Digimon: Silver Star Story

Episode Twenty Two: The Brief Respite

Vane

As far as meeting places went, Tai could safely say that it wasn't the weirdest place he had been in. If anything, it was a perfectly normal spot. Perhaps that was why it felt so weird.

Then again, considering that he and her friends had had conversations within Whalmon during their time in the Digital World, that was probably why. Or maybe it was because of the people he was with.

Mages, Digimon and their human partners(with the exception of Mimi and Sora, both of who were absent,) Sailor Senshi, and a few talking cats or catlike beings were all situated at a table that Vane most likely used for diplomatic functions. It was also the only table large enough for all of them to sit around with any degree of comfort while Pluto brought them up to speed on this newest wrinkle in their lives.

"The Negaverse is exactly what you think it is," she informed them gravely. "It is one of the most powerful dark realities in the Omniverse. Its 'god,' an entity known only as Metalia, rules over an empire of morally corrupt youma. Her second in command was Queen Beryl, one of the most powerful sorceresses to have ever existed. In fact, in creation, only the Lady Morgana le Fay was rumored to be more powerful than her. She ruled over the largest province within the Negaverse, aptly named the Dark Kingdom."

Serena leaned forward, her gaze unbeliveably serious. "The two of them working together were able to corrupt the four Earth Generals of Prince Endyimon, create the seven Warriors of Shadow, and absolutely destroy the Silver Alliance," she added, looking over at Greg and Darien with sympathy. "They did all of that so they could get their hands on the Silver Crystal. If they had succeeded in that last one, they would have been able to conquer all of Creation."

Harry nodded. "Considering that we are having this conversation right now, I'm going to assume they failed."

Mercury nodded. "Thankfully they did, thanks to several factors. I engaged Berly in battle, forcing her attention away from Queen Serenity… mine and Serena's Mother in that time." Tai saw her eyes crimp, and winced. It was clear that she had loved the woman who had raised her in that lifetime a great deal. "And while I was able to win, it also gave her enough time to use the Crystal to trap them. It was all she could do, since if she had tried to destroy them, she would have destroyed all of us as well. Instead, she transported our souls into the future. That way, we could live a life of peace."

"I'm guessing that that came with one hell of a Catch Twenty-Two," Palmon stated.

Luna One nodded. "The catch was that the Dark Kingdom came along for the ride. Once they woke up, Beryl and her forces attacked once again. The second that happened, the Senshi were reactivated.

Izzy nodded. "I remember hearing about those strange happenings in that part of the city," he mused. "Quite a few people thought that it was a hoax, or some new TV series. And then there was the brief period of sudden warming in the Artic Circle. Can I assume that was them trying to break through?"

"You assume correctly. Thankfull, once again we were able to stop them. In fact, we thought we had managed to destroy all of them."

"Until Central Control informed us that it was just a single strike force. If they had been able to open the gateway fully, all the armies in the world have meant nothing. It would have been ove in a second."

Tai sighed, noting that Hary was rubbing his eyes, and could sympathize. Reincarnation, entire realities where there was nothing but evil, and artifacts containing unimaginable power, were definitely some of the things someone wasn't expecting to learn by the end of the day. In fact, he was handling it a lot bette than he thought.

Venus leaned back in her seat, brow furrowed. "So, why would they join forces with the Vile Tribe?" she asked. "I would think that they would have absorbed them into their own forces."

"That's a very good question, and the answer may very well be here." Lemia shifted her attention to Ghaleon. "What has been going on during the time I was enjoying the hospitality of my own dungeon?"

Slowly, and over the course of a half-hour, Ghaleon related everything that had happened over that time frame, paying great attention to specific details. Everyone grew angrier and angrier at the atrocities that Xenobia had inflicted upon the people of Vane. For the first time, they were all sorry that Mimi hadn't gotten her hands on the witch.

"…And then I proceeded to the Star Chamber as Xenobia…Lemia ordered me to." He sent Lemia an apologetic look. "How foolish of me to not realize what was happening."

Mercury leaned back, going through all of the new information that they had been given. "From what I've seen," she said thoughtfully, "everyone in Vane was unaware of the switch. Only Jacob could have had a clue. His skills at detecting subterfuge is legendary."

Mia frowned. "I still don't understand what they had to gain from assuming my mother's identity, and abducting Luna."

"Excellent question, Mia. And I feel like I should know the answer, but it's rather murky." Lemia sat up, wincing a bit as she did so. She didn't know how much longer she could stay upright before she finally just crashed. "Ghaleon, I have always respected your counsel. Your thoughts on this matter?"

