I don't own Digimon.

A/N: The next chapter will take place back in the human world and then we'll be hearing from DarkAngelicmon. As we continue on, we'll be setting up for the last three Spirit Chips. They are the bulk of the story. Once we are past those, we'll be heading for the grand finale.

Following the Footsteps of Destiny

Chapter 300: The Serpent of Song

Takara 'Kara' Kamiya

Cyber, Western Hemisphere, Digital World

Takara immediately recoiled from the strange humanoid creature, and feeling her mother's arms go around her in a protective embrace, she gasped, "What...are you?"

"I think it would be more prudent to ask 'who' rather than what," Izzy said calmly, tucking his laptop carefully beneath his arm. "A digimon, obviously. I'm assuming you work for the Ruler of Darkness?"

The female serpent digimon shrugged her shoulders, and leaning against a pipe protruding from the ground, she drawled, "I do some work for him...when I feel like it."

"He let's you get away with that?" Ryoko snorted, raising an eyebrow. "I wouldn't think the Ruler of Darkness would be in the habit of recruiting slackers to help him take over the Digital World."

"You call it slacking, I call it being selective. I don't particularly care much about taking over the Digital World, but I'll join in on a mission every now and then if I can get some fun out of it. The Ruler of Darkness let's us have our whims. For all his faults, he's not a tyrant."

"Perhaps that's why, despite all of my previous failures, I haven't been fired yet," a new voice joked, his tone dripping with amusement.

Takara jumped in surprise as DarkAngelicmon suddenly leaped down from the pipes above, and summoning his spear, the fallen angel moved to stand next to his slithery companion. Letting out a soft laugh, the female serpent digimon said mildly, "You're just lucky you're the favorite."

His...favorite?

Takara was having trouble keeping up with the conversation, and feeling a sense of dread beginning to build inside her chest, she clutched at her mother's forearm and managed to choke out,"What do you want?"

"I think this is more about what you want," the female serpent shot back, tossing her emerald hair.

Dai...

Takara felt her heart clench, and jerking out of her mother's grasp, she stepped forward and glared at the slithery intruder with an intensity she hadn't known she was capable of. Swallowing the sudden nausea bubbling in her stomach, somehow she managed to whisper, "What have you done with him?"

"Relax, he's safe," the serpent digimon teased, dismissing the accusation with a flick of her wrist. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about that. We can't let anything happen to him before you receive your Spirit Chip. That wouldn't do at all."

"If you're working for the Ruler of Darkness, a name would be nice," Matt said dryly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Something snake-related?"

Takara glanced at her father, who was standing next to his golden-haired friend, and turning to address the female serpent's companion, the former leader said quietly, "No offense, but you've got a real bad habit of hanging out with the wrong crowd."

"Do I?" DarkAngelicmon asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, and something tells me you already know that."

DarkAngelicmon studied the former leader for a moment, and letting out a dramatic sigh, the fallen angel joked, "To be fair, I've had worse business associates. Allow me to introduce my partner, Encantamon. She's not so terribly bad, once you get past all the slime."

"My, you're such a charmer," Encantamon crooned, poking the fallen angel's shoulder.

There were so many things Takara wanted to say, but she couldn't seem to form the words. Matty, on the other hand, looked like he had plenty to say, and rolling his eyes, the younger twin said, "Did you just come all this way to goof off?"

"You wound me, Matty," DarkAngelicmon gasped, placing a hand against his heart. "I'm always serious."

"You're kidding, right?"

No, he's not fooling around. They're here for a reason, and that reason has something to do with Dai.

Takara couldn't stand it any longer, and speaking in a stiff tone that sounded so unlike her, she said quietly, "I'm not going to ask you again. What have you done with Dai?"

"Um, Kara? Are you okay?" Halomon asked, glancing anxiously at his partner. "You're acting kind of scary right now..."

Takara didn't respond, and studying her intently, Encantamon said lightly, "I told you, he's fine. After all, I would know, since I'm the one who brought him to the Digital World in the first place."

"What was that?" Ryoko asked sharply, pushing past Ken to confront the female serpent. "What did you say?"

Takara was shocked, and taking a few steps back, she whispered, "I knew it. I knew Dai would never leave on his own without telling me."

He wouldn't abandon me like that...

