I don't own Digimon.
A/N: You'll likely notice this chapter continues in Sam's POV, despite the fact that this is Mickey's Spirit Chip arc. That's due mostly to the fact that this chapter was actually supposed to be part of the last chapter. I decided to split the original idea I had for the previous chapter into two because otherwise it would have been super long. (And knowing me, that likely would have caused me to over explain things far more than I needed to. I have an ongoing battle with myself over this weakness every time I write.) Basically though, most of the arc will be flopping between Mickey, Sam, and some Matty in there. And on that note, let us continue forward!
Following the Footsteps of Destiny
Chapter 325: Mind Games
Sam Ichijouji
Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World
"What!?" Dai shouted, his dark eyes flashing in the light of the fire. "Are you for real?"
"We wouldn't make up something like this," Celestimon replied, frowning at the goggle-headed leader.
Clearly, the little rookie felt a little insulted at Dai's lack of trust, but that wasn't the most pressing issue. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sam had to admit he was intrigued, and leaning forward on the crate he was using as a perch, he said calmly, "Can you tell us more?"
A celestial presence that isn't DarkAngelicmon or Lucemon. If it feels evil, that must mean whoever it is works for the Ruler or Darkness. Are we being followed?
Responding to his inquiry, Halomon said slowly, "I sense a lot of anger and resentment, but also...no, wait! Is there...another one?"
"What do you mean by that?" Mickey asked, gazing curiously at his partner. "Like...another digimon?"
"I think I get it now!" Celestimon announced, standing up on Matty's lap to address the crowd. "At first, it was hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure there are actually two different celestial digimon we're feeling, and neither one of them is Lucemon or DarkAngelicmon."
Two? How many angel digimon does the Ruler of Darkness have on his side?
Just the thought of so many celestial beings falling to the whims of evil was unnerving, and ignoring the pounding of his own heartbeat, Sam said quietly, "I assume you believe there might be two because they feel different from one another?"
Celestimon and Halomon immediately exchanged looks, and clinging to his partner's jacket, Halomon said softly, "Yes, that's why we're...a little confused. One of them is definitely a celestial presence we've never felt before, but the other one feels a little familiar?"
"And you're sure it's not DarkAngelicmon or Lucemon?" Matty demanded.
Celestimon quickly shook his head, and narrowing his emerald eyes in concentration, the little rookie said firmly, "No, definitely not. It's hard to explain. It's like...we can feel a digimon we're pretty sure we've never met before, but something about them seems a little familiar. Almost as if maybe we did meet them at some point in the past, but something about them has changed since then?"
"And the other presence, it's definitely a digimon we've never met before," Halomon added. "That's the presence that first caught our attention because it feels so evil. I can sense a strong hatred emanating from that celestial digimon, and I'm pretty sure it's directed at us. The other presence, the one that's sort of familiar, still feels dark and unsettling, but in a different way. Neither Lucemon or even DarkAngelicmon have ever felt like that before."
"Great, so now what do we do?" T.K. asked, a deep sigh escaping his throat.
Good question. I can't say I'm surprised, since I figured our enemies would show themselves eventually, but I hadn't expected it to happen like this.
The golden-haired Digidestined's words were directed at Izzy, and setting his laptop aside for a moment, the computer expert turned to the two celestial rookies and said, "If I may ask, can you tell how close these two digimon are to our current location?"
"Hard to say," Celestimon answered, wiggling his ears. "They're not super close, but they're not far away either."
"They've come near enough to ensure we can sense them, but that's as far as we can tell. If I had to guess, I bet it's because they want us to know they're following us," Halomon said solemnly, his tone suggesting that was a cause for concern.
Sam thought about that for a moment, and resting his elbows on his knees, he said, "Is that what they're trying to do? Follow us to the village?"
What's the point? Unless they're planning to confront us...
It was Izzy who answered, and placing his hands together, the computer expert said, "That's the most likely scenario. If they were intending to ambush us, they would have done so by now."
