Episode Twenty One, Part 2

Vane

"And why," Luna asked, shifting slightly to relieve a kink in her shoulder, "are we hiding here? Why couldn't we have hidden in a place that had just a little more room?"

The 'place' she was referring to was, in fact, a little more than a giant hole, situated at the center of several giant wooden barrels. What was in those barrels, after a close inspection of them, were staves, and not refuse. Which made it an ideal place to hide in Rini's eyes.

Rini sighed. "Luna, it's why it's called 'Hide-and-Seek. The point of it is to hide in a spot that isn't easy to find." She shifted as well. "Though I'm starting to agree with you. Why did they have to place them so close?"

Artemis chuckled. "But then, it wouldn't be much of a hiding place, now would it?"
"So speaks the klutz," Luna muttered.

"Klutz yourself, fur for brains. I'm not the one-"

The insulting would have continued on that vein for a moment, but Rini heard something that sounded suspiciously like footsteps. She clamped her hands over the two felines mouths, wincing as Luna let out a startled yelp. "Shhh!" she hissed. "Someone's coming!" They quieted down quickly.

For a moment, the three listened intently, trying to determine whether or not it was one of the other children playing, or if it was someone just walking by.

"Small Lady, where are you? The others are already at the Grand Hall."

Rini's eyes widened as she looked at her watch. "My watch still reads four thirty!" she whispered in horror. "Serena's going to kill me!" She immediately scrambled out of her hiding spot, the two felines right behind her.

Pluto turned around, detecting the scrabbling sounds. She saw Rini scramble out from behind the barrels. "Young lady-" she began sternly.

"Sorry, Luna P. My watch isn't working for some reason. It reads four thirty still."

Pluto checked her own watch, a little surprised by this. "Mine reads five fifteen," she said, a deep sense of foreboding entering her system. "And my internal clock is reading seven ten." This wasn't because of their batteries dying out within moments of each other. Hers and Small Lady's watches were specifically designed to slow down like this, should something bad happen that would soon involve them. She called her Garnet Rod to her, twirled it for a few seconds, then pointed it right in front of her.

Instantly, a small portal opened in front of her, which acted as a screen. With a small thought, she had that screen replay what had happened during the meeting. It was one of her lesser powers, but also one of the easiest to access. And the best part was, it didn't require her to have an intimate understanding of this reality's time stream

What she saw made her wish that it required more skill to use.

Artemis, looked up at her, seeing the expression on her face. "What is it, Pluto?" he asked.

Pluto started, then closed the portal. "We're not safe here," she said, looking at the Guild for a moment. As if on cue, a squad of mages came out of the Guild. Leading them was someone Pluto immediately recognized from the scene before, and due to Tai's own recollection of the man.

Racc.

Rini looked at the squad. "What's going on?" she asked, fear creeping into her tone as she took in Racc's profile. She had a feeling that she already knew, though.

Luna, who had definitive experience with dealing with the unexpected, figured it out immediately, and it filled her with fear. "We've been set up," she whispered.

"Run!" Pluto shouted, scooping up Rini, and heading toward the Transmission Spring, Luna and Artemis right behind her. She hoped that they could make it before Racc noticed them.

Racc was feeling extremely proud of himself, and of the carefully laid plan his leader had developed. The majority of Alliance was mostly now sitting in the dungeons, awaiting their executions. Soon, he would have the Katana that Kamiya so handily obtained, and their vengeance against Althena's flock would be complete. Everything was perfect.

However, there was one matter that remained. Namely, capturing the last free remnants of the Alliance. That would prove all too easy, as none of them would see it coming.

Those was his thoughts until he saw something suddenly sprint down the main street. He quickly realized who it was. Suddenly, it didn't seem so easy. 'Royce warned me that Sailor Pluto had the ability to rewind time like a video, and watch it! But how did she know to do so?!' he thought as he turned to the guards. "After them! They do not leave Vane, understand?" Several reluctant nods answered his question, and he turned around, charging after them.

Pluto weaved through the small crowd, trying to determine if they were being followed. A fireball from behind them answered her question, especially when the crowd started scattering in terror. "Rini, cover our backs!" she shouted.

"You got it!" Rini began firing pink bursts from her fingers, providing cover fire as they reached the Transmission Spring.

And promptly bounced off a force field.

Rini rolled, getting to one knee, hand raising instantly.

Pluto rolled backwards, then leaped to her feet, Garnet Rod pointing at Racc. She knew, just knew, that they weren't going to get out of Vane any time soon. Right now, she had to get Rini somewhere safe. "Pluto Deadly Scream!" she shouted, releasing her attack with extreme prejudice.

Racc's katana came down. "Samurai Sword Shockwave!"

Rini brought her other hand up, and fired a massive blast of pink energy at Racc, forming a concentrated beam.

The three attacks collided, detonating on impact. The resultant shockwave knocked everyone in range off their feet, and made the Uruk-Hai stagger back several feet.

Pluto grabbed Rini, then jumped, using the shockwave to boost her jumping distance. In mid air, she grabbed Luna and Artemis, flying through the air until she landed almost a hundred feet away. Straightening up, she started running towards the edge of island, the two felines on her shoulders.

Racc righted himself, looking around. He didn't see the Senshi of Time, or her companions. "She's good," he was forced to admit. "But she can't escape now. Not with the Transmission Spring blocked off." He turned around. "Search every house, every alleyway, every back street. Do not stop until they are found."

"Yes, sir!" the guards replied.

Racc turned around, and began walking in the direction that Pluto had launched herself. "I hate those Sailor Scouts," he muttered.

"So," Lilika noted, setting her cup down, "you found yourself in a castle populated by these Gekomon and Otamamon, and they began treating you like a Princess in the hope that your singing would wake up ShogunGekomon. And when you finally did that, that very ShogunGekomon tried to kill you." She sighed. "I guess nobody told them about letting some things stay asleep."

Mimi sighed. "Yeah, that was a hard lesson to learn for all of us. And it's kind of sad, really. The Gekomon wanted him up, and I ended up being the one that nearly got them all deleted." She took a drink of her own ale, still marveling at the fact that she was of legal age to have alcohol on Lunar. "And after all of that, they still called me their Princess, despite my being a brat to them all."

"Well, you were a child still."

"Technically, I still am, physical and possibly mental maturity notwithstanding. Speaking of… Lilika, are you thirteen?"

Lilika smiled. "I am. My birthday was two months ago."

"So was mine. So, how did some of us suddenly mature to look like we're seventeen? And are all Lunarians like that?"

"Ah… it's actually a quirk in Lunar's magic. Or something the Goddess did. Who knows."

