Live in the Moment

By the time Leon returned to the toyshop, Mokuba and Leon were ready to go. Olivia was ready to go too. She didn't have school today since it was the weekend. But she still had one more week before the summer holiday would start. But she still wanted to spend a little more time with her friends, knowing it would be a while before they would be able to hang out again.

They all climbed on Labramon and the canine-like Digimon walked through an alley, bringing them to the Secret Garden. Of course, he brought his friends to the door that led back home to their world. Mokuba, Rebecca, and Leon passed through and a few seconds later, they returned as humans.

On their way to Half Moon Pass, they looked up and saw the Heroes of Millennia flying around. They figured they were just getting some air under their wings. Olivia was fascinated, for she had never seen humans with wings before. Mokuba explained that flying was just one of their powers.

They made it to the cave next to Half Moon Pass and walked through the trapdoor that guarded the entrance. Rebecca voiced the password and she and her friends were granted access. The blonde figured that before she and the boys would return to Paris, they would consider changing the password. She would be sure to discuss it with her friends later.

Inside the clubhouse, the rest of the members were in the play area. Shippo was drawing on his sketchpad and Rini was teaching Rin how to read one of the books she brought with her from home. Kohaku was eating a bowl of rice with some fish and vegetables. Now that everyone was assembled, they could play together.

While Olivia was playing with the others, Mokuba, Rebecca, and Leon went to the library. "So what did Basil have to say?" the blonde asked the redhead.

"He said we should get serious," he replied.

This surprised Mokuba. "Did he really?"

"Well, he's still against the idea about us going back to Paris for the Feast of Fools, but neither of us wanted to cause an argument about it," Leon said. "He just doesn't want us to do anything reckless."

"And we told him we wouldn't," said Rebecca. "We can take care of ourselves."

Mokuba agreed. "We may have gotten ourselves into trouble a few times, but we would never do that intentionally." He sighed and said, "At least Basil is letting us offer to help in our own way."

Rebecca suddenly remembered. "I should've gone with you to Baker Street," she said to Leon. At first, her reason was to talk to Basil and apologize for the way she talked to him. But she also had the idea of asking him to teach her to be friends and sleuths. Then again, he probably would have refused because his profession is quite dangerous. And the detective already said he didn't want them to sneak about in places they shouldn't; especially when in disguise.

She explained that to her friends and they figured she was right. If they tried getting into the Court of Miracles, they would most likely be captured and hanged by the gypsies who took refuge there. Or if they were caught sneaking around the Palace of Justice, Frollo would likely do worse.

As they left the library and went to the main area, Mokuba asked Leon, "What else did you and Basil talk about?"

At first, the redhead was a little embarrassed to share his idea, but he decided to tell his friends. "Well, you're going to think I'm crazy, but I had the idea of Basil being a part of the Rescue Aid Society."

Rebecca chortled. "Are you serious?"

Leon laughed with her. "I told you."

"Leon," she laughed. "Basil doesn't work on cases involving humans. He also prefers to work alone."

But Leon explained to her and Mokuba what he talked about with Basil regarding the recent events when he was part of a team for a brief moment and how he technically did help humans.

Mokuba listened and figured that that made sense. "You know, I can kind of imagine the thought of Basil knowing mice from the Rescue Aid Society. Maybe some of them have been his clients and he's helped them on certain occasions."

Olivia spoke up. "I've heard about the Rescue Aid Society." As her friends look down at her, she explains, "My father says it's an organization made up of mice from various countries. They come together to help human children who are in any kind of danger and need help." Then she had an idea. "You know, I think I know what I want to do."

"What's that?" Mokuba asked.

"When I grow up, I think I'm going to join the Rescue Aid Society," she said with resolution.

Leon was surprised to hear her say that. "Are you sure about that, Livy?"

The mouse girl was certain. "I figured that since I'm a mouse and I have human friends, I want to help humans. And since I met everyone here and became a member of this club, it's given me some inspiration to want to join the organization in the future."

That made sense to the children. Being a Heroes' Helper and having humans for friends has somewhat inspired her to want to help humans. "If that's what you want to do, Olivia, then you have our full support," said Rebecca.

She thanked her friends and said, "And maybe someday, I'll discover my own element too, just like the Heroes of Millennia."

The blonde chuckled. "Well, it's nice that you have big dreams, but just don't get carried away."

Mokuba agreed. "I wouldn't get too far ahead if I were you. You see, since we discovered our elements, we've been training to be warriors and it actually hasn't been easy for us. We've got more responsibilities."

Rebecca knelt down and told Olivia, "But you can still go wherever you want, whenever you want. You can still enjoy the freedom and privileges you have without having to worry about anything else."

