Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: I know it's been a long wait, and I apologise for that! Good news is I'm slowly getting over my writer's block and planning these next few chapters is getting easier. I'm hoping that will help speed things up a bit. Enjoy!

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 338: Intuition

Sam Ichijouji

Net, Northern Hemisphere, Digital World

Heart beating frantically in his chest, Sam Ichijouji quickly scrambled into a sitting position, and reaching for Glowmon, who quickly buzzed over to settle in his trembling arms, he somehow managed to choke out in a relatively calm voice, "It was you. You're the one who lured him here."

"Not I," DarkAngelicmon corrected, keeping a firm grip on Mickey's torso. "In fact, I regret to say I almost wish it had been me."

Wait, what does he mean by that? What's going on here?

Everything had happened so fast, Sam was having a hard time keeping up with the situation, and taking a deep breath he took a moment to compose himself. Something or someone had hit Mickey on the back of the head, and as a result they had ended up getting themselves separated from the rest of the group. Though he had made several attempts to convince the older twin that they needed to find the others, Mickey had brushed aside his concerns and proceeded to run off in the complete opposite direction for reasons known only to himself. Naturally, there was no way Sam could leave the distraught boy to his own devices, and chasing after Mickey, they had ended up running into DarkAngelicmon. Immediately, his first thought was to believe the fallen angel had somehow lured Mickey in that particular direction, but now DarkAngelicmon was telling him otherwise.

What was he supposed to believe, and if DarkAngelicmon wasn't at fault then who was to blame?

I can't think of any other reason why Mickey would risk losing track of his brother. He was so scared of becoming separated from Matty earlier, and yet he went out of his way to create this situation. I don't understand...

All around them, the snow was still blowing and the wind was screaming over the valley, but DarkAngelicmon seemed unaffected by the weather. He looked like a white wraith haunting the icy landscape, his dark hair and armour the only thing giving him away, and fluttering over to his other side, Celestimon cried, "Let my partner go!"

Thankfully, the celestial rookie had remembered to keep up the charade that Mickey was Matty, and letting go of the older twin, DarkAngelicmon said softly, "Interesting. So, you haven't told them."

Told us...what?

Sam froze at those words, and glancing at a very guilty looking Mickey, he felt his heart leaped into his throat. Something about the older twin's flustered expression suggested that DarkAngelicmon had hit a nerve, and speaking in a low tone, he said as nonchalantly as he could manage, "Something you wanted to say?"

I've known this whole time he hasn't been telling me everything that's been going through his head. He admitted as much earlier. Is this one of the things he said he wants to confess, but he wasn't quite ready to do so yet? And if it is, how did DarkAngelicmon figure it out so easily?

Mickey quickly stumbled back from DarkAngelicmon, and looking a little disoriented, the older twin shook his head and gasped, "I don't...I..."

"I really didn't think they would work on you," DarkAngelicmon sighed, shaking his head in obvious disappointment. "And here I was trying to convince YukiOnnamon that we were going to have to use a different method to separate you from your brother. Apparently, I needn't have bothered. Alas, I wasted my breath for nothing."

"You think I'm that weak?" Mickey blurted out, his cheeks turning pink in a sudden flash of anger. "Even the strongest are caught off guard once in a while!"

It was a very Matty-like response, which was actually a good thing, and watching the bizarre scene unfold, Sam understood why that was the case. Mickey's anger was genuine, but it wasn't because he felt insulted. It was because DarkAngelicmon thought he was Matty, and the older twin was angry that the fallen angel had the nerve to question his brother's strength.

Because you don't believe you're as strong as Matty...

"It is true that humans are likely more susceptible to the darkness in this place," DarkAngelicmon murmured, talking more to himself than to his audience. "She did mention that earlier. I see...Perhaps there is some merit to your words, but be that as it may, I had high hopes for you. I thought this tactic would work on your brother to lure him away from you, and yet it was the other way around. You've truly let me down, Matty. That is unacceptable."

"I don't care what you think," Mickey shot back, his gloved hands clenching into tight fists. "I'm not here to win your approval."

"Then why are you not with your brother? Why did you follow when you know in your heart that you should have gone the other way? What is your reasoning for that?" DarkAngelicmon asked, raising his eyebrows. "Care to explain?"

Apparently, Mickey didn't have a defence because he chose not to reply, and feeling a growing sense of dread in his heart, Sam slowly got to his feet. After colliding with Mickey, he had ended up falling into the snow, and since then it had been a struggle for him to catch his breath. Even now, he was having trouble orienting himself, and slowly moving towards the older twin, Celestimon and Glowmon following behind, he said quietly, "What's going on here?"

