Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.
A/N: I'm really sorry about the wait, guys! And this time it actually wasn't because I was lacking any motivation or anything like that. I was just really busy! We're finally getting into the next Spirit Chip, so I hope you all like the new chapter. I will try to update Trinity next as soon as I have a chance. Thank you so much to everybody who sent me a review while I was away. I appreciate all of your feedback and kind words, and I'm glad after all this time you're still reading! It means the world to me. Enjoy!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 294: Taking the Blame
Tai Kamiya
Odaiba, Japan, Earth
Tai woke with a start, and glancing frantically around the room, his eyes finally fell on the alarm clock that was sitting next to him on the nightstand. According to the time, it was six o'clock in the morning, and he was pretty sure he had been dreaming before a sudden noise startled him awake.
Something about Takara. That's what he'd been dreaming about. A dream about losing his daughter forever.
Kara...
The noise that had interrupted his sleep was still pounding in his ears, and blinking at the aforementioned nightstand, he realized the sound was coming from his mobile phone. The device was ringing incessantly in the darkness, and staring at the annoying piece of technology, he frowned in confusion.
Who would be calling me at this hour of the morning?
Realizing he should probably answer it before it woke Sora, Agumon, and Biyomon, he quickly grabbed the phone and hit the talk button. A moment later, Izzy's voice came over the line, and for some reason the computer expert sounded a bit uneasy.
"Hey, Tai. Sorry for calling so early."
Tai shook his head, and then realizing Izzy couldn't see him, he rubbed at his eyes and said, "It's fine. What's up?"
"Well, you see...It's about Dai."
"Huh? What about Dai?"
"Apparently, he's gone missing," Izzy replied, his tone indicating he was reluctant to spill the news.
At this point, Tai was completely awake, and jerking into a sitting position, his heart pounding in his chest, he held the phone tightly to his ear and demanded, "What do you mean he's gone missing?"
"I just got a call from Davis. I guess he woke up early this morning, and when he went to check on his kids, Dai and DemiEmbermon were gone. Dai's computer was on, though," Izzy said slowly, sounding grim. "We think it has something to do with the Digital World. Ami's pretty upset, and Noriko's freaking out. I'm on my way over there now. I think you'd better come and wake the rest of your family. They'll want to know what's going on. I'll inform the others once I get to Davis' and Noriko's place."
"Uh...yeah, sure."
Dai, missing? It can't be...
Tai was stunned. What would have possessed the goggle-headed leader to go to the Digital World alone in the middle of the night?
Unless he was forced into it. Maybe he didn't have a choice. And if he didn't...then what? How in the Digiworld am I going to break the news to Kara?
The very thought of how his daughter would react made him feel ill, and leaning back against the headboard he closed his eyes in an effort to calm his racing pulse. In the background, he could hear Izzy's voice still reverberating through the speakers on the phone, and taking a deep breath, he said as calmly as he could, "Sorry, what was that?"
"I said this might change our plans slightly, but we'll sort out the best course of action once everyone arrives," Izzy said patiently, his voice sounding strangely far away. "Just get here as fast as you can, okay?"
"Right, we'll see you in a bit."
Izzy disconnected the call without even bothering to say goodbye, and dropping his phone onto the bed, Tai slowly turned to look at his wife, who was still sleeping peacefully on her side. Sora looked so calm and relaxed as she lay there in the darkness, her thoughts free from any worries or unneeded stress. He hated the thought of having to disturb her.
But I don't have a choice. Dai needs us, and so will Kara...
Gathering his resolve, Tai reached out to give his wife's shoulder a gentle shake, and leaning over her, he said firmly, "Sora, you need to wake up. We have to get going."
At first Sora didn't respond, and then shifting slightly under the sheets, she slowly opened her eyes, her face scrunching up in confusion as she squinted at him in the darkness. "Tai? What's wrong? What's going on?"
Tai quickly shoved the blankets back, and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he said quickly, "Dai's gone missing. We need to get to Davis' and Noriko's place."
"What do you mean he's gone missing?" Sora asked, suddenly looking very wide awake.
Tai quickly woke Agumon and Biyomon, who both grumbled at being disturbed, and once he had everyone's full attention, he said, "Izzy just called me. Apparently Dai disappeared sometime during the night, and his computer was left on."
"You don't think he went to the Digital World, do you?" Agumon asked, sounding concerned.