"How?" Sam demanded, joining Ryoko at the front. "What did you do to him, and where's Embermon?"

"They're together," Encantamon said easily, sounding completely unconcerned. "You see, now that the barrier between the Digital World and the human world is weakening, it's becoming a lot easier for digimon like myself to have an effect on the human world. All I did was practice a little...gentle persuasion."

Something about those words stung, and without any regard for her own safety, Takara lurched forward and grabbed the female digimon's arm in a tight grip. Eyes blazing, she cried, "Tell me exactly what you did! How did you make it happen?"

"Kara, no!" Dovemon cried, tugging on her ponytail. "Stay back!"

"Takara, please! Stop this!" her mother cried, reaching for her hand. "You need to stay calm!"

I can't stop! I won't let them hurt Dai!

Before she could respond, her father suddenly picked her up, and hauling her over his shoulder, the former leader said sharply, "I never thought I'd see the day I'd have to tell you to listen to your mother."

"Put me down! I have to stop them!"

"Not like that, you won't."

Takara was frantic, and struggling in her father's grip, she felt her eyes begin to sting with angry tears. They should have been safe in the human world, but even that wasn't a haven anymore.

I can't let her get away with this! It's not right! It's not fair that no matter what we do, we're always in danger...

"You certainly are a feisty one," Encantamon laughed, nodding in approval as her sleek body began to glow with pale green light. "Why don't I put that spirit of yours to the test?"

"Alas, it always comes to blows," DarkAngelicmon lamented, summoning his dark spear. "Shall we then?"

Takara could barely see through the haze of desperation clouding her vision as she continued to squirm in an effort to free herself, and slipping between Sam and Ryoko, Mickey gazed at the fallen angel and said sadly, "You're going to fight us?"

"Well, it is in my job description," DarkAngelicmon replied, pointing his spear at the older twin. "And if you win, I might grant you a favour."

Sam immediately stepped in front of the older twin, and staring calmly at the tip of the spear that was aimed directly between his eyes, the raven-haired Digidestined said firmly, "Unless you plan on giving Dai back to us, we don't need it."

"You would risk your life to protect him?"

"Stupid question," Sam said coldly, his sapphire gaze remaining calm and composed. "Don't threaten Mickey. Try that again and you'll find out how much I'm willing to risk."

"Brave, indeed," DarkAngelicmon replied, his words surprisingly gentle. "I commend you."

Behind the raven-haired Digidestined, Mickey blushed a deep shade of red, and doing her best to break free from her father's grip, Takara shouted, "Dovemon, digivolve!"

"I think it would be wise if you all digivolved," Ken interrupted, glancing down at his partner. "There's plenty of space in here so that won't be a problem."

"If they want a fight, we'll give it to them," Centarumon agreed, brandishing the canon on his right arm. "Fellow comrades, to arms!"

Immediately the rest of their digimon quickly digivolved to their highest levels, and with Omnimon, JewelBeemon, Garudamon, MegaKabuterimon, Ibismon, IceTirimon, Odonatamon, Angelicmon, and Gabrielmon now occupying the chamber, the place seemed a lot more crowded. Smiling at the group of newly evolved digimon, Encantamon said, "Look at that, handsome. We're outnumbered."

"Clearly," DarkAngelicmon said dryly, his spear beginning to glow a deep purple. "Let's get on with it before I lose interest. I would love to wrap this up before bedtime."

Somehow Takara was able to wiggle free from her father's arms, and dropping to the ground, she cried, "Get her, Ibismon!"

"If that is what you wish," Ibismon sighed, shaking her head before leaping into battle.

"Do you want to know how I tricked him?" Encantamon taunted, darting from side to side as she began to throw waves of some strange energy force at Omnimon, Garudamon, Ibismon, MegaKabuterimon, Centarumon, and IceTirimon. "He couldn't resist the call of my music!"

Music? What music? Does she mean like Sirenmon?

Takara suddenly found herself surrounded by the rest of the Digidestined, and grabbing her arm, Ryoko said sharply, "Listen to me, Kara. You can't let her goad you like that!"

"Don't fall for her tricks!" Matty warned, grabbing her other arm. "She's just trying to scare you!"

Somewhere deep inside herself she knew they were right, but at the moment she was too upset to care. She couldn't stand the thought of that snake's voice manipulating Dai, and struggling to break free from her friends, she screamed, "Tell me where he is!"