"But why?" Kari asked, quickly wrapping her arm around Mickey's shoulders. "What do they hope to gain from watching us?"
That's what I'm afraid of...
At first, nobody answered, and then just as the silence grew almost too thick to bear, Cody said seriously, "There's only one reason I can think of that makes sense. Intimidation. Like Izzy said, they wouldn't have revealed themselves if they were hoping to catch us by surprise. They want us to know they're stalking us, and the reason why is pretty obvious. As long as we remain wary and afraid, it means they have full control of the situation."
Of course. What better way to enslave every single person and digimon here than by making us victims of our own fear? If they can manipulate our hearts and minds, it'll guarantee we end up at a disadvantage. How can it be anymore obvious? Allowing their actions to threaten our resolve opens the door for them to get their hands on Mickey...
Just the thought of their enemies coming anywhere near the older twin made his blood boil, and feeling his father's comforting hand on his shoulder, Sam gave himself a moment to let his anger dissipate before saying quietly, "If that really is their goal, they're going to find themselves disappointed. I don't intend on letting them get to me. I'd like to see them try."
There's no way I'm going to let them use me to hurt Mickey.
Something about his tone must have caught the older twin's attention because all of a sudden their eyes met, sending a jolt of electricity crackling between them. Mickey's amber gaze was sparkling with an intensity Sam had never seen before, and blushing furiously, the older twin quickly looked away from him before he could fully process the significance of their brief exchange. Clearly, Mickey had sensed there was a hidden message behind his words, even if the golden-haired boy hadn't understood exactly what he was trying to convey.
I can't ignore this feeling, and until you tell me to my face you don't want any part of this, I won't let you ignore it either.
"So...what now?" Takara asked, glancing quickly at him before turning her attention to Izzy. "If we really are being followed, that changes things a bit."
"Not necessarily," Izzy replied, his expression growing thoughtful. "In fact, I would say it's the opposite. Since I don't believe they plan on confronting us in the near feature, I see no reason to change our plans. We can't prevent them from following us, and since they likely already know we're heading to the village, there's no sense in wasting our energy trying to shake them off. Right now, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to remain calm and continue on towards our intended destination. Having said that, though, it's important for us to remain on our guard, now more so than ever. Stay alert and keep your eyes on your surroundings just in case we've misjudged the situation."
Izzy's right. What makes the most sense to us might not translate the same to our enemies. Their logic doesn't always coincide with ours. Best to be prepared on the off chance a fight does break out.
And in the meantime he needed to figure out what to do about Mickey.
Now that I know we're being watched, I can't just sit here doing nothing. I need to be close to Mickey, even if it's just to talk...
"Go," his father suddenly said softly in his ear, giving him a gentle nudge. "I'm sure he could use your company right now, and spending time with him will help ease your mind."
Dad...thank you. You're right. I can't stand the thought of being this far away from Mickey when I know our enemies have their eyes on him. If keeping him close will deter them, then I'm not letting him out of my sight.
"Trust in your heart, Sam," his mother murmured, squeezing him tightly before sending him on his way. "It's the part of you I know Mickey loves most of all."
Sam blushed at that, and climbing to his feet with Glowmon in his arms, he proceeded to cross the room with a sense of purpose. Matty was the first to see him approaching, and pulling Mickey closer to make room on the end of the bench, the younger twin said wearily, "I take it you're worried?"
"Aren't you?"
"What do you think?" Matty grumbled, glancing at his flustered twin before settling back against the wall.
Sam carefully sat down next to Mickey, whose cheeks looked like they were on fire, but whether such an intense reaction was due to his close proximity or Matty's disgruntled behaviour, that he couldn't tell. Both had the potential to warrant a strong blush of equal measure, and doing his best to sound nonchalant, he said lightly, "That makes two of us then."
The bench was quite small, the dimensions indicating it was designed for two people rather than three, and as a result, Sam found himself sitting enticingly close to Mickey. He could feel the older twin's warmth once again soaking into his side, and holding Glowmon securely in his arms, he folded his hands together and proceeded to gaze at the floor beneath his feet. On the surface, it probably looked like he was focused on the conversation at hand, but in reality he was secretly watching Mickey's every move.
