I don't own Digimon.

A/N: It's done! It was a tough one, but somehow I made it through. I'm definitely looking forward to the next chapter, and I hope you all are, too!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 329: The Shadow Within

Makiya 'Mickey' Takaishi

Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World

Makiya Takaishi hugged the latest sketchbook he was using to document his experiences in the Digital World tightly to his chest, and glancing nervously at the door, he couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive about the conversation that was likely taking place at the hot springs located just outside the igloo. It wasn't that he didn't trust Matty with his secret, it was more a matter of what was going through Sam's head at the moment and how many of those thoughts the raven-haired Digidestined was willing to share with the younger twin.

I know Matty was telling the truth when he said he just wants to make sure Sam's okay for my sake, but I also know my brother well enough to guess what he's really up to. I'm sure he's attempting to find out how Sam really feels about me, and that's what I'm scared of. Not the part about Matty asking, I'm more concerned about the answers my brother might receive for his troubles. If Sam really only sees me as a friend, there's nothing Matty and I can do to change his mind. We have to respect that, and I know Matty will agree with me, even if he doesn't like the idea of giving in. I just...really don't want to hear the truth if the answer is anything but positive...

"You're worrying too much," Halomon scolded, giving him a look. "I know that face. At least wait until you have an answer before getting yourself all worked up over nothing. Remember, Matty could come back empty-handed. It's not like Sam's giving anybody much to work with."

Thankfully, Ryoko and Alopemon had moved off to join Dai and Takara, and letting out a sigh of relief that they wouldn't be overheard, Mickey quickly sat up and said meekly, "I know, but...they've been gone for quite a while now. How can I not worry?"

"Just because they're taking their time doesn't mean they're spending every moment talking about you. They could just be enjoying a hot soak, since that's what you go to a hot spring for."

That's...true, I guess. Have I really become so self-absorbed that I'm starting to think everything is about me?

The thought alone was embarrassing, and ducking his head, Mickey mumbled, "I'm sorry, Halomon. You're right. It's not like they don't have other things to talk about, and you're not wrong about them just wanting to enjoy a hot soak. They don't need any words for that. I don't know why I'm like this all of a sudden. I never used to assume every conversation revolves around me..."

"It's because you're feeling insecure and doubting yourself," Halomon informed him. "That's not a sign of arrogance. It's lack of confidence, which isn't the road you want to follow right now."

Mickey didn't need the little rookie to tell him why that was, and setting aside his sketchbook so he could pull Halomon into his lap, he stroked the angel digimon's fluffy ears and said softly, "Do you really think I'll be able to get my Spirit Chip, even if...it turns out Sam doesn't feel the same way about me that I feel about him?"

"Only you can answer that," Halomon responded, his worried gaze glittering in the dim glow of the portable lanterns lighting the room. "I hope so. Remember, you can lose yourself, but you'll never lose Sam regardless of how he feels about you. That will have to be the source of the light that keeps you moving through the darkness."

Halomon...

His partner was right, of course. Even if Sam couldn't love him, he had to keep going. He still had to find meaning in a life where they would always just be friends.

I would still rather have that than nothing at all...

"Mickey?" Halomon pressed, looking suddenly concerned. "I haven't upset you, have I?"

Mickey was about to reassure the little rookie that he was fine when the sound of voices coming from the hall immediately captured his attention. A moment later, Sam and Matty walked through the door with their digimon partners, and glancing up at them, Dai said cheerfully, "Have a nice bath?"

"Definitely," Matty replied, sighing happily as he moved to sit next to the goggle-headed leader. "My aching muscles are going to thank me for it later. Did you manage to get your homework done?"

"Just finished!" Dai announced, waving his notebook triumphantly in the air. "Am I awesome, or what?"

"Only thanks to Kara," Matty joked.

"Hey!"

There was a chorus of laughter in the room, and as the goggle-headed leader grumbled something about having at least finished his homework, unlike Matty, Mickey turned his attention to Sam. The raven-haired Digidestined was lounging in the doorway, and although he looked relaxed, something about his demeanour suggested he wasn't quite sure where to take a seat. As their eyes met, Sam seemed to take that as a sign it was safe for him to engage in conversation, and stepping away from the doorframe, the raven-haired Digidestined moved closer and said mildly, "Room for two more?"

Unable to stop himself from blushing, Mickey gasped, "Oh, of course. There's plenty of space."

"As long as we're not intruding," Glowmon said shyly, sounding a little uncertain of whether or not that was the case.

"Never. Don't ever think that even for a minute."

I wish you would both intrude a little more often. I want nothing more than to share my space with you...

Mickey could feel Sam watching him closely, and desperately hoping the raven-haired Digidestined couldn't sense his earlier fears, he quickly offered to take Glowmon while the other boy went to grab his sleeping bag, which was spread out on the snow a few feet away next to Dai's bedroll. Though Sam was merely grabbing his sleeping bag to avoid sitting on the cold ground, Mickey couldn't help feeling a little flustered at the thought of having the raven-haired Digidestined possibly sleeping so close to him when they would be going to bed in a couple of hours.