Mimi blinked. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Something about it allows us to achieve a sudden growth spurt when we turn thirteen. We mature physically, mentally, and emotionally to seventeen." She took another drink, thinking back at all of her childhood lessons. "Afterward, our growth kind of slows to a crawl, allowing our bodies to get used to the changes. Then, at eighteen, we'll have another maturation stage, where we'll age rapidly until we reach the equivalent of twenty five. Then we slow down again to a crawl. After that, we only age a year for every three we live."

"Hmm… how long can a Lunarian live, then?"

"… … Fairly good question. If they aren't killed, maybe two hundred years minimum." Lilika shrugged. "We maintain a decent sized population, but because of life spans and health care practices, most of us don't have children until we reach a hundred."

Mimi grinned. "And also have a great deal of sex during that time period." She laughed at Lilika's suddenly red face at her unusually blunt statement. "I do have eyes and ears, Lilika. Though I'd like it if you stopped eyeballing Tai. I'm pretty sure Sora's already claimed him as hers." A sudden thought occurred to her. "Hey, do you think the others will have that growth spurt if we're here long enough?" she asked.

Lilika frowned thoughtfully at that. "You know…"

"There you two are!"

Both girls turned in the direction of the very familiar voice, both of them smiling. "Izzy!" Mimi called out joyfully, getting out of her seat to give him a hug. (Lilika choked back a laugh at his reddened cheeks because, really, they were both getting ridiculous.) "You and Joe decided to join us?"

Joe shook. "We came looking for you, actually," he informed them, even as he gave Lilika a smile. "The others are probably meeting with Lemia right now."

Lilika gasped, even as Mimi buried her face into Izzy's shoulder, both of them embarrassed by how much time had passed. "Sorry," she apologized for the both of them. "We got caught up with talking."

Tentomon, who had been with them, turned to Izzy. "Losing time because of something interesting? That sounds familiar, doesn't it Izzy?"

Izzy rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha, ha," he grumbled, even as Mimi started shaking with laughter. "Thank you for reminding me about that, Tentomon."

Mimi finally looked up once she got herself under control, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Oh come on, Tento. He's just curious about the world around him."

Izzy would have taken more offense to their teasing, but Mimi's gentle smile helped a lot of that melt away. "Well, we should get back to the Guild," he said after a moment. "If we're lucky we may still be able to meet Lemia."

Joe nodded, before turning to Lilika. "Hey, afterward we should get some dinner. They should have a restaurant up here… somewhere."

Lilika smiled, opening her mouth to agree… when the ground shuddered slightly. She turned around, listening. "Mimi, did that sound like…?"

"It came from the Transmission Spring?" Mimi finished. "Yes, it does."

Tentomon looked around. "I think we need to call the others. Just to make sure that everything's alright."

Joe pulled his D-Terminal out and began typing. He sent it and waited for a moment. Nothing came back. "Okay, I think we're in trouble."

Izzy sighed. "Okay, let's assume that something happened to the rest of them. Joe, you and Lilika go over to the Transmission Spring and see if you can find anything. Mimi and I will head over to the Guild and hopefully, get some answers. Tentomon, see if you can find Nall. If there was an attack inside, he'll be the most likely to get out. We'll meet over near the nymph forest entrance."

"You got it, Izzy. Anything else?"

"Above all, be careful. There's a good chance that they'll be looking for us."

Nobody had any more questions after that and soon separated, heading in opposite directions. And it was a good thing they did because, not two minutes later, city guards arrived, trying to locate them. They didn't look very hard of course, and after a few minutes, they moved on.

And as such, missed the brief flash of light in a nearby alleyway.

For Harry and Hermione, it was probably the most jarring moment in their young lives. And that was saying something, considering how their first two years at Hogwarts went.

Now, in another lifetime, Hermione would tell everyone, some more than most, that one cannot apparate in or out of Hogwarts Castle. This was in fact due to a series of anti-apparition wards surrounding the grounds, some of which had been set up when the school had been built. If one wanted to get in and out, they would have to either find a hidden passageway to use, make use of either portkeys or the Floo network, or use a broom. Therefore, whatever was happening to them now was something beyond magic.

Thankfully, their journey, at least to them, lasted only a brief moment. If it had gone any longer for them, they would have most likely gone insane, especially considering how much they were seeing in that brief moment.

Of course, suddenly emerging about two feet from cobblestone wasn't much better… but hey, they kept their sanity. A few bruises were preferable to their minds fracturing.

"Ow," Harry groaned, struggling to a sitting position. "I'm in pain, therefore I must still be alive. How about you, Hermione?"

Hermione let out a moan of pain, lifting her head. "I need to re-read Hogwarts: A History," she got out, trying to get up. "Because I'm pretty sure any kind of teleportation magic doesn't work in the school." She finally propped herself against a wall, making sure not to bang her head against the brick. "Harry, how's Ginny?"

"Ginny's fine," the aforementioned witch replied weakly, following Hermione's example. "I have no feeling in my arm, and I think I have a few cracked ribs, but I'm fine."

"That's good. Does anyone have an idea where we are? Because I can guarantee that we're nowhere near Hogwarts."

"No idea." Harry looked out of their landing zone, taking the sight of the people and their strange clothes. "I don't think we're even in England."

"We're not even on Earth."

Hermione blinked, somewhat surprised by how… calm and matter-of-fact Ginny was saying that. "Okay, we're not on Earth. Do you know where we are?"

"The magic floating city of Vane, on Lunar." Ginny stood up, shaking her arm out. "We're on a parallel moon, circling their Earth."

"Ah… okay." Harry helped Hermione up as they shared a look of mutual confusion. "How do you know that exactly?" he asked.

Sighing, she gave them a bare-bones explanation about her connection to Matt, as well as the last thing she had seen before the portal appeared. (There was no way in Hell she was going to tell them of their conversations, as it really wasn't any of their business.) And through it all, they simply stood there calmly, nodding as they went at certain times. Not an ounce of surprise showed on their faces at this. "You two don't seem put off by this," she noted.

Harry sighed. "Honestly, what's really surprising is the fact that we're not surprised," he replied. "It's almost like we've had this happen before, even though we know that's impossible." He took a look around. "Well, here's a new question, one pertaining to our current situation. How do we find this 'Matt?' "Can you use your connection?"

"I've been trying to, but first off, my head hurts quite a bit, my arm still doesn't have any feeling in it, and I think he's still unconscious."

"So what do we do, then?"

Hermione finally got up, shaking her legs out. "Maybe find one of his friends?" she suggested. "And hope they believe us."

"How about a trip over to Althena's Statue first?" Ginny asked.

"Uh… why?"

"You'll see."