I wonder how he feels about us being followed. I bet the thought of two evil celestial digimon tracking our movements is making him worry about Matty.
If nothing else, there was a definite increase in the tension pulsing between the twins, and it was obvious Mickey was having a hard time making eye contact with his brother. As for Matty, it was clear the younger twin was growing increasingly frustrated at Mickey's refusal to believe he was the main focus, and therefore the most likely to end up in a dangerous situation. Sam could tell if he didn't do something soon, the situation would likely escalate, and figuring the best course of action was to distract Mickey, he slid his arm around the older twin and said dryly, "I can't believe I'm going to say this, since usually it's the other way around, but you really need to stop giving Matty such a hard time of it."
"I-I'm not!" Mickey gasped, jumping at his bold touch before immediately hiding his face behind his hands.
Despite the older twin's reaction, Sam refused to pull away. More than anything, he wanted Mickey to acknowledge their physical closeness, even if that meant the possibility of exposing his true feelings.
I need to hear him say it. Holding my hand isn't enough. I want him to want all of me...
"Yes, you are!" Matty shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're making this about me, and it's your Spirit Chip. Don't think for one second I don't know what's going on inside your head."
"You don't know for certain it's not about you," Mickey reminded the younger twin, refusing to budge on the matter.
Matty looked like he was about to respond, but before he could get the words out, Celestimon cried, "Please don't fight!"
"Pretty please?" Halomon pleaded, his ears drooping as he snuggled against Mickey's stomach. "It makes us worry when you guys don't get along."
"We're not fighting," Matty sighed, his head dropping back against the wall. "And what do you mean about not getting along? We always get along, even when we are fighting, which we're not!"
That was basically true, even if the younger twin's way of explaining the situation wasn't the most articulate. Despite their outbursts, the twins hadn't moved away from each other. If anything, they were huddling even closer together, and something about that strength to stick together despite their issues was enough to being a smile to Sam's face. Sadly, the growing warmth inside his chest did little to ease his fears, but at least it helped to keep the cold at bay.
They really are the best pair of brothers. I need to do everything I can to preserve that bond no matter what it takes.
Even if it meant giving up on his own feelings.
"I'm sorry," Mickey whispered, hugging his partner close. "Can we change the subject?"
"But then you'll think about it without us and get all sad!" Celestimon protested, clinging tightly to Matty's neck. "I don't like seeing you sad."
"My thoughts exactly," the younger twin grumbled, though despite his gruff tone there was an undeniable hint of concern in his voice.
While Sam shared their sentiments, he knew it wouldn't do any good to pester Mickey, and pulling the older twin's head onto his shoulder, he said quietly, "Take a moment to relax, okay? You're not doing yourself any favours by starting something with Matty."
The more you try to convince him he's the target, the more he'll simply deny it.
Instead of responding, Mickey closed his eyes and proceeded to rest heavily against his side, and glancing over at Kari and T.K., Sam could tell the Takaishi couple had witnessed the exchange between the two brothers. Both parents looked very worried, but what was missing from their expressions was any sort of sign they were interested or curious at the way Mickey was now using him for a pillow.
And they weren't the only ones. A quick glance around the dilapidated building indicated nobody seemed overly intrigued by their closeness.
Well, why would they be? Everybody witnessed his minor outburst at Matty. They've all probably just assumed Mickey needs someone to comfort him, and since I'm his best friend, of course I'm going to take up the mantle. There's nothing suspicious about that at all. Even if I didn't have feelings for Mickey, I'd still be in the same position I'm in now, which is a bit of a problem. If that's what everybody else thinks then Mickey probably believes the same thing. That's not what I want. I want him to see this physical contact between us is more than just that...
But how was he supposed to get his point across without making it embarrassingly obvious or potentially scaring Mickey off? That was becoming an increasingly difficult task, more so even than he had originally anticipated.