"Izzy seems to think so, but whether or not he went voluntarily or he was taken by force..."
"But that's impossible!" Biyomon protested, lightly flapping her wings. "DarkAngelicmon would never do something like that! And besides, the barriers would have stopped anyone from the other side from reaching Dai in the human world."
Sora slowly sat up in bed, and looking worried, the female Digidestined said, "If the barriers are still fully intact, but that's a whole other problem I don't even want to think about. As for DarkAngelicmon, maybe he wouldn't try something like that, but some of the others might. I could easily see Spritemon pulling that sort of stunt, and we never did find out exactly what happened to Vampiramon."
"Not to mention the Ruler of Darkness himself," Agumon added, his tone serious. "Maybe he's finally stepping into the spotlight?"
"Or it could be any one of his numerous servants," Sora suggested, her tone sounding somewhat subdued. "Whatever the case, we need to get going."
Tai nodded, and glancing towards the door, he sighed and said, "Yeah, the sooner we find out what's going on, the better."
Sora must have sensed what he was thinking because her expression immediately changed to one of fear. There was a pause, and then speaking in a voice barely above a whisper, the female Digidestined said quietly, "You're worried about Kara."
"Somehow, I don't think she's going to take the news very well," Biyomon said soberly, shaking her head in a show of sympathy for the female Digidestined.
Agumon looked just as unsettled, and taking a deep breath, Tai said, "I'll go wake her. Sora, you wake Tay. Izzy will let us have it if we don't hurry up."
Sora's mouth was trembling, and attempting to put on a brave face, the female Digidestined quickly nodded before slipping out from underneath the covers and hurrying out of the room.
Tai slowly followed after her, leaving Agumon and Biyomon to make their way towards the stairs, and heading down the dim corridor to Takara's bedroom, he paused just outside the door, uncertain of how to proceed. Across the hall, he could hear Sora speaking quietly to Taysuke, and turning the knob, he hesitantly stuck his head inside the room. Takara was lying on her side facing the door, her head buried against Fluttermon's small body, and judging from the way her eyes were closed, it appeared as if she was still fast asleep. He hated the thought of upsetting her, especially considering the news he had just received from Izzy, but there was no getting around it. Kara would find out eventually one way or another, and if there was no way to avoid the situation then it was best she heard the news from someone who could give her the support she was definitely going to need once the truth came out.
Even if it breaks her heart.
Which could prove disastrous if he didn't do what he could to null the effects as much as possible.
She already has a lot on her mind, and there's still a lot going on inside her head that she's not telling me. What if this only makes it worse? What if she starts to act even more distant after I tell her?
It was an unpleasant thought, but even if it turned out he was right, there wasn't much he could do about it. Unfortunately it was a risk he was going to have to take, and steeling himself for the inevitable, he slowly entered the room and headed towards the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the mattress, he hesitated a moment before placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder, and speaking softly, he murmured, "Kara, wake up."
"Huh?" the dark-haired female mumbled, her eyes blinking rapidly as she struggled to open them. "Dad?"
"Hey, Kara. Sorry to wake you, but you need to get up."
Takara slowly lifted her head, and shifting to glance at the clock on her nightstand, she mumbled, "What time is it?"
"Just after six in the morning."
Takara frowned, and pulling Fluttermon into her lap, she said, "It's a bit early for school."
Tai had to look away from his daughter's curious eyes, and staring down at his feet, he said slowly, "School can wait for now. We've got a bit of a problem on our hands."
"Problem? What kind of problem?" Takara asked, looking confused.
Despite all his years as a Digidestined, Tai knew this was going to be one of the toughest challenges he had yet to face, and bracing himself for what was to come, he said quietly, "Dai's gone missing."
Immediately the colour appeared to drain from Takara's cheeks, and staring at him as if she couldn't quite comprehend what he was saying, she whispered, "W-what?"
"Izzy called me this morning. Apparently something happened last night. Dai appears to have disappeared, but for some reason he left his computer on. Izzy thinks it might have something to do with the Digital World, but I don't know all the details yet. We're heading over there now to find out what's going on, so I need you to get dressed so we can get going. Can you do that for me?"
"No," Takara murmured, her lips beginning to tremble as she shook her head in denial. "No, he couldn't have. That's impossible. We just saw him yesterday."