Unable to meet his eyes, Mickey continued to remain silent, and glancing at the older twin, DarkAngelicmon said lightly, "I thought you might be the one holding them a bay, but it seems I was misguided. If it isn't you, and it's not your parents, could it possibly be Mickey? That seems a bit farfetched."

"Why is that?" Mickey asked quietly, keeping his gaze focused on the snowy ground. "You think my brother isn't strong enough to stand against the darkness? Isn't that what you want? For him to succumb and get his Spirit Chip?"

Mickey...

DarkAngelicmon slowly shook his head, and letting out a deep sigh, the fallen angel said, "It is not what I want. It is what must happen in order for him to move forward. If you want me to believe that Mickey is strong enough to overcome the darkness, then he must prove it. That is the only way to convince me."

"He will," Mickey whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "And when he does, you'll know exactly who's responsible for subduing them."

It's like I'm not even here. What are they talking about. Why won't he look at me?

Sam was growing both increasingly hurt and frustrated by the situation, but before he could interrupt, DarkAngelicmon said seriously, "I certainly hope so. Listen, and listen well. We don't have much time before we're no longer alone. If there is anything you need to say to me before then, now would be the time."

"Is somebody coming?" Glowmon asked, sounding curious.

"Yes," Celestimon murmured. "It's one of them. Those fallen angels who were following us earlier. It's the evil one."

Sam should have felt more concerned over such an alarming revelation, but instead he found himself growing angry. Unable to hold in his frustrations anymore, he said in a deathly calm voice, "Is somebody going to tell me what's going on?"

This time, he had DarkAngelicmon's full attention, and studying him closely, the fallen angel said sympathetically, "So my suspicions were correct."

"Yes," Mickey whispered, sounding very close to tears. "As far as I can tell, only you and I can see them."

"And your brother?"

Realising he probably wasn't acting as Matty-like as he should be, Mickey quickly lifted his head and said boldly, "I don't know. I never asked him. I didn't want to bring it up because I knew it would make him worry."

DarkAngelicmon seemed satisfied by that answer, but Sam could tell it was a complete lie. Whatever they were talking about, it was painfully obvious to him that Mickey knew exactly whether or not Matty could see (or not see) whatever they were referring to.

Why? Why would you hide something that's clearly a big deal to you from me?

"Sam?" Glowmon asked, sounding worried. "Are you okay?"

Instead of answering the little rookie, Sam slowly stepped towards Mickey, and taking the older twin's hand, he said in low voice, "You said before there were a lot of things you wanted to tell me. I know you weren't ready yet, and I'm not asking you for everything, but whatever's going on right now, I think it's time you told me the truth."

Squeezing his hand, Mickey let out a choked gasp before collapsing against his shoulder, but before the older twin could compose himself, a new voice said harshly, "Looks like we have a straggler."

Huh?

Pulling Mickey against him, Sam turned to address the newcomer, and tensing, he said coldly, "So you're the evil fallen angel who was following us earlier."

"It's definitely him," Celestimon confirmed, glaring at the aforementioned digimon. "I've never felt an angel this yucky before."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the dark digimon drawled, his lips turning up in a nasty smile. "For the record, your kind makes me feel just as ill. I'd stab you right here and now with my trident if YukiOnnamon would let me. Maybe I'll just do it anyways. Not like she's around to stop me."

"I'd advise against that," DarkAngelicmon warned, barely giving the other angel a second glance. "You can antagonise YukiOnnamon all you want, but I would suggest refraining from engaging in any behaviour that might upset the Ruler of Darkness."

So we were right. Those two angel digimon are working for the Ruler of Darkness. He must have enlisted them to fill the void left by Jestermon, Spritemon, and BlackWidowmon. Does that mean we were also right about the feline digimon?

As much as Sam wanted to find out, now was not the time, and holding Mickey protectively against his chest, he glanced at DarkAngelicmon and said lightly, "Friend of yours?"

"Please," the angel snorted. "To even suggest such a relationship between myself and Phelesmon is laughable. We are servants working for the same master. That is all. YukiOnnamon's petty attempts to get back at me are the only reason we are even paired together for this mission in the first place. It was certainly not by choice."

"You can say that again," Phelesmon sneered, brandishing his trident. "Enough useless chatter. What do we do about the former Emperor's son? We don't need him. He's a nuisance more than anything else. Should we just leave him here?"