"Now, now, I haven't even revealed what I did to him yet," Encantamon sang, dodging IceTirimon's Frozen Shockwave attack. "He was so worried about you, and that's what made him vulnerable to my hypnosis. When he heard my voice through the computer screen, he followed the sound. That's what brought him to me."

It is my fault. Of course it's my fault.

Takara could feel her chest heaving, and barely able to form the words, she whispered to her friends, "Let go of me."

"Sorry, but I don't think we can do that," Ryoko replied, though she could tell it pained him to deny her request.

Unable to remain upright, Takara felt herself sagging to the floor, and as her father moved to take Matty's place, she immediately buried her face against his chest. The former leader held her closely in a tight hug, and resting a hand against the back of her hair, he said wearily, "So that's how they did it. They took advantage of the weak barrier between the human world and the Digital World to send the power of Encantamon's voice through the gateway."

"She must have powers similar to Sirenmon," Izzy agreed, his eyebrows narrowing into a frown. "Her voice can manipulate the minds of others, which allows her to have some measure of control over them."

"Ugh, not that again," Matty groaned, making a face.

Though Encantamon was surrounded, she was sneaky and light on her feet, which gave her a slight advantage. So far, she had even managed to avoid Omnimon's powerful attacks, and raising her hands, the serpent digimon allowed a fountain of green sludge to shoot up from the ground around her body. It began to spray out in all directions, forcing Ibismon and the others to regroup, and sounding offended, Encantamon scoffed, "Please, don't compare me to that weakling. My hypnosis technique is much more powerful and can be directed at individuals rather than just a whole group. I have much more control over it, and I can tailor it to attack specific weaknesses that fester inside the human heart. That's what I did to your precious leader. I honed in on his deepest fears, and I used them to guide him to my side."

"If you think for one minute we're going to let you get away with that, think again!" Ibismon snapped, holding up a fist. "I'm going to make you pay for causing my partner so much pain. Emerald Flare!"

Encantamon easily avoided the attack, and doing his best to fend off Gabrielmon, Angelicmon, JewelBeemon, and Odonatamon, DarkAngelicmon lifted himself into the air and said in amusement, "Oh dear, I think you've made them angry. You remember what YukiOnnamon said, right? Play nice now."

Yuki...Onnamon?

For some reason the unfamiliar name caused a shiver to race down her spine, and lifting her head, Takara wailed, "If it wasn't for me, Dai wouldn't be in this mess."

"You can't think like that," her father said urgently, the desperate need to get through to her evident in his tone. "It wasn't fear that made him go. It was his need to protect you. You would have done the same if your roles were reversed."

"You think so?" Encantamon mocked, dancing around Garudamon's Wing Blade attack. "Well, it is true that none are immune to my attack. All can hear my voice if I choose to target them. Malevolent Song!"

Is this...

All of a sudden a terrible sound filled the chamber, and covering her ears, Takara screamed as an unexpected burst of pain exploded behind her eyes. The agony was nearly enough to drive her mad, and realizing the sound was coming from inside her own head, she let out a whimper of fear.

It's unbearable. I can't stand it! Is this...what she did to Dai? Was he also forced to endure this pain?

The thought made her sick, and forcing herself to remain alert, she lifted her head only to discover that she wasn't the only one affected by Encantamon's deadly tune. All of her fellow Digidestined were holding their heads to ward off the unrelenting noise, and watching the battle, she realized the song was having an even worse effect on their digimon.

"It's draining their energy!" Izzy called out, wincing as he rubbed his temples. "We have to stop the sound!"

"Why are you allowing her to do this?" Angelicmon gasped, attempting to lift his head from where he lay sprawled on the ground next to Gabrielmon.

Unaffected by Encantamon's haunting melody, DarkAngelicmon said, "I'm merely following orders."

"Now do you see the extent of my voice?" Encantamon declared, the tune fading away as she lowered her arms. "I can manipulate one or all of you at any time. It's so easy to sway the minds of others when they're afraid of their own weaknesses."

Takara had a feeling the words were directed specifically at her, and scrambling to her feet, she gasped, "I'm not going to let you do this. Give Dai back to us!"