Just take it slow. One small step at a time.
"Sorry," Mickey suddenly whispered, the words sounding muffled against his shoulder. "I'm really not trying to be difficult. I just want Matty to understand how serious this is. At the end of the day, we really don't know anything, and I want him to consider every possibility."
Except you're doing the same thing. What part of that don't you see? You can't get past the idea that Matty's in danger, and because of that you're dismissing the possibility that you could be in just as much danger, if not more so. Matty is right, even if you don't want to accept it. At the end of the day it's your Spirit Chip, regardless of if they come after Matty or not. I know that puts him in a bad position, just like Dai was with Kara's Spirit Chip, and that's why I still take your concerns seriously. Beyond that, though, ultimately it all comes back to you. Matty knows that, and so do I...
There was a part of him that wanted to voice the words out loud, but at the same time he also didn't want to start an argument and end up in the same boat as Matty. Sometimes, you really did have to pick your battles, and figuring now wasn't a good time to cause any further distress, Sam simply reached up to stroke Mickey's golden hair and said gently, "Regardless, Matty's safe for now, even if we are being watched. That won't change as long as we look out for him. Let's just focus on reaching the village, okay?"
The words were soft enough to prevent Matty from overhearing, and snuggling closer, the older twin mumbled, "I'll try."
While that wasn't exactly convincing, Sam figured it would have to do.
He feels so warm, and it's not because of the fire. I hope my body feels the same to him.
It was hard to tell, since Mickey's expression was sober and he still had his eyes closed, but Sam was content to let the older twin have a moment to himself. On Mickey's other side, Matty still appeared conflicted, and exchanging a somber look with the younger twin, Sam offered a sympathetic smile, which Matty weakly returned. Surprisingly, the younger teen seemed relieved to have someone looking after his brother, and that made Sam feel oddly elated. On the other side of the room, he could feel his parent's silent encouragement, and even Kari and T.K. were sending him grateful looks. Obviously, everybody was at a loss of what to do about Mickey, and they were counting on him to support the older twin.
Which is why I can't disappoint them.
Now that there were eyes watching them from a distance, the mood inside the dilapidated building had changed considerably, and taking in the tense atmosphere, Sam took a moment to study the rest of the group. Most of the Digidestined and digimon were taking advantage of the silence and using the time to get as much rest as they could before moving on to their next destination, and in the background he could hear the quiet tapping of Izzy's fingers flying across the keyboard on his laptop. In his lap, Glowmon was stroking the back of Mickey's gloved hand with his little bulb that was shining faintly in the dim building, and as snowflakes drifted through the collapsed wall, Sam proceeded to rest his raven head on the older twin's golden hair. Truthfully, he could have stayed that way for the rest of the day, but unfortunately they had a mission to complete.
After some time, Izzy finally closed his laptop, and stretching his arms over his head, the computer expert said, "Everybody have a good rest?"
"I could go a little longer, but the Spirit Chip won't find itself," Armadillomon commented, uncurling himself at Cody's feet. "I take it that's our cue to head out?"
"We probably should continue on if we want to reach the village by nightfall," Mina commented, climbing to her feet.
"What about our stalkers?" Ryoko asked, raising his eyebrows. "Are they still watching us?"
Fluttering into the air, Celestimon said, "Their position hasn't changed."
"And I bet as soon as we start moving, they're going to follow us," Alopemon warned. "Stay sharp, everyone."
At the moment, there was nothing he could do about the two evil digimon who wanted to manipulate them, and hating the thought of allowing anyone to play with Mickey's mind, Sam let out a sigh before reluctantly pulling his arm away from the older twin. "Ready to go?"
For some reason, Mickey looked disappointed at the loss of contact, and slowly opening his eyes, the older twin mumbled, "Even if I wasn't, it's not like I have a choice."
"Don't say that," Glowmon moaned, his bulb growing dark.
The loss of light immediately elected an apology from Mickey, and jumping to his feet, Sam said firmly, "Which way are we headed?"