No! There's no way I'm letting them separate us! I won't leave Mickey alone, especially not with Phelesmon!

Before he could protest, DarkAngelicmon said smoothly, "We'll take him with us. A nuisance he may be, but a useful one if we take advantage of him. Besides, we don't have time to debate over it. Our instructions were to take Masato Takaishi north and away from the others as soon as possible. We want as much distance between him and his brother as we can manage before evening."

"Fine, but don't expect me to babysit him," Phelesmon snapped, turning his back on them. "He's your problem now, and if you don't keep him in line, I'm going to have a new toy to torture."

Shuddering at the mere thought of what the fallen angel had in mind when it came to playing with his victims, Sam almost shot back a reply. Before he could do so, though, Mickey wriggled out of his arms and shouted, "Don't you dare touch him!"

"You want to challenge me?" Phelesmon taunted, turning to glare at the older twin.

"I don't care what you do to me, but you'd better leave him alone!"

Mickey...

For a moment, Sam forgot all about the frustrations plaguing his soul, and pulling the older twin back into his arms, he whispered, "As happy as it makes me feel to know how much you care about me, don't antagonise him. It's not worth it."

"Sam's right," Celestimon chipped in, nuzzling Mickey's shoulder. "Please don't make the situation any worse than it needs to be."

The older twin merely shook his head in response, and gloating over what he obviously believed was a victory on his part, Phelesmon said shortly, "Now what? Since you seem to think you have all the answers."

"I grow weary of this storm," DarkAngelicmon replied, his deep green gaze watching Mickey with obvious curiosity. "There are caves further north that we can use for a bit of respite until the winds let up a bit. We can rest there for a while until YukiOnnamon's group is in position. It would be best to move in sync with their plans."

"Don't think this means you're the one in charge," Phelesmon hissed, once again turning his back on the group. "If you mess this up, we're doing things my way."

With that, the fallen angel proceeded to head off into the snow, and slumping in his arms, Mickey whispered, "I can't do it. I can't walk anymore."

"You won't need to," DarkAngelicmon reassured the older twin. "I will carry you both."

Sam was reluctant to let go of Mickey, but despite his hesitation the logical side of his brain knew he didn't have a choice. Although he had no way of knowing for sure, judging by the older twin's tight grip around his waist, it seemed as if Mickey felt the same. After a prolonged minute, the two of them finally split apart, and lifting them both to carry one in each arm, DarkAngelicmon said, "Celestimon, stay by my shoulder. You as well, Glowmon. This journey will not be easy, but I can assure you if Phelesmon stays ahead of us, it will be slightly more enjoyable."

Sam didn't even have the strength to reply, and settling himself against the fallen angel's chest, he proceeded to watch Mickey's pale face in silence. The older twin had his eyes closed, and like him, he suspected Mickey was simply conserving his energy and soaking in DarkAngelicmon's warmth to survive the blizzard that was still raging all around them. It was also unnerving, and remembering how the older twin had taken a hard blow to the head, likely thanks to Phelesmon, he reached out to grab Mickey's hand again and said firmly, "Open your eyes. I'm concerned you might have a concussion, and we can't have you falling asleep."

"Sam, I'm so sorry," Mickey mumbled, forcing his eyes open and squeezing his hand in return.

For what? Keeping things from me or getting us into this situation.

Truthfully, at the moment he didn't care about any of that.

Right now I just want to keep you safe...

"The human body is frail, and yet your hearts are so strong," DarkAngelicmon murmured. "It never fails to fascinate me."

"I thought you said my heart was weak," Mickey shot back, looking up at the fallen angel. "It was him, wasn't it? He's the one who hit me."

"Phelesmon?" DarkAngelicmon asked, letting out another deep sigh. "Yes, it was. I was not in favour of that, but he darted off before I could stop him. I do apologise. It was not my intention to harm you. What's done is done, though, and you should rest. Sam's concerns are valid."

At those words, Mickey quickly snapped his mouth shut, and once again leaning his head against DarkAngelicmon's chest, the older twin proceeded to withdraw inside himself.

Knowing it was useless to try and strike up a conversation, Sam allowed his hand to slip free from Mickey's loose grip before focusing his attention on the path ahead. Phelesmon's black armour and crimson wrings were just barely visible in the snow, and having witnessed for himself what the fallen angel was capable of, he felt a sense of uneasiness settle in his chest. This was one of the digimon who wanted to sacrifice Mickey's heart to the darkness, and if he couldn't find a way to help the older twin break free from the insecurities plaguing his soul, there was no doubt in his mind that Phelesmon would use any terrible means necessary to ensure Mickey suffered the worst possible fate before getting his Spirit Chip.