"You need to calm yourself, Kara," Ken urged, wincing as he struggled to stand. "Allowing yourself to panic is only going to make things worse."

If I had my Spirit Chip, I could stop them!

All around her, the rest of the Digidestined were sprawled across the ground, and the sight of their faces contorted in obvious pain made her want to shriek with despair. A few feet away from her, her parents had their arms around each other, and her mother's face was pressed against her father's chest. Matt, Ken, and Izzy were all grouped together, their hands over their ears, and Ryoko, Sam, and the twins were all huddled close, their bodies pressed together as if they could somehow create a wall to block out the noise. Nobody was paying attention to the battlefield anymore, and as a result, DarkAngelicmon was able to use his Wrath of Hades attack to prevent their digimon from getting to their feet. The entire fight was a complete disaster, and wanting so badly to change the outcome, Takara screeched, "Ibismon, you have to get up! You need to fight them!"

"I can't," Ibismon moaned, barely able to lift her head as she painfully slid across the floor to check on MegaKabuterimon. "Not like this."

"I think our best option right now is to retreat," Omnimon said quietly, maneuvering himself into a defensive stance as he warily watch the gloating Encantamon. "Even with my strength, I cannot endure an attack that drains my energy levels forever."

The combined mega was the only one who still appeared in relatively good condition, which did not bode well for their chances of winning. Evidently, JewelBeemon agreed with the mega digimon's sentiments, and leaning on his spear for support, the insect digimon said, "Better to leave now and save our energy for the main event."

"If we hadn't been caught off guard, we would have stood an excellent chance," Izzy groaned, rubbing his forehead as he clung protectively to his computer. "That being said, in this state I believe Omnimon is right. A retreat would probably be in our best interests until we can regroup."

No! If we let them go, she'll torture Dai. I can't let her get inside his head like this and make him suffer...

The thought alone was enough to give her a burst of energy, and whirling around to confront the computer expert, she cried, "We can't do that! If we let her go, who knows what she'll do to Dai!"

"While I understand your concerns, we're really not in a position to-"

"I'm not leaving! I'm not letting her go until she's defeated!"

"Forget it, Izzy," Ryoko snapped, squirming out of Mickey's tight grip. "She won't listen to reason. Let's just get out of here."

"Going already?" Encantamon taunted, pretending to look disappointed. "That's unfortunate. I haven't even finished showing you all of my skills yet. Besides, don't you want to hear more about your beloved leader and how he's doing?"

Takara was beside herself at this point, and unable to think straight, she felt her body begin to shake. If she was so strong, why couldn't she stop Encantamon? The serpent digimon had to be an ultimate. There was no way a digimon of that level should have been able to defeat such a large group of digimon all on her own so easily.

How? This whole thing feels so wrong. Right from the beginning, everything just fell apart. It's madness...

"Well, if we're going to be telling stories, I'd best do what I can to ensure there aren't any interruptions," DarkAngelicmon said pleasantly, fluttering into the air. "Wrath of Hades!"

In their weakened state, Gabrielmon and Angelicmon didn't stand a chance. Both angel digimon were engulfed in darkness, and once the terrible light disappeared they reverted back to their rookie forms. Encantamon took that as a sign to add fuel to the fire, and slithering over, she shouted, "Toxic Affliction!"

A surge of some strange glowing slime shot up from the serpent digimon's feet in a geyser that completely surrounded her. Without warning, the liquid substance exploded and shot straight at JewelBeemon and Ondonatamon, both of whom had just barely managed to get to their feet. The two digimon went down in a rushing torrent of venomous goo, and a moment later they also returned to their rookie forms.

That left Omnimon, Garudamon, Ibismon, Centarumon, MegaKabuterimon, and IceTirimon, but out of those six only Omnimon looked as if he could withstand another attack.

"Thanks to a dramatic increase in the Powers of Darkness, I was able to use my voice to breach the walls of the barrier, allowing me to manipulate your leader right from the comfort of my favorite spring near the castle on Cyber," Encantamon informed them. "From there, we transported the boy here to the city of Abacus, where he and that digimon partner of his have been keeping us company ever since. We have ambitious plans in store for them, of that you can be sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked quietly, his face looking unusually pale.

No, please...Don't hurt him...