Ghaleon steepled his fingers together. "It's quite obvious that we need to know more," he admitted sadly, "though I certainly have my own ideas." His tone abruptly became more businesslike. "I feel that the Vile Tribe is on the verge of declaring war. Xenobia and the others were placed among us to gather crucial intelligence."

"Strengths, weaknesses, possible strategies." Ginny ticked off all the possible ideas on her fingers. "Althena's Shrine is a center of information exchange, so Phacia could learn whether or not there was a new Dragonmaster born. Royce's skills would enable her to foresee any person who could threaten their movements, and deal with them accordingly. And Xenobia could keep Vane out of the war long enough to allow the Vile Tribe to get a definitive advantage." Ginny smirked at their dumbfounded expressions. "You-Know-Who did a similar thing with his subjects," she explained, though not telling them how she knew.

Tai turned to Matt. "You-Know-Who?" he asked.

Matt shrugged. "Some old geezer named Voldemort."

Harry grinned. Never before had he ever heard someone say Voldemort's name so casually. He was starting to like Matt.

"Okay, so we know that they've joined forces with the Negaverse and the powers of darkness, as well as a vengeful civilization hell bent on killing some extremely powerful spirit." Hermione turned in her seat. "I'd say that the time for talk is over," she added.

"I agree. Now is the time for definitive action to counter all the damage that has already been done." Ghaleon turned to the headmistress. "I must leave Vane and gather information of my own. Not just to stop this Deadly Alliance, but for more…pressing concerns." He sighed. "And the only way I can get that information is from the Four Dragons themselves."

Alex and Luna Two exchanged a look with each other. They knew what that meant. They also knew what he was going to say next. Sure enough, the next words out of the elf's mouth were, "Since the location of the White Dragon is already known, I shall visit him first."

"Ghaleon wants to visit Quark?" Nall whispered to Angemon.

"Yes."

"The White Dragon has a name?" Ginny whispered to Matt. Matt shrugged.

Mia looked up at him. "Any particular reason, Master Ghaleon?"

"Perhaps Quark's wisdom holds the clues I need to discern what the Vile Tribe is plotting." Ghaleon stopped for a second, as his gaze shifted to Alex. "And I would ask you to guide me to him immediately. You don't mind, do you, Alex?"

"Of course not!" Luna Two exclaimed. "Alex would be honored to take you there!"

Alex buried his head into his hands. "Can I speak for myself?" he asked. He smiled slightly as Luna Two blushed slightly. "Now, I am honored, sir-"

"This is great, Alex," Nall exclaimed. "We get to show off one of the Four Heroes!"

"Quiet in the room!" Alex bellowed. When all noise had dissipated, he said, "Now like I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I am honored, but who is going to look after the Magic Guild while you're gone? I don't think that Lady Ausa is in any condition to do much."

Lemia looked at Alex. "For starters, call me Lemia, young man. And you're right. The Healers tell me that it will take months before I am anywhere near my former fighting form, so my usefulness is very limited. And it will take that much time to see if I still have my magic."

Ghaleon nodded, obviously having thought of that. "Mia, since your mother will need to recover from the torture that was inflicted on her… I believe that you should take her place as Guildmaster until she is fit to resume her duties."

Mia nodded, her gaze somber. "Yes, Ghaleon, you're right…but I will need Nash to assist me until you return." She paused. "If that's acceptable to you and Nash, of course," she added nervously.

Nash almost fell out of his chair. "Acceptable? It's wonderful!" he exclaimed. "It would be my humble honor to help you in any way possible!"

Ghaleon smiled. "Of course, Mia. I place him at your disposal. His work for me has been most satisfactory." Abruptly, he stood up, picking up his portfolio as he did so. "I must speak to Master Mel to arrange the transportation to Caldor Isle… so then we'll meet at Meribia shortly." He looked at Alex. "Do not dawdle, young Alex. After all, you know what they say about idle hands…" he walked out of the conference room.

Lemia sat back, rubbing her neck painfully. "Aside from gathering information, we need to alert our allies of this." She turned slightly in her seat. "Mia, send a letter directly to the Magic Guild of Taur as soon as possible. After I get my first set of treatments, I'll send a letter to a friend of mine." She looked at their three newest travelers. "I can promise the three of you that we will do all we can to get you back to your home. But in the meantime, if you would like, we can get you enrolled in classes here. Perhaps you'll learn something that you can take back to Hogwarts."

