Disclaimer: I don't own the awesomeness that is Digimon. Such a shame.

A/N: Nobody kill me! I know it's been quite a while since I have updated this story, but with vacation time in there and tons of inspiration for writing Final Fantasy XV fics, (where I've received very encouraging feedback) I've been pretty busy over the last few months. Plus, I think I needed some time away from the Digimon fandom, as I wasn't happy with the way a lot of us writers were no longer receiving a lot of feedback for our hard work, and it just seemed as if the readers here really didn't care that much anymore. Writing, whether original works or fanfictions, takes a lot of time and effort, time most of us don't have, but we do it anyways because we love it and because we want to share our passion for writing with our readers. That being said, a tremendous thank you to all of you who reviewed either this fic or Trinity in my absence. That was the most feedback I've received in a long time from the Digimon fanbase, and I truly appreciate not only the feedback, but the fact that you guys haven't given up on my works. I will be updating Trinity next for those of you who are waiting on that story, and I will still be doing Final Fantasy XV oneshots as well for all you JRPG fans. Enjoy the new chapter!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 293: White Noise

DemiEmbermon

Odaiba, Japan, Earth

It was a quiet night, the dim light of the moon peeking through the dark curtains covering the upstairs window, and though normally DemiEmbermon never had trouble getting to sleep, for some reason he couldn't settle down for the night, though he had certainly eaten enough food for dinner to warrant a good rest. He couldn't explain it, but despite the lack of any immediate threats within the house, the silence of the room disturbed him, which effectively prevented him from closing his eyes and forgetting about the matter entirely. The shadows lurking in the corners of the room were familiar, and though normally they were a source of comfort, on this particular evening they seemed dangerous, as if somehow the night had transformed them into something much more dark and sinister. It was a scary thought, and snuggling against his human partner for warmth, he frowned at the numbers on the digital clock sitting on the nightstand next to the bed, their luminescent glow casting an eerie, crimson splash of colour across the carpet.

Something doesn't feel right. There's a strange electricity in the air, and everything seems wrong somehow...

Instead of going away, the ill feeling he was experiencing inside his heart continued to grow stronger, and letting out a small whimper, DemiEmbermon glanced at his partner, who was snoring softly beneath the covers, the disturbance that was clouding the natural atmosphere of the room going unnoticed by the goggle-headed leader. Dai was in a deep sleep, his head resting comfortably on a pillow, and once again glancing at the clock, DemiEmbermon worriedly shook his head, uncertain of what to do.

According to the numbers, it was three o'clock in the morning, and shifting beneath the covers, he poked his head out to glance around the room with careful scrutiny. The only light in the room came from the digital numbers on the alarm clock, since the door that led to the hallway was closed, but that didn't prevent him from noticing the shadows crawling across the floor. Were they moving towards the bed, or was that simply a figment of his imagination? That one by the desk did seem a bit closer than it had before...

Don't be silly, DemiEmbermon! You're just scaring yourself. Nothing's going to happen, and even if it did, you know you're more than capable of protecting Dai. I'm just worried about Kara cause she's been acting so funny lately...

While it was true that Daichi Motomiya was his partner, that didn't mean he didn't care about the other Digidestined children. Truthfully, he adored Kara, and he thought the female soccer player was good for Dai. She had a tendency to bring out the best in his partner, and that was something he always looked forward to seeing. Plus, Takara was always so sweet and nice to him, and it was no secret that he and Dovemon made a good team. Just because Kara wasn't his partner didn't mean she wasn't important to him, and he knew the female Digidestined meant the world to Dai. If there was anything he could do to keep her safe then he wouldn't hesitate to do so, but how was he supposed to help Dai and Dovemon protect Kara if he was constantly jumping at shadows?

"Maybe I ate a little too much," DemiEmbermon muttered to himself, making a face. "I'm definitely seeing things."

Or was he?

