai and he loses his heart to the darkness, I know Matty will hate me for sacrificing his best friend to the shadows. There's just no way I can win. No matter what I do, Matty's going to hate me. If I become friends with Dai, he'll want to hurt me again, but if I let the shadows take Dai, Matty will not only lose all respect for me, but he'll also despise me forever.

So what then was he supposed to do?

Thinking on it now, he realized there was really only one solution to the problem. Somehow he had to save Dai from the shadows without letting the goggle-headed leader know how much he cared.

That's easier said than done. In fact, it's practically impossible. Unless...unless I just disappear forever. If I did, the shadows would go away, and Dai would be safe. And without me around Dai would never be able to find out how much I care. He and Matty will have each other, and everything will be okay between them again...

Or in other words, without him around, everyone would be lot happier and all of their problems would be solved.

"Get up, you dummy!" Matty wailed, giving the goggle-headed leader a rough shove. "Angelicmon and the others won't be able to hold the shadows off for much longer. There's too many of them. We can't fight them like this!"

"He'll stop them," Dai murmured, pulling his arm out of Matty's tight grip. "I know he will. I believe in him."

"Dai, please!" Matty cried, getting his arm around the goggle-headed leader and trying unsuccessfully to lift the other boy to his feet. "I know you're brave, but don't be stupid about this! It's not fair to our digimon who are trying so hard to protect us!"

"You believe in him too, don't you?" Dai shot back, turning to look at the younger twin with fire burning in his dark eyes. "You won't give up on him, will you?"

"Dai..."

"He's the only one who can stop this," Dai said slowly, his words strangely calm. "We need him no matter what our digimon do. I need him."

You...you fool...

Ryoko felt a sudden lump in his throat, and unable to swallow, he had to visibly restrain himself from rushing over to the goggle-headed leader's side in response to such a heartfelt statement. Dai's words had touched him deeply, and knowing how badly he wanted to express his own feelings in return, he had to force himself to look away so he wouldn't give in to the temptation of his greatest weakness. Those dark eyes were genuine, and the words were sincere. There was just simply no way the goggle-headed leader was putting on an act.

But if he does care...and I care...What about Matty?

What indeed.

Unable to look at Dai, Ryoko turned to glance at his cousin instead, but Matty was staring at the goggle-headed leader with a look that was soft and gentle. Seeing the younger twin's expression now, he was having a hard time believing that his cousin would want to hurt anybody, no matter what the circumstances might be.

I wonder...Does Matty suspect the truth about what it is I'm really trying to do, and would it make any difference if he did? If he knew I wasn't trying to take Dai away from him and that all this time I've only been trying to protect him, would it make him change his mind about me?

And if he could change Matty's mind, was it possible that the three of them could work something out so that nobody ended up getting left behind?

That's the way it should be. The three of us together...

The thought was so startling that Ryoko let out an involuntary gasp, and having heard the sound, Matty looked up at him, their eyes meeting for the first time since his false confession to Dai. For a moment the two of them simply stared at each other, and with no trace of hatred in his amber eyes, Matty said in a trembling voice, "Please, help."

He...wants me to help Dai?

Matty's plea for assistance must have caught Dai's attention because the goggle-headed leader abruptly jerked his head up, his dark eyes blazing with sudden determination. Ryoko took a step back as those eyes slowly turned to look at him, and he froze as their gazes met, the intensity of the unexpected connection sparking between them catching him completely off guard.

Dai's expression was so full of emotion, it was hard for Ryoko to decipher exactly what he was seeing within that deep gaze, but whatever it was, the strength of that stare was so vivid he was unable to look away, despite the warning bells that were going off in his head.

He's trying to tell me something. I can feel it...

Dai suddenly got to his feet, forcing Matty to let go, and as the goggle-headed leader took a step towards him, Ryoko was surprised to find that despite the way his mind was screaming at him, his body apparently had no intentions of once again increasing the distance between them. Instead, he simply stood there as Dai slowly moved towards him, and as they came within only a couple feet of one another, a sudden bright blast exploded just behind the goggle-headed leader, forcing the dark-haired boy to cover his face.

What was that?

"We can't hold them back anymore!" Tirimon shouted, grunting as his tried to shake off several shadows that were clinging to his fur. "There are too many of them!"

The blast had come from one of the angel digimon, who had managed to take down a group of shadows that had come uncomfortably close to Dai, and though the dark forms had disappeared in a blaze of light, there were many more that were easily able to take the places of the ones that only moments ago had been leading the charge.

The force of the celestial explosions lighting up the cavern were bright enough to create spots in his eyes, and as he stood there frozen in place, all of a sudden the fog in his head seemed to dissipate almost completely. For the first time he was truly seeing the cavern and all of its occupants with a clarity that up until that point had eluded him, and realizing the true extent of the danger Dai was in, his heart almost came to a dead stop.

This is all really happening. All because of me. I have to do something. I have to stop this somehow...

Next to Tirimon, Vampiramon stumbled as three of the shadows grabbed onto her skirt in an attempt to trip her up, and red eyes blazing, she said coldly, "We have a problem here."

"What now, angel boy?" Jestermon called out, dancing around two shadows that were trying to swipe his hat.

By this time DarkAngelicmon and the other celestial digimon had already destroyed well over a hundred shadows with their light attacks, and yet despite their efforts the dark forms continued to climb up out of the pit in hoards. As far as Ryoko could tell, there seemed to be a never ending wave of shadows, and a part of him knew they weren't going to stop coming until they had Daichi in their possession.

Either that or he somehow managed to overcome the darkness in his heart.

How did I not see it before? How could I have been so blind to what was going on? The shadows won't stop until my heart belongs to them, but how am I supposed to free myself from the darkness? It's impossible. Everything I care about can never be mine, and without all of my friends in my heart, which includes both Dai and Matty, there's no way I'll ever really be happy...

"Matty, we can't keep this up much longer," Gabrielmon warned, taking down another group of tightly packed shadows with his Holy Sceptre attack. The celestial champion was hovering just above the battlefield close to where Dai was, and he looked very concerned as he launched another blast at two shadows that were trying to sneak around Tirimon in an attempt to reach the goggle-headed leader. Angelicmon, Angewomon, and DarkAngelicmon were also hovering nearby, and taking down several more shadows in quick succession with her bow, Angewomon said, "This isn't going to work. We need to come up with a new strategy."

"But what else can we do?" Angelicmon countered, his Celestial Star attack lighting up the battle below as it took out most of the front line where the shadows were beginning to crowd around Jestermon.

DarkAngelicmon was hovering between Angewomon and his celestial counterpart, and holding tightly to his spear, he said calmly, "There is nothing we can do. Only Ryoko has the power to turn this situation around now, and the only way he can do so is with the help of his friends."

My...friends?

"We're never going to stop until we get what we want. Daichi Motomiya is ours. We won't leave until we have him as payment in return for your disloyalty to Matty."

No, stop! Why? Why not just take me instead?

"He is the price you must pay for the pain you've caused your cousin. Your very own flesh and blood. But do not despair, child of darkness. Once we have him, you will be next. We will make you suffer over and over again until your debt has been fulfilled, and by then your heart will be ours."

No, I won't let you do this. I don't care what you do to me, but I won't let you threaten Dai. I won't let you take him from me!

"If not him then perhaps we will take Masato Takaishi. The choice is yours, Ryoko Ishida. Your leader or your cousin. Whom will you choose?"