Artemis looked up for a second, then ducked down again. "They're looking for us everywhere. Looks like Racc isn't taking any chances."

"And we're not here?" Rini asked.

'Here' signified that they weren't in any danger in the city of Vane. Instead, it signified the fact that they were anchored to the side of the floating continent itself, encased in a shimmering pink shield that Rini had thrown around them. She had learned how to use her innate powers rather well over the last month and a half. Unfortunately, it also meant that, should her concentration falter enough, they were going to fall a rather long way.

Luna sighed. "Well, we can't stay here forever, and Rini is going to have to sleep sooner or later. So I'm open to any suggestions anyone might have at this moment."

Rini grunted. "Can't help you there. Luna P?" she inquired.

Pluto thought long and hard. "We're going to have to get back on solid ground," she finally said. "I have a Luna Pen, so I can transform myself into a mage. Luna, you and Artemis can blend in with the alley cats... if there are any alley cats. And Rini… you're Serena's daughter. You can hide with the best of them." She looked up, Garnet Rod at the ready. "We're going to have to make a run for the Magic Guild. Whoever can get there, make for Mia's room. It's the eight floor, and the only bedroom there. It'll also be the safest room in the building. Understand?"

Rini nodded, answering for all of them. "Artemis, could you see if the coast is clear again?" she asked.

Artemis checked again. "It is… for now."

Pluto nodded, holding up the Luna Pen, eternally grateful that it wasn't connected to her power source in any way. The last thing she needed was problems in this period of time. "Disguise Power!" she bellowed. "Change me into a mage of the Magic Guild of Vane!"

A brief flash later, and Sailor Pluto was gone. In her place, a mage of lower stature now stood, black hair cropped close to her head.

The small, pink-haired girl smiled. " Nice. I don't think mommy could have done any better," she said.

"Which one? Neo-Queen Serenity, or her klutzoid past self?" Luna asked.

Pluto sighed. "Not now." She sent her weapon back into the ether. "Rini, if you please?"

Rini brought them up slowly, ready to make a hasty retreat if a guard just happened to appear. She settled them to the ground, then switched off the force field. "See ya later!" she said, before jogging down a side street. The two felines merely melted into the shadows, giving her a brief goodbye.

Pluto, on the other hand, took a much more direct and risky approach; She strolled right into the center of the city, right out there for all to see. She had an appearance of being harried; like she was being rushed for some reason. Of course, that wasn't too difficult to do.

She passed several guards, none of them giving her a second glance. 'So far, so good,' she thought. If she was lucky, she would make it to the Guild without being stopped. And that would be a good thing.

"You!"

'Crap!' Pluto turned around. "Yes, sir?" she asked timidly, trying to hide her nervousness.

Racc glared for a second. "We are looking for several fugitives; Sailor Pluto, the little pink-haired girl, two felines, and some flying furball. Have you seen any of them?"

'Be timid!' Pluto told herself, though every part of her wanted to grab the Uruk-Hai by his throat, and throttle him. She also took note of the fact that he hadn't mentioned Lilika, Mimi, Izzy, Joe, or Tentomon. Maybe he thought they had already been captured, or weren't in Vane. Either way, this meant they weren't the only one's still free. "I think I saw them head for the edge of the continent." It was safe to tell him that, considering that no one was left there for him to capture or kill.

Racc swore, signaling for several guards. "Follow me!" he bellowed. "The fugitives may be trying to make their way around the edge of the island!" He started running, the guards close behind them.

Pluto waited until they were out of earshot, then sighed in relief. "That was a little too close," she muttered. "I can only hope that the others are having better luck getting to the Guild."

She started walking again.

Lunar, Magic Guild of Vane

Lilika looked around the area as Vane guards milled about, tugging on a strand of her hair a little nervously. "I think we got lucky not being at the Guild," she whispered.

Joe nodded, eyes wide as he took in the sheer number of people in surprisingly scary robes. "I didn't think there were so many guards here. But who are they searching for? It isn't us, apparently." He was right of course. They had been standing there for almost ten minutes, and had been seen by no less than ten of the guards. Not a single one of them batted an eye.

"...It has to be Pluto. I doubt they're going after Rini and the two cats. They wouldn't view them as threats… I hope." She looked around again. "Come on. We need to get back to Izzy and Mimi, and I don't want to press our luck."

Joe agreed with her completely. He didn't really think that they should be out there for the world to see.

"Okay, we're not going through the front door," Izzy stated, a little unnerved by the five guards currently stationed at the main entrance.

Mimi nodded. "Definitely not," she agreed. She had some pretty powerful spells out of sheer necessity, but those were fully trained battle mages, if the armor and staves they held were of any indication. Brute force just wasn't going to cut it.

"Mimi!" Izzy suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her over to where the Goddess Statue resided. She was about to ask why he did that, but decided to not read him the riot act until they were out of sight. In hindsight, she was glad she did.

Why? Because she caught a glimpse of Racc walking back into the Guild, acting rather smug about something. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together after that. "That smug bastard!" she hissed. "What the hell is he doing here?!"

"Nothing good," Izzy replied quietly, frowning. "Though I think we may have found the reason behind Lemia's erratic behavior. No one is trying to stop him."

Mimi sighed, before tensing. "Hide!" she hissed, the two quickly hiding behind a tree. "Someone's coming!"

Izzy didn't really need her to tell him that. He could already hear the sound of footsteps... but after a few seconds, he began to think something was off about them.

For one thing, they were softer, furtive. There were no words spoken. So much so was that if one was close enough, they could hear the rustling of cloth.

And then they came into view, and two sets of eyes widened in surprise.

They were kids. Not much younger than them in fact, and definitely not Lunarian. A redheaded girl, a raven-haired boy, and another girl with bushy blond hair were moving quickly toward the Statue. It was obvious that they were magic users, as they all wore robes, but that was the only similarity. If anything, it was more akin to school uniforms for a school… on Earth. Which suggested that they were also from Earth.

As if to add credence to that thought, the redhead moved to the Statue, putting a hand on it, her face going from pain to relief in an instant. "That felt good," she said aloud, in English. "Go ahead you two."

The other two hesitantly placed his hand on the Statue, followed by them jerking back in surprise. "Wow," the boy breathed out. "I didn't think magic could do that."

"Magic isn't supposed to be able to!" the other girl protested in shock, flexing her hand like she had never seen it before. "It can't simply heal a whole person's body, just like that!"

"And yet," the redhead stated smugly, "it can here. Something about their Goddess blessing them all over Lunar." She looked around. "Well, now that we're all better, let's see if we can get in, and find Matt."