Harry looked at Hermione, saw her eyes go almost impossibly bright, and grinned. "I think we're in."

"Excellent. Mia, if you and Nash could take care of that, that would be great."

Mia nodded, smiling.

Tai nodded. "Well, now that we have that out of the way, time to hand out assignments. Palmon, could you let Mimi know that I want to talk to her?"

"Sure thing, Tai."

Serena nodded. "I'm going to head back to Althena's Shrine, to help them with the possible transition of power for whoever is taking over now. Darien, would you like to come with me and Rini?"

Darien grinned. "You don't even have to ask."

Rei pretended to gag. "Please stop, Meatball Head. You're ruining the somber mood."

Serena grinned, not even looking sorry.

Tai shook his head, before looking at Greg. "Greg, you, Mercury, TK, Kari, and the two Angelic Digimon are going to go with Alex and Luna Two, as backup. Better safe than sorry and all that."

Greg nodded in agreement. "You got it. What will you be doing."

"I'll be heading back to Meribia with the bulk of our group to reinforce its defenses. The Tribe's going to attack there, and I want to be ready for them."

Jupiter stood up. "I and Venus will go with you," she said. "We can help more there."

"And I'll stay here with Pluto," Mars threw in.

Lemia nodded. "Well, if that's all… let's get moving. Speaking of…" she looked over to Nash. "Nash, could you help me limp to the Infirmary? I want to get my treatments started right now."

Nash nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Mimi sat at the edge of the magic city, staring forlornly out at the horizon. She was alone, tears shimmering in her eyes.

She had been like that for over an hour, as she replayed the events of the Star Chamber over and over again in her head. She remembered the exact moment when 'Lemia's' real identity was revealed. She remembered her shock, and then anger when she saw the markings, so similar to her own on their bodies, as well as the hateful gazes they shot her and her friends. And she remembered the revelation she had made about herself.

Sheyra Tachikawa was Xenobia, Royce, and Phacia's sister. And she, Mimi, was their niece.

Not a niece by marriage, but by blood.

Demon blood.

One of the three had betrayed their sister, and had tried to kill her. Had forced her to flee, and practically beg Althena for help. To become a traitor in truth.

And what did that make Mimi? A hybrid. A freak who looked normal, but wasn't. A monster.

Normally, this type of thinking was beyond Mimi's capability. She could be depressed of course, but she always perked right back up quick enough. But this… this was her whole world being shaken at its very foundation. Her entire life had been a lie.

And that battle… she had never known that she could get that angry. No, not angry. She had wanted to kill Xenobia… to absolutely destroy her. So much so, that she had almost lost sight of the rest of the battle. If it hadn't been for her friends, who knows what would have happened. It made her wonder if perhaps they would be better off without her.

"Hey, Mimi."

Mimi looked to her side, taking in the sight of Lilika and Palmon standing there. "Hey, guys," she said in greeting. "I take it the meeting is done."

Lilika nodded. "Alex and Luna are going to escort Master Ghaleon to the White Dragon Cave. He's planning on taking the Dragon Trials."

"Is Alex… okay with this?"

Palmon shook her head. "Probably not… but what choice does he have?"

Mimi chuckled bitterly. "More choice than I do," she replied. "He can choose to give up, or he can choose to soldier on. To be something more… unlike me."

"That's not…"

"Palmon, one of those three is the reason my Mom was almost killed. The Tribe really doesn't condone traitors, even if they are of royal blood. Treason is an immediate execution… and Mom had committed treason after the fact."

Lilika sighed, figuring out what Mimi meant by that. "Your mother fell in love with a Lunarian," she stated. "An enemy of the Tribe. I'm going to assume it was your father?" A simple nod answered that question easily enough.

Palmon sat down next to her partner, head leaning against her arm. After a moment, a thought occurred to her, and she smirked. "You know, I just realized that every single time we called you 'Princess,' we were actually right."

Mimi had to stifle a chuckle at that, not able to refute that. She was the daughter of an exiled princess, which made her one as well. That thought was pretty depressing. It meant that Xenobia was family, no matter how she felt about that.

Lilika sat down on Mimi's other side, giving her an one armed hug. "Mimi… it doesn't matter what you are. Only who you are… and what you do."

Palmon frowned at that. "Actually… there may be some problems with the rest of Lunar if they ever find out about her lineage. I get the feeling that they really don't like the Vile Tribe. And this current attack isn't going to help at all."

"It doesn't matter what the rest of Lunar think. We all trust you, Mimi. And we all love you."

