I don't own Digimon.
A/N: Once again I apologise for the wait! Just when I think things are slowing down, life gets a bit crazy again! I'm happy to finally get the new chapter out, and once again a big thank you to all of you for your amazing support and for being so patient!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 306: A Spark of Light
Daichi 'Dai' Motomiya
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
For a moment, all Daichi could do was stare, and placing a trembling hand against the blue sphere holding him captive, he turned to Spritemon and said quietly, "What did you do to her?"
All this time she's been suffering, and I haven't been able to help her...
Despite his frantic cries, Kara hadn't responded to his voice, and letting out a soft snort, Spritemon glanced down at the female Digidestined in disgust and said shortly, "I didn't do anything. She did this to herself."
No! It can't be...I know Kara hasn't been herself lately, but it never should have come to this...
Kneeling in a crumpled heap at Spritemon's feet, Takara seemed unaware of the tense conversation taking place. Though her eyes were open, they were completely devoid of expression. Physically her body was present, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.
Somewhere he could not reach.
It's like her soul has been...ripped away from her body or something. I'm right here, but she can't see or hear me at all. It's like I don't exit in her world...
It was an unnerving thought, but that wasn't the most pressing problem. What really scared him were the strange black tendrils of darkness that were swirling around Takara's slender silhouette. As he watched, they continued to creep slowly towards her shoulders, but the female Digidestined didn't seem to notice. In only a matter of minutes her whole body would likely become engulfed in darkness, and there wasn't a single thing he could do to prevent it.
But I can't just sit here and do nothing!
"Dai, this isn't good," Embermon warned, tugging lightly on the leg of his pants. "Something about that darkness feels familiar, and I don't like it."
He's right. I'm sure we've heard about a similar situation once before, but I can't quite remember...
"Still think this is my fault?" Spritemon mocked, her lips turning up in a nasty smile.
Dai merely shook his head, and unable to take his eyes off Kara, he said quietly to his partner, "We need to get out of here."
"I know, but everything we've tried so far hasn't worked," Embermon reminded him, the little rookie's words dripping with obvious frustration. "I don't like the fact that Dovemon's not with her either. Do you think the others are okay?"
Daichi had no way of knowing for sure since Spritemon was holding his D-Coder hostage, and attempting to remain calm, he replied, "I'm sure they're fine. Spritemon must have stolen Kara away from them."
"What are you two whispering about up there?" Spritemon snapped, glaring suspiciously at them. "Don't even think about trying to escape. You wouldn't get very far even if you did. Remember, that sphere is impenetrable. You're stuck in there unless Encantamon frees you, which won't be happening anytime soon, if at all."
"So in other words Encantamon isn't here," Embermon surmised, returning the glare. "Where did she run off to, and where are DarkAngelicmon and YukiOnnamon?"
YukiOnnamon...
Dai shuddered at the name, and doing his best to ignore the rapid thumping of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, he allowed himself a moment to focus his thoughts on the female mega. He was still having trouble wrapping his head around the fact that YukiOnnamon and Vampiramon were the same digimon, but there was no denying the truth. That familiar voice and the obvious similarities between them were impossible to ignore, and the female mega's words had made it very clear she hadn't forgotten what they had done to her.
Which explained why she was so hungry for revenge.
Kara, what have they done to you? I know this isn't you. I know you're stronger than this. That's why I...
"DarkAngelicmon and Encantamon have business elsewhere," a new voice suddenly spoke up, the words echoing menacingly in the large chamber. "As for me, I'm right here."
Somehow Dai managed to pry his eyes away from Takara's limp form, and unable to keep his voice steady, he managed to say, "You sent them after the others, didn't you. Why? Why were you trying so hard to separate Kara from my friends and her partner?"
"That should be obvious," YukiOnnamon said smoothly, gliding into view. "Without them around it was only too easy to ensure the Child of Wisdom became a victim of her own insecurities. Look at her. You can see it for yourself. It is as Spritemon said. We had nothing to do with this. The girl only has herself to blame for failing to embrace her shortcomings. This is the result of being unable to accept your own weaknesses, which prevents one from honing their greatest strengths."