"I know, but when Davis checked in on him, his room was empty. DemiEmbermon's also gone. At least wherever they are, I'm sure they're together and watching out for each other."
"B-but why?" Takara whispered, her hands shaking as she clutched Fluttermon tightly to her chest. "Who would...I mean, he'd never leave on his own like that. Not for the Digital World. He wouldn't do that to me..."
Tai knew there was nothing he could say that would console his daughter, so instead of trying to come up with the right words to use, instead he held out his arms. Tears filled the female Digidestined's eyes, and crawling towards him, she flung her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.
If I could take your pain away, I would. We'll do everything we can to find him. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you more than what's necessary to eventually get your Spirit Chip. And I know Dai would do the same if he was here.
"Someone must have taken him," Kara whispered, burying her face against his chest. "H-he could be in danger. We have to find him."
Tai nodded in agreement, and gently stroking her hair, he said quietly, "We will, but first we have to meet up with Izzy. You'd better wake Fluttermon and get dressed."
Takara didn't need to be told a second time. Flinging back the covers, she immediately hopped out of bed to grab a change of clothes, and stepping out into the hallway, Tai met Sora, who was just coming out of Taysuke's room.
"How is she?" his wife murmured, clearly frightened to know the answer.
Tai let out a deep sigh, and leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, he said, "Upset and scared. I can tell it came as a shock to her, but...she hugged me. This time with feeling. I've missed that."
Sora managed a shaky smile, and reaching out to take his hand, she said, "That's a start. It means she's not afraid to admit she needs our support."
"I hope so. How's Tay doing?"
"He's worried," Sora replied, shaking her head. "But all things considered he took it pretty well. He's got a lot of confidence in Dai, as do I. I'm not going to give up on him just yet."
Tai nodded in agreement, and feeling a little more calm, he said in a determined voice, "You're right. He's a survivor, just like his dad. He'll be perfectly fine until we can reach him."
I know Dai's a strong kid. Wherever he is, I'm sure he's holding his own. Kara's pretty strong herself, but unfortunately in her case her feelings for Dai are going to cause us a bit of a problem. If she let's those feelings overwhelm her, it could act as grounds for the darkness to build inside her heart.
It was an unsettling thought, and feeling a shiver race down his spine, Tai looked up as both doors on either side of the room opened almost simultaneously. A moment later both Taysuke and Takara appeared in the hallway, and giving his sister a nervous look, Tay said, "I'm ready to go. Do you guys think Gennai will know anything?"
Obviously Sora had given the boy a brief statement about what was going on, and turning towards the stairs, Tai said in a low voice, "Only one way to find out."
"Somebody in the Digital World has to know something," Fluttermon insisted, flapping her small wings as the family quickly made their way down the stairs. "I don't see how Dai could have gone anywhere else."
"He wouldn't have left without telling me," Kara mumbled, hugging her partner close as tears sparkled in her eyes. "No matter where he went. I know it. I can feel it. If he's gone, it wasn't by choice."
"Oh, Kara," Fluttermon said softly, snuggling against her partner in an effort to comfort the female Digidestined. "Hang in there. I'll do whatever it takes to get him back to you safe and sound. I promise."
"I know," Takara whispered, returning the affectionate gesture. "Thank you."
"We all will," Sora said firmly, closing the door behind herself as they all headed for the car. "That's a given."
It only took them a few minutes to get to the Motomiya residence, but once they arrived, Tai could immediately tell that the Ishida and Takaishi families had already beaten them to the house. As they hurried towards the entrance, Ryoko flung open the door to greet them, and looking as if he wanted to take down whoever had stolen Dai from them with his bare hands, the golden-haired Digidestined said in a tight voice, "We're all in the living room. Izzy's already informed everyone, so we're just waiting for Sam's family to arrive. Everybody else will be here this afternoon."
"Has he spoken to Gennai?" Tai asked, following after the blond.
"I'll let Izzy explain. This way."