I can't let that happen. No matter what Mickey's keeping from me, I have to protect him. Even if he doesn't have feelings for me, I won't let anyone hurt him!

Now that Mickey was refusing to talk, Sam chose to study DarkAngelicmon instead, and as they journeyed in silence, he watched the fallen angel's facial features with interest. Having met Phelesmon for himself, he didn't need Halomon or Celestimon to tell him that DarkAngelicmon clearly felt uneasy around his dark companion. Sam could sense that easily for himself, and it made him wonder. Normally the fallen angel was nothing if not confident in his abilities and way of speaking, but something about Phelesmon made him seem unsure of himself.

Could this be what Halomon and Celestimon were talking about? It's clear DarkAngelicmon harbours a great dislike for Phelesmon. I wouldn't say he's necessarily afraid of the other angel, but it's obvious he'd rather not have Phelesmon come anywhere close to him. Not that I blame him. I feel the same way. It's obvious Phelesmon upsets him, but the real question is why. I didn't think anything scared him. When did he become so wary of the Powers of Darkness?

It was an interesting question, but unfortunately he didn't have the mental strength to dwell on the matter. He was too worried about Mickey, and at the moment his fear was consuming all of the energy he had left.

Let me hold him close and keep him warm. That's all I want.

As if reading his mind, DarkAngelicmon said softly in his ear, "We still have a little ways to go. I know you are worried about Matty, but you should get some rest yourself."

"You...won't let him hurt Matty, right?"

DarkAngelicmon tightened his hold around him, and emerald eyes glittering in the storm, the fallen angel said firmly, "If he intends to harm Matty in any way, he will have to delete me first. The same goes for you. I will not let him lay a hand on you either."

Sam believed him, and sensing Glowmon hovering nearby, he allowed himself to rest as they continued on through the storm. It might have been hours, or maybe it was only minutes before he spotted what looked like cliffs up ahead, and blinking snow out of his eyes, he leaned forward a bit for a closer look. The storm had a way of making you feel like time had stopped moving, and having fallen into a semi-catatonic state, he wasn't sure if it was still morning or late afternoon. Truthfully, he didn't really care. All he wanted was to get out of the wind, and echoing his thoughts, Celestimon said, "We've been alternating between walking and flying for quite a while now. How much longer?"

"We're almost there," DarkAngelicmon informed them. "Do you see those cliffs up ahead? They are home to quite a few caves where we can find some shelter. We will rest there for the time being until the weather improves."

Sam had no intentions of arguing, since he'd had just about enough of the storm, and as the caves finally materialised into view, he spotted a large opening that looked like it could hold a decent sized group. Up ahead, Phelesmon appeared to be heading in that direction, and following after the dark digimon they finally reached the entrance with a collective sigh of relief. Heading inside, Sam waited patiently as DarkAngelicmon proceeded to set him on his feet, and standing beside him, Mickey mumbled, "I need to sit down."

At those words, Sam immediately wrapped his arm around the older twin's shoulders, and leading the other boy towards the back of the cave, he settled them against the wall on the cold stone floor. Celestimon and Halomon were quick to join them, and speaking plainly, DarkAngelicmon said shortly, "We will need some wood for a fire. The humans may not survive the night without one."

"And that's my problem how?" Phelesmon snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "And who says we'll still be here by nightfall?"

"Regardless, we still need a fire, and naturally I don't trust you to remain with the humans."

"You're saying I should get the wood?" Phelesmon challenged, glaring at the fallen angel.

DarkAngelicmon quickly whirled around to confront the evil digimon, and looking more dangerous than Sam had ever witnessed before, the fallen angel said harshly, "You are a fool if you think I would ever leave you alone with the humans. If you do anything to ruin our master's plans, I will personally dump you at his feet and let you experience the full extent of his wrath without a second thought. I will stay and watch the humans. Gather enough wood to ensure we have plenty in case we do end up stranded for the night. Have I made myself clear?"

The threat of their master's formidable power was enough to quell Phelesmon overconfident behaviour, and staring at DarkAngelicmon with pure hatred in his eyes, the dark digimon hissed, "I'll get your wood, but know this. The moment the Ruler of Darkness no longer has a use for you, you are mine."