Insecurities? But why? Kara has nothing to be insecure about. She's...amazing. I've always admired her for being so smart and level-headed. She always keeps us in line, and she never hesitates to give us a talking to when we need it. She's brave and tough, and we've always been able to count on her. She's just so...so...beautiful, both inside and out...
"I get it now," Embermon growled, pressing himself against the wall of the sphere. "The way you're taunting us, separating Kara from the others, sending DarkAngelicmon and Encantamon to mess with our friends...you're biding yourselves some time."
Time they're using to make sure Kara succumbs to the despair in her heart without any annoying interruptions.
While there was no denying the female Digidestined needed to experience the darkness for herself if she was to have any hope of claiming her Spirit Chip, Dai could tell Spritemon and the others were enjoying the troubled girl's terrible suffering. It was enough to make his blood boil, and slamming his fist against the gooey wall of the sphere, he shouted, "Let her go right now! I swear, if something bad happens to her because of this-"
"Listen closely and save your pitiful attempts to threaten us," YukiOnnamon said coldly, interrupting him before he could finish. "Do you not recognise what is happening here?"
"What do you mean?" Embermon demanded, his words shaking with barely suppressed anger. "Quit playing around and spit it out already."
"Physically her body is here, but her mind is lost to you," Spritemon informed them, her sharp gaze flicking towards YukiOnnamon. "That's what you're referring to, am I right?"
YukiOnnamon slowly circled the female Digidestined's fallen form, and wrinkling her nose in distaste, she said calmly, "While we are unable to view it ourselves, for the Kamiya girl this room has taken on another form entirely. In her mind, this chamber is nothing but damp rock and hard stone. All she sees is darkness, an empty space without any light to guide her path. She sits in the misery of her own despair, and that is where she will remain until the time comes for us to claim the Spirit Chip of Wisdom."
Wait...Darkness, rock, stone, despair...Could it be?
Dai froze, and gazing at the two evil digimon in utter disbelief, he said slowly, "Are you trying to tell me that whatever's happening to Kara is the same thing that happened to Matt and Sora when they were in the Digital World as kids?"
"Perhaps not exactly the same, but very similar," YukiOnnamon confirmed, pausing to nudge Kara lightly with her toe. "In her reality, this chamber resembles a dark cave. As long as she continues to doubt herself, she will be unable to escape from it."
"Isn't it great?" Spritemon said gleefully, clapping her hands together in delight. "I bet you really want to get inside that cave, don't you. Well, forget about it. The only way in is to worm your way inside her head, and I don't think she's going to let you do that. You're part of the problem, after all."
Huh? Wait, what?
Dai blinked, and tensing, he said sharply, "What do you mean I'm part of the problem?"
"You really don't know?" Spritemon snorted, rolling her eyes. "Boys are so dumb."
"Speak for yourself," Embermon shot back, turning his nose up at the little pixie digimon.
I don't get it. Did I do something to...hurt Kara?
The thought alone made him feel suddenly sick to his stomach, and sinking to the floor of his glowing prison, he murmured, "No, that's not true. It can't be. She knows how much I care about her..."
Or does she?
His own uncertainty startled him, and thinking back on his relationship with the female Digidestined over the many years they had known each other, he suddenly wasn't so sure. The amount of respect he had for Kara was off the charts, but had he ever actually told her that? Did she know how much he admired her? Had he ever taken the time to compliment her for her sensible and logical way of thinking? Was she aware of how much he appreciated her caring personality and the empathy she displayed towards friends and strangers alike? When was the last time he had showed her his appreciation for her commendable bravery and positive attitude? Did she know how pretty he thought she was?
And even more importantly, had he ever made it clear to her that she had the most loving soul of anyone he'd ever met? Did she know just how precious she was to him?
No, because I've never told her that. All this time, and I've never said a thing...
"So what's next?" Embermon asked, his harsh tone indicating he expected an answer. "What are you two going to do now?"
I have to warn the others. They need to know about Vampiramon...