It's Sam. No matter what, he's still my best friend. That wouldn't change even if he did end up returning my feelings. I have nothing to fear or anything to feel embarrassed about.

Having summoned enough courage to talk himself out of running away in an effort to prevent any awkwardness between them, Mickey shuffled over a little to give Sam some room to spread out his sleeping bag without having to worry about a potential lack of space. Once that was done, the raven-haired Digidestined calmly sat next to him before taking Glowmon back, and settling the little rookie comfortably on his lap, the dark-haired boy said dryly, "Those two never learn, do they."

Mickey was surprised at how easily he was able to smile in return, and ignoring the frantic thoughts floating through his head for a moment, he said gently, "That's part of what makes them so loveable. Did you enjoy the hot springs?"

"They were great!" Glowmon chimed in, bouncing with excitement. "I wish you could have joined us."

"Maybe next time," Halomon offered, fluttering over to snuggle with the little insect digimon. "I'm sure we'll come across more hot springs in the future. Come on, let's go play with the others!"

Mickey was certain that was his partner's way of giving him some alone time with Sam, and as the two digimon hurried off to join their rookie friends, the raven-haired Digidestined said lightly, "It was definitely relaxing. I wouldn't say no to another dip if we have the time for it."

Now that their digimon were no longer around to act as a buffer, Mickey suddenly felt a strange fluttering sensation in his stomach, and swallowing a nervous lump in his throat, he managed to choke out, "There should be more hot springs on our way to the Spirit Chip. Did Matty enjoy himself, too?"

Maybe it's a bad idea to mention my brother? There's no telling what kind of conversation that could lead into...

Though Sam's expression remained calm and composed, a spark of emotion flickered in the raven-haired Digidestined's sapphire eyes, and as a result Mickey felt his heart begin to pound rapidly in his chest. Whatever that expression was trying to convey, it was subtle enough that if he hadn't been watching Sam closely, he might have missed it entirely.

But I didn't miss it, and it definitely meant something...

"He probably enjoyed himself a lot more than he would have if I hadn't owned up to the fact that I'd been avoiding him earlier," Sam said bluntly, catching him completely off guard.

At first, Mickey was so shocked he didn't know what to say, and then lowering his voice, he murmured, "So I wasn't imagining it then."

"No, you weren't," the raven-haired Digidestined replied, a sigh escaping his lips.

Does that mean...they weren't talking about me? Were they instead talking about the relationship they share with each other? Matty seems completely fine. I guess that means they were able to work things out and come to some sort of understanding?

Mickey hoped that was true, and as the continuing silence between them grew almost unbearable, he managed to whisper, "Why?"

Why were you acting so afraid of my brother?

A hand suddenly came to rest gently on his shoulder, and jumping at the unexpected touch, he jerked his head up in surprise. As their eyes met, Sam said warmly, "I was afraid of failing him. Do you really not see it for yourself? I don't think I could ever bring myself to face him again if for some reason I couldn't protect you. If he ever lost you and it was my fault, or if I hurt you in some way and I was entirely to blame for it...I don't want to lose him either. Does that...make sense?"

Sam...

Mickey had not expected such a forthcoming answer, and feeling completely overwhelmed, he proceeded to ignore all of his fears and simply acted on instinct. Without any reservations whatsoever, he threw his arms around Sam in a fierce embrace, and hugging the raven-haired Digidestined tightly around the neck, he mumbled, "Does that mean everything's okay between you and Matty now?"

"We're fine," Sam confirmed, speaking softly in his ear. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. Although..."

Mickey froze, and sensing there was more, he said earnestly, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Sam hesitated, and pulling back slightly, the raven-haired Digidestined said seriously, "I'm not entirely sure, but...I'm a little concerned about Matty."

"Why? Did something happen?"

Mickey glanced quickly at his brother, but as far as he could tell the younger twin seemed perfectly fine. At the moment, Matty was laughing and joking around with Takara while Dai and Ryoko chatted next to the two cousins, and all of their digimon partners were playing some sort of game they had made up on the fly. The atmosphere in the room was relaxed despite the threat of their enemies lurking close by, and doing his best to stamp out the sudden panic rising in his chest, Mickey forced himself to breath. Surely whatever Sam had to say couldn't be that bad, right?

Sam does look pretty serious, and I know he wouldn't want to worry me without a good reason...

"Not exactly," the raven-haired Digidestined said slowly, his tone indicating he was choosing his words carefully. "It might not mean anything at all, but there's been a couple of times now where Matty has made me promise to look out for you in case something happens to him, and I guess that worries me a little. It's almost like he thinks he's going to end up in some kind of trouble, which is weird because he keeps insisting you're the one who's in danger, not him."

