I don't own Digimon.
A/N: I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed my latest chapters and a big thank you to all of my readers. I know better than anyone this story is a huge slog to get through, so for those of you who have stuck around all these years, you have no idea what that means to me. And to those of you just starting out and are new readers, I take my hat off to you for taking on this behemoth of a fic. Having improved as a writer, looking back, much of what I wrote probably could have been written in fewer words, and I'm doing my best to take that into consideration moving forward. I'm not going to lie, though. I'm a total sap with a weakness for pointless fluff, and I doubt I'll ever be able to break myself of the habit completely. For that, I apologise and hope you'll all bear with me as we move forward. Enjoy the new chapter!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 303: A Risk Worth Taking
Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Daichi Motomiya let out a soft groan, and slowly opening his eyes, he felt a deep sense of disappointment upon discovering that he was still trapped inside the weird gooey sphere Encantamon had created. A small part of him had hoped it was all just a bad dream, but clearly that wasn't the case.
Seriously, I need to stop getting myself into these messes...
Somehow he had a feeling his friends were probably thinking the exact same thing about him, and sitting up with a smile, he turned to wake Embermon. The little rookie was snoozing quietly beside him, and giving the draconian digimon a gentle shake, he said, "Sorry, buddy. Time to get up."
"We're still here?" Embermon grumbled, quickly crawling into his lap. "Ugh, talk about depressing."
"I hear you. I'm not exactly thrilled myself."
It had definitely been more than twenty-four hours since Encantamon had abducted him from the human world, and after realising the position he was in, the only thing he could focus on was Kara. Just thinking about what Spritemon and the others were planning to do to the female Digidestined made him feel sick to his stomach, and not knowing what was happening to her or even what her current location might be was driving him completely crazy.
If I could see my Digivice, it would at least give me some idea...
During his captivity, Spritemon had only let him out of the sphere for brief periods of time, but despite those small moments of freedom, his time outside hadn't been enough for him to make a run for it. Spritemon had kept a careful eye on him from the moment he left the sphere to the moment he was forced back in, and as a result any attempts at an escape plan were fruitless, since neither he nor Embermon had been able to come up with a way to take back his D-Coder and elude Spritemon all in one go without being caught in the process.
So here I am. No further ahead than I was yesterday. I wonder if DarkAngelicmon's keeping his promise...
As far as he could tell, it was fairly early in the morning, and though he had slept decently enough, his chest still felt tight and his nerves were on edge. So far, nobody had made any attempts to harm him, which he figured was probably due to the fact that they were planning to wait until Kara could witness his suffering with her own eyes.
Or worse yet, they were torturing her instead.
No! Don't picture it. Don't even think about it. She's fine. They need her. They wouldn't do something like that before she reaches the Spirit Chip...
"Sleep well?"
Daichi jumped at the sudden voice, and scrambling to his feet, he glared at the little pixie digimon, whose mocking tone and smug smile made him want to send Embermon into battle. "What's it to you?"
"No need to be rude," Spritemon pouted, tilting her head to gaze up at him. "I just wanted to let you know your friends are on their way to save you. Does that make you happy?"
"I'll be happy once we've defeated you."
The little pixie digimon actually had the nerve to laugh, and glancing to the side, she said coldly, "Confident as always, I see. You deal with him, YukiOnnamon."
That name again...
Caught by surprise, Dai squinted into the gloom, and a moment later a female digimon glided into view. Though he had never seen her before, something about her seemed familiar, and feeling a sudden sense of dread in his heart, he said quietly, "Who are you?"
"You don't recognise me?" the female digimon said calmly, though her dark eyes glittered with hatred. "Surely you must know who I am."
That face and that voice...It can't be...
And yet he knew with a certainty it was.
"How?" he managed to gasp, the words almost getting stuck in his throat.
The digimon calling herself YukiOnnamon smiled, and gesturing at her new form, she said triumphantly, "Now do you see the kind of power the darkness holds?"
Truthfully, Dai didn't care about any of that. There was only one thing that mattered to him, and gazing at the mega digimon he had once known as Vampiramon, he managed to choke out, "What are you going to do to Kara?"