It was a little hard for Olivia to comprehend. She didn't think that representing an element would also mean having responsibilities. But she figured it was important. "I've been meaning to ask you, what elements do you represent?"

In answer, Mokuba, Rebecca, and Leon showed her the pallets around their necks and named their elements: empathy, knowledge, and innocence.

"How does one discover his or her own element?" the mouse girl wondered.

Mokuba smiled. "The truth is, I don't really know. I think part of it is figuring out what qualities you have that set you apart from everyone else." He looks at the pallet around his neck. "For me, it's being understanding of others. For Rebecca, it's about sharing what she's learned and showing how smart and resourceful she is when it comes to helping others. For Leon, it's about setting free the child within."

The mouse girl admired the pallet around Leon's neck; the one with the image for innocence. She agreed that Leon was like a child for being fascinated with adventure, stories, and so many other wonders. She figured she was the same way; she was just as naïve and easily fascinated as he was.

Mokuba, Rebecca, and Leon continued to teach Olivia more about the elements, saying that there were so many. From what she was learning, an element was one's personal strength. It caused Olivia to wonder, what was her personal strength that set her apart from everyone else?

Sometime later, Olivia found Rebecca in the washroom applying some lotion on her body. Not only did it soothe her skin, but it also smelled pleasant. Olivia sniffed the air and detected the scent of flowers. "What's that, Rebecca?"

"Oh, just some lotion to soothe my complexion," she answered. She noticed an unsure expression on the mouse girl's face. "You okay, Livy?"

She looked up and inquired, "Rebecca, the love between you and Mokuba, what's that like?"

At first, the blonde was surprised that Olivia would ask such a question, but she figured she knew the reason why. "Well, it's really the best kind of love," she boasted. "Whenever I see him, I feel so happy, like I'm walking on air. And when I run up to hug him and he hugs me back, I feel safe in his arms, like he's protecting me. And we can always talk about anything. That's the best part of our conversations; being able to confide in each other."

As Olivia listened, she thought about what it was like with her and Leon. The mouse girl was always happy to see the redhead and whenever she hugged him, she did feel safe in his arms. And while they barely knew each other when they met, Leon bravely opened up to Olivia and her father and told them his secrets.

She had one last question. "When you two kiss, what's that like?"

That was actually complicated for Rebecca. "Well, it's a little hard to describe. But for me, it makes me the happiest I've ever felt." She holds herself and says, "I feel like all the best feelings are building up inside of me, making me feel warm and happy. I feel at peace and it's like time has stopped and I'm just living in the moment."

Olivia smiled, thinking Rebecca did look happy when she and Mokuba kissed and he looked just as happy as she did.

The blonde recollected herself. "Olivia, I know how you feel about Leon."

The mouse girl was surprised. "You do?"

"Come on, Olivia, it's not like I haven't noticed," she said. "I know how happy you get whenever you see Leon and I know he's always happy to see you too. You're Leon's best friend and he's yours. And I remember on the day we said 'goodbye' how you said you loved each other."

Olivia looked away. It was hard to tell if she was blushing because of her fur, but Rebecca could see that it was embarrassed. The blonde sat down next to the mouse girl. "Olivia, everyone has their own kind of love. For me and Mokuba, our love is the kind between a boyfriend and girlfriend. And some friends can love each other as like a relative they never had."

Olivia thought about what Rebecca was saying. "Maybe that's the kind of love I have for Leon," she figured. "I did say he was like the brother I never had."

"And he told me and Mokuba that he thought of you as like a sister he never had," Rebecca returned. "So you see, Olivia, there's more than one way to love someone. It doesn't matter how as long as that person you love is special to you."

The mouse girl agreed. The kind of love she had for her father was different from the kind of love she had for her friends. But if she liked all of her friends equally, why was her love for Leon different from her love from everyone else? Was it because he was her best friend, just like Rebecca established?

Rebecca gently patted Olivia's head. "Don't dwell on it too much," she said to the mouse girl. "You'll figure it out in due time." Olivia agreed and together, they went back to the main area.

Once everyone was assembled, they gathered around and sang the same song they always sang. Then they left the clubhouse and returned home to their worlds. On her way home, Olivia once again thought about how she couldn't wait for the summer holiday to start. She also couldn't wait for her birthday to come so she'd be able to share it with her friends. For now, she decided to take their advice and just live in the moment. There was really no rush and it wouldn't really be any fun if things went by so fast. She and her friends would miss out on a lot of exciting things. The others agreed as they returned home to their worlds. They would take one day at a time.