I won't choose. I can't choose! You can't have either one of them!

"You were the one who called us forth, and now you must choose to honour your debt. Don't you love your cousin?"

Of course I do!

"Then it shouldn't matter if you give us Daichi."

"I can't! I...I love him too.

"So the choice is Masato Takaishi then?"

No! No, I love them both. I love them both the same!

"Then perhaps...we shall take them both..."

"No!"

This time Ryoko was unable to prevent himself from uttering the word in a scream of denial, and the sound seemed to echo across the chamber, causing the shadows to cry out in delight at his obvious display of misery and terror. Daichi, who only moments ago had made a move towards him, froze at the agony in his voice, and Matty turned to look at him with wide, frightened eyes.

Dai's dark gaze was glued to his face, but before he could say anything he was blinded by another dazzling flash of light, only this particular glow had an obvious violet hue to it. Shielding his eyes, he let out a painful cry as the mist that was still swirling around his body began to burn the skin through the fabric of his thick winter coat, and there was a terrible cry as the shadows began to screech in triumph. The sound reverberated off the stone walls of the cavern, and the echo was so horrific, he had to cover his ears to block out the noise. When he was finally able to open his eyes again, he realized the cavern was now mostly clear, and the visibility was surprisingly good despite the natural gloom that came from being underground. From his current position, he could see the main group of Digidestined and digimon without any trouble at all, and the fear in their eyes as they stared at him in horror made him look down at himself to see what it was they were looking at. With a gasp of fear, he realized that most of the violet mist was now circled around his own body, and once again he could feel his mind growing cloudy, which prevented him from being able to think clearly. The black fog in his brain was not only affecting his memory, it was also making it difficult for him to think rationally, and that, in turn, was affecting his chances to fix the situation with Matty and Dai.

If such a chance even existed at this point.

The mist also seemed to be concentrating itself around the Spirit Chip of Loyalty, and gazing at the pedestal, Ryoko suddenly felt a stab of fear in his heart that was greater than anything he had ever experienced before in his life, though his situation with Matty and Dai came very close. The violet gas hovering around the pedestal was now so thick it completely obscured the Spirit Chip from view, and deep within that purple fog, Ryoko could detect only the faintest glimmer of icy blue light.

The light of the Spirit Chip is fading. It's almost gone, just like the spark of light that's dying in my heart.

"You know something, Ryoko? I hurt Matty earlier. I hurt him pretty badly, and I'm not proud of it," Dai said quietly, his fierce gaze demanding attention. "I should have been more sensitive to his feelings earlier, and the same goes for you too. I knew he was worried about our friendship even before we came to the Ice Caverns, and I failed to act on his feelings when he needed me more than ever before. I don't know exactly how, but somehow I get the feeling I've done the same thing to you, and this...all of this is a result of that."

Huh?

"Dai, forget about it," Matty said quietly, shaking his head. "It's all in the past now."

"But it's not," Dai countered, refusing to break eye contact even for a split second to look at the younger twin. "Don't you see? I can't let it go until he changes his mind about me."

"Dai..."

"I hurt you, Matty. I caused you a great deal of pain, and it eats me up inside because I know how much you suffered thanks to me. And for what? He hates me anyways. It was all for nothing. A complete waste of time. I can't let it end like that. I can't let everything you went through have such little significance. That's an insult to you, and to Ryoko. Our friendship is worth more than that, which is why...why I can't accept what he said. I won't accept it. I refuse to accept it. It just...it can't be true..."

He...hurt Matty? But that...that doesn't make any sense. I'm the one who hurt Matty. It was all me, not him...

Ryoko glanced back and forth between the other two boys in confusion, the fog in his brain making it hard for him to concentrate on what they were saying, and voice shaking, he snapped, "What are you two talking about?"

"Unlike you, I know the truth about Matty's feelings," Dai replied, ignoring the blasts of light that were illuminating the dark pit behind him. "Only there's still a problem here. Even though I now know the truth about how he feels inside his heart, that's only one half of the issue. No matter how much you try to hurt me with your words, I still don't know how you really feel about me. I don't know because you won't tell me the truth. You won't tell me the rest of the story, which I think I have a right to know. Matty knows what you're hiding, but he won't tell me. He says you have to tell me."

Wait...Matty knows the truth? Does that mean he really does understand my true feelings for Dai? But...if that's true then why isn't he attacking us like he did last night?

Ryoko could feel his own heart beginning to pound rapidly in his chest, and staring at the goggle-headed leader with a growing sense of dread, he choked out, "What do you mean?"

"Now is your chance," Dai said quietly, coming slowly towards him. "I'm never going to give up on you, no matter how much you try to push me away. Tell me how you really feel."

"But I...But Matty..."

Dai refused to look away from him, and deep inside those dark eyes, Ryoko could see the goggle-headed leader's burning desire to make things right between them again. The fog in his brain made it hard for him to tell exactly what the other boy was thinking, but as the two of them stared at each other, Dai said in a low voice, "It all comes back to Matty, doesn't it."

Wait a minute...

Ryoko held his breath, and staring at the goggle-headed leader in shock, it took a moment for his brain to process the conversation. Did Dai know the reason why he wanted so badly to protect Matty? And what exactly had the dark-haired boy meant when he said he knew the truth about Matty's feelings?

Does that mean Dai knows why Matty tried to attack me in a jealous rage? Does he know that he was in danger? Does he know there's a possibility he could still be in danger if I reveal how much I care about him?

"Don't you get it yet?" Dai said roughly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I don't care if you hate me or not. No matter what you say, it doesn't change anything. You still need me, and I... I know what needs to be said no matter how you feel about me."

"What...needs to be said?"

Ryoko was now very confused, and staring at him with those burning eyes, Dai said quietly, "You've always treated me like I'm stupid, but I'm not as dumb as you think I am. I saw the way you and Matty were avoiding each other all month, even if I couldn't understand why. But you know what stood out to me the most? The way you were avoiding him was the same way you were trying to avoid me, and you know what? I want to know why, and I'm not going to take no for an answer. If you really hate me as much as you claim to then why didn't you just tell me a long time ago instead of going to all that effort to try and avoid me?"

There were too many questions, and unable to focus, Ryoko could feel the darkness closing in further around his heart. Why had the fog suddenly grown thicker inside his brain again?

My thoughts are all muddled, and everything looks so cloudy. If I could just get rid of the fog, it would be so much easier to concentrate...

"Why are you acting like you hate me when everything you do tells a different story?" Dai murmured, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder.

Ryoko stumbled back before the goggle-headed leader could touch him, and gasping for air, he snapped, "I'm not going to listen to you anymore. I told you to leave me alone!"

"Matty loves you, and he's waiting for you to tell me what's wrong," Dai countered, stepping back to give him a little bit of space. "He's waiting for you to tell me whatever it is you're hiding from me."

Matty...

Ryoko had almost forgotten his cousin, and turning slowly he was surprised to find that the younger twin was standing only a couple of feet away from Dai. Matty was watching him in silence, the golden-haired Digidestined's handsome face a mask of sorrow, and realizing all of a sudden that he had become the focus of the conversation, the younger twin shook his head and said, "I blame myself for what's happened to you."

"I...what?"

Ryoko stared at the other boy in stunned disbelief, and unable to respond, he merely stood there with his mouth hanging open.