Takara 'Kara' Kamiya
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Takara let out a soft whimper, and slowly opening her eyes, she blinked in confusion. Inside the maintenance room, somebody had turned on the lights, and feeling a bit disoriented, it took her a moment to gather her thoughts. At some point during the night, she must have fallen asleep, but how was that possible? There was no way she should have been able to do so after hearing about...
Daemon!
Letting out a strangled cry, Takara sat up so fast her vision swam, and floundering like a fish caught out of water, she toppled sideways in her sleeping bag, her face smacking against the floor. The hard jolt was enough to snap her out of a panic, and taking a deep breath, she lay there for a moment to slow the steady racing of her heart.
Focus on the good. Focus on the important things. Dai's safe for now. No matter how hard it is to trust DarkAngelicmon, we can't ignore the fact that he's never lied to us. We can't do anything about Lucemon right now, but we can rescue Dai.
"That looked like it hurt," an amused voice suddenly snorted, catching her by surprise.
Huh?
Takara slowly lifted her head, and coming face to face with Alopemon, who was kneeling in front of her at eye level, she let out a soft sigh and muttered, "Gee, thanks for noticing."
The little rookie's deep blue eyes were sparkling in the harsh glare of the lights, and tilting his head to the side, he said, "We might want to wake the others."
Now that some semblance of logic and reason had been restored to her brain, Takara found herself able to function a little more normally, and pulling herself into a sitting position, she proceeded to study her surroundings in wary silence. To her left, the door to the maintenance room stood open, and voices could be heard coming from beyond the threshold. The absence of all the adults and their digimon partners indicated who the voices likely belonged to, and glancing to her left, she wasn't surprised to find her four male friends still curled up in their sleeping bags.
It's not just me. As much as I feel like I'm screaming on the inside, I know none of this has been easy for them either. They deserve a good rest, even if I wasn't able to sleep all that well last night...
Upon closer inspection, there was one thing that did catch her eye, and smiling tenderly at Mickey, whom despite being asleep was holding tightly to Sam's hand, she studied the two boys a little more closely. How they had ended up like that, she couldn't say, and truthfully it didn't matter. The sight made her think of Dai, and it gave her just the tiniest bit of hope.
Does this mean Sam and Mickey are back to their usual selves?
Their closeness was something she had long taken for granted, and as a result nobody could blame her for feeling uneasy over their recent odd behaviour. Whether they had solved their issues or not, she wasn't certain, but now wasn't really the time to interrogate them. There were so many other things that needed to be dealt with first, including her own inability to fight off the insecurities plaguing her vulnerable heart.
I guess I should wake them. The sooner we get going, the sooner we can reach Dai...
Sensing Alopemon's eyes on her, Takara quickly reached out to give Sam's shoulder a gentle shake, and leaning close, she said softly, "Sam? Sorry to wake you, but the adults are waiting for us. We need to get up."
Stirring slightly, the raven-haired Digidestined slowly opened his eyes, and lifting his head, he murmured, "Is it morning already?"
"Much as I wish it wasn't, it's definitely morning."
"Great," Sam muttered, making a face.
The raven-haired Digidestined moved to sit up, and realising his hand was trapped in Mickey's tight grip, he paused, his sapphire eyes sparkling in the overhead lights. Takara decided it was probably best not to comment, and as Sam turned to look at her, his face giving away nothing of what he was thinking, she simply drudged up some semblance of a smile and said, "The feeling's mutual."
It sort of feels like he's trying to judge my reaction? Not sure why. They've always been like that with each other. Some might think it's a bit out of the ordinary, but seems pretty standard to me. They have been super close ever since we were all babies. Nothing unusual there...
Upon confirming that she wasn't going to point out the obvious, Sam slowly slipped his fingers out of Mickey's hand and said nonchalantly, "Does this mean you're talking to us again?"
Takara blushed, and knowing full well she deserved that, she mumbled, "Sorry, I just...I needed time to think."
"Maybe you should try doing the opposite," Sam countered, giving her a look.
"But-"
"Don't worry about it right now," the raven-haired Digidestined interrupted, brushing off her attempts to defend herself. "Let's get these three up, and then we'll wake our digimon."
"I've been awake this whole time," Alopemon snorted, tossing his head.