"To the left," Tentomon answered.
"Down into the valley we go," Candlemon sang, his flames flickering in the slight breeze. "Lead the way, Frigimon!"
"Of course!"
They waited long enough for Rosa and Gotsumon to put out the fire before stepping outside, and leaving their warm accommodations behind, they proceeded to follow a snowy path that was steadily trending downwards. As they walked, Sam could feel the ground beneath them becoming more treacherous, and catching Mickey's arm as the older twin nearly slipped and fell, he warned, "Careful, it's starting to get pretty icy."
"Izzy did warn us," Hawkmon reminded them as he flew past. "Watch your step."
Mickey's response was to turn a delicate shade of pink, and avoiding his eyes, the older twin mumbled, "I'll be careful."
Are you embarrassed because you nearly fell or does it have something to do with me?
That was a good question, and reluctantly letting go of the older twin's arm, Sam said, "Hang onto me if you need to."
At those words, Mickey turned an even deeper shade of red, and calling back over his shoulder, Embermon shouted, "What's the verdict, Celestimon? Are we being followed?"
"Absolutely!" the little rookie called back. "As soon as we left the abandoned settlement, those two digimon we can feel started moving with us. They're definitely observing us, but we still can't tell just exactly how close they are."
"Keep tracking them," Izzy instructed. "I want to know where they are at all times. Warn me if anything changes along the way or if you start to feel anything different."
"Sure," Celestimon agreed, immediately fluttering towards the front of the group so he could stay close to the computer expert. "I can do that."
Matty seemed conflicted on whether he should stay or leave, but since Mickey wasn't speaking to him, the younger twin reluctantly decided to join his partner at the front. That left Sam alone with Mickey and their partners, and deciding to take advantage of the situation, he said boldly, "I take it I'm right then? You're afraid those two celestial digimon want to come after Matty?"
Mickey didn't even try to hide the guilty look on his face, and doing his best to avoid the icy patches as they continued down the path, the older twin said quietly, "I just...have this feeling they want to take Matty away from me. You have to believe me, Sam. It's not me they're watching."
"I do believe you, but-"
"I know what you're thinking, but I haven't forgotten about myself," Mickey insisted, his words sounding desperate. "I'm not so clueless that I don't know I'm their target, but that means nothing if they can't get to me, and they know it. They're toying with me, Sam. They're using Matty to hurt me, which is how they plan to steal my Spirit Chip."
I can't deny that. Matty is definitely Mickey's weakness. They would be stupid not to know that, especially DarkAngelicmon.
"And once they have Matty and start doing whatever horrible things they plan to do to him, then...then they'll come for me," Mickey said ominously, his terrible words ending in a whisper.
As the weight of what the older twin was suggesting finally hit him, Sam forgot to watch his footing. As expected, the end result was disastrous, and slipping on the ice, he slid down the hill a few paces before finally landing on his back. Gasping for air, he took a moment to focus on the snowflakes drifting down from the sky in an attempt to catch his breath, and rushing over to his side, Mickey cried, "Sam, are you okay?"
A couple feet away, Glowmon was moaning in distress, and looking amused, Halomon fluttered over to the little rookie and said, "No need to be so dramatic, silly. You didn't fall that far!"
"It still hurt!" Glowmon complained, shaking snow off his small body before straightening up.
Sam couldn't help feeling a bit guilty, since it was his fault the little digimon had fallen in the first place, but currently he didn't have the strength to apologise. Unfortunately, having lost his grip on Glowmon during the fall, the little rookie had ended up suffering the same fate as him. Luckily, his partner didn't appear to have suffered any lasting damages, and glancing at the boy who was leaning over him, Sam suddenly found himself struggling even harder to breath. Mickey's amber eyes were sparkling in the snow, and the older twin's cheeks had turned a lovely shade of pink from the cold. At that moment, it dawned on him that nothing had ever looked more attractive than the stunning figure hovering just inches away from his lips, and unable to speak, Sam simply stared at what had to be a vision of heaven. Surely, it was impossible for anybody to look so gorgeous.