That declaration, spoken with such conviction, actually managed to get a half-smile from Mimi, which they both took as a victory, It would take a lot of time, but they would get her back to her old self.

Unbeknownst to them, Mimi had only one thought going through her mind. A very dark thought.

'One day, Xenobia… I will kill you. I swear I will avenge my Mother's exile.'

And, with that vow, Mimi Tachikawa had unknowingly set herself on a path far greater than she could ever imagine.

Sora was alone.

After she had been checked out by the healers, she had just wandered off, until she reached a dark corner in a seemingly forgotten corner of the Magic Guild. After that, she had simply sat down, gathering her legs under her, and stared at a crack in the wall.

It was strange, she mused, how little things like a crack could be used to summarize someone's existence. A cack, a break in what was once a flawless structure. Something that, even if it was patched, would never be whole again. And, if left unchecked, the crack could even expand, and finally, break the structure.

She found herself relating to that crack, and wondering why. Why she felt cracked, and would never be whole again. After all, she had been in battles before, had faced hardships and pain. So why now?

'It's because it wasn't a digimon,' she answered herself. 'We have always been on the sidelines, only serving as cheerleaders. And all of the animals we have fought since we got here were simply following their instincts. But this wasn't a simple animal or Digimon. This was another being who had wants and desires, who had family and friends. And I killed him.' Granted, he had been trying to kill her, but that didn't change the fact that she had killed him. She was cracked, and even if was patched up, she would never be truly whole again.

"Hello, Sora."

He gaze shifted to the side, taking in the sight of white boots. The fact that one of them was actually part of the strangest jumpsuit she had ever seen in her life told her who it was exactly. "Hey, Angewomon," she said in greeting. "I'm guessing the meeting is over."

Angewomon nodded, looking at the girl before her with sympathy. Concerned, but not surprised. She could understand what was going on within her. "We're worried about you. You haven't said a whole lot."

Sora nodded, giving her a small smile. "I think I'm just coming out of shock. I've just been sitting here, thinking about life and the nature of the soul. How, if damaged, it can never be restored to what it once was." She shrugged. "I can imagine that you've felt the same after… well, you know."

"My servitude to Myotismon." Angewomon definitely could understand to a degree. Despite the differences in their situations, there was one parallel they now shared. "I can relate to that. My soul has a few scars of its own to bear. And I still haven't fully come to grips with what was done to me, and what I've done."

Now Sora was the one who could understand to a degree. Though she had earned their trust during the battle against that monster, Angewomon's time with Myotismon was still something that was a mystery to them. She had never told them what had happened during her time there, of the atrocities she had committed, and the abuse she had experienced to get her to that point. It made her troubles look like a minor irritation compared to the personal hell Angewomon probably put herself through.

The Angelic put a gentle hand on Sora's shoulder, smiling. "Look, I'm not going to tell you that you should talk to someone about this, as it would be pretty hypocritical of me" she stated, "but I can give you some advice. Don't cut yourself off from everyone else. We're there for you through thick and thin. Don't forget that." She stood up, holding a hand out. "Come on. I'm pretty sure Biyomon and Tai are getting worried about you."

Sora accepted the hand up. "Good point." She smiled at Angewomon but was still thinking. She knew that even if they could find their way back home, they weren't going to leave. If the Negaverse had become involved here, then they would have to stay and fight. She was going to do her best to let them in… but she was also not going to become a burden to them. She would have to be able to stand on her own two feet. She would make sure that when the time came, she was right by their side.

She wasn't going to let them down.

Harry and Hermione walked along the Guild's many roads, taking in all the sights around them. It was their first time in a parallel reality, and they were curious as to what Ginny had seen for herself. And, as such, they were being given a tour by the Digimon.

"And there is the item shop, "Agumon finished grandly, gesturing at the building in question. "It's somewhat small, but then again, Vane is pretty small itself."

"So we've noticed." Hermione stared at the building in awe, then did a full three-sixty, taking in the city as a whole. "And the items in it…can help their magicians recover their magical power?"

Agumon gave her an alligators grin. "In all actuality, it refreshes their minds. At least, that's what I think." He rubbed his hands together. "So, what's the story with Ginny and Matt?"

Harry shrugged. "You tell me. We only know that she's been in contact with him, and that was earlier today."

"That's more than we know. But, then again, he probably wanted to make sure that she wasn't a figment of his imagination."

"Likewise." Hermione looked around. "This place is amazing. I've never seen a city like this before on our world."