Sam rolled his eyes at the little rookie, and nudging Matty between the shoulder blades, he said shortly, "Get up, it's time to move."
The younger twin groaned in response, and attempting to wiggle away from the raven-haired Digidestined, he mumbled, "Just a few more minutes."
"We don't have time for that," Alopemon shot back, waking the golden-haired Digidestined with his bushy tail. "You know what Dai would say if he was here now."
"Alright, alright, I'm up," Matty grumbled, scrambling into a sitting position. "You're worse than my alarm clock."
"At least he doesn't snore," Ryoko complained, his annoyed tone indicating he wasn't too pleased with the sudden noise. "Seriously, Matty. How does Mickey put up with you every night?"
At the sound of his name, the older twin let out a soft moan before slowly opening his eyes, and looking disoriented, Mickey murmured, "Am I...dreaming?"
"If you are, your dream sucks," Matty joked, reaching over Sam to poke his twin in the forehead.
Mickey jumped at the unexpected touch, and then slowly glancing at his hand, the older twin frowned in confusion, his expression growing suddenly thoughtful. The gesture seemed to catch Sam's attention, and as their eyes met, Mickey's cheeks began to turn a delicate shade of pink. Despite such an unusual response, the raven-haired Digidestined didn't react, and motioning for Mickey to sit up, he said mildly, "We've got a long day ahead of us, and I dunno about you guys, but I want to hear what Izzy has to say about last night."
I was afraid somebody was going to say that...
Though Takara had already resigned herself to the fact that one of the others was bound to bring it up eventually, she still winced at the words. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell them her thoughts, there was just a part of her that had a feeling if she did there was no going back.
Somehow saying it just makes everything that much worse.
And the more her suspicions turned out to be true, the more danger they were likely to face.
It's like we're walking straight into the darkness and there's nothing I can do about it...
"Count me in," Mickey said shyly, attempting to smile. "I kind of feel bad about it, since I know they could probably use some more rest, but I guess we should wake Halomon and the others."
"Agreed," Sam replied, smiling in return.
The raven-haired Digidestined's response was kind and full of warmth, and as the strange tension between the two boys quickly passed, Mickey beamed at Sam before quickly hopping to his feet.
Having missed the two hands holding tightly to one another in the early hours of the morning, their fingers intertwined in a tender display of mutual affection, Ryoko and Matty didn't appear to suspect there was anything out of the ordinary going on. Neither boy spared Sam or Mickey a secondary glance as they moved to wake the rest of their digimon, and tugging on Halomon's ear, Matty said cheerfully, "Rise and shine!"
"Ah, no pulling!" Halomon cried, wriggling away from the younger twin.
The little rookie tumbled sideways, his momentum sending him rolling into Celestimon, and jerking at the sudden pressure on his small wings, the sleepy angel mumbled, "More pizza."
"I don't wanna wake up," Glowmon moaned, attempting to curl in on himself.
Dovemon was the only digimon to behave in a satisfactory manner, and lifting her head from underneath a feathery wing, the little bird rookie said, "Are Tai and the others already outside?"
Takara nodded, and pulling Dovemon into her arms, she said quietly, "Yeah, they're probably waiting for us. We should pack up our stuff and head out."
I wonder why they didn't come to wake us...
Chances were the adults knew their children would benefit from a little extra sleep, and ignoring her digimon's questioning looks, Takara quickly set the little rookie down before moving to gather her things. Though the boys were chatting amongst themselves, there was an obvious hint of tension in the air, and as a result she couldn't bring herself to join in on the conversation.
Not when she knew what was coming.
Izzy was kind enough to give me a break last night, but today is a different story. I wish I didn't have to say anything, but they need to know...
"Everybody ready?" Sam asked, his sapphire eyes sweeping over the room to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything.
There was a chorus of ascent, and crowding through the door, they paused when they spotted the adults and their digimon standing off to one side. Glancing up at the noise, Ken smiled at them and said, "Feeling a little more refreshed?"
"Not really," Matty grumbled, wrinkling his nose. "Somehow I get the feeling today is not going to be a fun day."
No kidding. I wonder if Dai and Embermon were able to get some rest last night. Did they even let them sleep at all?