Takara couldn't even form the words, and this time when the arms of both her parents went around her, she didn't attempt to fight them off. Having somehow managed to get to her feet, Ibismon rose into the air and said harshly, "You have caused my partner enough pain already. I won't allow you to hurt her anymore! Cyclone Fury!"

"So inconvenient," Encantamon complained, dodging the storm of pink feathers. "Care to give me a hand, handsome?"

"And do your dirty work for you?" DarkAngelicmon asked, raising his black eyebrows. "Very well. Wrath of Hades!"

"I was going to help. Toxic Affliction!"

MegaKabuterimon, Garudamon, and IceTirimon made a heroic attempt to protect Ibismon from the blast, but their efforts were unsuccessful. All four digimon went down in a torrent of sludge fused with darkness, and when the storm cleared, they were all lying on the ground unconscious in their rookie forms.

The damage was done, and turning her back on them, Encantamon said shortly, "I think I've seen enough. Come, handsome. We need to report back to the others. It wouldn't do to keep our lady waiting."

Our entire team of digimon...They were almost wiped out completely. If this is what we're dealing with, how are we ever going to save Dai?

The thought was so depressing, Takara couldn't help the sudden flow of tears sliding down her cheeks. The salty trails stung against her skin, making her feel itchy and somewhat uncomfortable. Despite the warm touch surrounding her body from both parents, she felt strangely cold. How many times did that make it now? Her eyes should have dried out a long time ago, and yet the flow of water seemed endless.

Am I doomed to wade in tears forever?

Without another word, Encantamon quickly disappeared into the shadows, and moving to follow her, DarkAngelicmon said, "No doubt, I'll receive the brunt of her anger."

"That's it?" Matty suddenly shouted, leaping to his feet. "You're just going to leave?"

DarkAngelicmon paused, and turning slowly to look back at their group, the fallen angel held out his hand to Matty and said quietly, "Come here for a moment."

"Huh?"

Considering the circumstances, Matty's confused reply made sense, and reaching out to touch the younger twin's arm, Mickey murmured, "Be careful."

"You're not going to stop me?" Matty asked, clearly surprised.

Mickey gently shook his head, and realizing that nobody else was making any attempts to stop him either, the younger twin slowly approached DarkAngelicmon. As soon as Matty was close enough, the fallen angel reached out to place his hands on the golden-haired Digidestined's shoulders, his posture indicating that he needed to be quick. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and then gazing into the younger twin's eyes, DarkAngelicmon said seriously, "Later, after midnight, I will come and find you. We shall talk then."

"Really?" Matty gasped, his amber eyes growing wide.

DarkAngelicmon nodded, and glancing over the younger twin's shoulder to address the group as a whole, the fallen angel said shortly, "Dai and Embermon are in the central chamber where the Spirit Chip lies. They're safe, and that will remain the case until Kara reaches the Spirit Chip. Be wary. There is more to all of this than what meets the eye. You must be careful."

"Why?" Matty whispered, his hands clutching at the fallen angel's chest armour. "Why are you doing this?"

DarkAngelicmon bent his head to whisper something in the younger twin's ear before pulling away, and without looking back, the fallen angel fluttered into the air and swiftly disappeared into the blackness beyond the pipes.

A heavy silence filled the chamber, and then taking a hesitant step forward, Mickey asked quietly, "What did he say?"

"For Lucemon," Matty murmured, keeping his head lowered. "That's what he said."

Lucemon...

Nobody seemed to know how to respond, including Takara, and slipping away from her parents, she quickly hurried over to her partner's side. The rest of the Digidestined followed suit, and once they had secured their digimon, everybody turned to gaze at Izzy with tired eyes and weary faces.

"What now?" Agumon asked, having separated from Gabumon upon returning to his rookie form.

Takara didn't trust herself to speak, and as a result she chose to keep her mouth shut. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't increase her anxiety levels, and thus she proceeded to concentrate on stroking Dovemon's soft feathers.

Anything to keep herself distracted. Anything to stop her from going crazy with fear.

"It's getting fairly late, and we're all exhausted," Izzy said calmly, always the voice of reason. "I think it would be best if we found a place to stay for the night and got some rest. I doubt they'll bother us again, especially if we take DarkAngelicmon's promised visit into account."

"Let's continue on to the right then," Ken suggested, snuggling a tired Wormmon comfortably in his arms.