For some reason Mickey suddenly felt an unpleasant shiver race down his spine, and rubbing his arms to stay warm, he managed to choke out, "Unless he plans on doing something dangerous if I end up in any sort of trouble. Then it would make sense."

"Or in other words, that's exactly what he thinks is going to happen and he's already prepared himself for worst case scenario," Sam murmured, his sapphire eyes growing dark and stormy. "He would do something like that, wouldn't he. Especially for you."

Don't you dare, Matty. Don't you even think about putting yourself in harm's way for me. If you do that, I'll never forgive myself for failing to keep you safe...

His thoughts must have shown on his face because all of a sudden Sam pulled him close again and whispered fiercely in his ear, "Stop that line of thinking right now. Do you really believe I'd let Matty do something so stupid? Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. I promise I won't let him do anything dumb unless it becomes absolutely necessary, and if it comes to that he won't be alone. We're both going to save you."

Mickey was having trouble coming up with a response, and squeezing his eyes shut to stop himself from crying, he gasped, "I don't want you to put yourself in danger for me either."

"I don't intend on going anywhere," Sam said firmly, his sapphire eyes flashing in the dim lighting. "Let them try to take me from your side. If they're stupid enough to attempt such a thing, they're going to wish they hadn't when I'm done with them."

Though he couldn't explain why, Mickey believed the raven-haired Digidestined, and hiding his face against Sam's neck, he mumbled, "Promise you'll watch over Matty for me?"

"You don't even need to ask," Sam murmured exquisitely in his ear. "I'd do anything for you, Mickey. Anything at all. Whatever it takes to protect what's most important to you."

"But-"

"Please, just let me do the worrying for you, okay?"

Mickey could hear the sound of his own pulse pounding frantically in his ears, and growing painfully aware of the warm arms that were wrapped tightly around his slender silhouette, it took him a moment to remember that he was supposed to breath. Sam's pale neck felt lovely against his cheekbone, and curling himself against the raven-haired Digidestined's chest, he said timidly, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

There was a pause, and then Sam's gorgeous voice replied in a husky tone, "If you want me to."

Never have I wanted anything so badly in my life. If I know you're close by, maybe I might actually be able to sleep without drowning in my own nightmares...

Despite his unpleasant thoughts, Mickey suddenly felt even more shy than usual, but before he could give the raven-haired Digidestined an answer, the hallway suddenly filled with the sound of loud voices and footsteps that were heading in their direction. Caught off guard, he quickly pulled away from Sam, and a moment later his parents and the rest of the adults entered the room with their digimon partners. The disappointment on the raven-haired Digidestined's face was obvious, and not wanting to leave things as they were, Mickey gave the other boy's hand a quick squeeze before nodding his assent. Having gotten the message, Sam returned the gesture before letting his hand slip free, and turning his attention to the adults, Mickey said quickly, "Is it time for bed?"

"Soon," his mother said gently, giving him a warm smile. "We hadn't expected our chat to go on for so long, but there was a lot to cover."

"And I have a lot of information to send to Taniko and Gennai tonight," Izzy added, plopping down on his sleeping bag and immediately getting straight to work.

Mickey figured the computer expert would likely still be at it after most of them fell asleep, and making himself comfortable next to Sam, who was pressed right up against his side for warmth, he asked curiously, "Did Dianamon have anything more to offer after hearing about the feline digimon who came into the village?"

Yolei spoke up before Izzy could answer, and shaking her head, the lavender-haired female grumbled, "Not really, although she feels the same as we do. She doesn't trust that feline digimon either, and she's concerned about how all of this relates to the Spirit Chip. Luckily, she wasn't too hard on her subjects, though. It's not like BlueMeramon and the others could have known."

"Mistakes happen," Ken agreed, though his sapphire eyes were dark with worry. "Let's just hope this one doesn't cause us a lot of trouble later down the road."

"Speaking of trouble, how's the homework coming?" Yolei asked, her sharp eyes honing in on Dai and Matty.

The younger twin immediately tried to hide behind Takara, and waving his notebook proudly in the air, Dai announced, "Mine's done!"

"For once," Ryoko muttered, earning himself an elbow to the ribs.

"And you, Matty?" Yolei demanded.

Looking undeniably guilty, Matty peeked around Takara's shoulder and said defensively, "I'm getting there!"

As Yolei proceeded to scold the younger twin within an inch of his life, Mickey took the opportunity to glance around the room. All of their digimon were curled up together in the far corner of the room, their sleepy eyes indicating they were ready to settle down for the night. Directly across from him, Dai, Matty, Takara, and Ryoko were all sitting on their sleeping bags, and to the left, Cody, Rosa, Izzy, and Mina were grouped together around the computer expert's laptop. That left his parents and Ken, who quickly came over to sit with Sam and himself, and once she was done with Matty, Yolei came over to join them. Mickey managed a shy smile as Ken took the spot on his right, and Yolei quickly snagged the spot on the former Emperor's other side. His own parents made themselves comfortable on Sam's left, and looking confused, Takara said, "Where's Frigimon?"