If I lean forward even a centimetre, there's no turning back...
"Sam?" Mickey repeated, sounding even more worried. "Sam!"
Sam blinked, and afraid of what he might do if he moved even a single muscle, he whispered, "I'm okay. Are you going to help me up?"
"Oh! Right, of course," Mickey mumbled, clearly flustered. "Here, take my hand."
Sam quickly reached for the offered appendage, and with the older twin's help, he somehow managed to get to his feet. Upon doing so, he almost slipped a second time, and grabbing Mickey around the waist to stop himself from falling, he laughed and said weakly, "And here I was giving you a hard time about not being careful."
"I don't care as long as you're not hurt," Mickey replied, pulling him closer.
Sam could feel the older twin's body pressing against his own, and unsure of what was happening, he said carefully, "Think we can move without falling?"
Is he...purposely prolonging this?
"I dunno," Mickey mumbled, avoiding his eyes.
Sam could feel his own heart pounding heavily in his ears, and gently touching the side of his friend's face, he said softly, "Are you cold?"
"A little," the older twin whispered, blushing at the unexpected contact between them.
As their eyes met, Mickey looked like he wanted to say more, but before the older twin could share what was on his mind, Patamon flew over and said urgently, "Are you okay, Sam? That looked like a hard fall."
It's not the fall I'm concerned about.
As the rest of the group quickly backtracked to join them, Sam slowly dropped his hand, and shaking his head, he said shortly, "I'm fine. Nothing broken."
"I was expecting that sort of fall from Matty, not from you," Gatomon joked, earning herself a loud protest from the younger twin.
"Are you sure you're both okay?" Kari asked, placing a warm hand on Mickey's shoulder.
The older twin quickly nodded, and looking embarrassed, he said, "I didn't fall. It was just Sam, and he says he's fine."
"I'm not," Glowmon moaned.
Sam quickly moved to scoop the little digimon into his arms, and cuddling his partner close, he murmured, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose my grip on you."
"I know. It's okay, I understand why it happened."
"Really? Why don't you enlighten the rest of us then?" Matty demanded, looking suspicious.
Does he suspect we were talking about him?
There was a high chance of that being the case, but even if Sam had wanted to deny it, Halomon suddenly shot up into the air and said, "That's weird. I can't feel them anymore."
"The two digimon, you mean?" Izzy asked, immediately sounding intrigued.
"Yeah," Celestimon confirmed, frowning in confusion. "They were there just as second ago, but now..."
"Do you think they left?" Wormmon asked.
Sam glanced at his father, who shook his head before saying, "That wouldn't make any sense. Why only follow us this far?"
"Maybe they just wanted to confirm we were heading to the village?" Dovemon suggested.
Nobody seemed to have an answer for that, and turning to Izzy, Takara said, "Speaking of which, how far do we still have to go?"
"We're almost there," Frigimon announced, placing his big hands on his hips. "Be careful, though. We're not past the ice yet. It gets worse before it gets better."
There was a series of groans at that piece of news, and turning to once again lead the way forward, Izzy motioned for Celestimon to join him and said, "In the meantime, stay alert. I have a feeling we haven't felt the last of those two digimon."
"I will," the little rookie promised.
This time, Sam was careful to watch his feet, and following the rest of the group further down the path, he chanced a quick look at Mickey. The older twin's expression suggested he was mentally arguing with himself, and though the situation with Matty hadn't been resolved, Sam had a feeling Mickey's current behaviour had nothing to do with the younger twin.
Is it because he didn't feel comfortable with the way our conversation was going?
There was no way to tell unless he pushed the subject, and keeping his eyes averted, he murmured, "Did I do something wrong?"
"Huh?" Mickey asked, turning to stare at him in utter confusion. "Of course not! Why would you think that?"
"You don't look too happy about something."
"Oh, that," Mickey whispered, immediately looking guilty. "It's nothing."