He...blames himself? But...but I'm the one who hurt him first. I'm the one who's to blame for all of this. He's supposed to be angry at me, not...not sad...

It was almost as if Matty had read his mind because instead of arguing over the matter, the younger twin smiled softly at him and said, "I know you blame yourself for all of the pain I've suffered lately, and because of that you've been avoiding me since we went to visit Tal and the others at Highton View Terrace, am I right?"

Ryoko was unable to look away from his cousin's amber eyes, and without even realizing what he was doing, he found himself nodding in agreement, the strength of those words having reached the deepest part of his soul. The shadows were still coming, their lanky arms reaching for Dai, but he barely even noticed. The only thing he could focus on was Matty's gentle gaze, and realizing there were hot tears stinging his eyes, he whispered in a shaky voice, "I knew I was hurting you. That's why I avoided you. I couldn't face you, not after everything I'd done. I...I couldn't stand the way I was causing you so much pain..."

Because I love you, and I betrayed your trust...

It was a confession Ryoko had never meant to make, but it had slipped out before he could even think about what he was saying, and realizing the significance of what it meant to have flat out told Matty the truth about his feelings for Dai, he closed his eyes and simply let the tears fall, their path leaving trails of damp streaks on his cheeks as they dripped off his nose and chin and splashed onto the ice.

For a moment the cavern was silent except for the shrieks of the shadows and the occasional blast of light, and clenching his hands into tight fists, Ryoko once again held his breath, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He could feel both Dai and Matty watching him, but as much as he wanted to return their gazes he didn't have the courage to do so.

I can see them staring at me with disgust in their eyes. So much anger and disappointment...

"Ryoko..."

Matty's voice. It's so kind and gentle. Could he really be talking to me?

Ryoko jumped as something suddenly moved in front of him, and then feeling the painful warmth of Matty's hand as it brushed against his wet cheek, he whispered, "Are you going to hurt me now?"

Before the younger twin could answer, there was a terrible cry of pain, and a sudden flash of bright light lit up the cavern with enough force to send the darkness scurrying to the farthest corners of the chamber. A second flash occurred, which Ryoko was able to see clearly even behind his closed eyelids, and opening his eyes he quickly turned to see what was going on. With a gasp of shock, he realized both Tirimon and Angelicmon had reverted back to their rookie forms, and a moment later Gabrielmon succumbed to the same fate beneath a hoard of shadows. Angewomon was able to hold out a little longer, but without enough support to back her up, she too was unable to remain at a higher stage of digivolution. Only DarkAngelicmon and the two mega digimon were able to maintain their evolutions, and rescuing Halomon from a deadly group of shadows that were trying to make a grab for his unconscious form, DarkAngelicmon called out, "There's nothing more we can do to hold them back anymore. All of you, prepare yourselves!"

No...The shadows are winning. They're going to steal Dai's heart!

Before Ryoko even had time to fully process what was going on, the chamber erupted into total chaos. The shadows completely engulfed Vampiramon and Jestermon, pinning them to the ground and holding them in place, and letting out a hiss of rage, one of the shadows ripped Halomon right out of DarkAngelicmon's arms and proceeded to hold onto the little rookie for safe keeping. DarkAngelicmon himself was also then pinned roughly to the ground, his handsome face hitting the dark stone floor with considerable force, and Gatomon and Celestimon were picked up and held for safekeeping along with Halomon.

As Ryoko watched in horror, the shadows descended upon Dai with cries of triumph, their long fingers grabbing onto the goggle-headed leader's arms and legs without any hesitation. Their grip looked painful as they held the dark-haired boy tightly in place, despite how slender their hands were, but even though his current predicament wasn't exactly ideal, Dai didn't even make an attempt to fight them off. Instead, he simply let the shadows hold him prisoner in silence, his dark eyes sparkling with emotion.

Another group of shadows proceeded to grab Matty, and holding him firmly by the arms they begun to hiss in annoyance as the younger twin started to do what Dai hadn't done and put up a decent fight.

Ryoko was the only one who stood near the pit that was left untouched, and glancing wildly at Spritemon and the main group of Digidestined, he could see the terror in Mickey's eyes as the older twin watched his brother struggling with the shadows. Embermon was straining hard against his bonds, trying desperately to break free so he could save his partner, and though they were a fairly large group, for some reason the shadows hadn't made any attempt to attack them. Perhaps it was because they were all tied up and seen as an unlikely threat, but whatever the reason the shadows had left them alone for the time being.

So much had happened all at once that Ryoko was left feeling stunned and disoriented, and not sure what to do next he proceeded to stare stupidly at the goggle-headed leader in horrid fascination, his skin burning where only moments ago Matty had placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

They're going to take Dai away from me, and then they're going to take Matty too. First Dai and then Matty. They won't just settle for one. They'll take them both to make sure I can never escape from the darkness...

"It wasn't me!" Matty suddenly cried, his words desperate as he struggled to break free from the shadows. "Please, Ryoko! You have to believe me! I'm not the one who attacked you last night! It was a doppelganger! It was just the darkness playing tricks on you!"

Huh? The...darkness?

That caught Ryoko's attention, and struggling to push past the black fog in his brain, he turned to stare at his cousin in confusion and said, "What...what are you talking about?"

Matty's amber eyes were glittering brightly in the dim light of the cavern, and refusing to look away from him, the younger twin said in a rush, "The portal by the lake! It's a gateway to the World of Darkness! I know you saw it! That thing is what's causing all the darkness here in the Ice Caverns!"

The...portal?

Ryoko frowned, trying to remember, and that was when it hit him. When he was with Dai and they were making their way through the water on Tirimon's back, they had come across a strange portal that had stood on an island right in the middle of the lake. In fact, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of it. For some reason the darkness of that creepy vortex and the way the portal had been leaking some kind of purple goo had fascinated him, though he couldn't explain why. There was just something about it that had reminded him of the crystal mirrors, and watching the portal, he had become of aware of the fact that if he listened hard enough, he could hear the voices whispering to him from its dark depths, just like he had been able to do so with the mirrors. For whatever reason it had felt as if the portal was calling out to him, and upon realizing the truth, he couldn't help wondering if the darkness had been trying to drag him in.

But...I still don't get it. What about the portal exactly? What is Matty trying to tell me?

"Do you remember?" Matty whispered, stilling struggling against the shadows holding him captive, who hissed a warning at him to keep his mouth shut.

Ryoko glanced at Dai, who was watching him intently without any trace of concern over the fact that he was now in the hands of the enemy, and realizing the fog in his brain was once again starting to clear up a bit, he said slowly, "I remember. It looked...kind of like that purple stuff we saw coming from that shadow we saw in the castle on Cyber."

"Exactly!" Matty gasped in relief, his amber eyes frantic as he tried desperately to explain. "That portal in the centre of the lake is a direct gateway to the World of Darkness. All this time that purple goo has been dripping out of the portal into the lake, and the underground network of channels that connects all the caves together in this place has been spreading the infected water all over the Ice Caverns. Do you understand what that means?"

The shadows holding Matty once again hissed in warning, and growing restless, the ones holding Dai proceeded to add their voices to the obvious threat.

Unable to think straight, Ryoko frowned in confusion, and realizing suddenly that he had stopped crying, he reached up to scrub at the salty residue left on his cheeks from his previous bout of weakness. He wasn't afraid to admit that the shadows frightened him, so much in fact that his body felt completely paralyzed in their presence, and unable to move, he muttered distractedly, "I don't know what you're saying. Stop confusing me!"