Nobody seemed capable of a response, and taking the former Emperor's advice to heart, they proceeded to trudge into a much smaller tunnel. All around them they could hear the faint sound of running water, and rubbing at the tears on her cheeks, Takara gasped when a gentle hand suddenly caught her arm. Turning, she found herself gazing into her mother's worried eyes, but before the older woman could say anything, she whispered, "Don't. Please, I just don't want to think about anything right now."

"Then at least let me stay by your side," her mother said softly, taking her hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

Sniffing back tears, Takara walked hand in hand with her mother, and shuddering at the shadows dancing along the ceiling, she hugged Dovemon closer to her chest. DarkAngelicmon's words should have brought her some comfort, but instead she felt even more frightened. Even if Dai was physically safe, she had no idea what Encantamon might do to the goggle-headed leader's mind.

Is this all my fault, too? Is that why our digimon couldn't stand up to Encantamon and DarkAngelicmon?

"Don't you dare blame yourself," Dovemon said quietly, her eyes fluttering open with obvious determination. "We were caught off guard. She fully intended to cause a panic. In the midst of all that chaos, she acted on the fact that we were unprepared. Next time, we'll be ready for her and all her dirty tricks."

Even so, I feel like I'm to blame...

"I have to agree," Izzy spoke up, overhearing their conversation. "I don't think they picked a fight with us because of the Spirit Chip. They had no intentions of stopping us. If anything, it seemed almost like a test of some sort..."

A...test? What were they testing?

And that was when it hit her.

They were testing me.

The heavy atmosphere in the tunnels had dissipated somewhat, and as a result, the rest of the Digidestined were in the mood to chat. Takara, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to avoid conversation, and wrenching herself free from her mother's grasp, she stopped in her tracks, her desperate gaze shifting to display a flash of horror. There was no doubt in her mind that Encantamon had been testing her resolve, and she had a sinking suspicion that she had failed the examination.

A spectacular fail, judging by the outcome of their earlier battle.

It's because I'm weak and she knows it. If we fail to save Dai, it'll be my fault. All because I lack the resolve to express my feelings...

"Kara?" her father murmured, gently touching her cheek. "Hey, look at me. What's wrong?"

Takara blinked, and quickly shaking her head, she whispered, "Nothing. It's nothing."

Nothing you can help me with.

It was clear her father didn't believe her, but she didn't have the strength to elaborate. Right now, she just wanted to sleep, to escape the unrelenting voices inside her head.

"Anybody see a potential place to stay the night?" Alopemon asked, his fluffy tail swishing behind him.

Though they weren't complaining, it was clear their digimon were still weak and fatigued from their earlier battle, and taking the hint, Izzy said, "It looks like there's a large maintenance room up ahead that should be big enough to fit us all."

"Thank goodness," Biyomon sighed, her wings drooping. "What a relief."

"I can't say that was one of our finer moments," Tentomon moaned, hovering next to Izzy. "What a disaster."

On the computer expert's other side, Centarumon was somehow able to maintain his regal appearance, despite the tired slump of his shoulders, and shaking his head, the champion level digimon said, "On the contrary, we are all still in one piece. That alone should suffice as motivation to continue on."

"I don't know about that," Glowmon groaned, dropping into Sam's arms. "I can barely make any light."

At first Takara was confused, but on closer inspection she realized the little digimon was struggling to use his Luminaire attack. The light emanating from his small body was dim, and cuddling Glowmon tightly against his chest, Sam said in a soothing voice, "It's okay. You can rest for now. There's more light up ahead."

That at least was true. The tunnel did appear to grow brighter up ahead, and upon reaching the exit they found themselves in another large chamber that was similar to the one where they had been ambushed by Encantamon and DarkAngelicmon. Takara could hear the sound of running water coming from somewhere much closer than before, and pointing off to the left, Izzy said, "The maintenance room should be over there. Let's go have a look."

Takara followed after the group in silence, and crossing the chamber, they headed for a door that stood open near a control panel. Stepping inside, she found herself in a utility room that was definitely much larger than the last one, and scanning the lockers lining the walls, she suddenly felt a strong desire to sit down. There were several chairs and two desks in the room, along with some cabinets and a few other miscellaneous pieces of furniture, and sinking into one of the chairs, she gently set Dovemon on the desk in front of her and proceeded to stare blandly at the others as they moved about the room.