Mimi blinked at hearing Matt's name, silently communicated with Izzy, before both quickly moved forward, grabbing the three newcomers, and dragging them back to the safety of their hiding spot before they could react, or could be spotted. "Don't any of you scream!' she hissed quickly, making absolutely sure to speak in English. "We don't want those mages over there coming down on us."

The redhead, surprisingly enough, immediately calmed down, turning around to look at them properly. The other two seemed far warier, though they managed to tamp down on their immediate desire to call out for help. "I'm guessing you're Mimi," she said quite calmly. "Nice to know that you speak English."

"Spent some time in the states. Now, who are all of you and how do you know Matt?"

"Well, my name is Ginny Weasley. This is Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. As for how I know Matt… I've been dreaming about him. Quite literally."

Mimi sighed. "Not the weirdest thing I've heard in my very short life," she muttered. "Prophetic dreaming?"

Ginny shook her head. "Literally having conversations. We don't know how or why it's possible, but there you go." She looked around. "Here's a dumb question; why are we hiding?"

"Racc's here."

"Bloody bastard dressed like a white muggle ninja?"

Mimi refrained from asking what muggle meant, simply replying with, "Yep."

"Bloody wonderful."

"Ginny, language," Hermione admonished, almost automatically.

Izzy sighed. "You know, I really wish I could understand what everyone is saying," he noted. "It might help with communication a little bit."

"Let's go somewhere a little further from sight before worrying about that. We're meeting Joe and Lilika there… hopefully." With that, the Digi-Destined of Knowledge began heading away from the Guild, Izzy, and Ginny following her.

Harry and Hermione looked at one another, shrugged after a second, and picked up the rear. It wasn't as if they could do anything else.

Ω

Althena's Shrine

Phacia looked at the piece of paper in front of her, debating whether or not to open it.

She had returned from morning prayer, having talked to a few priests concerning supplies, before finally entering her office. She caught sight of the paper on her desk, seeing Royce's name on it, and instantly knew what it probably meant. Her mission was nearing its end.

And she felt nothing but sorrow. Her time here had not only been good from a professional level but a personal one as well. She felt so much more fulfilled than when she first arrived. She didn't want to leave… but she knew she would have to.

So now she sat in the Prayer Room, looking at Althena's Statue and wishing she could actually ask her for advice.

"Phacia?"

Her head turned slightly, catching sight of Jessica standing next to her, looking concerned. "Jessica… I'm sure that you're supposed to be in class," she stated half-heartedly.

The young girl shrugged, plopping down next to her. "I saw you sitting here all alone, and decided that you needed some company." She saw the paper in Phacia's hand. "What is that?" she asked.

Phacia sighed, finally opening it. "If I'm correct, the end of my time here." She read it, closed her eyes, then handed it to Jessica. Jessica read it as well, her eyes growing stormy.

Our Queen commands your presence in Vane. We have found her.

Royce

Jessica rubbed her eyes fretfully. "I guess you were hoping for a little more time."

"And for our mission to fail. Sadly, I've been given neither." She accepted the letter back, looking at it again. "And I cannot disobey my leader, or betray her."

"...Is there anything I can do?" Jessica asked.

"I'm not sure… hold on." Phacia frowned for a second, thinking hard. "You can warn your father about what is going on," she suggested. "At the very least, Meribia will be in a position to defend itself from the inevitable attack."

Jessica nodded, getting up. "Yeah… good idea." She hesitated for a second until Phacia stood up, before sticking a hand out. "I know we haven't known each other for long… but thank you for trusting me."

Phacia smiled, shaking Jessica's hand. "Thank you for the same courtesy. I think that you will be a great healer… if you ever finish your education here."

The two shared a small laugh at that, before going their separate ways. Jessica made her way toward the entrance, while Phacia went to her chambers. Entering, she closed and locked the door, before taking a look around. Sighing, she dropped the paper down on the desk, then pulled out a few books and setting them down there as well. Her oaths prohibited her from disobeying her Queen, but she could at least make it as difficult as possible. If one could not directly and blatantly betray their people, then do so subtly.

Looking around one more time, as this was possibly the last time she would ever be here, she teleported out of the room.

Lunar, Magic Guild of Vane

Luna and Artemis crept down the alleyway, their padded feet aiding them in keeping their approach to the Guild silent. "'Safer in the alley with the stray cats,' she said," Artemis muttered. "What stray cats?"

"Oh, hush Artemis," Luna sniped, annoyed by his whining. "We're almost there, so don't jinx this for us."

"Too late."

"Just keep walking, Artemis."

Unlike Rini and Pluto who, because of their size, were easy to spot, the two felines, who were underneath most people's line of sight, were able to move about unopposed. The thronging crowd hid them from the mage's sight, and their magical pattern was almost insignificant compared to a Sailor Senshi. And after all, who would want to catch two extremely cute cats?

'The Magic Guild's version of a pound,' Artemis answered himself. 'With Racc in charge.'

As they walked past a set of bushes located near the Guild, a high-pitched voice whispered, "Luna, Artemis?" Luna and Artemis quickly turned to see a pair of red eyes peering out of the bushes. They instantly knew who it was.

The two joined Rini in her hiding place, a place so obvious that no one would even dream to look there first. Luna silently approved. Rini was definitely her mother's daughter… coupled with Darien's intelligence.

Speaking of which, the black cat started looking around. "Where's Sailor Pluto?" she asked.

"She entered the Magic Guild about fifteen minutes ago," Rini replied, keeping her voice down so as not to attract attention. "She told me to stay here and wait for you."

Artemis groaned. "Great. How are we supposed to get in then? You can't actually walk through the front door. We'd be caught instantly."

"Funny you should ask…"

Luna barely restrained herself from groaning out loud. Why did that never sound good?

Mia slowly walked into her room, shutting the door behind her. She headed over to her bed and sat down, simply looking at a certain point on the wall, letting the last few hours just sink in. It was like watching a poorly made joke gone horribly wrong.

Several seconds later, she allowed herself to cry.

What had started as a day to recognize a group's contribution to protecting Lunar, had turned into a nightmare. She had stood there, frozen in shock and fear as her mother had said those hateful words, had watched as Royce's personal guard blasted the Six away from Luna, and as the guards beat those innocent people, taking them away to the dungeon, only to be executed in the morning. And finally, the cold, cruel, and triumphant look in both her mother's and Royce's faces shattered her faith in her mother forever.

Nall, who had followed her into her room, settled down on her lap. He was absolutely desolate. "What are we going to do?" he asked hopelessly.

Mia simply shook her head, not really able to speak. For the first time in her life, she didn't know what to do. She was completely without hope for the future.

A soft knock at her door roused her from her depressing thoughts, and she motioned for Nall to hide. He immediately did so, getting underneath her pillow. When he was out of sight, she called out as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "Yes?"