"Now, we wait," YukiOnnamon informed them, her long skirts swishing as she turned her back on Kara. "The girl will continue to wallow in her own self-pity until the rest of your group arrives. Once they do, I will have them break the first seal surrounding the Spirit Chip. What happens after that depends on you."
"Will she fade away into the darkness or will she conquer her fears and overcome her insecurities?" Spritemon mocked, hopping up and down on her tiny feet. "The suspense is killing me!"
"You had best hope the girl does succeed," YukiOnnamon warned, pausing to glance back over her shoulder. "If she does not and our opportunity to obtain the Spirit Chip is lost, both you and the girl will suffer dearly for it."
"And if she fails, well...we can't guarantee what will happen to her after that, but it might be slightly less painful than that icky cave of darkness, but only just," Spritemon sneered, her eyes lighting up with a strange glint he had never seen before.
Kara...
Dai wanted to shout back a clever retort, but the words wouldn't come. It was then that he realised his entire body was trembling, and feeling Embermon's sympathetic hand on his shoulder, he choked out, "I don't care what happens to me, but I won't let you hurt Kara. I swear I'll put an end to this and save her no matter what."
"Bold words for an ignorant human who can't even figure out his own feelings," YukiOnnamon replied, refusing to spare him even a glance. "Spritemon, watch over the girl while I make the final preparations for our mission."
"Ugh, for real? Why am I always the one stuck babysitting?" the little pixie complained, making a face.
YukiOnnamon's response was to leave the room without a backwards glance, and placing an icy cold hand against the glowing blue sphere, Dai ignored his own discomfort and said desperately, "Kara, can you hear me? You can't give in! You have to fight this!"
There was no response from the female Digidestined, and realising her whole body was now tangled in the thick tendrils of darkness swarming tightly around her slender frame, something in his heart seemed to burst free. A ball of emotions that had remained hidden somewhere deep inside him for so long erupted like a volcano, and for the first time in his young life, his feelings were clear to him. The veil had been lifted, and all the pieces of the puzzle had finally fallen into place.
Of course you wouldn't know. How could you when I didn't even know myself?
His uncertainties about her relationship with Ryoko, his desire to protect her, his determination to prove himself to Tai, and his inability to hide how flustered he would get when his friends would tease him about his female companion or question his motives. Takara wasn't just a close friend. She was everything to him, and life without her just simply wasn't an option.
So this is what it feels like.
There was no hiding from the truth, and he had no intentions of running away from his feelings. No matter how Kara felt about him, it didn't change how he felt about her.
He was, and mostly likely always had been, deeply and irrevocably in love with her.
Tai Kamiya
Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World
Tai quickly backed up to join the rest of his human companions, and taking his hand, Sora said, "Do you think they'll go easy on us?"
As much as Tai wanted to believe that was the case, he was pretty sure their luck wouldn't stretch quite that far. As a result, he simply shook his head and said grimly, "I doubt it. You heard DarkAngelicmon. Even if he really doesn't want to cause our digimon any harm, he has to make this look convincing."
"And if that means causing us a few nasty injuries, he won't hesitate to rough up our digimon as much as he has to," Ryoko snorted, his tone indicating he didn't approve. "Can't risk YukiOnnamon's anger or jeopardise his position with the Ruler of Darkness, after all."
"Which technically works in our favour," Izzy interrupted, catching them all by surprise.
Tai winced as the clashes of weapons and the explosions from various attacks reflected off the water's rippled surface, and raising his eyebrows, he said, "How so?"
Izzy was quiet for a moment, and watching the battle taking place, the computer expert said slowly, "If DarkAngelicmon's main goal is to protect Lucemon, then that would suggest he has doubts about working for the Ruler of Darkness."
"And if he's questioning his loyalty to the Ruler of Darkness, that means he may be more open to helping us out," Ken finished, picking up immediately on Izzy's train of thought.
"Plus, even if he's not entirely on our side, having someone who's so close to the Ruler of Darkness and his inner circle could lead to some inside information we might otherwise not have access to," Sam added, exchanging a meaningful look with his father. "Any information we can get out of DarkAngelicmon about the Ruler of Darkness brings us one step closer to defeating him."