"Please, you have to listen!" Matty begged, elbowing the two shadows on his left and reaching out a trembling hand towards him. "Please, Ryoko! Just focus for a moment and listen!"

Ryoko could tell that Matty was desperate to tell him something important, and doing his best to push away the fog in his mind and to brush away the fear in his heart, he attempted to ignore the shadows and said slowly, "We...we don't have time. We have to stop the shadows. Before...before Daichi... Before they can take him..."

"This will stop them, I promise," Matty replied, ignoring the violet eyes that were gazing at him with obvious hatred. "Ryoko, the darkness from the portal is what's powering the crystal mirrors. It's their source of energy, and when they become activated that's the source of the power they feed off of."

Ryoko could feel Dai watching him, the goggle-headed leader's dark eyes lighting up with obvious interest at the mention of his own name, and hugging himself, he said carefully, "I knew the Powers of Darkness had something to do with the Ice Caverns and those mirrors. I could feel it. I could feel it calling out to me..."

"Normally the mirrors usually aren't that dangerous," Matty said in a rush, wincing slightly as one of the shadows tugged roughly on his arm. "As a general rule, the crystals remain in a dormant state, even with the darkness flowing into them from the portal. They shouldn't affect any of us when they're not active, at least not if we don't let the darkness grow too strong inside our hearts."

Ryoko looked over at the main group of Digidestined, who were all staring at Matty with obvious interest, and flinching as one of the shadows hissed angrily in Matty's ear, forcing the younger twin to jerk his head away, he realized with growing despair what the younger twin was implying.

I did that. I allowed the darkness to get inside my heart, which is why...That's why the mirrors were able to draw me in so easily. Somehow, without me realizing it, the crystals became active shortly after we stepped inside the Ice Caverns, and I...I was stupid enough to fall for their lies...

Ryoko once again glanced over at Dai, who still hadn't made any attempt to break free from the shadows, and as their eyes met, he could see something warm and soft glimmering just beneath the surface of that smoldering dark gaze. There was no trace of that dead stare left in the goggle-headed leader's eyes now. Instead, that terrible look had been replaced by not only the fierce intensity that had been growing in his gaze for quite some time now, but also a brilliant spark of hope that seemed to radiate throughout the entire cavern, forcing the darkness to cower in fear at the strength behind that powerful expression.

Unable to look away from the emotion in those eyes that he knew was meant for him alone, Ryoko felt his heart constrict, and all of a sudden the fog in his brain seemed to lift entirely, as if it had never existed to begin with. As he turned back to Matty, who was staring at him with genuine fondness in those amber eyes, he kept his gaze focused on Dai and whispered, "You're talking about me."

"When you let your heart become vulnerable to the darkness and you're at that point where you can no longer talk yourself out of your own misery, it acts as a trigger to bring the mirrors to life, and once the mirrors become activated, anybody who steps inside this cave, whether human or digimon, who's got some strong doubts festering inside their hearts will start to feel the effects of the mirrors."

For some reason Ryoko suddenly felt a desperate need to reach out to his cousin, and taking a small step closer to the captive blond, which earned him a shriek of protest from one of the shadows, he whispered, "Is that...what happened here? With me?"

"That's exactly what happened here," Matty said sadly, glaring at the protesting shadow and regretfully shaking his head. "But even if more than one person can become affected by the mirrors, it only takes one person to trigger the darkness in them."

"Only...one?"

For some reason the shadows began to giggle with glee, and instantly Ryoko felt a sinking sensation in his heart. Although Matty hadn't said anything yet, he had a feeling he knew who that person was, and judging from the reactions of the shadows, he was pretty sure he had guessed the correct answer.

Seeing the look on his face, Matty's expression immediately softened, and gazing at him with affection, the younger twin said, "I knew you would figure it out. That person was you, Ryoko. You were the one who originally activated the mirrors, and ever since then anyone with doubts in their hearts has felt the effects of the darkness trying to come after them."

"People like...like you, you mean. And maybe even some of the others."

"Yes, people like me," Matty agreed, letting out a deep sigh.

I knew it. I knew it all along. Everything that's happened here in the Ice Caverns, everything that's gone wrong since we stepped foot inside this terrible place...It really is all my fault. I'm to blame for all the horrible things that have happened. I'm to blame for all the darkness. I'm to blame for any of the pain my family and friends might be experiencing inside these walls of misery...

Having lost his strength at the realization of what he had done, Ryoko slowly sank to the ice, his breath coming in short gasps. He knew at this point he was probably somewhat hysterical, and recognizing the irony of his situation, he began to laugh, the sound of his madness bouncing eerily off the distant walls of the chamber. Though the shadows had not yet made any move to attack anyone as of yet, they didn't seem to have any intentions of releasing any of their victims either, including the digimon. Instead, they seemed to be waiting eagerly with malicious intent to see whether or not Matty's words would have any effect on him.

It was as if they were curious to see whether or not the younger twin would be able to help him break free from the darkness.

They want him to fail, and that's why they're waiting. They're hoping I'll put on a show because they don't believe there's any chance I'll escape the darkness. It's a form of entertainment for them, and I'm the main event...

Ignoring the looks the main group of Digidestined were giving him, which indicated that they were concerned he might have finally lost it, he slowly lifted his head and said quietly, "It's ironic, you know. In my ignorance, I blamed Daichi for activating the crystals earlier, but I was only trying to hide from the truth. I had convinced myself that everything bad that was happening to all of us was his fault, since he was the one who had first touched the mirror that caused us to teleport to a different area of the cavern..."

"I know you did," Matty said quietly, his tone sympathetic.

"But all this time, it was really my own fault. If I hadn't activated the mirrors in the first place by allowing the darkness to get inside my heart, we never would have ended up teleporting through the mirror whether Daichi had touched it or not."

And we wouldn't be where we are now. So much pain that could have been avoided, but instead I've hurt so many people...

Though he wished it were otherwise, Matty's revelation didn't come as a surprise to him. Deep down inside, he had known all along that he was the cause of most of their suffering, and because of that the younger twin's words were just a confirmation of what he had already known in his heart the whole time.

It's all me. I'm the problem. I'm the reason so many terrible things have happened...

Without the thick fog clouding his thoughts, there was no way for him to hide from the truth, and as he sat there staring at the ice beneath his knees, he felt an overwhelming sense of despair wash over him.

"You know what that means, don't you?" Matty whispered, the words sounding like a gunshot in the deep silence that had settled over the cavern.

Ryoko could feel Dai's intense gaze watching him closely, and wincing at the violet mist that was still floating around his body, he said slowly, "I...I don't..."

"Only you have the power to get rid of all the darkness here in the Ice Caverns," Matty said firmly, forgetting momentarily about the shadows holding him. "You're the only one who can make the shadows go away. If you can do that, the mirrors will grow dormant again. Everything will go back to normal after that, and then...then we might be able to save you."

"But I can't..."

"You can if you would just let us help you," Dai interrupted, his fierce gaze flashing in the dim light. "Nobody blames you for anything that's happened here. We don't care about that. We just want to save you. That's the only thing that matters now."

Ryoko shook his head in denial, wanting desperately to believe that was true, and refusing to let him off the hook that easily, Matty said forcefully, "Dai's right, but in order to make that happen you need to understand what's going on here. Haven't you figured out yet what the mirrors are doing to you?"