The guard walked in. "I think Sailor Pluto's here," he said. "At least, I hope it's Pluto. And tell that furball to not shed on your bed."

Dumbstruck for only a second, she nodded. "Send her in."

A lower-class mage walked in, with a crop of black hair on her head. She looked around for a second, the sighed in relief. A blinding flash appeared, blinding her. When it faded, Sailor Pluto stood there, rolling her neck to work out the kinks there. "I really do not like the Luna Pen, sometimes. You're good," she told the guard.

The guard smirked. "Trained by the best." He turned to the window, his gaze becoming alarmed. "You better open the window. I think the little kid is coming with the cats."

"I got it!" Nall exclaimed, flying over to the window, and pushing it open.

A second later, a diminutive hand reached out, grasping the windowsill. Three seconds later, Rini's head appeared.

Pluto looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing, Small Lady?" she asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Rini retorted. "I'm hanging three stories above the ground, without a net underneath me, putting up with two felines with their claws in my back, and with my hands slipping! Now get me inside before I fall!" Pluto did so, putting her down. Rini turned her head slightly. "Now, you two, get your claws outta my shoulders! We're safe now!"

Luna and Artemis disengaged. "That's the last time we do that!" Artemis growled.

"Hey, we're here, aren't we? We're alive, aren't we?"

"Barely!"

Pluto shook her head in disbelief. It was insane. Absolutely insane. "Whose cockamamie plan was this?!" she asked.

Rini raised a hand. "Mine."

Well, that explained everything. "I always knew that you were like your mother."

"Now you have proof. You happy now?"

"Excuse me!" Nall shouted. "If you guys are here, then you must know something's wrong!"

"Actually, we know what happened. Pluto told us." Artemis sat down on the bed. "The question is, what do we do now? We are outmatched, in both power and numbers."

"And how is that Uruk-Hai piece of garbage able to move freely around Vane?" Pluto threw in, seething.

Mia's expression darkened. "He is Royce's personal guard," she replied, "as well as our new head of security."

"Much to my enjoyment," the guard growled.

Pluto saw the confused expressions on the other's faces. "Jacob was the former head. And he was damn good at it."
"The best Vane ever had." Mia looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Then Racc showed up just a few days ago, and usurped him. We still don't know how."

Pluto nodded. "That would explain why he's here. But how is it possible? Has Lady Ausa lost her marbles?"

Rini, who had been silent through the entire conversation, suddenly snapped her fingers. "What if Lemia isn't in control of herself anymore? What if she's under the control of Royce?"

Pluto caught on quickly. "Deception." Her gaze narrowed dangerously. It was a frightening concept. If that were the case, then this was no accident, no mistake by the head of the Guild.

Vane, and the Alliance, were the victims of an act of war.

Mia's face became firmer. "It does explain all of my mother's absences, Racc's forcibly taken position, as well as the heightened tension among the civilians." Her expression darkened in anger. "My mother is no longer in control!"

Jacob nodded. "It also explains why I was removed as the Security chief. I'm trained to detect deception and subterfuge. I haven't even seen Lady Ausa in months."
Nall flew into the air. "Then we have a problem, guys," he said. "If we can't get Alex and the others out of the dungeon, then they're done for! And only the Goddess only knows what's happening to Luna!"

For that, Pluto had no answer. Her training did not cover this.

Mia nodded once. "Then we pull off the jailbreak of the century," she stated firmly, a fire lighting in her.

Rini turned to look at her thoughtfully. "You know, that's not a bad idea. One question; How?"

"We walk in, open the doors, and walk right out."

"Ballsy," Luna said. "Stupid, but ballsy."

Rini slid off the bed. "We're going to have to get their weapons," she said.

"We'll do that first." Pluto turned to Jacob. "We need you to stall Racc from reentering the Magic Guild. If Rini's theory is correct, then we're going to need him occupied."

"You got it… and, good luck." Jacob turned, and walked out of the room.

Pluto turned back to Mia. "Where's the armory?" she asked.

"Fifth floor, near the Gate room." Mia hurried over to her vanity, and pulled a piece of paper off it. "We will also need to acquire this," she added, showing the paper to Pluto.

Pluto nodded. "Lead the way."

"Nymph forest?" Hermione repeated, looking at the area in question. "And nymphs here are different than on Earth?"

Mimi shrugged. "Physically, the only real difference is a lack of any hair whatsoever on their bodies. Personality-wise… they're nowhere near as mischievous." She looked around. "Now where are those two?"

"Right here!" Joe and Lilika jogged up to them, the former panting. "We had to make a few detours just to avoid the guards. Who are these guys?"

"Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley. Lilika, do you know if there is a translation spell we can use?"

Lilika nodded. "Althena's voice, help us speak! Voice Litany!"

Harry blinked, wondering if that was really a spell. "Was that really a spell?" he asked.

Izzy blinked at the question, before smiling somewhat. "I think so," he replied. "And I could be wrong, but I think it worked."

Ginny grinned briefly at the shocked looks from her friends, before focusing back on their immediate issue. "Okay, so what's going on around here? I know Racc's here, but what else is going on?"

"Well…" Lilika looked at Mimi, who nodded her head. "We don't know about what's happening inside of the Guild, but we do know that Pluto, Rini, and the cats are still free. They've sealed off the Transmission Spring, so leaving that way is out of the question. What about getting into the Guild?"

"No dice. The front entrance is heavily defended, so unless there's a hidden passageway, we're going to have to climb up to Mia's bedroom."

Izzy thought about it for a second. "There may be such a passageway," he noted. "It could be in the one place no one would want to go back to… for any reason."

It didn't take long for Joe to put the pieces together, and he groaned in resignation. "We're going to have to go back into the Magic Trial, aren't we?" he asked.

"Yes… yes, we are," Mimi replied resignedly, remembering what happened when they had had to go through it in the first place.

Harry blinked in confusion, a sentiment shared by his best friend. "Uh… … what Magic Trial?" he asked for both of them.

Lilika smiled tentatively. "You'll see," she assured them. "It isn't as bad as you think."

That didn't mitigate their concern in the slightest.

T.K. groaned, raising his head a little. It felt like he had been kicked by a Mammothmon's foot. He took a look around, immediately realized where he was. "Matt?" he called out faintly.

A hand rubbed over his hair briefly. "I'm here, little bro."

Another voice, Alex's, asked, "Is everybody okay?"

One by one, the Alliance sounded off, letting him know that they were breathing. Patamon's was very unique, and rather vulgar. A sure indication that he was angry.