"Neither have we." Gabumon looked up. "Hey, Agumon. I think that's Palmon over there with Mimi and Lilika."

The orange lizard suddenly blushed. "Well, I guess I'll leave you guys now," he said. "Talk to ya later!" With that, he started jogging over to where the females were.

Harry chuckled. "Some things never change, regardless of the realm you're in."

"Too true." Abruptly, Gabumon turned around. "I want to thank you guys for coming to help us. It means a lot."

"Don't mention it," Hermione told her. "I'm sure that, if our positions had been reversed, you would have done the same for us."

"I'm sure we would. So, want to see the library?"

Hermione's eyes widened in delight. "Would I?"

Harry mock-groaned. Another day spent in a library. He was doomed.

Alex sat down in an empty classroom, taking a deep breath as he did so. His shoulder twinged slightly in protest.

The last three hours had been hell on his back and shoulders, and they were letting him know it. After today, he was going to find some sort of exercise that would give him better flexibility in battle. Otherwise, he was going to be in a whole lot of trouble in the future.

"Hey, Alex."

Alex turned his head slowly, his eyes fastening on Luna's deep pools of blue. She looked a whole lot better now that she wasn't afraid. "Luna," he said quietly. "Hey, how are you doing?"

Luna smiled. "I'm doing fine now, though I don't think my vocal cords are ever going to be the same for a while." She looked at him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said, shrugging, then wincing as he did so. "Just a little stiff. Three hours of near-continuous fighting can wreak havoc on a man's body… especially with muscles like these. I've got knots that a sailor could envy,"

"Yes, I've noticed. Though your problem can be easily solved." Luna walked over to him. "How about I give you a shoulder rub? It may help release some tension."

Alex thought about it for about half a second, then nodded. Right now, that was exactly what he needed. "I'd like that." He felt Luna sit down behind him, and then felt her hands settle on his shoulders, slowly started to knead his shoulders through his shirt, using a gentle touch that he knew could break his defenses down if she wanted to do anything to him.

And it was doing two things to him. One, his shoulder muscles were relaxing, the muscles finally unknotting. Two, his hormones were starting to rage.

Luna felt Alex tense slightly, then relax again, and smiled. He was definitely a boy, though one who was trying to keep his hormones from taking over. Though he wasn't the only one who was becoming affected by it. Her body was also reacting. Alex's shoulders through the shirt were almost like iron, hard and unyielding. He wasn't built on the same lines as Tai, but he was definitely not skinny. She felt a rather familiar thrill shoot through her.

Alex shifted slightly, feeling his pants becoming a little... tight. "Umm, I think my shoulders are fine now," he rasped.

Luna smiled, then got up, walking around him so she was in front. "Just as well," she said softly. "I don't think that there was anything else I could do."

Alex looked into her eyes for a moment. Then, before the thought had completely processed through his head, he leaned in, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

Luna's eyes widened slightly, then slowly drifted closed as she leaned into the kiss, one of her hands coming to rest on the side of his head to hold him there. All rational thought fled for a time as they poured their feelings into that simple kiss. Every ounce of love, fear, and relief that they were both feeling was there.

The two finally separated, staring at each other for several moments. "Well," Alex said after a moment dazedly, having managed to catch his breath, "I guess that…answers a few questions." He had had no idea that just kissing someone could be as strenuous as farming or fighting.

Luna giggled, no less dazed. She had never known that a simple kiss could hold so much power over someone. She would have to remember that for later. "Do you want to get some lunch?" she asked.

"Of course." He held out his arm. Still giggling, Luna slipped her hand into it.

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars were busy looking at one of the powerful plasma cannons located on the roof of the Magic Guild, checking its power regulator and firing mechanism. They were gathering information on how it worked, and if there was a way for Sailor Mercury to improve on it.

"So," Lita grunted, moving the massive cannon with a little difficulty, "whaddya think about Mimi's explosion earlier? Ya think she might be a demon?"

Rei had been wondering about that since the battle. "If she is, then it was a surprise to her as well." She nodded once. "Okay, Lita, you can stop moving it. It's in perfect working order."

"Thank god." The Sailor Senshi of Jupiter, stood up, stretching her back muscles out a bit. "I swear, these things were designed to deliberately break my back."

"Don't worry. I think it's more automatic than manual labor." Rei looked up. "Even after all of this time, I can't get over the fact that Earth is hovering over us, uninhabitable."