At this point the shadows began to grow even more agitated, and taking a step back, his whole body starting to shake, he said, "I don't know what you mean."

"You do. I know you do," Matty shot back, his words becoming even more urgent and fast now as the shadows started to grow more restless again. "If you focus too closely on the darkness lurking inside the mirrors, the crystals will start to show you a distorted version of the greatest fears that are festering inside your heart. Once you let that happen, those mirrors are able to twist reality, and at that point your negative feelings start to take on the form of these stupid shadows that are attacking us. These things are a physical representation of the doubts lingering inside your heart. Why do you think they want to attack you so much? Why do you think they want to go after Dai? Why do you think they want to go after me? It's because Dai and I are the bases of your negativity. They want you to succumb to all those feelings of doubt, fear, and anger you feel towards us so they can gain control over your heart."

But if that's true then...

Ryoko once again hugged himself tightly to ward off the chill of the cavern, and staring at the shadows crouching in the darkness, he whispered, "I...I created these things. They exist because I made them."

"It's exactly like what happened with Sam," Matty said urgently, nodding his head in acknowledgement at the raven-haired Digidestined, who was watching them intently. "You can make the shadows go away if you really want to, but you have to have faith in yourself and in the people you love in order for that to happen!"

"You need to have faith in us," Dai murmured. "In me, and in Matty."

"But...I..."

"These shadows exist because of us!" Matty cried in frustration, earning himself a shriek of rage from the group of dark forms that had surrounded the three of them. "When we give in to our own weaknesses we give them shape and substance. We give them life. They might originate from the World of Darkness, but we're the ones who allow them to take physical form there, all because of our lack of faith in ourselves and each other. That in turn allows them to grow stronger in strength and numbers, and the stronger you allow the darkness to grow inside your heart, the more powerful they become. And once they have enough strength to break free from the World of Darkness, they won't stop tormenting you until you defeat them!"

Ryoko nodded slowly, his heart pounding against his rib cage, and staring at the shadows, he said softly, "They're manifestations of the darkness that exists inside my own heart."

"That's it!" Matty said eagerly, giving him an encouraging look. "They're just a product of the darkness that exists inside every heart. The World of Darkness just turns that negative energy into something physical we can see. If you stay strong and believe in yourself and those who are close to you, they can't survive in this world, which is why you can make them disappear for good!"

Ryoko felt his eyes beginning to sting with tears again, and hugging his knees, he whispered, "But what if I can't do that?"

"You can if you would just stop being an idiot and listen to me!" Matty insisted, sounding impatient. "Those shadows are able to get inside the mirrors because of the darkness that's flowing into the crystals from the lake. Since you kept focusing on them so much in the mirrors, they were able to change into the form of what you fear the most inside your heart. Once you fell into that trap, your greatest fears then became your biggest nightmares in physical form. And you and I both know what it is you fear the most, so don't try to tell me you don't know what I'm talking about."

Ryoko was unable to look away from his cousin, and swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he whispered, "What do you mean?"

He knows. He knows not only how I feel about Dai, but also how I feel about him. He knows I was trying to protect him. And if he knows that, then he must know how much I love him. He must know how much it hurt me to give Dai up for him...

"I understand," Matty whispered, ignoring the shadows that were now screaming on either side of him. "I know because I went through the same thing."

Ryoko was so shocked by this sudden revelation that he didn't know what to say, and ignoring the tears that were now streaming down his cheeks, he said quietly, "The darkness...It got to you, too?"

Of course it did. That's what he was trying to tell me earlier. When I triggered the mirrors, he was one of the ones who ended up suffering from the darkness because of me...

"If your heart has become weak, these shadows can take on the appearance of the people who have hurt you, or the people whom you feel you have failed in some way. More often than not, they end up being the people who are closest to you. The people you love. I know that Dai and I are to blame for a lot of the fears inside your heart, if not all of them. You do the math, Ryoko. If you think about it long enough, it's not that hard to figure out the truth."

At this point the shadows were starting to grow frantic over Matty's words, and seething with rage they began to jerk roughly on Dai's arms. The goggle-headed leader cried out as he was knocked to the ground, and pinning him to the ice, they began to spit and snarl with murderous intent. A few feet away, DarkAngelicmon winced as the shadows started to pull painfully on his wings, and Vampiramon hissed angrily when one of them tugged viciously on her hair. Several more were pulling at her skirts, and next to her, Jestermon yelped as the shadows tore off his hat and proceeded to frisk him to steal his black spheres, no doubt with the intention of using them to create more chaos. Halomon, Celestimon, and Gatomon were all thrown into a pile with several shadows watching over them, and Tirimon was growling as the shadows began to scratch at his fur, their violet eyes burning with hatred.

Ryoko on the other hand couldn't keep his eyes off of Matty, and choking back a sob, he stammered, "But, but I saw...I saw you."

"No, you didn't. Not really," Matty said firmly, glancing anxiously over at the fallen Dai, who nodded for him to continue. "I didn't cause any of those bruises. I swear to you I never hurt you. When you were attacked last night, I was sleeping in a different cavern from where you were."

"But...I...You were close enough. You could have made the trip, and you..."

"When I supposedly attacked you, did you ever check your Digivice to see where my signal was?" Matty asked quietly, his amber eyes growing intense.

That made Ryoko pause, and trying to remember, he frowned and said hesitantly, "No, I...I don't think I did."

"If you had, you would have seen that I wasn't in your cavern last night at all."

"But-"

"You're not crazy, Ryoko," Matty said softly, doing his best to ignore the shadows that were harassing Dai. "Far from it. I didn't attack you, but something that looked like me did. It was the shadows. One of them took on my appearance last night because of all the pain I've caused you. Because of me, the fear inside your heart brought that thing to life. That doppelganger was the thing that actually attacked you last night, not me."

It wasn't Matty? All this time, I was afraid of him, but he never stopped loving me even for a moment. He never stopped caring despite everything I've done to him...

There was a collective scream of rage from the dark forms hovering around them, and Matty cried out as the shadows sent him falling to his knees, their lanky arms pinning him in place. Obviously, they hadn't liked what the younger twin had said one little bit, which could only mean one thing.

Matty was telling the truth.

"Please, you have to believe me!" Matty cried, flinching as one of the shadows knocked him upside the head. "I would never hurt you! I would never make you suffer like that!"

Ryoko was unable to stop himself from trembling, and unable to look at Matty anymore, he whispered, "But the thing that attacked me...It looked and felt so much like you. It sounded just like you. It had your voice, and your eyes, and your warmth, and-"

"And a terrile darkness you know I would never be able to generate on my own!" Matty shot back, trying unsuccessfully to pull his arms free from the shadows. "It wasn't the kind of darkness that one experiences from a troubled heart, not like the darkness that's surrounding you right now. It was a malicious darkness that could have come only from the World of Darkness. You know it's true, Ryoko! You know I wouldn't lie to you about something like this!"

Matty loves me. He wouldn't lie to me. And these shadows, if they could manipulate me by hiding in the mirrors, than what's to stop them from pretending to be my friends? It's all about trying to get me to succumb to the darkness.

And the easiest way to get him to become a victim of the shadows was to play with his mind.

But even so, those eyes...They were Matty's eyes...