Upon entering the room, Tai immediately spotted Davis and Noriko, who were seated on the sofa, and though he had expected to hear the dark-haired woman ranting and raving over the loss of her son, instead she sat quietly with her face hidden against her husband's shoulder, her body resting limply against the former leader's side. Davis looked unusually pale, no doubt thanks to the shock of seeing his son's empty bedroom, but it was Noriko's reaction that really unnerved him. It wasn't like the dark-haired woman to remain speechless for very long, especially when it came to Dai. Seeing her looking so lifeless was enough to make his pulse race with concern, though he tried not to show it. DemiVeemon and Punimon were snuggled in Noriko's lap, both of them obviously sticking close to the female Digidestined in an effort to cheer her up, but unfortunately their efforts didn't appear to be working. Ami was sitting at her dad's feet, and though she looked pale, the expression on her face was hard to read.
Matt and Mimi sat on the loveseat, and sitting at the former musician's feet, Shadow was whimpering at the loss of his master, the dog's forlorn expression indicating he felt Dai's disappearance every bit as keenly as the rest of the family. Gabumon and Palmon were doing their best to comfort the small puppy, but so far their efforts were in vein, though not for lack of trying. T.K. and Kari were sitting on the floor near the Ishida couple, and next to them, Mickey and Matty were huddled together with their partners, their shocked expressions and untidy hair indicating they had both been woken from a deep sleep before being given the terrible news. Rina was curled up in her mother's arms, her eyes falling closed as she struggled to remain awake, and sitting next to Matty, Patamon and Gatomon both looked determined to do something about the missing goggle-headed leader.
That left Izzy and his wife, Mina, who were both sitting in chairs by the computer with their digimon partners, and on the computer expert's right, Taniko was frowning at the screen, where the open gate to the Digital World was currently on display.
Since there weren't anymore seats available, other than the armchair, Tai quickly made himself comfortable on the floor across from the Takaishi family, and he was immediately joined by his digimon partner, who sat faithfully at his side. Sora didn't waste any time joining him with Biyomon, and a moment later Kara and Tay settled on either side of them.
Ryoko was quick to join Ami, Iramon settled comfortably in his lap, and taking the dark-haired girl's hand, he gave it a reassuring squeeze, which she returned with a tight squeeze of her own. It wasn't much, though it was still better than Noriko's unresponsive behaviour, and glancing uncertainly at Takara, Ryoko frowned at Izzy and said in a sharp voice, "So what exactly is going on? You think Dai's disappearance has something to do with the Digital World?"
"Let's wait until Ken and Yolei arrive before I explain," Izzy replied, letting out a deep sigh as he ran a weary hand across his forehead. "No sense in repeating myself if I don't have to."
As if on cue, Sam, Miya, and Nao burst into the room, their anxious expressions indicating they wanted to know what was going on just as much as the golden-haired Digidestined, and following behind their three children, Ken and Yolei looked quite somber in the bleak light, their questioning gazes immediately looking to Izzy for answers. Ken was holding Wormmon in his arms while Sam held Glimmermon, and Yolei was cradling Poromon close to her chest. The whole family took a seat on the floor by the door, and turning his attention to Izzy, Ken said, "I assume everyone's here now?"
"Those who I specifically told to come this morning are all accounted for," Izzy replied, shifting in his seat. "A bunch of the others will be here this afternoon."
"Everyone's pretty worried," Mina added, giving her husband a reassuring look. "They want to come out and show their support."
"Noah will be here later," Miya said quietly, putting her arm around Sam's shoulder. "Makku's coming, too."
"What happened, Izzy?" Sam asked, glancing uncertainly at Noriko, his handsome face a mask of fear. "Can you tell us anything more?"
"I'll let Davis explain what he witnessed, and then I'll fill you all in on what I know so far," Izzy announced, glancing at the former leader. "Is that okay with you?"
Davis nodded slowly, and keeping his arm wrapped securely around Noriko's shoulders, he said, "When I woke up this morning, I had this strange feeling that something was...I dunno, off. That was just before six in the morning. It bothered me enough that I got out of bed to check on the kids, but when I got to Ami's room, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She was sleeping soundly, and nothing in the room was out of place. At that point I thought I was overreacting, but when I went to check on Dai, he wasn't in his room. The blankets were pulled back and the computer was on, but both Dai and DemiEmbermon were nowhere to be seen. At first I thought maybe he'd just gone downstairs or to use the bathroom or something, but I checked the whole house. He was nowhere, and the computer was acting funny. It was glowing, but the screen was blank. It was just completely white and nothing was loading on it."
"So once you realized Dai wasn't in the house, I assume you went to wake Noriko?" Matt asked calmly, his expression neutral.