Such anger...

Without waiting for a response, Phelesmon stormed out of the cave, his dark form disappearing into the whirling snow, and placing a hand against his chest, DarkAngelicmon murmured, "I will never fall to your darkness. You will burn in my light before I get lost in your despair."

DarkAngelicmon...

There was a moment of silence, and then curling into Mickey's lap, Celestimon said hesitantly, "Um...DarkAngelicmon? Are you okay?"

Turning to face them, the fallen angel rearranged his facial features into a more neutral expression before saying, "I am fine. My apologies to all of you for having to witness that arrogant idiot at his worst. You should all make yourselves comfortable as best you can while we wait for the wood. It might be a little while...not that I'm complaining."

"I second that," Glowmon whimpered. "Phelesmon's really scary."

I'm not scared of him. I can tell he isn't happy about my being here, but he's just going to have to put up with me. I'm not leaving Mickey's side no matter what.

Sam knew he needed to keep himself in check lest his emotions overwhelm him, and opening his backpack, he quickly pulled out a blanket and held it out to Mickey. The older twin hesitated before accepting it, and twisting the soft fabric in his hands, he opened his mouth before quickly closing it again.

Settling next to Mickey, Sam said pleasantly, "What is it?"

"I...um...A-are you going to share with me?"

I've never wanted something more in my life. I want this so bad it hurts me, but what about you? Do you feel the same?

It was all he could do to keep his mouth shut, and taking his lack of a response to mean he wasn't interested, Mickey quickly ducked his head and said quickly, "I-I can get my own out of my backpack. You don't need to give me-"

"Leave it. We'll share the one."

"B-but..."

Sam gently took the blanket out of Mickey's quivering hands, and wrapping it around them both, he pulled it tight to keep out the chill. Immediately, the older twin leaned into his side, and whispering in the golden-haired Digidestined's ear, he said, "Look at you. You're shivering like crazy. Let me warm you up. Clearly you can use some of my body heat."

"I'm okay," Mickey mumbled, blushing a deep shade of red. "I'm fine now that we're out of the wind. I don't want you to feel like you have to-"

"I don't feel like I have to do anything. Besides, you're keeping me warm, too."

In response, Mickey turned an even deeper shade of red, and biting his lip, the older twin said, "If you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure."

"You should trust Sam a little more," Celestimon scolded, his small head poking out of the blanket. "Right, Glowmon?"

"Of course! Sam's nothing if not trustworthy!"

Sam smiled at the little rookie, who was hiding on his lap within the folds of their shared blanket, and still speaking in Mickey's ear, he murmured, "You're not doing a very good job of keeping up appearances by the way. Matty would never blush like that."

His comment only made Mickey blush even more, and sitting across from them, DarkAngelicmon merely watched the events unfolding in silence, his interest clearly piqued. Something about the fallen angel's intense green gaze made him feel like they might have given themselves away, and tilting his head to one side, DarkAngelicmon said mildly, "Now that Phelesmon is out of the way, shall we continue our conversation from earlier?"

Remembering he was supposed to be Matty, Mickey said boldly, "What if I don't want to?"

"I don't think Sam's going to give you a choice," DarkAngelicmon countered, looking amused. "He will find out eventually. You might as well tell him now."

Find out what? What are they hiding?

Sam could feel his pulse pounding rapidly in his ears, but instead of giving in to his pent up emotions, he forced himself to remain silent. Beside him, he felt Mickey stir against his ribcage, and choking on his own words, the older twin whispered, "I wanted to. I wanted to say something so badly..."

Mickey, what couldn't you bring yourself to tell me?

"If the Ice Caverns should have taught you anything, it is the belief that you have no reason to fear the darkness," DarkAngelicmon said gently, the warm tone of his voice vibrating off the walls of the cave. "They have manifested because you are allowing yourself to succumb to your own insecurities, and yet...despite that they have not taken on a solid form. If you are not responsible for that then somebody else is holding them back for you. I want to believe it's Mickey, but I still have my doubts."

"How do you know they're here only because of me?" Mickey asked, snuggling deeper into the blanket. "Maybe I'm only a victim because of somebody else's weak heart."

"If you are suggesting they are here because of me, I can assure you that is not the case," DarkAngelicmon replied. "I will not deny they want me, but I am not the main focus of their attention, and if they aren't currently after your brother, that leaves only you. As far as I am aware, there is no reason they would reveal themselves to any of the other Digidestined. That again leaves only you. Tell me, Matty. Why have you allowed yourself to repeat your past mistakes?"