Before he could second guess himself, he heard a soft noise, and jumping in surprise he quickly glanced at the desk where earlier the shadows lurking in the room had caught his attention. For a moment, nothing happened, and then all of a sudden the screen on the computer lit up, nearly blinding him in the darkness. With a squeak of surprise, he quickly ducked his head back under the covers, but unfortunately the light refused to go away. It continued to flicker like a dying candle, the flashes of light creating a strobe-like effect that danced across the ceiling with a sense of purpose.

W-what's happening? Computers don't just turn on by themselves. The humans have to turn them on to make them work!

The uneasy feeling gnawing at his stomach all night intensified, and working up the courage to lift his head again, he quickly scrambled out of the blankets for a closer look. Next to him, Dai was still sleeping, the harsh light having no effect whatsoever on the goggle-headed leader's ability to snore through anything, and moving towards the edge of the bed, he sat by his partner's feet and gaped at the screen, his comical expression no doubt indicating that he had no idea what was going on.

As he stared at the computer, the glowing white screen quickly changed, the image evolving into a mess of snow and static that made his emerald eyes hurt, and yet despite the burning sensation attacking his retinas, he refused to look away. The longer he stared at the screen, the more it looked as if he could see something moving on the other side, and knowing what was happening was definitely not what was considered normal behaviour for computers in the human world, he quickly backed away again, his small body immediately going on the alert for the first sign of danger.

I know Dai sleeps like a rock, but even he shouldn't be able to sleep through this!

Frowning, DemiEmbermon glanced over at his partner, and realizing that Dai's eyes were open, he let out a gasp of surprise and said hesitantly, "Dai, are you awake?"

The goggle-headed leader didn't answer. Instead, Daichi proceeded to stare blankly at the ceiling, the expression on the dark-haired boy's face lacking any identifiable emotions.

Is he...still asleep?

"Dai? You okay?"

There was still no response, and sitting up on the bed, the goggle-headed leader slowly leaned forward to stare at the computer, the white light reflecting off his handsome face. It was unnerving, and hopping into his partner's lap, DemiEmbermon said weakly, "Hey, come on. Why won't you answer me? What's wrong, Dai?"

Maybe he's sleepwalking? I know humans can sometimes move around in their sleep like that, but Dai's never done it before...

The light on the computer seemed to grow stronger, making the shadows lurking in the corners of the room squirm eagerly towards the bed, and all of a sudden DemiEmbermon was sure he could hear a faint tune coming from the computer. To him, it sounded simply like someone was hitting random notes on a piano, the eerie crescendo making him shiver, but it was impossible to tell if he was merely imagining it or if the melody was indeed filtering into the room through the glowing screen. It immediately reminded him of the time when they had fallen under Sirenmon's spell, only in that case it had affected all of the males, both human and digimon alike.

This time, though, he didn't feel particularly inclined to follow the music, but Dai was a different story. As soon as the first note had reached their ears, the goggle-headed leader immediately snapped to attention, and staring at the screen with an intensity that DemiEmbermon had never seen before, Dai proceeded to pull back the blankets and climb slowly out of bed, his feet taking him towards the computer.

Huh? No, wait!

Growing alarmed, DemiEmbermon quickly hopped onto the goggle-headed leader's shoulder, and whispering frantically in his partner's ear, he said urgently, "Dai, what are you doing? I really don't think this is a good idea."

"There's something out there," Dai murmured, his gaze growing unfocused as he stumbled through the dark towards the computer. "I have to go."

"B-but remember Sirenmon? I think this is some kind of trap, Dai!"

But why is it only affecting Dai and not me? I feel perfectly fine. It's like this whole thing was set up specifically to go after Dai...

"They'll...hurt...Kara...if I don't," Dai mumbled, pushing the chair out of his way as he reached for his Digivice.

By this time, DemiEmbermon was in a panic, and hopping anxiously up and down on his partner's shoulder, he cried, "I don't know what's happening, but I really don't think we should go."