Ryoko was silent for a moment, and though he wanted desperately to deny his cousin's words, there was a large part of him that knew instinctively Matty was telling the truth. Even after everything he had been through, he still believed in his cousin, and that faith he had in the younger twin wasn't something he could cast aside so easily. Though he could still feel the darkness building inside his heart, that small spark of light was also growing to fight against it. As a result, the two sides were beginning to wage a fierce battle inside his heart, and as much as the dark side of him wanted to cling to the shadows that were lurking around his soul, at the same time the other side of him couldn't help wanting so badly to reach out to Matty. The darkness was keeping him safe from his own misery, but it wasn't enough. In reality, he wanted to feel that pain. He wanted to experience all of his emotions, both good and bad, because that was what made him human.

That was what allowed him to love those who meant the world to him.

I want to believe the shadows are at fault because if it's true that Matty didn't try to hurt me, then there might still be a chance for us...

"You let this happen to you because you think I hurt you," Matty murmured, his amber eyes sparkling with regret. "It's my fault, though, because I'm the one who gave you a reason to doubt me."

Huh?

Ryoko had no idea what the younger twin was talking about, and shaking his head, he said slowly, "What do you mean?"

"If you think about it, I'm the one who caused you to activate those mirrors in the first place. It's really my fault they became active, not yours."

"That's not..."

"We talked about this earlier. The World of Darkness is the perfect breeding ground for somebody to lose their heart to the darkness, and that happened to you because there's something troubling your heart that's made you vulnerable to the shadows," Matty interrupted, trying desperately to get to his feet. "And that something was me. Me and Dai over there."

Ryoko didn't know what to say to that. It was true that the tension he shared with Matty had been weighing on his mind, and not wanting to hurt his cousin, he had taken it upon himself to not only avoid Matty, but also to avoid Dai, who was the source of the tension between them. All because he had wanted to protect Matty, and also because he didn't want to Dai to hurt him anymore. While Matty might blame himself, Ryoko knew it was still his own fault, and that was why he couldn't allow anyone to take the blame for him.

"No...it...it wasn't you. It was me. It's all me."

"No, you can't-"

"It's because I'm weak. I'm the one who tried to ruin things for you. I'm the one who made you hate me..."

"No!"

Ryoko let out a gasp as Matty suddenly wrenched his arm free from the shadows, and holding out his D-Coder, the younger twin glared at the dark forms surrounding him and shouted, "Get off me!"

"Matty, careful!" Dai shouted, unable to get away himself.

There was a blinding flash of golden light from Matty's Digivice, and the glow coming from its shiny surface blasted the shadows that only moments ago had been holding the younger twin captive. All six of the dark forms disappeared with a collective scream of terrible pain that echoed across the vast chasm, and then suddenly Matty was free, his D-Coder still gleaming in his hand.

What...just happened?

Ryoko was too stunned to move, and then suddenly Matty's arms were wrapped tightly around him, and immediately the two of them were engulfed in the golden light coming from the younger twin's D-Coder. It felt warm against his skin, and though his heart was still filled with darkness, the purple mist around his body seemed to fade a little bit. All around him, he could hear the shadows shrieking in outrage, but oddly enough, none of them made any move to stop Matty. Instead, they began to circle around the two of them, as if stalking their prey.

They're afraid of the light. That's why they haven't tried to pull Matty away from me yet. They're too scared to get close to Matty's strong heart.

"You didn't do anything like that," Matty whispered into his neck, completely ignoring the hoard of shadows that had congregated around their little circle of light. "I know that's not what you were trying to do. I could never hate you, and you didn't ruin anything for me. I'm just as much to blame as you are, and nothing you say will make me change my mind about that. Like I said before, once the mirrors have become activated, anybody whose heart is wavering in the darkness can become a victim. Because of that, we all have the ability to see the shadows in the crystal mirrors if we doubt ourselves, not just you. That's what happened to me, so I'm just as guilty as you are."

Ryoko froze, and unconsciously putting his arms around the younger twin, he said quietly, "Wait...you what?"

"I saw those shadows in the mirrors just like you did," Matty mumbled, hugging him tightly. "They stole the identities of all the people I thought were causing me pain inside my heart, and once they were strong enough they were able to slip free from the mirrors. After that they started to harass me outside of the crystals, and they started to play tricks on my mind by pretending to be the people I care about."

Wait, so...I'm not the only one? Matty was suffering just like me?

Ryoko was stunned, and unable to come up wih a proper response, he whispered in the younger twin's ear, "You too?"

"Yeah, not just you."

"And...I was one of them? One of the shadows?"

"Yeah, just like I was one of the shadows for you," Matty said softly, shaking his head in despair. "I saw you and so many others here telling me you didn't care about me anymore and that you didn't want me around anymore. You and the rest of our friends, everyone I know, in fact, said a lot of terrible things to me. It almost broke my spirit, but with a little bit of help I was able to overcome my fears. That's why I completely understand what you're going through. I'm sure the shadow that was pretending to be me said a lot of hurtful things to you, too."

Ryoko could feel his tears dripping onto the shoulder of Matty's winter coat, and squeezing his eyes shut, he allowed the younger twin's warmth to wash over his body. Matty's face was still firmly buried in his neck, causing the younger twin's words to sound slightly muffled, but he didn't care. At the moment, his hands were trembling as he clung tightly to the back of his cousin's jacket, and clenching his fingers into tight fists, he said slowly, "The shadow...It blamed me. It blamed me for trying to take Dai away from you. It said it was going to hurt him in revenge for trying to take your best friend away. It attacked me, and then...then it tried to go after Dai. That's the price they want me to pay for being disloyal to you. "

I understand now. Those voices in my head. The shadows are speaking to me directly through my mind. They're the one's who keep threatening to take Dai and Matty away from me...

"It all comes back to Dai, doesn't it, Matty said softly, his words gentle as he snuggled closer. "It's because we both care too much, and somehow we were stupid enough to let that come between us. In our ignorance, we let ourselves forget the most important thing."

Ryoko rested his head against Matty's shoulder, and keeping his eyes closed, he whispered, "What was that?"

"We forgot how much we care about each other."

He didn't hurt me. All this time, he was worried about me. He might have been afraid of losing Dai, but that never stopped him from caring about me. We're both the same. We want Dai's friendship, but not at the expense of losing each other...

"I was so afraid Dai wouldn't want me for a best friend anymore if the two of you were to get close to each other," Matty said softly, his words trembling with emotion. "I thought he might try to replace me with you. Because of that I let myself grow jealous of you, and that was what made me vulnerable to the darkness. That's why the shadows attacked me. It's because I lost my faith in you and Dai, which was stupid because I know in my heart the two of you would never do something like that to me. Neither of you would ever leave me behind. And yet, despite my pain, no matter how jealous I became, I couldn't stop caring about you. Even now, I still can't stop caring, no matter what happens with Dai."

"Matty..."

"Do you have any idea how important you are to me?" Matty murmured in his ear, his body still glowing from the light of the Digivice.

Ryoko slowly opened his eyes, and glancing over Matty's shoulder, he spotted the goggle-headed leader watching him, which caught him by surprise. Dai was still pinned to the ground by the shadows, and though the goggle-headed leader looked confused, Ryoko could see something building in his dark gaze, which at this point resembled a raging fire that was burning brighter than any flame he had ever seen before. That look made him want to reach out to the other boy, and sensing his gaze, Dai studied him for a moment before turning to look at Matty. Though his expression was hard to read, there was one thing about it that stood out to Ryoko. He hadn't failed to notice the way the goggle-headed leader kept glancing continuously between the two of them, and from the look on the other boy's face, there was one emotion that was plainly obvious.