It was a depressing thought, and letting out a sigh, she glanced over at her parents. Last night, her mother had stayed close to her while they slept, occasionally stroking her hair and holding her hand in the darkness. She couldn't deny it had helped somewhat, but not enough to keep her father's worried glances at bay. Even now, the former leader was watching her, and it made her feel sick with shame. Why couldn't she just open her heart to them and let them in?
"If everybody's good to go we'll just eat along the way," Matt said shortly, turning to look at Izzy. "Sound fine to you?"
The computer expert nodded, and pointing towards the right, he said, "We'll continue that way. We'll likely end up in a maze of plumbing work at some point so everybody stay on your guard. Kara, if you could stay near the front with Centarumon and I?"
That was the last thing Takara wanted to do, since she knew Izzy had ulterior motives, but nevertheless she joined them with her D-Coder brightly showing the way. To her surprise, her father came to walk beside her, and as the others fell in step behind, they proceeded to make their way out of the larger chamber towards a narrow corridor at the far end.
At first, nobody spoke, but after about twenty minutes or so, her father said nonchalantly to Izzy, "So, I take it you've got some theories about last night?"
In response, the computer expert tucked his laptop under his arm and said calmly, "I do, and now would probably be a good time to mull them over. We won't have a chance once we reach Dai."
Somehow I have a feeling Izzy knows exactly what I've been thinking...
As they entered the narrow passage, the lighting grew dimmer, and moving closer to Dovemon, who was fluttering along beside her, she said dully, "It all adds up, doesn't it?"
"It does," Izzy agreed, watching her closely.
"Um...what does?" Mickey asked, trailing along behind with Matt and Matty.
Sora, Ken, Ryoko, Sam, and their partners brought up the rear, and raising his eyebrows, Ryoko said, "Is anyone going to explain?"
Takara could feel Izzy still gazing in her direction, and shrugging her shoulders, she said wearily, "You can."
Not like I can escape this conversation.
Izzy raised his eyebrows, but instead of commenting on her behaviour he continued to lead them further into the corridor. The light of her D-Coder provided some relief, but it wasn't until Glowmon quickly activated his Luminaire attack that they could fully see the road ahead of them. At first, the computer expert appeared to be gathering his thoughts, and then speaking calmly, his voice filtering out of the gloom, Izzy said, "I think we can all agree that DarkAngelicmon would do anything to protect Lucemon. He's made that clear right from the start, despite his insistence that he can't forgive Lucemon for betraying him. That part isn't really up for debate. What intrigues me the most is the way all signs point to the fact that their history is likely far more important to what's happening here in the Digital World than we had originally first believed."
"How so?" Tentomon asked, buzzing alongside his partner with obvious curiosity.
"It's not about what's happening now. The truth lies at the heart of the issue, which AncientMermaidmon was kind enough to explain in the form of a hint."
Nobody seemed to know what the computer expert meant by that, and gazing up at the dark ceiling, Takara quoted softly, "Would you not do the same if someone you loved was about to lose themselves to the darkness?"
"For Kara, the answer to that question is obviously yes," Izzy explained, his dark eyes sweeping over his captive audience as they paused at the entrance to another chamber. "The same is true for all of us, and we're not the only ones."
"You mean DarkAngelicmon," Matty said slowly, frowning in the dim glow of her D-Coder. "He basically admitted he would do anything to protect Lucemon."
Feeling uneasy, Takara moved closer to her father, and hiding under his arm, she murmured, "He already has."
Something happened back then with Daemon, but how? How is that even possible?
"What do you mean he already has?" Alopemon asked, frowning at her.
Takara wasn't sure she could bring herself to say it, and recognising that she was struggling, Izzy said seriously, "We know DarkAngelicmon didn't always used to be an evil digimon. That is a fact. For a digimon who was so pure, it would have taken something drastic for him to lose his heart to the darkness. AncientMermaidmon suggested the only way that could happen would be if DakAngelicmon sacrificed himself for someone he loved. Whom do we know of that he has stated on multiple occasions he would do anything to protect?"
"Lucemon," her father murmured, his arm immediately going around her shoulders. "Does that mean...?"