"That makes two of us," Lita assured her. "And you're right. Mimi probably didn't know about being a half demon. Besides, even if she did, it wouldn't have changed anything about her." She sighed. "But to find out that you're related to a bitch like that... it's gotta hurt something fierce."

" And when the time comes, she'll deal with it, and we'll be there to help her. But that will be in the future. Right now, we need to focus on strengthening Vane's defenses, just in case there's another attack."

"Good point. Now, let's go check out the outer defenses. I want to see if they can withstand a lightning burst."

Mars sighed, shaking her head. Lita enjoyed throwing lightning around a little too much. It was a bit worrisome.

Angemon wandered through Vane in something of a daze, thinking about the battle in the Star Tower. Or rather, the moments when he and Angewomon were on the verge of death, and how he felt.

Before, whenever he digivolved into Angemon, all he truly felt was the sheer change in power. True, to a much lesser extent, he felt his body change from a little flying Rookie to a Champion level Angelic, but it was more of a passing feeling. It felt natural to him.

But now… he had felt everything that came. The sheer shifting of bones as his skeltal structure shifted to a more human form. The reforming of muscles, growing larger, stronger. His wings emerging. And even his mind shifting into a more complex formation. None of it was painful, but it was still something he felt all the same.

He knew that it would be for the last time. For all intents and purposes, he was human-like. He would never return to being Patamon.

He found himself wondering about that. About many things in fact. And he wondered if Angewomon was having similar thoughts.

"Hey there… Angemon, right?"

Angemon turned to look at Venus, who was smiling at him. "Oh, hey, Mina." His daze vanished now that he had something else to focus on. "What are you doing out here? I thought you were checking to make sure the Guild itself was ready for battle."

"Well… I kind of caused a small catastrophe in one of the labs, and they asked me to leave." Venus definitely looked sheepish at that.

The Digimon had to bite back a laugh at that. "I'm guessing no one was killed, only embarrassed.'"

"I think quite a few people there didn't start out with bubblegum-pink hair this morning."

"Ah... Glad I missed it, then. I don't think I'd look good with that hair color." He frowned. "You managed to avoid it."

She chuckled. "I was still transformed, so it couldn't really do anything." She looked around, noticing something off. "Hey, dumb question; where's Angewomon? I figured you two would be testing your forms out in some dark corner somewhere."

Angemon was thankful that he was wearing a helmet, because it allowed him to roll his eyes in exasperation. Did this girl just like to try and play matchmaker in her spare time? "Mina, we literally have had a roller coaster of aggavation over the last few days," he reminded her. "I think pursuing a romantic relationship at this time is not a good idea. Besides, Angewomon wanted to check on Sora."

"Oh, yeah." The Senshi of Love's gaze crumbled a little at that little reminder. "How is Sora?" she finally asked quietly.

"...Not good. She's talking, but it looks like she shut down emotionally. It's going to take a miracle to get her back, and I think we're going to be walking on eggshells for a good while." He nodded to himself. "But if anyone can help her, it's Angewomon."

"...You know what… I think I can help too."

"You?"

"I was a crimefighter in England for two years before I came to Japan. During my first month, I watched a man stab a child several times, just because he had been witness to another murder. I was able to save the kid before I went after that bastard, but it was the first time I had seen the darkness of men for myself. And I was just shy off being a child myself." Venus sighed. "It scarred me, and it took coming to Japan and meeting the other Scouts to finally leave it in the past, but I eventually did."

Now that was something he never would have expected. Venus always did seem to be almost as cheerful as Serena or the children on some days. To learn that she had had to deal with real human horrors in her life… was quite the surprise. But to hear that she had also been able to recover from that… he felt a surge of pride go through him for her strength.

"You know, you should tell her that," he finally suggested. "Let her know that you do understand what she is going through." He paused for a second. "Just another question… did you…?"

He didn't need to finish the question, as Venus nodded. "He's not dead… but he's also not able to hurt anyone else again."

He didn't need any more than that.

Greg observed as the military mages of Vane went through various training exercises, preparing to protect their home from an attack from the Vile Tribe. He was amazed by how much pain they were willing to take, what with the punishing punches, chops, and kicks that were being administered. The only time he had seen anything like that, was back in the Silver Millennium, when he had used his powers to see Colonel O'Neil go through Special Op's training. In the Twentieth Century, he had finally met the man during his shore leave, and suggested that he watch out for his trainer's lateral kick. The man heeded his advice, and was able to keep himself from being bedridden for three weeks.

Mia walked up to him. "I would say it was impressive," she noted, "if I wasn't hurt just watching it." That kind of training would have broken her after the first day.