They're right. DarkAngelicmon could be a huge asset to us, and he knows it. That's why he wants us to protect Lucemon in return. I don't know for sure, but I have this feeling the more we're able to gain his trust, the more he might be willing to reveal about the Ruler of Darkness, and also about his own past.
The key to saving the Digital World. Maybe it wasn't such a crazy idea after all.
"Come now, is that all you've got?" DarkAngelicmon teased, leaping aside to avoid the blast from Odonatamon's Corona Beam. "Surely you can do better than that."
"Well, at least their attacks are much more coordinated this time," Encantamon pointed out, sending her own toxic slime hurtling in Omnimon's direction. "That's something to look forward to, wouldn't you say?"
Huh?
For a moment Tai was confused, and then realising what the serpent digimon meant, he felt a sudden ache in his heart. It was true that without Kara their digimon seemed much more in sync, which was a disturbing reminder of just how far his daughter had fallen. Her mind had become so in tune with the darkness that the female Digidestined had become more of a hindrance than an asset in battle, and because of that the Digidestined team as a whole was performing more calmly and smoothly as one unit rather than stumbling around blindly as separate individuals.
Rather than embracing her fear, she's allowing it to control her. That sense of panic went on to infect all of us, which was why we ended up performing so badly in that last fight. Encantamon's trying to goad us by suggesting we're better off without Kara...
Despite how it might have seemed on the outside, that wasn't even remotely true. When Takara was at her best, Tai had no doubt his daughter's partner would one day rival Omnimon.
I know Matt feels the same. Kara has everything we have and more...
"Don't let her get to you," Matt suddenly said quietly in his ear, making him jump in surprise. "That's exactly what she wants. She's trying to get us going on purpose to buy Spritemon some time."
Tai knew his old friend was right, and smiling slightly, he gave the former musician's shoulder a quick squeeze and said, "It really is kind of scary how you do that."
"And you're not even related like Mickey and Matty," Sora joked, smiling fondly at them.
"Might as well be," Matt said simply, turning once again to focus on the battle.
We might not be brothers by blood, but we definitely are in spirit.
It was a comforting thought, and following the golden-haired Digidestined's example, Tai turned his attention to the flashes of light bouncing all over the large chamber.
Omnimon, IceTirimon, Garudamon, JewelBeemon, and MegaKabuterimon were duking it out with Encantamon, whose Toxic Affliction attack was keeping them on their toes, and Centarumon, Gabrielmon, Angelicmon, and Odonatamon were sending wave after wave of energy fused with light at the fallen angel. So far, DarkAngelicmon had managed to avoid a direct hit, but it was obvious his heart wasn't really in it. Sooner or later he was going to falter, particular since it was four against one, but he didn't seem too concerned about a loss.
In fact, he was giving off every impression that he wanted them to defeat him.
This whole fight really is just a big farce. It feels kind of surreal.
"How much longer do we have to keep this up?" Encantamon drawled, summoning yet another wave of toxic spray from the ground beneath her feet. "I have to admit, I'm more interested in the grand finale than a common brawl. It's no fun without the girl here."
"As long as we must to ensure all goes smoothly," DarkAngelicmon replied, rising into the air. "Wrath of Hades!"
Tai winced as a massive wave of darkness washed over the four digimon attempting to fend off the fallen angel, and taking advantage of their vulnerability, Encantamon raised her arms into the air and said mildly, "That can be arranged. Malevolent Song!"
"Not this again!" Matty groaned, quickly covering his ears.
Tai didn't hesitate to follow suit, and squinting through the pain in his head, he watched as the female digimon's deadly song sent all nine of their digimon falling to the ground. Cries of pain began to fill the chamber in varying degrees, and holding up his hand, DarkAngelicmon warned, "Easy now. Not too much. We're not here to completely deplete their energy. We simply want to buy Spritemon some time."
"Why?" IceTirimon growled, struggling to raise his head. "Why not turn us all into rookies here and now?"
"You will need your energy if you want any hope of rescuing Kara from the darkness in her own heart," DarkAngelicmon replied, descending slowly back to the ground. "Only then will the Spirit Chip of Wisdom be free for the taking."