"Not true!" Glowmon and Halomon shouted at the exact same time, earning themselves a startled blush from the older twin.
Sam had to agree with the two digimon, and stepping closer to Mickey, he scolded, "You shouldn't keep things from your best friend."
"Really, it's nothing major," the older twin insisted, ducking his head. "I just...kind of wanted to...share that moment with you a little longer."
Does that mean...
It was a wonder he didn't slip a second time, and forcing himself not to read too much into the situation, he said simply, "If you need me to keep you warm, I don't mind."
This time, it was Mickey who stumbled, and catching himself, the older twin gasped, "You don't have to if you don't want to. I just meant-"
"What if I want to?"
Mickey paused, and then biting his lip, the older twin said meekly, "Do you?"
"If you promise to do the same for me."
At this point, Mickey's face was positively glowing, and slipping an arm around his waist, the older twin whispered, "Okay."
Having settled the matter, the two of them proceeded to follow the rest of the group through a particularly dangerous section, and enjoying the sensation of Mickey's hand on his waist, Sam chose to savour the moment. He had no idea what had just happened between them or what it even meant, but despite that he was going to soak in the warmth of the beautiful body snuggling against his side and cherish very second they were able to remain close enough to touch.
If I could just hold him for the rest of the evening, maybe then all my fears would disappear, especially after what he said earlier...
"Thank you, by the way," Mickey mumbled, his words almost disappearing in the snow.
Sam quickly draped an arm around the older twin's shoulders, and speaking in the other boy's ear, he said curiously, "For what?"
"For trying to take my mind off Matty."
"You still have to work things out with him, though. The two of you need to come to some sort of understanding if you both want to make it out of this in one piece."
"I know," Mickey agreed, smiling weakly at him. "But it's nice to leave my fears behind, even if it's just for a little while."
Somehow, Sam managed not to react as the older twin leaned in to absorb more of his body heat, and speaking around the lump in his throat, he said, "Anytime."
If they do come for you, I swear I won't let them touch you...
Under Matty's scrutinising gaze, the two of them carried on for a little while with Halomon and Glowmon fluttering along in their wake, and after some time, Izzy brought the group to a halt and said, "The village is just up ahead. Everybody ready?"
"I can feel them again!" Celestimon suddenly announced, twirling in a circle as he attempted to gain his bearings. "Those two digimon are back!"
"It's definitely them," Halomon confirmed, sounding worried. "I don't understand. What are they trying to accomplish?"
Sam was pretty sure he knew the answer to that, and unable to stop the anger building in his chest, he said furiously, "They're playing with us. It's like a game to them."
"Meaning?" Rosa asked, exchanging a look with her partner.
"They're purposely keeping us on our toes," Izzy translated, nodding to show he understood. "They're basically warning us that they could come and attack at any moment, but when or where, or whether they even confront us at all, is going to be on their terms, not ours. What better way to keep us up at night?"
"They want to ensure we remain on edge at all times," Mina sighed, shaking her head. "Mind games, indeed."
"Are we really going to let them get away with this?" Dai asked, sounding completely outraged over the idea of their enemies having the upper hand.
Sam wasn't exactly fond of the idea himself, and giving Mickey's shoulders a quick squeeze, he said, "Don't get me wrong, I feel the same as you, but I don't think we have a choice right now."
"Why don't we get settled in the village and then we can worry about what they're up to after we've had a chance to talk to the residents?" Gotsumon suggested.
It was a solid plan, since anything the villagers could tell them had the potential to thwart their enemies, and nodding in agreement, Izzy said, "That's the most logical solution for the time being. I'm sure the two digimon following us will probably drift in and out of range for most of the evening. Let's leave them to it while we form a more solid plan of what to do once we leave the village."
Always the voice of reason, Izzy's words did the trick of easing their nerves somewhat, and nudging Mickey forward, Sam quickly headed towards the gate at the end of the path that led to the village proper. Regardless of what their enemies were trying to achieve, he needed to keep Mickey's heart safe.
But at what cost to himself?