As soon as Starfire was back to normal, she, Sam, Chaud, Proto, and Bass made their way to the power plant. With Star hanging out the sunroof for the last time, the others had a chance to talk.

"We have to stop by the Official Netbattler's HQ before we go anywhere else." Remarked Chaud as the limo turned down another busy street. "Mr. Famous wants to have a word with you three."

Bass nodded, his expression unreadable because of the cloak covering his mouth.

Staring out the window, the silver haired Navi was pensive, taking in every detail to remember when he went back to the cyber world.

As the limo pulled up to the curb, Starfire withdrew into the limo, fixing her hair. "Right. Let's do this."

Smiling at her, ProtoMan took the blonde Navi's hand. She smiled and followed him out of the car, where they took an elevator to the spacious office. As expected, Mr. Famous and Punk were waiting for them.

"Ah. I'm glad you're here." Stated Mr. Famous in his slight British accent. "First things first. I daresay I owe you an apology ProtoMan. From what Punk has heard, you were just trying to protect your friends from being wrongly investigated."

Nodding, ProtoMan shot Punk a look of gratitude. "It's all right Mr. Famous. Just…don't make me do it again."

Star stifled a giggle before Mr. Famous addressed her. "Starfire, I daresay that you have showed exceptional skill this mission. If you consent, we'd like you on full time." Seeing Star's hesitation, he continued. "You would have a job alongside ProtoMan, if you like."

Smiling a little bit, Starfire shook her head. "No thank you Mr. Famous. I'm happy working in the field right now. Maybe another time."

With an air of finality, the copper haired official looked at Bass, who had remained eerily silent the whole time. "Bass, I've thought long and hard about this and we'd like to have you as commander of our special forces. You would be training exceptionally bright candidates in spy and sabotage work."

Closing his eyes, it seemed as though Bass was smiling. "I'm honored, but really, I don't think that would work for me. In fact…I'm quitting as a freelance."

The other two Navis seemed stunned by this as well.

"Oniichan! Why?" Questioned Star, her blue eyes full of wonderment.

Sighing, Bass eyed his sister. "You know me Starry! I don't like taking orders. I need to be free to roam."

Opening his mouth as if to protest, Mr. Famous spied Punk shaking his head out of the corner of his eye and shut his mouth.

As the trio left the office, Mr. Famous turned to Punk. "You're sure it's all right to let them go like this? With Starfire and ProtoMan in higher up positions our defense would be superb, not to mention our espionage system at it's peak with Bass as a head."

Confidently, Punk crossed his arms. "I'm sure Mr. Famous. We haven't seen the last of Bass. He'll be back to help out his sister and her friends, so he's still an ally. If we made him stay, that might alienate him."

"YOU TURNED DOWN A PROMOTION!"

Starfire sighed. "Calm down Sam. I know what you're thinking, but it wouldn't be as fun as you think. No more fieldwork! You know how I love that."

Calming down, Sam saw the wisdom in her friend's statement. "Yeah…I understand…"

The group exited the limo by the dirt path that lead to the power plant. While Star and Proto walked on the dirt path with their partners, Bass strode along the grassy hill just above, quiet and thoughtful.

ProtoMan conversed quietly with Chaud, just as Star was doing with Sam. "Chaud…being here…in the real world…it's been wonderful. I never thought you and I would ever share the same world but…here we are. I don't think I'll ever forget this."

Smiling slightly, Chaud cast a sideways glance at his Navi. "It's been…really great. You're like my brother Proto, and if I would, I'd keep you like this. You and me, in the same world."

Shaking his head, ProtoMan felt the weight of his ponytail swinging behind him. "It can't be Chaud. I may be all right here, but I can't protect you as well as I can in the cyber world."

Sam was trying not to cry. "I'm gonna miss you here Star…"

Throwing an arm around Sam's shoulders, Star grinned. "I'm not dying! Geeze Sam, I'm still your Navi." Then she softened. "But I know what you mean. It's nice to have you physically here, standing next to me."

Wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand, Sam smiled. "We simply MUST do this again Star."

Despite the inevitable return to cyberspace, Star laughed. "I'll hold you to it."

Upon entering the central computer room of the power plant, the group was greeted with a lone Cossack.

"Where'd Raika and SearchMan go?" Asked Chaud as he approached the blonde scientist.

"They returned to Sharo yesterday." Stated Cossack. "Raika wanted to show SearchMan his home before he returned to the cyber world." He looked at the assembled group. "Are you ready?"

Star waited patiently as Sam hugged her. "This has been the best week of my life Star…" She muttered.

Looking down at her friend, Star was confused. "Best week of your life? We were fighting the whole time and I nearly died!"

Grinning, Sam winked. "Yeah, but we got to do it together."

ProtoMan and Chaud faced each other, both avoiding the other's gaze.

"So you have to go now."

"Yeah…"

"It's been fun ProtoMan."

"Sure has Chaud…"

Waiting another moment, Chaud moved forward and put his arms around ProtoMan.

Stunned for only a moment, ProtoMan hesitantly returned the embrace.

"When you get back…" Whispered Chaud, "I have some tournaments we could enter."

Smiling, ProtoMan ruffled the boy's hair. "That…that sounds great Chaud."

Cossack quietly watched the Navis enjoying their last moments in this realm, the feeling bittersweet.

"Dad."

Looking over the group, Cossack spied Bass, who pushed to the front. "Y-Yes Bass?"

Looking aside, Bass spoke. "I'm not gonna say I forgive you for what you've done to me. Because I don't. Just…" He turned his crimson eyes on his father. "Give me s'more time."

Nodding, Cossack waited till Star had gently worked her way out of Sam's hug to stand by ProtoMan. "Ready?"

The Navis nodded. Cossack looked over to the humans, where Chaud has his hands on Sam's shoulders to ensure she didn't run after Star. Curtly, the white haired youth nodded.

"Terminating Dimensional Area now!"

Sam raised a hand in farewell to Star, who was rapidly disappearing. The blonde Navi raised a hand as well and the last thing to go was her cheery smile.

Unhooking his PET from the holster, Chaud turned it on. "Proto?" He asked hesitantly.

After a moment of tense silence, ProtoMan appeared in a shower of data, looking as he always did. "Here Chaud."

Sighing, Sam exited the plant with Chaud, both holding their PETs. "I guess that's that then." She remarked, happy that everything had returned to normal.

"No…" Starfire's voice filtered through the speakers. "It's far from over Sam. Actually…" Her smile lit up her face. "It's just the beginning."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for the reviews everyone! Just one more chapter and then I'm done with the Light In The Darkness Trilogy! These past few chapters have been very emotional and I didn't intend them to be this way. Although looking back, it's a nice break from my normally humorous style. To answer a question I received, no I was not trying purposely to make you cry when I killed Proto and Bass. It just happened that people teared up.