Tai rubbed his hand. "Well, here we are," he said, rather calmly, "in jail. A place none of us thought we would ever be, let alone facing execution at dawn."

Mars's chuckle issued from a cell adjacent to Agumon's. "Two years as a Sailor Scout. What a way to finish."

"We're not finished yet," Jupiter snarled. "And when we get out… I don't care if that bitch is a hero or not, I'm going to rip her head off!"

Tai shrugged. "Don't let us stop you. In fact, we'll help."

Greg checked his cell for a moment, his own black eyes going even blacker with anger. "However, the way these cells are constructed makes it so that any attempt to free ourselves will only bring our immediate demise closer."

"What?!" Everyone shouted at once.

Greg sighed. "Guys, it's simple. The only way we're going to get out is if someone opens these jail cells for us. And that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Nobody wants to go up against Lemia Ausa."

Gatomon rubbed her arm, a nasty bruise already forming. "Well, we are going to have to do something. There's a lot of things I want to do."

"As do we all," Sora said, eyes downcast for a second. Then they brightened. "Hey, wait a minute! Sailor Pluto and Rini are still free!"

Alex almost smacked his head against the wall. It was a thought that none of them had even considered, as they were feeling rather sorry for themselves. "You're right!"

"And if anyone can do a jailbreak, it's those two," Serena added. "That's if they haven't already been captured. "
That brought their positive attitudes down, and they were left with a feeling utterly depressed.

"And Mimi, Izzy, Joe, and Lilika are also out there as well," Matt added, remembering that little detail. "They'll find a way to get to us."

The depression lessened.

"I…I don't know!"

Everyone's gaze turned to the right or left (depending on one's exact direction), where the voice originated. "H-hello?" Biyomon asked hesitantly.

The voice grunted a bit in pain, then, apparently not hearing the question, said, "Le…Lemia…Ausa." She went into another series of grunts.

Alex and Tai looked at each other. "That voice," Alex mentioned, "it sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?"

Tai nodded. It did sound familiar, though for the life of him, he didn't know why. "Probably while on the road," he decided. "We did pass a few travelers along the way."

Alex sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Well… I guess we wait for our rescuers to get here, then."

Pluto gawked. Of all the things she had been expecting to see, this was not it. "You people have a Stargate?" she asked. "How?"

"You mean, Althena's Gate?" Mia asked, looking at the circular device. "It's been here ever since Vane first went into the sky."

Rini whistled. "So you guys have a dimensional Stargate? Cool."

"I'd like to know… hold on, 'dimensional?" Luna asked.

Rini shrugged. "Mercury found it deep underground on her namesake and brought it to Crystal Tokyo. But I think we need to keep going."

Mia nodded. "We need to go down this hallway," she stated, pointing in that direction. "The item we need will be in there."

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Nall asked. "I mean, it's got to be something powerful if we're going to get it before saving our friends."

"We're looking for a very specific mirror," Pluto replied as they approached the item room. "It's supposed to reveal the truth of a person. Pretty powerful, but I'm not sure what use it will be. I mean, are you planning on using it on our friends."

"It's not for our friends," Mia replied. "It's for someone else. Someone… who I believe is not who she says she is."

It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about, and Pluto had to admit that she was impressed. She had been wondering if anyone would be going against the current leader of the Guild at any point.

It looks like she just got her answer.

Hermione's expression was extremely incredulous as they passed the giant Mushmare. "You all had to go through all of this… just to make it up to Vane?!" she asked. "Are there any safeguards in place to protect hopefuls from being killed?"

"Nope!" Izzy replied faux-cheerfully, eyes focused on his computer screen. "Sora got stabbed through and through during our battle with this fellow."

"And a whole lot of those very hopefuls ended up being stuck here… some of them for years," Lilika added, not even pretending to be happy. "No one bothered to come down here to check, and they sure did not add more precautions. There are only two mages waiting to restore a hopeful's health if they need to."

Harry shook his head at this. "And I thought the Chamber of Secrets was bad." He stole a quick glance at Ginny, but she seemed to be more focused on Izzy's laptop. Not surprising, as she had never seen a computer before. "Anything?" he asked.

Izzy shook his head. "We may need to go a level lower before we find the door. The Dungeon would be about two stories below the surface."

"Do I even want to know how you know that?"

"We looked around during our first visit here," Joe explained. "It's how we met Mia."

"Oh." He didn't ask any more questions, just letting their journey continue on in silence.

They reached the second level without any difficulty, though that was due to the lack of enemies. It was more of the same on the second level. The only difference there was a distinct lack of people. Clearly, no one else has dared to try the Trial.

"Got it!" Izzy exclaimed, looking at the rest of them. "The passageway is right in front of us." He slumped. "Unfortunately, I don't see any hidden levers or buttons here."

"Maybe it's because it requires another method to open." Hermione frowned for a second, before pulling her wand out. An idea had come to her, and she was curious to see if it would work. "This is supposed to be a Trial for magic, correct?" she asked. Mimi nodded. "Well, let's see if magic can open this." She pointed it at the wall in front of them, looking at Izzy for confirmation that she was pointing at the correct spot. When he nodded, she called out, "Alohamora!"

To her everlasting surprise and delight, there was a slight creak, and then a piece of the wall slid away, revealing a dark corridor.

Ginny grinned. "Hermione, you really are a lucky genius," she stated approvingly.

Mimi gestured. "Well, let's see if our luck holds out. Time to free our friends." She entered the corridor, the rest of them following.

The door slid closed behind them, sealing up. If anyone came looking for them, they would find nothing.

Greg had fallen into a doze, a meditative state that had him feeling more alert, if not refreshed. He kept his eyes closed, thinking about cheeseburgers and the like, until he heard footsteps, moving very fast. He grinned, standing up as a guard moved into view of his cell, noting his deflated posture. "Okay, everyone, rise and shine!" he called out. "Time for our fates to be decided!"

Grumbling, everybody sat up, many of them rubbing sore back muscles. "And what are you so happy about?" Gomamon grumbled.

Greg didn't answer him directly, asking instead, "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, but we had to make a little detour," a voice said behind the guard. He was forcibly moved forward until…

Serena grinned. "We were wondering if you four had gotten lost, Pluto." She looked behind them. "And you must be Mia."

Mia smiled. "I am. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She took the keys from the guard. "My apologies, Sir," she told him, before putting him in an empty cell.

Rini looked around. "Mimi's not here?"

"Izzy, Lilika, and Joe aren't, either," Tentomon helpfully added. "They were all outside when we got jumped in the Hall. Lucky for them."

"I'm hoping that luck holds." Palmon smiled as her cell door was opened. "Thanks."

"Your welcome." Mia frowned. "I wonder where they are."