Dropping their backpacks, Sam, Ryoko, and the twins quickly slumped down on the floor against the wall with their digimon, and occupying one of the chairs at the other desk, Izzy set his laptop down and said, "I'm going to send Taniko a recap of what happened today and then I think we should all have some dinner and head to bed."

"What about DarkAngelicmon?" Matty asked, glancing at his brother.

Sam, who was sitting on Mickey's other side, nodded at the younger twin and said, "He did promise to meet us."

"If he keeps his promise," Ryoko snorted, tossing his head.

Izzy chose to disregard the golden-haired Digidestined's sarcastic retort, and beginning to type, the computer expert said, "That won't be until after midnight. We still have a few hours before then. We should use the time to get some rest."

"We can have someone remain on the lookout for him," Ken added, motioning for Matt to help him with their supplies. "We should be taking turns keeping watch anyways, just to be on the safe side."

Takara blinked, and pulling her knees up to her chest, she mumbled, "Do you think something will happen?"

It was her father who answered, and keeping his eyes averted, the former leader said, "I doubt it. It's just common sense to be prepared for any situation."

"Come on, boys," her mother said sternly, fixing her firm gaze on the group lounging by the wall. "Help me put the sleeping bags out."

There was a chorus of groans, and reluctantly getting to his feet, Matty said, "Why do we have to do all the hard work?"

"Because you're young and fully capable of doing so," Matt scolded, shifting through their supplies as he went about preparing a late dinner. "Your digimon could use a rest more than you."

Matty made a silly face at his uncle's back as the former musician turned to deal with the food, and reluctantly grabbing the closest sleeping bag, the younger twin began to roll it out on the floor. Joining him, Ryoko said, "Put me next to Mickey. You kick too much."

"I do not!" Matty protested, glaring at his cousin.

Mickey smiled at that, and kneeling next to his brother with another sleeping bag in his hands, the older twin said gently, "You do move around a lot."

"Fine, then you can sleep between Ryoko and Sam, and I'll sleep on Sam's other side."

Even in her terrible state, Takara didn't miss the blush on Mickey's face, and as the older twin glanced timidly at Sam before quickly turning away, he stammered, "W-what about Kara? Usually you put her next to me."

"Since I'm apparently such a pain, she can sleep next to her mom," Matty grumbled, jerking the innocent sleeping bag out of his brother's grasp and rolling it out with a vengeance. "That should keep her safe."

For some reason Ryoko looked very amused, and watching his cousin, the golden-haired Digidestined said nonchalantly, "Dai's not even here to try anything."

This time it was Takara's turn to blush, and ignoring Dovemon's giggle, she hunkered down deeper into her chair. Luckily Matty and the others didn't notice her at all, and puffing himself up, the younger twin said importantly, "That's beside the point."

"I feel sorry for Rina when she grows up," Ryoko sighed, shaking his head.

"Why? As long as Nao behaves himself, I don't see a problem."

Ryoko's response was to give the younger twin an incredulous look, and rolling out the last sleeping bag, the Child of Loyalty said bluntly, "You're the problem! Are you going to be like this with Mickey, too?"

"Why?" Matty asked, growing suddenly suspicious.

The younger twin turned to gaze intently at his brother, and blushing profusely, Mickey said defensively, "What's that look for?"

"Something you're not telling me?" Matty asked, scrutinizing the blush on his twin's face.

"N-no!"

At this point, Sam chose to intervene, and sending Matty a rather exasperated look, the raven-haired Digidestined clamoured onto his sleeping bag and said, "Leave Mickey alone."

"You all need to tone it down a bit. We're trying to sleep here!" Celestimon complained.

"Less talking, more relaxing," Alopemon growled.

Matty froze, and glancing at their digimon, who were all curled up beside the sleeping bags they had placed against the back wall, the younger twin said stupidly, "What about dinner?"

"We might as well rest until it's ready," Mickey said meekly, lowering his voice to appease their digimon.

Takara could sense some sort of odd tension in the air, and sitting up against the wall, Sam held out his arm and said quietly, "Come here, Mickey. Matty's just teasing you."