"Because of his size, he said he's going to sleep in the common room tonight," Mina explained, her expression growing suddenly serious in the dimly lit room. "We did ask him to at least join us before going to bed, but he insisted we go ahead without him. I suppose I can understand, since he already knows T.K.'s story."

Huh?

Mickey immediately tensed at those words, and as Sam's arm moved to encircle him in a show of support, he somehow stammered, "D-does that mean..."

Though he looked calm, Mickey could tell his father was nervous, and letting out a resigned sigh, the older man said wearily, "I suppose now is as good a time as any. There's really no reason to delay telling you."

Except I'm not sure if I'm ready to hear the truth, especially with everything that's happened lately...

"You've already taken too long as it is," Matty said bluntly before coming over to sit next to their mother. "Come on, Dad. Stop stalling and tell us."

Having been thoroughly scolded by his son, the older man managed a faint smile before saying, "It's not even that what I have to say is all that bad. It's just...complicated."

"Don't worry, Mickey and Matty won't judge you. They're not dumb like I am," Sam joked, giving the golden-haired Digidestined a warm smile. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

On instinct, Mickey turned to look at Ken, and as the two of them exchanged a meaningful smile, Matty snorted and said, "At least you've learned your lesson now."

"I definitely have," Sam agreed, smiling in return.

Sam and Ken have certainly come along way since then. These days you wouldn't know anything had ever happened between them.

Mickey watched as his father reached out to ruffle Sam's dark hair, and shaking his head in amusement, the older man said, "I guess we'll start with Devimon before I get into the Dark Ocean."

Despite not saying anything, it was obvious his parents had noticed Sam's arm wrapped around his body, but he was okay with that. Now that his mother and father were aware of his feelings, he didn't feel nearly as embarrassed as he might have otherwise. That being said, having Ken and Yolei sitting beside him did make his heart flutter nervously in his chest, but thankfully neither of the two seemed all that concerned about his behaviour. If anything, they were watching Sam, and something about the look in their eyes caught his attention.

Do they know something? Is it because his arm is around me? They don't look like they care about that, but it's clear they're not unaware of it either...

Before he could dwell on the matter, Ryoko decided to speak up, and leaning forward in his seat, the golden-haired Digidestined said, "You met Devimon on File Island, right?"

Mickey leaned around Sam to give his father an encouraging smile, and nodding his head, the older man took a deep breath and said, "That's right. He was the first major enemy we fought against. He was also responsible for enslaving all of File Island with the black gears."

"If you recall, the black gears had the ability to control other digimon," Izzy explained, jumping in to help with the technical information. "They could also be used to spy on us and they had the ability to split File Island apart."

"Talk about crazy," Dai commented, wrinkling his nose. "Those black gears were so weird."

"To this day, we still don't know everything about them. We do know Devimon didn't create them, but we know who created Devimon."

Mickey quickly glanced at his mother, and gazing into one of the dim lanterns lighting the room, the female Digidestined said quietly, "Apocalymon."

"Who also created Myotismon and Etemon, amoung others," Mina added.

"Okay, but what does any of this have to do with Uncle T.K.?" Kara asked, sounding confused.

Mickey was just as confused, and though the lighting in the room hadn't changed, for some reason their immediate surroundings suddenly felt strangely dark and ominous, which hadn't been the case earlier. Gone was the cozy atmosphere and comforting fireside vibe, and feeling another shiver crawl down his spine, Mickey pressed himself even closer to Sam and said carefully, "Was it because of Patamon?"

"That would make sense," Matty murmured, almost to himself. "Based off our experiences so far, fallen angel digimon do seem to have a lot of resentment for holy angels who haven't given themselves over to the darkness."

Looking mildly surprised, their father glanced between the two of them before saying fondly, "I should have known both of you would eventually start to put the pieces together. Yes, Patamon played a part, but it wasn't just about him. I suppose it really starts with the tags and crests."

"And with you," Patamon interjected before flying over to join his partner. "Somehow, Devimon got his hands on the tags and crests that were stolen by Piedmon and his agents of darkness, and he hid them all on the continent of Server in the hopes of averting a prophecy that threatened to destroy all of his evil plans."

"All while knowing he too was simply a pawn," the golden-haired Digidestined sighed, looking suddenly lost in thought.

Mickey was pretty sure he understood what his father meant by that, and trying not to blush as Sam shifted next to him, he found himself wondering what exactly the prophecy from his dad's past had foretold.

Clearly it frightened Devimon enough that he went out of his way to try to kill my father and his friends. Did the prophecy maybe have something to do with my dad?

As if reading his mind, his father gently took Patamon into his arms and said soberly, "Supposedly the prophecy Devimon was so intent on erasing predicted that the smallest of the Digidestined would be the one to destroy him."