"Logically speaking, I think it's safe to assume that at some point after meeting Kenji and his friends, something must have happened to Lucemon, and whatever that something was, it's the reason DarkAngelicmon lost his heart to the darkness," Izzy said simply, his expression giving away almost nothing. "If I was going to make an assumption, I would also say it likely happened more recently, say within the last twenty-five years."
"Or in other words during the time when the gates to the Digital World remained opened," Ken finished, his expression growing suddenly serious. "That would have been in the ten years that followed MaloMyostimon's defeat."
"Wait, so do you think maybe...whatever DarkAngelicmon did to protect Lucemon might have something to do with why the gates remained open for those ten years?" Biyomon asked, glancing up at her partner.
Takara hadn't failed to notice the way her mother's face was unusually pale, and holding tightly to his laptop, Izzy said slowly, "The possibility is there, but I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet. I will admit that if DarkAngelicmon was involved in whatever caused the gates to remain open for ten years, the timeline would fit. The real question is what exactly was DarkAngelicmon trying to protect Lucemon from? We know for a fact he was successful, as Lucemon is obviously doing well for himself, but clearly DarkAngelicmon paid a price for it. Whatever happened to them at the time, my theory would suggest it was enough to save the Digital World from the Powers of Darkness, which resulted in the gates closing again for fifteen years."
"Until they reopened again thanks to the Ruler of Darkness," Celestimon finished, making a face.
"Okay, so any idea what DarkAngelicmon did to protect Lucemon?" Agumon asked. "It had to have been something big for him to end up turning into a dark digimon."
"Well, I believe Lucemon might have answered that for us already," Izzy replied, his gaze shifting to land on Matty. "You said it yourself last night."
"The truth...lies with Daemon," the younger twin gasped, his amber eyes growing wide. "But...how!? That's like totally impossible! ...Isn't it?"
Takara closed her eyes, and burying her face against her father's chest, she took a moment to compose herself. Beside her, the former leader's body felt warm and comforting, and shivering slightly she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. On the surface, it did seem impossible, but despite that she knew with a certainty she couldn't explain that they were on the right track.
Did Daemon try to do something to Lucemon? I don't understand. Ken sent Daemon to the Dark Ocean, and that was the last they ever saw of him. If he had somehow escaped, Gennai and the others would have known about it...
"There's just no way!" Mickey protested, hugging Halomon tightly to his chest. "Daemon was sent to the Dark Ocean. There's no way he could have done something to Lucemon..."
"I don't know about that," Gabumon said slowly, exchanging a look with his partner. "Lucemon seems to have the ability to travel easily back and forth between the Digital World and the World of Darkness. We don't know what happened to Daemon after Ken sent him there. Maybe, at some point, Lucemon encountered him during his travels."
"You're telling me you think DarkAngelicmon saved Lucemon from Daemon and that's why he turned into a dark digimon?" Ryoko blurted out, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's ridiculous!"
"On the contrary, seems plausible to me," Centarumon countered, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Remember, Daemon was never actually defeated. Who knows what he's been up to in the last twenty-five years."
"Again, I'm not saying for sure that's what happened," Izzy interrupted, attempting to speak over the sudden chorus of voices. "It's merely a possibility we should all keep in mind. I prefer facts, not assumptions. There's still a lot we don't know."
"Lucemon would be able to tell us," Halomon said quietly, ducking his head.
Immediately, there was silence, and feeling her father's eyes on her, Takara bit her lip. DarkAngelicmon wasn't a reliable source of information since his mind was warped by the Powers of Darkness, but there was nothing wrong with Lucemon's memory. The rookie angel would know the truth about not only DarkAngelicmon's reason for succumbing to the darkness but also whether or not Daemon had played a role in the outcome.
All of the hints and warnings. I guess he's been trying to tell us this whole time. We just haven't been able to put the pieces of the puzzle together yet...
"So...now what?" Glowmon asked, cowering in Sam's arms.
"For now, nothing," Izzy replied, turning to step into the next chamber. "Until we have more information, there's nothing we can do about DarkAngelicmon right now, and even if we could, it isn't currently high on the priority list. First, we need to focus on rescuing Dai. Once we've done that and secured Kara's Spirit Chip then we can turn our attention to other matters. I simply wanted to get that all out in the open in case we do receive anymore 'hints' along the way."