As if to answer her question, a sudden grating of brick at the far end of the dungeon caught everyone's attention. They turned as one in that general direction (even though most of them were still locked up and unable to see what was going on.) A few seconds later, their aforementioned friends entered their view… and they weren't alone.

Matt's eyes widened as he took in one of three newcomers. Of all the people in any world out there, she was the last person he had ever thought to see here. How was this possible?

Ginny walked up to the cell Matt and T.K. were sharing. "Gee, you almost look shocked to see me, Matt," she said, smirking.

Matt nodded. "Oh, I am," he replied. "But I can ask why later. Could you unlock the door?"
"Umm, Matt," T.K. began. "How's she going to do that? She doesn't have the key."

"Like this. Alohamora." Ginny pointed her wand at the lock as she said the incantation. Immediately, the cell simply…unlocked.

Matt stepped out, giving Ginny a hug. "Thanks." He gestured behind him, towards his somewhat shocked brother. "Ginny Weasley, meet my little brother, Takeru Takashi."

Ginny smiled, inclining her head. "A pleasure to meet you, Takeru."

T.K. grinned. This girl was nice. No wonder Matt liked her. "Call me T.K. Everybody else does."

Hermione unlocked the cell holding the Senshi, then pulled on the door. "It won't budge!" she grunted.

"Step back, girl," Mimi replied. "I'm about to go medieval on this." When Hermione had backed off, Mimi grabbed the door, and pulled.

Hard.

It worked by not just opening the door but also breaking it off of its hinges. She set the door against the wall. The girls stepped on out, Mina grinning.

Rini walked up, sighing. "If you had waited, I could have removed the magic shield they had put up," she said sweetly.

"So I'll buy the Magic Guild a new cell door," Mimi replied, "after I break both of Lemia Ausa's legs."

Mia ran over to Alex's cell, setting her parcel down. "I'm so sorry, my friends. I'll let you all out right now!" She quickly opened the cell. He immediately charged out of the small room, moving aside as Pluto shoved the guard in, and closed it.

Pluto locked it, and looked in. "That's for pointing a weapon at a nine-year-old," she said calmly, before turning around. "Where did you find a hidden passageway into the dungeons?" she asked Joe.

Joe smiled. "We found it in the Trial grounds," he replied. "Izzy figured that the Magic Guild would have an emergency exit in place, just so they could get the Head of the Guild out of there in case of an attack."

"Ah." She mentally kicked herself for that. Of course, there would be a hidden door. The Moon Palace had had such a hidden passageway for such an emergency.
Tai picked up his katana. 'You still there, o mighty spirit of the sword?' he inquired.

(Indeed. I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to come,) the sword replied. (How are you feeling?)

'Angry, and about to dismember Lemia for what she did.' He looked up. "Thanks, pal. I'm Tai, by the way."
"I'm Harry." Harry shook his hand. "I take it the blond hair, blue-eyed one is Matt."

"In a nutshell," Tai replied, grinning. "I'm guessing that that red girl is the one Matt has been eluding to."

"At least he eluded about her. She didn't say a thing to me about him until we actually showed up here."

As if on cue, Matt walked up. "So you're Harry Potter." He gave him a once over. "Strange…I thought you'd be eight feet tall, with muscles the size of Agumon's snout."

"So, you're saying I'm fat," Agumon called out mock indignantly. "For that, I will never help you again."

"Uh-huh." Matt turned around. "And you're…Hermione Granger, aren't you?" he asked, shaking her hand as she looked at him, bewildered. "Ginny's told me a lot about you. Where's this Ron?"

"Left him at Hogwarts," Harry replied. "We were the unlucky ones who got transported here with her."

"And on that note… Matt, I'm never going to share eyes with you again if that's what happens. That hurt."

"Imagine my surprise when she started getting thrown around," Hermione muttered. "You three felines can talk?"

"I am not a cat!" Nall screeched, then added quietly, "But yeah, we can talk."

"It's getting them to shut up that's the trick," Rei added, to which none of the four-legged ones bothered to reply to.

Alex rubbed his neck. "I am never sleeping leaned up against a wall ever again," he said firmly.

Nall laughed. "Alex, you okay?"

"Aside from a sore neck, yeah, You?"

"I'm great. Mia let me hide out in her bedroom!"

"Lucky you," Joe grumbled. "Gomamon? How are you feeling?"

"Like a Chocobo wreck."

"Well, at least you're still here. Is everyone else here?"

Alex shook his head. "They took Luna Two."

"Yeah, we've noticed." Kari picked up her scepter. "I really hate cells."

Mia leaned against one of the walls, her expression sad. "This is such an awful place. Everyone, please forgive me!" she sobbed. "My mother used to be so warm and wonderful…but…now…" she broke down, unable to articulate another word.

Unsure of how to help her, Alex put an arm around her gently, feeling her frail-looking body shake. He had never been really good at reassuring members of the opposite sex. Luna Two usually fixed herself without any help, after all. "You have nothing to ashamed for, Mia," he said gently. "Nothing at all. None of this is your fault."
"Yeah." Artemis jumped into Venus's arms. "You are not responsible for your mother's actions. Only your mother is."

Mia nodded after a few seconds, brushing away the last of her tears. Her back stiffened as a rare sense of courage began to flow through her body. "You're right." She picked up the parcel, and began to unwrap it. "Everyone, I want you to see this," she said in a firmer tone. Letting the wrap fall to the ground, she held the item to her chest.

Everyone gathered around her. "Wow," Serena murmured. "That's a very nice mirror."

Izzy was a tad more analytical on the situation. "What does this mirror do?" he asked. "I honestly doubt you would simply bring a mirror with you without good reason."

"You would be right, Izzy." Mia turned her attention back to the mirror in her hands. "This mirror shows things as they really are… it reflects the truth." She breathed in and out for a moment. "It is called Althena's Mirror." She turned to look at them, her expression extremely fragile. "When we were in my room, we were wondering if my mother is really the same woman as she has always been… or if something has invaded and poisoned her soul. Three months ago, I was too afraid to know the truth, so I couldn't use this…" Her expression hardened. "But I'm ready to use it now."

Pluto nodded. "And it's time to use it."

"Yeah, that's all and good!" Nall shouted. "Now let's go find Luna… please!"

Mia turned to Alex. The next words she was going to say were going to change everything, but she was done hiding. "Please take me with you, Alex. It's my duty to learn the truth about my mother…even if I have difficulty accepting what I find."

Alex looked at Tai and Serena, both who shook their heads. This was his decision. He grinned. "Yes, Mia," he said. "Of course you can come."