"And that would have been you," Takara finished, her hand reaching out to grab Dai's fingers in a tight grip. "Because that would have been before Aunt Kari joined the Digidestined."

"You're right. From day one I was Devimon's target, and no matter what it took he was determined to kill me. After we climbed Infinity Mountain, he lured us into a false sense of security by creating a fake mansion where we could rest and have a hot bath. He also tried to separate all of us by using the black gears to split File Island apart. A lot happened during that time, some of which we explained earlier, and we knew we needed to return File Island to its rightful state."

We're getting close now. I can feel it...

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Mickey could sense something terrible had happened, and as his father explained the events that had taken place while the Digidestined were separated, he took a moment to gather his thoughts. It helped that Matty was close by, and as their eyes met, Mickey could tell his brother felt the same. It was enough to fuel the tension pulsing in his body, and reaching out, he gave the younger twin's arm a quick squeeze before sinking back into Sam's warm embrace. Without the raven-haired Digidestined, he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle his father's story, and sensing his distress, Sam sent him a concerned look. When he didn't respond, the raven-haired Digidestined proceeded to gently run a hand down his back in a show of support, and shivering at the pleasant touch, Mickey had to bite his lip to stop himself from asking for more.

He's right beside me, and yet everything still feels so dark...

"So what happened after you finally confronted Devimon?" Dai asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

Huh?

Realising his father had finished speaking without him noticing, Mickey blushed in embarrassment at his own lack of control. Luckily nobody seemed to have noticed his earlier exchange with Sam, and frowning, the golden-haired man said, "Naturally we had to stop him and a fight broke out. That was the very first time Patamon digivolved to Angemon, and in doing so, it cost him his life."

His...life?

Immediately the room fell painfully silent, and feeling his blood run cold, Mickey could do nothing but stare at his father in absolute horror. Judging from Matty's expression, the younger twin felt the same, and just when the tension in the room felt like it was going to snap, Ryoko gasped, "You mean he...died?"

No. Oh no...

"As terrible as it sounds, that's exactly what happened," his father said quietly, his blue eyes sparkling with obvious sorrow as he lovingly stroked Patamon's soft fur. "At the time, Devimon was too strong for us. In order to defeat him, Angemon had no choice but to sacrifice himself to destroy Devimon once and for all. As a result, the prophecy Devimon feared so much came true, but it came at a cost. Patamon and I payed the priced for it, and the only thing I had left was Patamon's egg and a fleeting hope that he would somehow be reborn. I never gave up on that shred of hope, and eventually the egg hatched. Patamon came back to me, but to this day I haven't forgotten that terrible moment I lost him, and that's not something I ever want to experience ever again."

"Oh, T.K.," Patamon said gently, hopping up to nestle on his partner's golden head. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. You and I will always be together no matter what. There's nothing in any world that could ever tear us apart, and don't you ever forget it."

"I won't."

The words were full of love and affection, and watching his father, it was all Mickey could do to remain in his seat. A part of him wanted to comfort the older male, but at the same time he could feel a sense of foreboding in his heart. Surely his father's past wasn't foreshadowing the events that were still to come?

No, it's not that. DarkAngelicmon's not like Devimon. He's not out to destroy us or our partners. He's after something else, but what that something is almost scares me even more...

"So it wasn't just my dad then," Sam murmured, reaching out to place a gentle hand on the golden-haired Digidestined's shoulder. "You also know the pain of losing your partner."

"Even if our partners are eventually reborn, the pain stays with you," Ken confirmed, his deep blue eyes drifting fondly towards Wormmon. "It's not something you forget, and because of that, it isn't always easy to talk about such a horrible experience either."

Mickey understood completely, and without even thinking about what he was doing, he gently rested his golden head against the former Emperor's shoulder. Even the thought of losing Halomon was enough to bring tears to his eyes, and he had to swallow a huge lump in his throat in order to keep his composure. In response, Ken wrapped a warm arm around his shoulders, which surprised him.

Ken's an intuitive person, and Yolei is just as smart, if not always as observant. They must know how I feel about Sam, just like my parents...

It wasn't that the former Emperor had never shown him the same sort of affection on previous occasions. If anything, the opposite was true. And yet, something about the older man's touch felt different this time. It was subtle, but it was still there. A sense of closeness that could only come from two people who shared a mutual love for the same person with all their heart and soul, and that bond would always be a thread of understanding between them.

Sam...

"As terrible as it was, at least neither one of you is alone," Ryoko said quietly, glancing between the two men. "It's always easier when you have someone who truly understands what it feels like and can share the burden with you."

Mickey watched as his father glanced over at Ken, and smiling softly at the other man, the golden-haired Digidestined said, "You're right about that, Ryoko."

"Definitely," the former Emperor agreed, returning the smile. "And somehow I don't think that's the only thing we share."

Wait, what does that mean?