Hope.

Hope and determination that Matty will somehow get through to me...

"I let this place affect me, too," Matty whispered, refusing to let go of him. "That's why the shadows came after me the same way they came after you. Because I was so worried about losing Dai, I let the doubts that were in my heart overwhelm me."

"But you...you're strong. You're not like...like me."

"One of those shadows also stole Dai's identity," Matty continued, anxious to finish his story. "I let my doubts about the two of you leaving me behind become the trigger that allowed the shadows to come after me."

"You...you said that before. Did you really think we would forget about you?"

"Stupid, I know," Matty replied, laughing softly at himself. "But for whatever reason I became convinced that if the two of you ever ended up becoming good friends, you would both forget all about me, and I would end up being left all alone. I was afraid. I was afraid the two of you wouldn't need me anymore if you had each other. Eventually, that fear escalated until I started to believe that eventually nobody would really needed me anymore, not even Mickey."

Ryoko could feel his own heart pounding heavily in his chest, and recognizing that they had reached a critical point in their relationship, he leaned even closer into his cousin's warmth and whispered, "Do you still feel that way now?"

"No," Matty said quietly, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "I'm not afraid anymore, not now that I know the truth about you."

"The truth?"

"You were just looking out for me," Matty murmured, clinging tightly to his jacket. "All this time you just wanted me to be happy, and you were willing to do anything to make that happen, even if it meant giving up on your friendship with Dai."

Ryoko could feel his whole body trembling, and unable to stop the flow of tears, he whispered, "I just wanted to protect you. I...I didn't want you to hate me."

"That's why you stayed away," Matty agreed. "Even though you wanted so badly to be friends with Dai, you were willing to give up your own happiness for me, even if it meant hurting yourself."

"I...I couldn't lose you. As much as I care about him, it wasn't worth the risk of losing you."

Matty lifted his head, and leaning closer so their foreheads were resting together, the younger twin said, "You were avoiding me because you didn't know how to tell me the truth."

"I...I've never been very good at...expressing myself."

Matty's whole face softened at those words, and speaking in a voice that was full of affection, he said warmly, "You idiot. I don't deserve even half of what you're willing to do for me."

Ryoko was unable to look away from his cousin, and gazing into Matty's glittering amber eyes, he said faintly, "But he...he's your best friend. I...I shouldn't have..."

"Nobody ever said a person couldn't have more than one best friend," Matty whispered in return, gazing directly into his eyes.

More than one? Is he saying it's possible to...to have two?

Ryoko froze, and staring at his cousin in shock, he stammered, "W-what are you saying?"

Matty's expression had grown very serious, and watching him closely, the younger twin said, "When Dai and I were at the beach together that one evening, he promised me we would never stop being friends. I should have listened to him then, but my heart was weak. I could believe it at the time, sure, but once the day was over I started to doubt myself again. I lost faith in Dai by allowing myself to believe that his words were meaningless, but that's not Dai's fault or your fault. It was my own fault for losing faith in my friends and in myself. I should have truly believed him then. If I had, none of this would have happened."

"Believed what? That you would always be friends?"

"That, and also what I just said to you about it being possible to have more than one best friend," Matty replied, smiling softly. "Dai was the one who told me that. He truly believes it, and if Dai believes it then I can believe it too. And now...now you have to believe it, as well."

Ryoko could hear the shadows snarling as they paced around Matty's light in a tight circle, but he ignored them and instead kept his focus on his cousin. Though he knew Dai was too far away to hear what they were saying, he could still sense the goggle-headed leader's eyes on him, which made his heart feel like it was going to burst through his rib cage. Thinking back now, he wasn't sure what he had expected to happen once he finally had the chance to meet up with Dai and Matty again, but nothing he had imagined had even been remotely like this.

I was so convinced something bad would happen, but this...this isn't so bad.

"You...you want me to believe that?"

"If Dai and I can believe it's possible, then why can't you believe the same thing?" Matty said, reaching out to place a hand over his. "Don't you want to believe it?"

Ryoko was having a hard time registering Matty's words, and realizing all of a sudden that he was holding his own Digivice in his clenched fist, he allowed the younger twin's gentle fingers to rest on his hand. It made sense to him now why the darkness had gone after Matty, even though the younger twin's heart was so strong, and wanting desperately to believe his cousin, he murmured, "I...yes, I do."

"Then let yourself believe it," Matty whispered, giving his hand a squeeze.

"You...you doubted yourself. You doubted yourself and your friends, including me and Dai."

"I did," Matty agreed, his expression oddly calm and composed. "But not anymore. Things are different now. Much different."

"Different?" Ryoko whispered, unsure of how to respond.

"Yeah, different," Matty agreed, once again pulling him into a tight hug.

Ryoko returned the embrace with fierce affection, and burying his face against Matty's shoulder, he whispered, "I don't understand."

"Ryoko, how...how do you really feel about me?" Matty whispered, speaking quietly in his ear. "I can make an easy guess, but I want to hear it directly from you."

Ryoko could feel his tears still soaking though Matty's thick winter coat, and attempting to speak around the lump in his throat, he mumbled, "Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because that's all I need," Matty said softly, the words drifting quietly into his ear. "As long as I have that, everything else doesn't matter. As long as you care about me, then everything we both want is still possible."

The world around them seemed to disappear, and for just a moment Ryoko forgot all about the shadows that were still hovering over them. He even forgot about Dai and the rest of the Digidestined, all of whom were still watching him with apprehension. At the moment everything seemed to centre around Matty. Ryoko had never been in this kind of position with the younger twin before, and because of that he wanted to soak up every moment of their time together. Normally, Matty wasn't quite this forward with his feelings, and it wasn't often that Ryoko got this kind of attention from the younger twin, especially when it came to the more physical aspect of showing affection. Mickey had always been much more likely to show that side of himself than Matty, and as a general rule Mickey and Takara were the only two out of the group who ever seemed to have the nerve to get that close to him.

This, though...this was nice, and it was something he wanted to experience a lot more with Matty.

And you can. He's giving you that chance. He's giving you the opportunity to make things right again.

All he had to do was accept it.

Like this...

Ryoko tightened his arms around Matty's body, his clenched fists clinging to the other boy's jacket, and letting the warmth of the younger twin's skin wash over him, he began to cry quietly into his cousin's comforting shoulder. All around him the purple mist seemed to dissipate a little, and attempting to speak through his tears, he managed to choke out, "I love you. You know I always have. That's why I wanted to protect you so badly. You're not...just a cousin to me. You're my friend, and you're my brother too. And...and no matter what happens, I'll always love you. Even if you were to hate me, it wouldn't change a thing. You'll always be in my heart. Always."

It was a rather embarrassing confession to make, but at this point Ryoko simply didn't care anymore. He just wanted the three of them to be together, and he never wanted to fight with Matty over anything ever again.

But how would Matty react now to what he had said, espcially since he had tried to take Dai away from the younger twin?

How can he ever forgive me for something like that?

To his surprise, Matty's amber eyes suddenly filled with tears as well, and struggling to gain control over his emotions, the younger twin said quietly, "Good, that's all I needed to hear. That's all I wanted to know."

Ryoko was shocked at the way Matty had simply accepted his words without any hesitation, and realizing the younger twin's intense amber eyes were filled with nothing but affection, he mumbled, "But...why?"