"So that's your excuse to make this whole charade seem less questionable," Sam said quietly, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the pain. "That's pretty clever, I'll give you that."
Yeah, he has an answer for everything. No wonder he's been able to avoid suspicion for so long.
Kneeling next to the raven-haired Digidestined, Mickey's fine features were contorted in agony, and leaning on Sam's shoulder for support, the older twin managed to gasp, "This is probably nothing compared to what Kara's going through."
Mickey's right. No matter how much we're suffering, it still doesn't compare to the pain Kara must be feeling. We have to remember that. If she can hang on, so can we.
The thought was enough to fuel his motivation, and wrapping his arms around Sora, who had buried her face against his chest, he said, "You sure drive a hard bargain."
"Perhaps," DarkAngelicmon replied, motioning for Encantamon to join him. "It'll be worth it, though. Of that, I can assure you."
"How much longer?" Encantamon asked, pausing briefly in her singing to ask.
The female serpent had a hand pressed against her chest, and studying the two angel digimon sprawled at his feet, DarkAngelicmon said lightly, "Give it a few minutes. That should be more than enough time to ensure Spritemon has worked her magic."
What's that mean? What have they done to Kara?
Tai was having trouble concentrating thanks to the pain throbbing in his head, and on either side of him both Sora and Matt were struggling to remain upright. Ken, Izzy, and Ryoko were all hanging onto each other for support, which left Mickey, Sam, and Matty to keep each other from succumbing to Encantamon's dangerous melody.
Matty was clinging to Sam's other side, and squeezing the bridge of his nose, the younger twin managed to say, "Does that mean Spritemon's making sure Kara gives in to the darkness?"
"That's likely the case," Izzy confirmed, flinching as he slowly crawled his way into the centre of their group. "They'll want to make sure she's ready for us to break down the walls she's built around herself."
"Anything for the Spirit Chip," Ryoko muttered, his words ending in a loud groan.
What was supposed to be only a few minutes had definitely turned into at least twenty, and keeping his eyes shut, it took everything Tai had to distance himself from the pain and despair raging inside his head. He could feel his own heart pounding frantically in his chest, and burying his face in Sora's hair, he murmured, "Whatever you do, don't give up."
"I won't," Sora whispered, trembling in his arms. "I swear I won't."
"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Mickey gasped, hiding his face against Sam's shoulder. "It's too much."
That statement immediately caused a look of alarm to flash across the raven-haired Digidestined's handsome features, and holding the older twin protectively against his side, Sam said firmly, "It's okay. We'll make it through this."
"Don't you dare let it get to you!" Matty scolded, grabbing his brother's wrist and holding on tight. "I'm not losing you, too!"
Come on, guys. We can do this. We can fight this!
The pain wasn't going away, and prying his eyes open, Tai glanced quickly towards their digimon partners. Like Mickey, he was concerned their digimon weren't going to be able to hold on for much longer, and just when he felt like they had reached their limit, the throbbing in his head suddenly subsided.
For a moment, nobody moved, and speaking calmly in the dim room, DarkAngelicmon said shortly, "That should be enough."
"Come on then," Encantamon called out, addressing her words to the digimon sprawled across the damp floor. "Time to get up. You're still going to have to defeat us if you don't want YukiOnnamon asking any unwanted questions."
I can't believe it. She's really going along with this...
One by one, their digimon slowly began to climb to their feet, and shooting a spark of light at DarkAngelicmon from the tip of his finger, Angelicmon said coldly, "That was for making Mickey question himself."
"Really?" Matty groaned, rolling his eyes. "Now isn't the time, Angelicmon!"
DarkAngelicmon slowly lifted a hand to his burnt cheek, and tilting his head to the side, the fallen angel ignored the younger twin and said smoothly, "I suppose that's fair. Don't disappoint me now."
It didn't even phase him...
Angelicmon's reply was to send bolts of light raining down from the ceiling, and letting out a sigh, Gabrielmon quickly summoned his staff and said, "He really should learn to control his temper."
"I don't know about that," JewelBeemon replied, brandishing his spear. "I rather like his style. Now let us add some light of our own to this gloomy backdrop, shall we?"