As the two men gazed meaningfully at each other, Mickey chanced a quick look at Sam, uncertain of what he would find. To his surprise, the raven-haired Digidestined was gazing calmly back at him, and as a result he felt his cheeks heat up. It was then that he realised their mothers were also sharing a look, and deep within his heart he suddenly had a strange feeling that Ken and his father were talking about Sam and himself.

Does that mean...

"Definitely not," his father agreed, clearly taking note of the former Emperor's protective hold on his son.

On me...

"That's...a lot to take in," Matty said quietly, moving to sit between their parents. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, Dad. I understand now why you hesitated to tell us."

"It's not that I didn't think you and Mickey couldn't handle the truth," their father reassured the younger twin. "Especially after the way you both reacted to Ken's past. It's just hard to talk about, even after all these years. That being said, I know it doesn't do any good to hide the truth either. I don't want my past to affect the way you and Mickey view yourselves. That's the last thing either one of you needs while you're trying to find your Spirit Chips."

Dad...

Mickey wanted to speak, but for some reason the words simply wouldn't come. It was terrifying to think about the negative effects the Powers of Darkness could have on humans and digimon alike. Truthfully, the thought of dealing with such a dreadful source of energy frightened him more than he was willing to admit, and there was a small part of him that couldn't help wondering if he would be able to withstand the darkness when it inevitably came looking for him.

Despite everything he went through, my dad never succumbed to the forces of darkness the way some of the others did. Will I be able to show the same sort of resolve? A part of me wants to believe I'm strong enough to overcome my insecurities, but what if I can't? Matty's already struggled with the darkness. That's why the mirror in the Ice Caverns affected him so deeply, and if even he can lose his resolve then...how am I ever going to face my fears?

It was a good question, especially since he had always believed Matty's heart was stronger than his own.

If anything were to happen to Matty, Sam, and Halomon, I don't know if I could come back from that. I don't know if I could survive losing anyone I love...

"Well, I'm glad we now at least know the truth, even if it wasn't easy to listen to," Dai said, the somber tone of his words setting the stage for what was to come next. "I hate to ask, but you should probably tell us about the Dark Ocean, too."

Mickey knew the words were directed at his father, and reaching out to ruffle Sam's hair, the golden-haired Digidestined said softly, "Kari's going to have to help me with that part. After all, she played a huge role in what happened there."

"I don't mind," the female Digidestined jumped in, her arms going around Matty. "We've touched on the subject before, but I suppose it's best to hear the whole story, especially if the World of Darkness continues to play a role in what's happening right now here in the Digital World."

The World of Darkness...

Mickey felt another unpleasant shiver creep along his neck, and huddling even closer to Sam, whose arm tightened around his waist, he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Truthfully, a part of him didn't want to hear about the Dark Ocean, but logically he knew it was best if he listened. The more knowledge he could gain about the World of Darkness, the better chance he had of saving himself.

"Might as well get into now," Rosa sighed, reaching out to take Cody's hand. "Talk about creepy."

"That's one way of putting it," Mina agreed.

Feeling a sense of dread in his stomach, Mickey turned his attention to his mother, and letting out a sigh, the female Digidestined said slowly, "Like T.K. mentioned a while ago, the Dark Ocean is a place that has the power to bring twisted thoughts to life. It can then corrupt those thoughts and magnify them, allowing them to take on a life of their own. This, in turn, inverts the natural order of the world, and that is when you find yourself in a place where your dark thoughts have the ability to destroy your heart, allowing it to succumb to the Powers of Darkness. That terrible place is known as the Dark Ocean, which exists within the world referred to as the World of Darkness."

That's where Sam went when he couldn't bring himself to forgive his father.

Mickey knew that place. He had seen it for himself after joining the group that had gone after Sam to save the raven-haired Digidestined from the World of Darkness. What he had seen while stuck in that world was enough to last him a lifetime, and it wasn't an experience he wanted to revisit anytime soon.

"As I said before, when I went to rescue Kari from the Dark Ocean, there was a lighthouse that shone with black light," his father explained, the sparkle in his bright blue eyes growing dark and stormy. "It wasn't present the day we rescued Sam from the World of Darkness, but on that day many years ago it was one of the most terrifying things I'd ever seen."

Despite how close Sam was sitting next to him, Mickey felt strangely cold, and speaking around a sudden lump in his throat, he managed to say, "The shadows."

"Yes," his father replied, the older man's bright blue eyes taking on a sympathetic sparkle. "Manifestations of the darkness that are born when a heart becomes vulnerable to self-doubt."

"A person is often lured into the World of Darkness when they hold too many of their insecurities inside, allowing those emotions to become corrupted by darkness when the heart can no longer hold them all in," his mother explained, her expression growing sad. "That's exactly what happened to me, and also to Ken. As children, we held too much inside and that's why we were vulnerable to the Dark Ocean. Those shadows feed off the darkness within, and in my case they used my pent up emotions to lure me into the World of Darkness to use me. They wanted me to become their queen in the hopes that I would lead them in battle against their Undersea Master, whom I assume they were unhappy with and wanted to dethrone. T.K. arrived just in time to save me from the shadows, and to this day there still aren't any words for me to describe just how grateful I am that he put himself at risk to come after me. If things had gone differently, he too might have succumbed to the darkness."