"That makes sense," Dovemon said softly. "If we know a bit about what's going on, we'll be less likely to overlook any small detail or piece of information that might come in handy later."
"Exactly. Now, I suggest we keep moving forward. Dai's waiting for us."
"Gennai once told us he thought DarkAngelicmon might be the key to saving the Digital World," Mickey said gently, reaching out to place his arm around Matty's shoulder. "I'm starting to think...he might be right."
Takara didn't dare disagree, mostly because she truly believed the same thing. So many hearts wavering in the darkness, it was almost overwhelming, and knowing her own heart was among them, she began to feel a growing sense of panic in her chest.
It was all too much. Too many people and digimon who needed saving. How could they save them all?
But if we don't, we lose everything. That's not a risk I'm willing to take. I can't lose Dai. I can't lose everything that's so important to me...
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Kara," her father suddenly said softly in her ear. "Don't give up. If you need a little bit of courage, you know I'll always give you some of mine."
For a moment, Takara didn't know what to say, and pulling back slightly, she whispered, "When you went through the firewall, did it burn?"
"Not one bit," her father replied, hugging her close. "An illusion is just that, an illusion. What goes on inside our own minds is a lot scarier. There's nothing more terrifying than fear of the unknown, but once you've mastered it, you won't ever let anything hold you back again. When we're frightened, we realise we're not immortal. Death is a shadow that lurks in the darkness, but we can't let it stop us from living, especially if it means protecting those we love."
Dad...
Takara could feel her chest burning, and it made her breath catch in her throat. She couldn't deny the former leader's words had a profound effect on her, and taking his hand, she said in a trembling voice, "Saving Mom was more important than dying."
"No, saving your mother was more important than being afraid of something I had the power to control," her father said gently, giving her hand a squeeze. "Could I have died attempting to save your mother? Sure, the possibility was there, but if I hadn't taken the chance, the end result would have been even worse. I'm not saying my own life wasn't important, but I wasn't throwing it away recklessly either, and I have Izzy to thank for that. Some risks are worth taking, and if you're smart about it, you'll learn to use your fear to your advantage rather than letting it control you."
If I do that, will I be able to save Dai?
Takara wasn't sure, but all of a sudden she didn't want to pull away. Taking advantage of her sudden openness, her father pulled her into a fierce hug, and unable to stop herself, she returned the embrace just as fiercely. Turning her head, she spotted her mother smiling at them, and realising there were tears in the older woman's eyes, she couldn't help feeling guilty for having neglected her parents for so long. There was no doubt in her mind that both of them would risk their lives for her without a second thought, and more than anything she wished she had the confidence to return the favour.
"So, about last night...you knew all of this already, didn't you," a voice suddenly accused in her ear, catching her completely by surprise. "You better not try and deny it."
Feeling embarrassed, Takara quickly scrambled out of her father's arms, and blushing, she said quickly, "Don't scare me like that!"
Instead of responding, Matty continued to gaze at her with raised eyebrows, and coming up next to his brother, Mickey said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Kara. I did try to stop him."
"He did," Sam confirmed, looking amused.
Despite their admonishments, Matty didn't back down, and glaring at her, the younger twin said, "You already suspected all of that stuff about Daemon and protecting Lucemon before Izzy said something! How come you didn't tell us last night?"
Takara sighed, and rubbing at her eyes, she said, "It's not that I didn't want to. It's just...saying it makes it more...real..."
"That I can understand, but that's still no excuse," Ryoko scolded, appearing around her father's other side. "Just so you know, I'm really frustrated with you right now."
Somehow it makes me feel better when they just admit I'm driving them crazy.
The thought alone was enough to create a small smile on her face, and turning to address the golden-haired Digidestined, she said softly, "I know. At first, I didn't want to believe it, and while Izzy's probably right that we shouldn't jump to conclusions..."
"You think ultimately he's right," Alopemon butted in, frowning at her.
Takara simply nodded in agreement, and looking thoughtful, Dovemon suddenly swooped into her arms and said, "I still want to know where DarkAngelicmon went when Lucemon couldn't sense him anymore. Wherever it was, he didn't seem to like it too much."
This time it was her father who responded, and glancing at Izzy, the former leader said dryly, "I think somebody might have a theory on that, too."