"Now there's the Alex I know!" Nall laughed, doing a one-eighty in the air. "Now let's go save Luna!"
"And do you know where to find her?" Hermione asked sensibly. "I know Harry and I can't."

Nall stopped in mid-air, a sweat drop appearing on his head. "I guess we need to find out where they took her," he said sheepishly, turning to Luna. "Do you know, Mia?"

Mia's expression fell. "I'm afraid not. My mother often disappears from the Magic Guild, but I don't know where to."

"I saw the Vile Tribe over there…I saw them…I saw them…"

Alex turned around, his eyes narrowing. "There it is again!"

Mia also looked around. "Everyone…that voice is muffled…but it's very familiar."

Tai sighed. "Yeah, we kind of thought the same thing."

Mercury listened for a second, her mind quickly putting the pieces together. "There is some kind of charm-"

"-creating an echo in the dungeon," Gabumon finished, "making it difficult to locate where it's coming from. But it's definitely coming from within the dungeon."
Harry nodded. "Okay, let's spread out, search every cell. The prisoner will probably have been in here for quite some time."

Everyone nodded, and split up. The Alliance began looking on one side of the dungeons, while the newly freed mages began checking the other side.

Talk about finding a needle in a haystack. The needle would have been easier to find…had one of those searching didn't have an acute sense of smell.

Nall and Rini peered into one particular cell. Nall recoiled immediately, nose wrinkled. "Hey, guys!" he shouted. "There's a bad smell coming from this cell…I think this prisoner's been in here for a long time!"

Rini, who had smelled worse… namely, her mom's cooking, moved in closer, impervious to the bad stench. "She's not in the best shape, either!" she added.

Mercury reached their first, visor out and scanning. Her eyes widened as the results appeared, appalled by the sheer magnitude of the injuries. "It looks like she's been in this cell for four months, alone. And judging by the rate of muscle degeneration, she's been tortured… by magic!"

Mia hurried over and unlocked the door. However, when she tried to open it, it refused to budge.

"Move back, Lady Ausa!" Ginny ordered, her wand out and ready. When Mia was out of range, she waved it once. "Reducto!" she bellowed, pumping some additional power into the spell so it could break through whatever counter-spells that protected the door.

It wasn't enough, as her spell struck an invisible field, ricocheting into an empty cell door, demolishing it on impact.

Jupiter frowned. "Okay, let's do it the old-fashioned way. Tai, Mars, Darien! Give me a hand here!" She wrapped her hands around the cell bars. The other three also did so. "Alright, on the count of three! One, Two, Three!"

As one, the four pulled, pouring all of their strength into it, which was considerable. The bars began to bend, but the door refused to budge.

Finally, they stopped, muscles trembling from the exertion. "Man, this prisoner has got to be really important!" Mars gasped, shaking her arms out. "I think I almost pulled something!"

Tai turned around, spotted T.K. and Kari staring at them, and had an idea. "Oh, T.K., Kari," he called out. "Please come over here."

The two kids exchanged glances, quickly guessing what Tai wanted them for. T.K. immediately removed his sword belt. "Here, hold this." He tossed it to Harry before walking over to the cell.

Harry turned to Matt. "Why does a nine-year-old have a sword?" he asked, holding up the sword.

Matt shrugged. "Necessity."

T.K. and Kari wrapped their hands around the bars, every muscle tensing in their little bodies. "On the count of three?" T.K. asked.

Kari nodded. "One…Two…Three!" And they pulled.

The door was torn from its hinges, unable to withstand their strength. The two set the door down, leaning against the wall.

Hermione blinked. "Okay, I'm officially spooked."

"You get used to it," Patamon replied, grinning.

Mercury and Mia were already in the cell, their gazes on the woman. Mia bent down, looking into her face. "Torture wasn't the only thing," she said in shock. "The mask she's wearing is a magical device… it's used to block memories!"

Darien's eyes took on a haunted look. "Block memories?" he asked, remembering his time in the Negaverse. He remembered the pain, the pounding migraines, the near-daily injections of negative energy. It was something he never wanted to experience again.

Mia nodded. "The Guild forbade their use many years ago, due to the actual damage it could potentially do to a person's magic core." She looked up. "Who would do something so cruel?" she asked.

"We're going to assume that that is a rhetorical question," Tentomon replied, buzzing.

The female prisoner, as if realizing that others were with her, suddenly came to life. "The Magic Emperor!" she shouted, grunting in pain. "The Vile Tribe!"

Mia's gaze became even more horrorstruck. "The Vile Tribe? Did they do this terrible thing to you?"

Mimi's ears perked at the name. 'The Vile Tribe? That name sounds familiar…' She was pretty sure it was something from her mom's fairy tale book.

Nall looked at the others. "What exactly is the Vile Tribe?" he asked.

"My mother told me that they were a race of evil creatures." Mia tried to remove the mask from the prisoner with no success. "The Goddess Althena banished them to the edge of our world several hundred years ago. But I've never heard of anyone called the Magic Emperor…"
"Wait!" Rini suddenly exclaimed. "The Magic Emperor is the one causing all of the trouble! He's the one that sent Racc after Tai!"

Tai swore. "I knew there was something wrong with this picture. There was no way that bastard could have become chief of security through merit, or followed us everywhere."
"We've been set up all along," Alex added.

Luna, who had been silent through this, looked up. "Perhaps the time has come for us to end this setup, and save our blue-haired friend. Really screw up their plans."

"The Magic Emperor…" The woman mumbled again, then with a sudden surge of strength, "The Star Chamber…"

Izzy sighed, remembering his own bouts of pain during his time in the Digital World. "The pour lady. It's obvious that she isn't aware of anything anymore."

"Wait." Mimi looked up, a thought going through her. "I think she's more aware than we think," she noted. "She isn't mumbling to herself, she's giving us the clue. The Star Chamber."

"There's no doubt about it!" Nall shouted, cartwheeling. "That's gotta be where she's holding Luna! Let's go!"

Mia helped Jane Doe up. "Hold on! We can't leave this poor woman here alone. Let's bring her with us."

Alex hesitated, before nodding, motioning to Sora. "Help her." He waited until she had reached the other side of the woman, then walked out. "Where's the Star Chamber?" he asked Mia.

"It's on the highest floor of the Crystal Tower… and the entrance is the door to the east of the Grand Hall." Mia looked at the young man. "However, they would have guards posted if my mother is in there."

"For some reason, I doubt that. Not if Royce is in there with her. And with Ghaleon in there, she doesn't need guards."

Tai nodded and unsheathed his weapon. He headed over to the cell holding the guard, cutting the lock in half. "We're going to hurt Lemia Ausa," he told the guard. "You wanna stop us, shoot us." He turned back around. "Let's go."