Mickey hesitated before sitting down next to Sam, and as the raven-haired Digidestined's arm went around his shoulders, the older twin leaned against the other boy's side and mumbled, "I know."

"Hey, don't make me out like I'm the bad guy," Matty complained, dropping down on Sam's other side. "I'm just looking out for him. That's what brothers do."

Sam kept his arm around Mickey's shoulders, and studying the younger twin's face, the raven-haired Digidestined said lightly, "I don't intend to move my arm. Does that make me a threat, too?"

"Of course not," Matty scoffed, completely missing the astonished look on his brother's handsome face. "You're different."

Huh?

For a long moment, Sam simply stared at the younger twin, and then settling himself comfortably against Mickey's side, the raven-haired Digidestined smiled, his next words brimming with obvious affection. "I'll remember you said that."

"Say what now?" Matty asked, looking confused.

Sam didn't respond, and sitting on the older twin's other side, Ryoko made no effort to hide the fact that he was gazing at the flustered trio with blatant interest. Realizing he was being watched, Mickey turned an even deeper shade of pink, and quickly ducking his head, the older twin proceeded to gaze at Sam from beneath his lashes. Mickey seemed confused by the raven-haired boy's strange words, and he wasn't the only one. Takara hadn't understood either, but there was no denying that Sam was behaving oddly.

And yet, there's still a sense of camaraderie there. Like they're all having fun. I don't get it. How can they joke around like that when Dai's out there suffering from who knows what kind of pain? Don't they feel...guilty?

No, that wasn't it. They weren't behaving like that because they had forgotten about Dai. They were fooling around because of Dai. It was their way of dealing with the terrible anxiety bubbling inside their hearts. If they didn't joke around they would be forced to think about Dai.

And if they thought about the goggle-headed leader for too long, the uncertainty in the deepest part of their souls would drive them insane.

Is that...what's happening to me?

"Not that I want to add fuel to the fire, but there's something bothering me," her mother suddenly said quietly, causing everyone to look up.

At this point, the sleeping bags were all laid out and dinner was well on its way to being done, and turning away from their supplies, Ken said slowly, "What would that be?"

Takara glanced at her mother, who was sitting on another group of sleeping bags with her father, Matt, and their digimon, and settling himself against the wall next to the desk where Izzy was working, Centarumon said, "Is it related to our encounter with Encantamon and DarkAngelicmon?"

"Possibly," her mother hesitantly replied, sounding uncertain of her own words. "Did anybody else happen to catch DarkAngelicmon's reference to a 'YukiOnnamon?' Another digimon, I assume."

So Mom heard it, too. I wasn't imagining things.

Izzy slowly turned in his seat, and resting an arm on the back of his chair, the computer expert said mildly, "Yes, I caught that as well. Like you, I assumed he must have been referring to another digimon, and by the sounds of it this YukiOnnamon has accompanied DarkAngelicmon and Encantamon to Abacus on their mission."

"Do you know who this YukiOnnamon digimon might be?" Gabumon asked, standing faithfully next to his partner as Matt tended to their dinner.

"I've never heard the name before, but I assume he or she must be another digimon who lives at the castle here on Cyber and serves the Ruler of Darkness, much like Encantamon."

For some reason Takara wasn't satisfied with that response. Though she had no idea why, the name alone disturbed her. The mysterious YukiOnnamon was probably with Dai, and the thought of an unknown digimon torturing the goggle-headed leader gave her chills. How many more enemies were they going to have to defeat before they could finally bring peace to the Digital World?

"Dinner's ready," Matt said quietly, motioning for everyone to gather in a circle. "Once we've eaten, it's time for bed."

"I'll take the first watch," her father offered, sounding unusually tired.

Matt must have heard it too because the former musician glanced sharply at the other man and said, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, not like I can sleep anyways," the former leader replied, ignoring Agumon's worried look.

Takara immediately felt guilty, and climbing out of her chair, she quickly joined the large group sitting on the floor. Izzy remained at the desk tapping away on his laptop, the concentration on his face indicating he was typing a very thorough message to Taniko, and gazing miserably at her food, Takara realized she wasn't even hungry. How could she eat when Dai probably wasn't getting any food at all?

YukiOnnamon...Why do I suddenly feel so uneasy?

And how was she ever going to fall asleep when the boy she loved was in danger because of her?