Huh? Is he saying Izzy knows something?
Having overheard their conversation, Izzy paused to glance back at them and said mildly, "I do, but I'll save that part for later."
"Seriously?" Matty groaned, rolling his eyes. "You guys are the worst."
Feeling the need to apologise, Takara quickly mumbled, "Sorry."
"You should be! I swear, between you, Dai, and Mickey, I'm going crazy here."
"Cause it's all about you," Sam joked, poking the younger twin in the shoulder.
Beside the raven-haired Digidestined, Mickey looked suspiciously guilty, and taking control of the conversation, her father said, "Leave Kara alone, Matty. Your behaviour isn't helping."
"No fair!" Matty protested, stomping off in a huff with Celestimon. "I didn't even do anything. Why am I the one being scolded!?"
The former leader ignored the younger twin's angry reply, and watching Matty as he proceeded to complain to Matt about his 'totally mean and totally not favourite uncle,' much to the former musician's amusement, Takara couldn't help feeling a tad responsible. Technically the younger twin was right. He hadn't done anything wrong. She was the one who had caused the issue in the first place.
I'm sorry, Matty. I really am. I promise I'll make it up to you.
"Where are we now?" Wormmon suddenly called out, effectively putting an end to their conversation.
Distracted by her male friends, Takara hadn't really been paying attention to their surroundings, and glancing around, she discovered that at some point they had entered a vast chamber filled with pipes. Some were black and some were glowing a bright green, and all of them varied in size. There were so many of them that collectively they created what looked like a huge maze, and the sound of water running through the network of pipes echoed into the distance.
This has to be the room Izzy mentioned earlier. He must have seen in on the map.
"Uh, which way?" Agumon asked, looking a little lost.
Takara quickly held out her D-Coder, and as everybody gathered around her the arrow began to point towards the northeast. Not exactly helpful, since the maze was likely to take them on a roundabout route to reach their destination, but it was still better than nothing.
I hope Izzy has a good sense of direction...
"Left for now," Izzy said confidently, showing no signs of distress or uncertainty. "It will eventually lead us around to the north."
If anybody else had given her those directions, she might not have trusted them, but since it was Izzy, she figured they were probably going the right way. Apparently, the others felt the same because nobody seemed to feel the need to argue with their resident computer expert. Instead, they all proceeded to head left, and cringing at the glowing pipes crawling along the edges of their path, she found herself thinking of the Spirit Chip lying somewhere within the depths of the waterway.
The Spirit Chip of Wisdom.
I just can't see how it belongs to me. I know everything points to it being my Spirit Chip, but I don't feel like it's mine. How can somebody who's so lost and confused possibly have that kind of strength? It's not like I've ever said anything profound or noteworthy. Isn't that what wise people do? I've just...I don't know. I've just always followed my heart...
"I think I sense DarkAngelicmon," Halomon suddenly spoke up, his small wings brushing her face as the little rookie moved to settle on Izzy's shoulder. "He's close by."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" her mother murmured, squinting into the gloom for any signs of movement.
"I'm not sure, and though we can't sense anyone else, I have this feeling he might not be alone," Celestimon replied, moving suddenly as if he was getting ready for battle.
That alone was enough for the other digimon to quickly assemble near the front of the group, but despite their quick thinking, the path ahead remained clear. Though there was some space between the pipes for her to peek through, she couldn't see anything but more pipes in the gloominess beyond, and unfortunately the ones on either side of their path were too tall for her to climb on and peer overtop.
A sense of uneasiness settled over the group, and frowning, Ken said, "Do you think someone's watching us?"
Before anybody could answer, Takara shrieked as something leaped over the pipes from the other side, nearly landing on top of her, and as the thing grabbed her by the wrist, she twisted around in a frantic attempt to free herself. Despite her efforts, she was unable to escape, and glancing up to seek out the identity of her attacker, she found herself face to face with Spritemon.
"You!" she managed to gasp, her mouth dropping open in shock.
In response, the little pixie digimon smiled, and forcing her down to her knees with a single twist of her arm, Spritemon said coldly, "Well, well, look what we have here. A scared little human who simply can't do anything right. It's about time I got to have my way with you. And let me tell you, I'm going to enjoy this."