How, after we caused each other so much pain?

Ryoko gasped as his Digivice suddenly gave off a spark of blue light, and to his surprise the glow coming from his D-Coder immediately mixed with the golden light that was still streaming out of Matty's Digivice. Slowly, the combined light began to swirl around both of them, and suddenly he could feel Matty's heart pounding rapidly in his ears. On the outside of their little circle, he could hear the shadows screaming in fury, but inside their safe bubble he was surrounded by Matty's warm thoughts that were filled with love and affection. Somehow their Digivices had connected again, but this time he didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned into the younger twin and allowed his cousin to feel all of the conflicting emotions that had been haunting him for such a long time.

In response to the icy blue light that was circling around him, Matty pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes and said quietly, "I feel the same way about you. I always have, and I always will. Right from the day when we were old enough to interact with one another, I always saw you as more than just my cousin. You've always been our unofficial triplet, and we've never made a secret of that. Like you said, you're my brother, and my friend too, and you're every bit as important to me as Dai is. That's never going to change, no matter what happens between the three of us."

"Really?"

"Of course," Matty replied, leaning close to whisper in his ear. "Because I love you, too."

Ryoko grabbed his cousin in a fierce hug, and though his whole body was trembling, his heart suddenly felt lighter than it had in years. Maybe even lighter than it had ever been before. Matty loved him, and that was something no one could ever take away from him. He had failed to see the truth because he had allowed the darkness to fester inside his heart, but now...Now, all of a sudden, things were different.

Because Matty never tried to hurt me. It was the shadows. It was the darkness all along.

Which made him wonder.

How...how did he discover the truth?

Matty must have read the expression on his face because the younger twin laughed softy and said in a low voice, "When that shadow who stole my identity attacked you, I was in another cavern with a friend. And it was that friend who told me the truth about the Ice Caverns. He helped me overcome my fears, and that's why I was able to break free from the darkness."

"A...friend?"

"It was Lucemon," Matty whispered into his shoulder, his words soft. "Lucemon and DarkAngelicmon too."

Ryoko nodded, and smiling, he said, "You mentioned meeting someone earlier who helped you fight against the darkness. I understand now. It was Lucemon who explained all of this stuff about the Ice Caverns to you."

"That's right. I'll tell you about it later, once we're back in the human world."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"You know what you have to do now, right?" Matty asked, his tone growing suddenly serious.

Ryoko closed his eyes, and listening to the sound of his own frantic heartbeat in his ears, he said without any hesitation, "I have to save Dai."

"And why do you need to do that?" Matty asked gently.

"Because...I...I would have rather risked seeing you hurt me then see you end up losing Dai. Even then, I was willing to risk losing both of you if it meant saving Dai and saving the friendship between the two of you."

"Because nobody knows friendship the way you and Dai do," Matty replied, smiling gently at him. "Loyal until the end. That's you, Ryoko. That Spirit Chip couldn't belong to anyone else but you."

"Matty..."

"He's your best friend too, Ryoko," Matty said urgently. "And I'm okay with that, as long as the two of you always love me. As long as you never forget about me. I want you to tell him how you really feel. He needs to hear it from you, just like I needed to hear the truth from you. I want the two of you to be close friends. I want the three of us to be together. Because the three of us have something special, and it would be a real shame to deny ourselves an opportunity to explore that connection we have."

Ryoko gave up on trying to stop the tears from sliding down his cheeks, and shaking his head, he said, "Even if you're okay with it, it doesn't change anything. He still hates me, probably even more so now after what I said to him. All because I wanted to protect you. I couldn't let us be friends because I didn't want to hurt you."

"No," Matty whispered, shaking his head in denial. "You're wrong. You've hurt Dai, no question about that, but he would never give up on you. You say he doesn't like you, and that he never has, but you don't know that for sure. Because the only way to truly know is to ask him, which you've never done. I always knew, even from the very beginning, that I wasn't Dai's only best friend. It was always supposed to be the three of us. You want that, and I know Dai does too, no matter what you might think."

But that's...could Matty be right. Is there a chance still that Dai and I can be friends?

"Ask him," Matty murmured into his shoulder, refusing to let go. "Please, for me. Dai refuses to believe you hate him. I know that you don't, and you know it too. You have to convince him now that you care, but nobody can do that for you. He won't believe it unless he hears the words from you."

"But-"

"I know Dai cares about you just as much as you care about him, but I also know nothing I say will change your mind. You'll never believe the truth unless you hear it from Dai yourself, and like I said before, he'll never believe how much you care either unless he hears it from you," Matty insisted. "Please, if you can do this for me, you might just save Dai's life, and your own."

I... can save Dai?

"This is your chance to be free of the darkness once and for all," Matty said urgently, his amber eyes growing desperate. "If you can do this, the three of us can finally be best friends the way we should have been all along."

Matty wants Dai and I to be friends. He wants the three of us to be together just like I've always wanted. There's nothing holding me back anymore from telling Dai the truth.

Unless the goggle-headed leader refused to return his feelings.

But even then, at least I'll know I did everything I could to fix things between us. At least I would have tried while at the same time knowing I wasn't hurting anyone and that there was nothing holding me back. Can I really let my fear of rejection stop me from doing what I've always wanted to do? If I don't say anything, and something were to happen to him today...I would never forgive myself. I would always regret not having taken the chance. Because...I...I can't let him ever leave me without knowing how much I care...

"Please?" Matty whispered, bringing their foreheads together again and looking directly into his eyes.

Ryoko could feel something warm and powerful slowly rising to the surface of his heart, and staring into Matty's bright amber gaze, he whispered, "For you? Anything."

He had only a moment to see Matty's face break out into a huge smile before he became aware of the sound of screaming, only this time the muffld shrieks weren't coming from the shadows.

The sound was coming from his fellow humans and their digimon partners.

What's going on?

Ryoko immediately jerked away from his cousin, and scrambling to his feet, he winced as the blue and gold light surrounding him suddenly disappeared as the connection was severed between their two Digivices. Matty quickly jumped up beside him, and together they both pushed their way through the crowd of shadows that was starting to converge on them now that the light was gone. A quick glance at the main group of Digidestined made him realize that they were the source of the muffled cries he had heard, and for some reason they were all looking towards the giant chasm, the sound of their desperate shouts muted by the gags that were still tied around their mouths.

Closer to where he was, Tirimon and the angel digimon were also crying out in protest as they struggled to free themselves from the shadows, and feeling confused, he stood there watching the chaos unfolding with apprehension.

What is everybody so worked up about?

"Ryoko, look!" Matty gasped, pointing frantically towards the black pit.

Uncertain of what was going on, Ryoko glanced quickly towards the chasm, and what he saw made him cry out in horror. All of a sudden he understood why the others were suddenly so frantic, and before he could think about what he was doing, he was racing towards the pit with Matty right behind him.

There was still a cloud of purple fog around him, but he barely even noticed. All he could think about was what he was seeing. His heart was pounding in sync with every step he took, and though he hadn't thought he'd gotten that far away from the chasm, the distance suddenly seemed insurmountable. He could barely breath, but even though he was gasping for air he forced himself to continue running.

Because up ahead the dark shadows that had were holding Dai were now trying to drag the goggle-headed leader down into the pit.

Down into the black abyss where he would most certainly become a victim of the Power of Darkness.