Dad...

Though his chest ached, Mickey still felt a deep sense of awe and respect for his father, and he could tell his brother felt the exact same way. At the same time, he also felt a bit sick to his stomach, which was understandable considering the circumstances. Who was this supposed Undersea Master, and was he someone they were going to have to worry about in the future, along with all the other evil digimon they were likely to encounter in the very near future?

Was the Undersea Master a digimon we know?

Apparently, Takara was wondering the same thing because the female Digidestined glanced at Dai and said slowly, "Who was this Undersea Master of theirs?"

It was Cody who answered, and though he appeared calm, his expression was grim. "We never found out. After T.K. and Kari encountered the Scubamon who were actually dark shadows, we never saw them again or heard anything more about their so-called master. He certainly never came after us at any point after that, and to this day he remains a mystery. It wasn't even until we started coming to the Digital World again with all of you that we ever saw another dark shadow."

"Lovely," Ryoko muttered, shaking his head at his own previous vulnerabliity to the shadows.

Mickey knew Sam could relate, and shifting so he could wrap an arm around the raven-haired Digidestined in a show of support, he listened in silence as his parents went into details about the events surrounding the Dark Ocean. The more he learned, the more he felt like the icy room was growing even darker and more sinister around him. The blood in his veins felt like it had frozen solid, and at the edge of his vision, he thought he saw something move in the corner near the group of digimon that were listening with rapt attention. Perhaps he had only imagined it, since the dim light from the lanterns didn't offer much solitude from the pitch blackness of the night, but another small part of him felt instinctively that he was being watched, and not by the two celestial digimon who were still lurking about on the outskirts of the village.

Was it...one of them?

"Mickey?" a voice whispered softly in his ear. "Hey, everything okay?"

Mickey jumped as Sam's lips brushed against his ear, and feeling incredibly embarrassed, he managed to stammer, "I-I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just...I'm pretty tired."

"It's probably best if we head to bed," Yolei insisted, having caught the pale colour of his skin. "There'll be plenty of time for more reminiscing in the morning."

"In all honestly there isn't really much more to tell," his father sighed, once again ruffling Sam's hair and giving Matty a quick squeeze before climbing to his feet. "Anything else Kari and I could talk about would simply be a rehash of what's already been said. If anything, Yolei's probably right. We should all get some sleep. A night of rest will do us all some good."

"We'll want to be on top of our game tomorrow, that's for sure," Rosa agreed. "How are things outside, Celestimon? Those fallen angels still hanging around?"

"Unfortunately, they're still pretty close."

"I bet they'll remain nearby for the rest of the night," Halomon pouted, his ears drooping. "They'll want to stop us from having a good night sleep."

"And the best way to do that is by keeping us on our toes," Armadillomon noted before tucking his legs in to settle down for the night.

Mickey didn't doubt for a minute that Halomon and the others were right, and as everyone proceeded to get ready for bed, Izzy said, "We'll set up a watch for the night just to be on the safe side. Mina and I can take the first shift with Candlemon and Tentomon, and while we're doing that I'll send my notes to Taniko and Gennai."

"Rosa and I can go after you and Mina," Cody offered.

As the adults went about figuring out a night watch schedule, Mickey quickly cuddled into his sleeping bag while the rest of his friends did the same around him. On Sam's left, Matty was attempting to ignore Yolei, who was demanding the younger twin finish his homework before going to bed, and to the raven-haired Digidestined's right, Mickey watched the scene unfold with a faint smile on his face. To his left, Ryoko, Dai, and Takara were making themselves comfortable in their own sleeping bags, and as Ken dimmed the lights, he suddenly felt oddly nervous. Nothing in his immediate surroundings appeared out of the ordinary, and curling into himself, he took a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm the growing butterflies circling in his stomach.

I wish Ken had left the lights the way they were...

"Mickey?"

Blinking in confusion, Mickey found himself gazing directly into Sam's deep blue eyes, and lying on side, the raven-haired Digidestined said quietly, "Now that you know the truth about what happened with Devimon and the Dark Ocean, how do you feel?"

It was a good question, and though Mickey wanted to answer, he was having trouble concentrating on the other boy's words. With Sam facing him in the darkness, it was hard not to stare, and realising they were indeed going to be sleeping next to each other all night, he felt himself start to blush. Sam's husky tone was distracting, and desperately hoping he wouldn't embarrass himself too much, he managed to whisper, "I'm not really sure yet. I think I still need time to process everything."

"Understandable," Sam said mildly, the softness of his words indicating he was trying to remain discreet.

Like he doesn't want to be overheard.