Greg nodded in agreement. "When I served the Negaforce, I was screened through a difficult series of tests, which were kind of reminiscent to this. When I was the only one left, they sent me against Malachite, where he proceeded to bend me like a pretzel. When I got back up afterwards, thoroughly impressing him, they made me one of the seven Shadows." He grimaced, like he had a bad taste in his mouth. Those were memories that he would gladly give up if ever given the chance. "One of the worst decisions in my two lives," he added.

Mia nodded in understanding. She was pretty sure that her mother would want to purge her time in Gallitep from her mind, if at all possible. "But it also gives you a tactical advantage. You understand how the Negaverse works. You understand their tactics, how they operate, and what type of weapons they use. You know Queen Beryl, and her obsessions." She smiled. "So you've become Lunar's new best friend."

"Yeah, that's true. I just wish it didn't have to be like this."

"I am certain that no one does, Greg."

"T.K., what do you think is going on?" Kari asked quietly, far more quietly than was usual for her. Then again, this wasn't something most kids would have to be used to.

After everyone had dispersed from the meeting, T.K., Kari, and Rini had remained in the briefing room, enjoying the relative peace and quiet. They hadn't had any of that for a while, considering that they were traveling with a bunch of teenagers, digimon, and Nall.

And then Kari asked that question.

T.K., of course, took a moment to answer. He honestly had no clue what was going on, but he had a feeling. "I have to say that we won't have to worry about a declaration of war," he said carefully. "I think we're already at war. We have been, since Tai got his mystic weapon and Racc decided to try and take it from him. It's just not official."

"War..." Rini shivered. She remembered what an all out magical war was like. Crystal Tokyo, and how it looked when she had seen it last, were still pretty vivid in her mind. "I don't know why anyone would want to go to war. Why not just ask for what you want?"

T.K. sighed. It was quite simple, even though he didn't answer her. No one asked because they thought that they wouldn't get it. And, under most circumstances, they would be right. Besides, who would ask the Goddess Althena about returning from the Frontier, when it was that very Goddess that banished them there in the first place?

And Xenobia, he had come to realize, wasn't the kind of person to ask for something. She took it, if Mimi's reaction to her was of any indication.

Kari looked at him for a moment, then looked at Rini. The pink-haired girl nodded, showing that she had a level of perceptiveness that her Mother usually hid from the world. "You don't think that... Xenobia did something to Mimi's mom, do you?" she asked for them both.

T.K. looked at the far wall, not quite able to meet their gazes. It wasn't a thought that a child should ever have. In fact, it was a thought no person should ever have, regardless of their age. That was simply because no one wanted to think that a person could do that to another willingly, and with the intent to actually hurting them. "I really, really hope not," he finally replied. "I really don't want to believe that Mrs. Tachikawa and Mimi are related to something worse than a murderer."

The girls decided that they didn't want to believe it, either. No one ever wanted to believe that such kind, gentle souls could ever be related to such monsters. But that didn't change the fact that they were.

And in the end, they would have to face them again.

Sailor Mercury and Joe had gone to Sickbay, to see if they could do anything to help with medical preparation. Though no lives were lost(save for the enemy soldiers in the Star Tower,) a good number of the guards did get injured, which included Mia's former bodyguard. It was also good experience for Joe, as he would need to learn this stuff. If they were going to stay here, he was going to need to get used to fixing them up.

It took only an hour of them patching up the injured for Mercury to reach one inevitable conclusion; Joe had a much sterner stomach than anyone gave him credit for. Not once did he whine or complain, making sure that bones were set properly. He didn't faint at the sight of blood when he was helping to clean wounds. He paid close attention to everything he was told, seemingly absorbing information like a sponge.

Mercury was happy for this. Despite being only slightly younger than her, he was definitely ready for the war to come.

"Well, as much as I could do without full-scale war, I think I'm about as mentally prepared as I possibly can be," Joe stated as the two of them went to scrub off, the last of the patients now resting comfortably in the Infirmary.

"You and me both," she replied, tossing her surgical smock into a laundry bag. "I can honestly say that I'm the only person who safely say I've seen enough of this for two lifetimes."

"That sounds kinda bad when you think about it."

"It is." Mercury sighed. "I was training to become a doctor, even in that life. Of course, at the time I wasn't aware that I was the Princess of Mercury." She grinned. "This lifetime, I wanted to be a doctor just like my mom. What about you?"