"Yeah, and then I woke Ami before calling Izzy."
"So you pretty much guessed right away it had something to do with the Digital World when you realized the computer was behaving oddly?" Yolei asked, wrapping her arms around a distraught Nao.
"Trust Dai to get himself into trouble again," Ryoko muttered to himself, the harsh tone of his voice indicating just how worried he was. "Couldn't even give us a bit of a break."
"It's because he cares too much," Takara said softly, the words catching in her throat as she struggled to maintain her composure. "That's what gets him into trouble. We're what gets him into trouble."
There was a moment of uneasy silence, and giving Takara a searching look, Izzy said, "I spoke briefly with Gennai this morning to see if he or any of the others had witnessed anything unusual on his end, but according to him they hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. He did say they would have a look around, though, and see if they can find out anything before we arrive this afternoon."
"So Gennai also thinks Dai went to the Digital World?" Matty demanded, his expression growing determined.
"He agrees that would be the most logical assumption," Izzy replied, turning to face the computer. "However Dai got there without being detected, though...that's the part we still can't figure out."
"With Dai missing and possibly in danger, do you really think we should wait until this afternoon to go to the Digital World?" Sam asked hesitantly, glancing uncertainly at his parents. "I mean, what if something happens to him in the meantime?"
"If Dai really was forced into the Digital World there's a reason for it," Taniko interrupted, her expression growing serious. "Which means chances are they're not going to do anything to him until you guys get there. I'm sure it probably has something to do with the next Spirit Chip, and this is their way of trying to get us to play right into their hands. It probably wouldn't be smart to go rushing in there before Gennai has a chance to find anything out for us."
"Taniko's right," Izzy agreed, giving his daughter an approving look. "And Gennai also agrees. I know it will be hard, but we feel it's probably best to continue our day as planned, and once you're all out of school, we'll head to the Digital World."
"But what about Dai?" Mickey asked, clutching his partner tightly to his chest. "Won't it look suspicious if he's not in school?"
"It would look even more suspicious if you're all not in school," Tentomon countered, giving the older twin a meaningful look.
"Seta probably would cover for you guys, but best not to risk rousing Mrs. Hanari's suspicions, since she already doesn't trust you guys enough as it is," Candlemon added.
"I'll have Davis call the school and tell them Dai's sick," Izzy said, glancing towards the former leader. "Is that okay with you?"
Davis nodded slowly, and resting his head against Noriko's dark hair, he said, "That's fine with me."
"Good. Then the rest of the group will go to school as planned, and we'll all meet back here in the afternoon. In the meantime I will be keeping in contact with Gennai to see if we can put together the pieces of what exactly happened last night, and I'll also contact Seta and let him know what's really going on. Sound good?"
"I don't like it, but I guess we have no other choice," Ryoko sighed, glaring at the carpet beneath his feet. "I just...I can't believe this, especially after everything he went through with me..."
Tai could feel Takara trembling against his side, and leaning towards his daughter's ear, he murmured, "Are you going to be okay going to school?"
Takara hesitated before nodding her head, and brushing quickly at her eyes, she said quietly, "Hopefully it'll keep my mind off all of this for a little while."
"Are you okay with this, Noriko?" Mimi asked gently, obviously concerned for the dark-haired female.
Noriko slowly lifted her head, and eyes blazing with emotion, the younger woman said fiercely, "I don't care what we do. Just bring my son back to me. That's all I want."
A heavy silence fell over the room, and getting up from her seat, Mina said, "Why don't I make everyone a quick breakfast before you kids head off to school? We could probably all use some food in our stomachs."
"I'll help," Yolei spoke up, climbing quickly to her feet. "Might as well keep busy, and we've got quite a few people and digimon to feed."
There was a flurry of activity as everybody proceeded to wander off to have a moment to themselves, and spotting his daughter heading towards the big window, Tai followed after her, his footsteps silent on the carpet. As the early morning light began to creep in through the curtains, he could see the pain and fear glimmering beneath the depths of Takara's stormy hazel eyes, and wrapping his arms around her slim form from behind, he rested his chin on the top of her dark head and said softly, "We're going to find him, Kara. One way or another we'll bring him back to us."
Takara nodded, and as the tears finally began to stream down her cheeks, she clung tightly to his arms and whispered, "We have to. We have to save him because I know, Dad. I know this is all my fault."