That was somewhat encouraging, since Mickey was concerned about saying anything that would upset Matty, and smiling shyly at the raven-haired Digidestined, he said, "What I do know is that you don't have to worry. I don't feel any anger or disappointment towards my parents. I understand why they went so long without telling us about their past. It's not easy to talk about the darkness and how it affects you. I think you know that even better than I do. I am glad they finally said something, but don't think for one minute that my relationship with my parents is going to affect my Spirit Chip. That's definitely not going to happen."

Sam slowly nodded, and glancing ever so slightly over his shoulder, the raven-haired Digidestined said calmly, "And Matty?"

"I'm certain he feels the same way. He's worried about me, not our parents or the past. I can tell he holds no animosity towards them and that he understands just as well as I do. You don't need to worry about that either."

Matty hasn't said anything to me yet, but I know he will. I could feel his eyes on me. He's just as concerned about me as Sam is. I'm walking a fine line with the Powers of Darkness, and in his head Matty knows it...

"You're not going to ask me anything else?"

Something...else?

Feeling confused, Mickey clutched at his sleeping bag and said stupidly, "About what? What do you mean?"

All around them, their friends and digimon were beginning to fall asleep, and realising Halomon wasn't with him, since their digimon had all opted to sleep together for the evening, he suddenly felt very flustered. Without the celestial rookie, there was no barrier between himself and Sam, and studying him closely, the raven-haired Digidestined murmured, "Don't you want to know what else Matty and I were talking about while we were in the hot springs?"

Mickey immediately felt the blush on his cheeks deepen, and while he did in fact desperately want to know, he hadn't expected Sam to be so upfront about the whole thing. A part of him hadn't wanted to bring up the subject for fear of making himself look like a fool, but now that Sam was voluntarily offering up some information, he figured he might as well respond. "I...u-um...you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's really none of my business, and-"

"I want to tell you."

The words Mickey was about to say immediately died on his lips, and taking note of the fact that somehow Sam seemed a lot closer to him than before, he whispered, "Oh."

"We weren't just talking about the way I was acting like an idiot towards Matty," the raven-haired Digidestined said dryly, his sapphire eyes glittering in the darkness. "He told me you were worried about me."

"Of course I am," Mickey mumbled, avoiding the other boy's sharp gaze. "You've been...more quiet than usual tonight."

Is it because of me?

A gasp escaped his lips as Sam suddenly reached out to take his hand, and moving close enough for them to touch their knees together, the raven-haired Digidestined said softly, "That makes me happy."

"W-why?"

"It's nice to know it's not one-sided."

Is he...talking about our fears or our feelings?

Unable to stop himself, Mickey squeezed the other boy's hand in return, and biting his lip, he whispered, "Who ever said it was one-sided?"

Do I even know what I'm talking about?

Sam's expression grew even more intense, and letting go of his hand, the raven-haired Digidestined leaned closer and breathed into his hair, "You looked like you were having a pretty intense conversation with your parents earlier. We were also talking about that."

Immediately, Mickey froze, and unable to respond, he remained motionless as the warmth of Sam's body began to soak into his skin. The speed at which it engulfed him was almost excruciatingly slow, and knowing instinctively that if he moved it would break the spell surrounding their still forms, he gasped, "What about it?"

"You don't have to tell me anything if you really don't want to, but...I'll admit I'm curious," Sam murmured, that gorgeous tone sounding like music to his ears. "I'll be honest. I'd love to know."

Oh, Sam...I want to tell you more than anything in the world, but I'm so afraid...

Unfortunately, staying silent was no longer an option, and aware of the hand that was now trailing lightly down his cheek, he mumbled, "We were talking about you."

That caught Sam's attention, and pulling back slightly, the raven-haired Digidestined said quietly, "What about me?"

How amazing you are and how I'm so madly in love with you...

He almost said it, but at the last moment, he quickly ducked his head and stammered, "N-nothing major."

As soon as the words were out, he could tell Sam knew he wasn't being entirely truthful, and once again glancing over at Matty to make sure the younger twin was still occupied, the raven-haired Digidestined said nonchalantly, "Good or bad? That's all I need to know."

Sam...

Grabbing the other boy's wrist, Mickey said with more feeling than he had meant to express, "Good. All so very good, Sam. It could never be bad. Not with you."

Sam's lips immediately turned up in a small smile, and closing his eyes, the raven-haired Digidestined whispered, "In that case, I'll let you keep your secret."

From that response, Mickey felt it was safe to move a bit closer, and finally settling down for the night, his golden hair brushing Sam's forehead, he closed his eyes before snuggling deeply into the folds of his sleeping bag. Though he was warm, something still felt off, and knowing the sudden uneasiness in his heart had nothing to do with Sam, he pulled his sleeping bag just a little bit closer. This time, he was sure he had seen something lurking in the corner, but whether or not it was the darkness coming to claim him, he couldn't be sure.

If it was, the shadows would have to wait for now. With Sam sleeping so close to him, his heart could bask in the light for just a little bit longer.