Gabrielmon nodded in response, and sending a glowing blast of brilliant orange light at the fallen angel's exposed chest, he quickly rejoined the fight. JewelBeemon followed after the celestial digimon, and as the battle continued in full force, Izzy motioned for everyone to gather around him.
Somehow Tai was able to drag himself closer, and massaging the back of his head, the computer expert said seriously, "Looks like they've accomplished what they set out to do."
"Which was what exactly?" Sora asked, shaking her head to clear away the last vestages of pain.
Izzy quickly held out his Digivice so everyone could see it, and staring at the screen Tai immediately realized what the computer expert was referring to. Takara's signal was showing up in the same location as Dai's signal, which meant Spirtemon must have reached her final destination. While it was comforting to know the two young teens were no longer separated, he still had a bad feeling that something wasn't right.
Who knows what Spritemon might do to them while we're stuck in this senseless battle. They say they need Kara to overcome the darkness to get her Spirit Chip, but that doesn't mean they won't accidentally take things too far. And now that they have Kara, what are they going to do with Dai?
At this point, even DarkAngelicmon couldn't guarantee the goggle-headed leader's safety, and frowning at the screen, Matt said calmly, "We need to reach them, now more than ever."
"Agreed. I don't trust Spritemon not to do something drastic, especially now that she has both Dai and Kara," Ken added, wincing as he proceeded to struggle to his feet. "I wouldn't put it past her to try and use them against each other."
Mickey's eyes widened at that, and squirming out of Sam's grip, the older twin gasped, "That could be drastic! We need to reach them."
"Slow down," Matty grumbled, catching his brother's arm and holding the older twin in place. "I swear you're as bad as my partner."
Sam seemed to agree with that, and keeping a firm grip on Mickey's shoulder, the raven-haired Digidestined said, "Time to wrap this up."
"What do you think?" Ryoko asked, watching him closely.
Tai returned the younger male's intense gaze, and allowing Sora to pull him to his feet, he said, "I think it's time Omnimon and the others did their thing."
"Right. You hear that, guys?" Matt called out, his words echoing in the large chamber.
It was Omnimon who replied, and swinging his sword, the DNA mega shouted, "Loud and clear! Transcendent Sword!"
Hang on, Kara. We're coming. Just a little bit longer...
The rest of their digimon were quick to join in the fray, and swooping up behind Omnimon, whose sword had met its target, MegaKabuterimon growled, "Electro Shocker!"
Both moves were a direct hit on Encantamon, and taking advantage of the serpent digimon's moment of weakness, Garudamon followed up with his Wing Blade attack. IceTirimon's storm of razor sharp icicles sent the female mega falling to her knees, and JewelBeemon finished up with his Spike Buster, sending frozen chips of moisture flying in all directions.
Only a few feet away, DarkAngelicmon was in a bit of a tight spot. In his efforts to avoid the light from his fellow angels, he was leaving himself open to Centarumon's Solar Ray. Combined with Odonatamon's Gemstone Barrage, there was no way the fallen angel was going to avoid getting hit indefinitely.
As Tai watched, his suspicions proved correct. Twisting to avoid Angelicmon's spear, the blast from Centarumon's cannon hit the fallen angel directly in the back. Odonatamon quickly followed up with a round of violet bullets, and directing the orange glow of his staff directly at DarkAngelicmon's chest, Gabrielmon let loose a huge blast of celestial energy. It was enough to send DarkAngelicmon crashing to the hard floor, and rising into the air, Angelicmon made a fist and said boldly, "Is this enough resolve for you? Celestial Star!"
The glowing comet sprialed out of the celestial digimon's hand in a spark of blinding light, and lifting his head, DarkAngelicmon didn't even attempt to escape. Instead, the blast hit the fallen angel full force, and holding an arm over his eyes, Tai glanced over to see how Omnimon and the others were doing. There was smoke rising from the damp ground, and though she still looked as if she could continue fighting, Encantamon had immediately ceased her attacks upon witnessing DarkAngelicmon's defeat. Recognising her withdrawal from battle, Omnimon and the others quickly bowed out, and looking a little tired, the female serpent curled herself up by the edge of the water and said pleasantly, "Well, I guess that was pretty fun after all. You still alive over there, handsome?"