"Can't...let them...hurt...Kara," Dai protested, fumbling with the Digivice in his hand.

"Kara's fine. She's at home sleeping, like we should be. This is definitely a trap. They're trying to trick you!"

"Do you hear that?"

DemiEmbermon shook his head in denial, and shivering in the darkness, he said, "I don't hear anything. This is just like Sirenmon all over again, Dai. You can't fall for it."

There was an odd sparkle in the goggle-headed leader's dark eyes that completely unsettled him, and reaching for the keyboard, Dai murmured, "You do hear it then. But...it's different. There's something in...my head. It hurts."

"You need to step away from the computer, Dai!"

Clearly the goggle-headed leader wasn't listening to him, and as he nudged at his partner's neck, he could hear the notes growing louder as the shadows danced along to the chaotic melody. It was no secret that Dai had been worried about Takara for quite sometime now, and though he had no proof, he was sure whatever was happening now was a direct result of that fear. There was something or someone in the Digital World trying to take advantage of the goggle-headed leader's feelings for the female Digidestined, but who could it possibly be?

I don't think this is DarkAngelicmon's work. It just...doesn't seem like something he would do. At least not like this...

Somehow he had a feeling the music sounded a lot different to Dai than how it sounded to him, and unsure of what to do, he clung to his partner's neck with desperation. Regardless of what happened, he couldn't allow himself to become separated from the goggle-headed leader, even if that meant putting his life on the line for his human partner.

I don't understand. Dai already has his Spirit Chip, so unless their planning to take it from him, it would make more sense to go after Mickey, Matty, or Kara.

Which meant if they were going after Dai, they intended to use him to get to somebody else.

...Kara! B-but if they're trying to get to Kara then that means the next Spirit Chip must belong to her!

The thought startled him so badly he almost fell off his partner's shoulder, and feeling his heart rate speed up, he gasped, "Get away from there, now! It's Kara, Dai. They want Kara, not you!"

For a moment the goggle-headed leader's eyes seemed to clear, but by that time it was already too late. The screen immediately reacted to the Digivice that Dai was holding out in his hand, and together the two of them were swept through the gate, leaving the Motomiya residence behind.

All around them, there was nothing but darkness, and as they traveled through to the other side, occasionally the black atmosphere would light up with flashes of zeros and ones that proceeded to swirl around their bodies before disappearing again. It was a gate like nothing he had ever seen before, and burying his face into his partner's neck, he whimpered as dark hands began to reach for them, those long, skeletal fingers tugging at the goggle-headed leader's clothing. Somewhere along the line, Dai's pyjamas had disappeared, the outfit having been replaced by the clothes the dark-haired boy normally wore in the Digital World, but that didn't make DemiEmbermon feel any more comfortable with the situation.

The shadowy arms reminded him of the ones that lurked in the World of Darkness, but how was that possible? Dai had conquered the darkness in his heart a while ago, and he had even cleared up all the issues he'd been struggling with earlier that had revolved around Ryoko, so why were the shadows trying to pull the goggle-headed leader through the gate?

It's not because of him, it's cause of Kara. It's just like how the shadows went after him because of Ryoko. Somebody in the Digital World made this happen, and whoever it was, they know exactly what they're doing...

What were Davis and Noriko going to think when they woke up the next morning and found their son missing? What would the other Digidestined think? And most importantly, what would Takara think?

If she lets Dai's disappearance affect her, she could lose her heart to the darkness, which is probably exactly what they want to happen.

Despite the fact that he could feel their path coming to an end, there was no light to guide their exit from the gate. Instead, there was only darkness, and as the melody of frantic notes echoed in his ears, he let out a cry as they burst through the barrier into the Digital World, the momentum of their bodies sending them tumbling painfully onto the ground. Though he was Embermon now, the force of the impact made his vision blur, and listening to the sound of laughter in his ears, he thought he saw a pair of snake-like green eyes studying his face before the darkness finally claimed him and he drifted into unconsciousness.