Joe shrugged slightly. "I didn't want to be a surgeon, but I just liked helping people get better… which I find incredibly ironic considering that I'm allergic to just about everything."

"Well… you don't shy away from the sight of blood, so you probably aren't allergic to everything."

"Yeah… well, you have to get used to it, simply due to how many times we all got hurt in the Digital World."

Mercury had to wince at that. She had forgotten that in the Digital World, all the kids had had for protection were their wits and their Digimon. They didn't have weapons of their own. Unlike here, where those they fought were more manageable. "Good point." She frowned. "You know, if you're interested, I have a project that I'm working on that I could use some help with, if you're interested. It won't require any type of cutting, or a whole lot of time."

"...What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, she began to tell him about the strange pool she had found back at the Shrine of Dibella…

It had taken some time for them to figure out how they were going to divide the Alliance up. Who was going to go with Alex, Luna, and Ghaleon. Who was going to stay in Vane? Who was going to go to Nanza to reinforce them there. And finally, who would go to Meribia.

Finally, Mimi and Lilika decided to stay in Vane, as did Mars, Izzy, Matt, and Joe. Izzy was staying due to wanting to help Harry, Hemione, and Ginny find a way back to their home universe. Mimi and Lilika were going to get some formalized training in utilizing their magical abilities more efficiently and learning some new spells. Mars was staying because she was going to try and make contact with her spirits, and Vane was one of the few places she knew on Lunar with sufficient magic to achieve this. Joe was going to start researching the liquid they had found at Dibella's Shrine, just to see if there were any healing possibilities. Matt… well, he was staying to spend some time with the young redhead.

Jupiter, Venus, and Pluto were on their way to Nanza, as they all suspected that the Vile Tribe would try and take control of the outpost. Pretty obvious, since it was the only way to get to the bulk of Lunar's major settlements.

Tai and Sora would head for Meribia to inform Hell Mel about what had happened with Lemia, as well as reinforce their defenses. (And yes, their respective Digimon would be staying by their sides, as always.) Tai and Biyomon would also try and help Sora deal with the Star Tower battle and its consequences.

T.K., Kari, Angemon and Angewomon, Mercury, and Greg would join Alex and Luna in escorting Ghaleon to Burg, as they did have questions they needed answers for from Quark. Of course, Mercury did note that Ghaleon didn't need all of the protection, as he was quite the capable mage. However, Lemia kindly reminded them all that she was also quite capable, and look what happened to her. That shut down any protests that might have come from the aforementioned Premier.

Shockingly at first, Sailor Moon, Darien, and Rini opted to head back to Althena's Shrine to inform the people there about Phacia's deception. But then, the other Senshi realized that Serena had also been there, under whatever spell Phacia had cast. She felt that she needed to do that, and help them ensure that it didn't happen again.

And so, it was with some reluctance that the Alliance gathered at the Transmission Spring to say their goodbyes. There were a few tears to be had, and quite a few promises that they would be back together before they knew.

Harry shook Greg's hand. "I hope you guys find the answers you're looking for," he said.

"I hope you three can find a way back to your own home," he replied. "Barring that… I hope you can keep an eye on Mimi. I don't think she's going to take everything she's learned lying down."

"We will, don't you worry about that."

Mimi hugged Sora tight. "Don't let what happened in the Tower destroy you," she whispered. "I want you to remember that you're not alone."

"Don't let that bitch destroy you," Sora replied just as quietly. "You've got us." No need to say anything else.

Tai nodded as everyone finally separated. "Nash, Mia, I think I can safely say that Vane is in good hands. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Mia nodded. "We'll be waiting. Good luck, Master Ghaleon."

Ghaleon nodded. "We will all need it," was all he said. "Shall we, everyone?"

As one, those who were leaving Vane stepped onto the Transmission Spring, teleporting to the surface, unsure as to what would happen next.

All they knew for certain, was that war was going to be upon them… and none of them were ready for it.

Auror Department, Realm 3

Bones sighed as she sat down at her desk, feeling as if all of her energy had been sucked out of her. This was a situation that she had never wanted to deal with again, but she never really got what she wanted in the first place. She could only imagine how Tonks was feeling.

Sighing, she looked at the folder sitting before her, already knowing what its contents were. It had been sent to her by her counterpart in the French Ministry, and after what she had learned in Hogwarts, she knew that it was connected.

Sighing once more, she opened the folder, taking in the sight of a Missing Person's report. She took one look at the name at the top of the report and knew that in a few ways, Tonks's case had just become more complicated.

Fleur DelaceuDelacour