There was no response, and racing over to DarkAngelicmon's side with Matty and Sam right on his heels, Mickey collapsed next to the fallen angel and said urgently, "Are you alright?"
"I didn't hit him that hard," Angelicmon protested, earning himself a disapproving look from Gabrielmon.
In response to Mickey's words, DarkAngelicmon slowly opened his eyes, and gazing intently at the older twin, the fallen angel said softly, "To have endured Encantamon's music for so long without allowing the mind to succumb. If this is truly the strength of your resolve then perhaps my old friend may yet escape the terrible destiny fate has in store for him."
Wait, is he talking about Lucemon?
Tai glanced at Izzy, and indicating it was safe to do so, the computer expert motioned for them to follow him. As the rest of the group moved slowly towards DarkAngelicmon, Encantamon made no attempt to impede their progress, which was a good thing since one by one their digimon were beginning to revert back to their rookie forms. Upon reaching Sam and the twins, Tai could tell the three boys were attempting to work out what the fallen angel had meant, and throwing up his hands in exasperation, Matty said, "You really are a dummy! Making us fight you like that! Ugh, you drive me crazy, you know that?"
"The feeling is mutual," DarkAngelicmon said dryly, his chest rising and falling in a surprisingly gentle rhythym despite the amount of damage his body had sustained.
The cryptic comment made the younger twin's mouth drop open in surprise, and studying the fallen angel closely, Sam said softly, "The light isn't affecting you as much as it used to. Good to know."
In the past, he probably would have fallen unconscious from a direct hit like that, but not this time. Is it because he's slowly starting to remember who he is?
DarkAngelicmon was making no attempt to sit up, and reaching out to wrap his hand around Mickey's slender wrist, the fallen angel said quietly, "Go. Reunite with your friends. We will follow behind in due time. Know this, though. The next time we fight, there will be no holding back. YukiOnnamon's presence will not allow it. No matter your feelings, you mustn't give in to your emotions. You must win at all costs. Do you understand?"
Though he looked troubled, Mickey somehow managed a smile, and giving the fallen angel's shoulder a quick squeeze, he whispered, "I do."
"Just don't die on us, you hear?" Matty ordered, crowding into the older twin's space to nudge the dark digimon's arm. "I won't have you upsetting my brother."
"Don't you mean you?" Sam joked.
"No!"
Tai shook his head at Matty's obvious lie, and closing his eyes, DarkAngelicmon murmured, "I do not intend on going anywhere, not while my old friend is still in danger. Now go. The central chamber awaits."
"Safe travels," Encantamon drawled, waving a hand over her shoulder in farewell.
Mickey reluctantly stood up, and as the group proceeded to head towards the east exit, Tai held back for a moment, Agumon standing faithfully by his side.
Gazing up at him, the little rookie said, "What is it, Tai?"
Tai quickly gave his partner a reassuring smile, and kneeling next to DarkAngelicmon, he said simply, "Thanks."
Say what you will. You're no enemy of ours.
DarkAngelicmon responded with the barest hint of a smile, and placing a hand over his, the fallen angel said gently, "Thank me after you've saved Kara and Dai."
"Don't worry, we will," Agumon promised, his firm tone leaving no room for doubt.
I won't forget. I'll remember this always, no matter what happens.
Squeezing the fallen angel's hand in return, Tai quickly got to his feet, and motioning for Agumon to follow him, he spared the celestial champion once last glance before racing off to join the rest of the group.
Due to his bold personality and commanding presence, it was sometimes easy to forget that DarkAngelicmon hadn't yet reached his full potential, but the truth was plainly obvious. At the end of the day, the fallen angel was still only a champion, but that did not diminish the strength of his own resolve. Takara might be in danger, but DarkAngelicmon had given him something to keep fighting for.
A chance to save his daughter and the courage to believe that somehow the female Digidestined would find her way back to him. And in doing so, she would finally be able to leave the darkness behind for good.