Past mistakes?

Sam wasn't quite sure what to make of that, and keeping his arms around Mickey, he said quietly, "Quit talking in riddles."

"The shadows," DarkAngelicmon responded, his emerald eyes growing dark. "Matty can see the shadows, as can I."

Sam froze, and feeling his blood run cold, he suddenly felt at a loss for words. As much as he didn't want to believe it, the fallen angel's revelation made sense. The way he had caught Mickey staring several times at something that wasn't there, the older twin's question about whether he could see anything in the mountain pass, it all made sense now.

This whole time he's been able to see the shadows from the World of Darkness, but if that's true then why can't the rest of us see them other than DarkAngelicmon? And more importantly, why didn't Mickey tell me?

"I'm sorry," the older twin repeated, pressing closer to his side and hiding against his shoulder. "I wanted to tell you. I really did. I just...I couldn't..."

I know you trust me, so...why?

Sam felt understandably upset and incredibly worried, and as a result he didn't know what to say. He could tell both Celestimon and Glowmon felt the same way, and hugging Mickey tightly around the waist, the rookie angel moaned, "You should have told us. How could you keep something like that a secret?"

"I'm sure he feels bad enough as it is," Glowmon said sadly, shaking his head at Celestimon. "I don't think making him feel even worse about it is going to do us any good."

There was some truth to that statement, and taking the little insect digimon's words to heart, Sam reached out to gently stroke Mickey's hair before saying softly, "Tell me more. I could already sense there was more on your mind than what you were willing to mention just yet, and I saw the way you kept staring off into the distance. It felt like you were drifting away from me, and I have to admit it was scaring me a lot."

"Oh, Sam," Mickey gasped, jerking his head up to stare at him with wide eyes. "I swear that's not what was happening. I was with you the whole time. It's true I can see the shadows, but..."

"But what?"

"It's just like DarkAngelicmon said. I can see the shadows every bit as much as he can, but nobody else has been able to see them, not even my brother or our digimon partners."

"I can definitely confirm that."

"I thought you didn't know whether or not Mickey could see them," DarkAngelicmon interrupted, raising his eyebrows.

Mickey blushed at that, and curling in on himself, he confessed, "That was a lie. He can't see them."

"Perhaps he is the one holding them at bay then, but that still doesn't make sense. Unless his will to protect you is truly that strong."

DarkAngelicmon's expression was thoughtful, and growing impatient, Sam said shortly, "I don't care about that. I want to know more about what's going on right now."

Tell me everything, Mickey. Please...

The older twin immediately flinched at his tone, and with guilt written all over his face, he mumbled, "If this was the past, everyone would have been able to see them, but I think this time is different because although I'm struggling, I haven't completely given in to my insecurities. Maybe that's what's holding them back, but I know if I let up even for a minute, I'm sure they will take on a more solid form and be visible to everyone."

"Which suggests you are the one responsible for holding them back," Sam finished, his heart leaping into his throat.

Does that mean there's still hope for Mickey? Maybe we can save him before the darkness takes complete control over his heart. I know we need to get his Spirit Chip, but that shouldn't mean he has to lose himself completely...

For some reason DarkAngelicmon was staring intently at Mickey, and without giving his thoughts away, the fallen angel said lightly, "Is that what you truly believe?"

Mickey kept his eyes averted, and lowering his head, the older twin mumbled, "I know I'm right."

All this time you've been suffering and you didn't tell me. And knowing you, it's because you didn't want me to worry...

Sam felt something in his heart give, and closing his eyes he slowly wrapped both his arms around Mickey's torso. In response to his embrace, the older twin let out a soft sob before curling against his chest, thus forcing Celestimon to move. Thankfully, Glowmon was quick to snuggle up with the celestial rookie so they could stay warm together, and hugging Mickey as tightly as he could, he took a moment to compose himself.

Across from them, DarkAngelicmon remained silent, and sensing the fallen angel's intense gaze, Sam felt his heart skip a beat. Something about that look caught his attention, and lifting his chin, he said almost defensively, "What?"

"I see," DarkAngelicmon murmured, his emerald eyes glittering in the gloomy cave. "It all makes sense now."

Feeling confused, Sam asked, "What does?"

He sounds so sure of himself...

DarkAngelicmon turned to address Mickey, and fluttering his wings to shake off the melted snow dripping from his feathers, the fallen angel said calmly, "You are not Masato Takaishi. You are Mickey."