Digimon: Silver Star Story

Episode Twenty Three: Meribia Break

Their journey had been quite peaceful, considering everything they had been through recently. They had their goal, and they were ready to achieve it. They had only one thing left to do before that; Speak to Ghaleon and Hell Mel.

Which was why they were all presently standing outside of Mel's office, preparing themselves for their second meeting with a beastman.

"Does anyone else have any last-minute thoughts before we enter?" Agumon asked.

Biyomon shrugged. "Only that he didn't kill us the first time we were here. Why would he do it this time?"

"Out of sheer boredom," Angewomon replied, smirking. The others turned to look at her. "What? I don't know a damn thing about beast people. I don't know what they do for fun."

Angemon sighed. Sometimes, he found himself wondering just how he had managed to work with her for so long. "Don't kill her yet, guys. We might have use for her in the future."

"You mean you don't find me useful!" Angewomon stared at her fellow Angelic in disbelief. "I'm offended!"

"You would," Tai grumbled. "And stop with that, will you? You're going to drive me crazy. And then you'll probably get us all killed."

Greg suppressed a chuckle at this. He knew well enough that Mel would never try and kill them. Scare them a little, but nothing more. "Let's go," the Seer said. "They're probably expecting us."

Tai opened the door, grinning. "Ladies first," he said, gesturing for Sora to go through.

"Why, thank you, good sir," Sora replied dully, curtsying before walking through with Luna, the latter watching her warily.

Biyomon and Agumon looked at each other, shaking their heads at that. 'This is going to be an uphill battle where she's concerned,' Agumon thought.

"…And that's everything I know of the situation as it stands at this moment," Ghaleon finished gravely, red eyes flickering ominously. "Visiting the White Dragon to gather more information is quite prudent at this time."

Mel nodded, leaning back. He knew what he wanted to do, which was to go find them and end their miserable existence, but he was a beastman. That was what he wanted to do to anyone who touched his friends. "Whaddya think?" he asked.

Ghaleon took a deep breath, obviously steeling himself. "I suspect that the Magic Emperor is aspiring to become the Dragonmaster before young Alex. Unfortunately, only Quark will know for certain."

"The Magic Emperor…now that's a frightening thought." The governor was already reviewing everything that he had learned over the past week concerning this new nemesis. It wasn't to his liking. "The fact that he hijacked Lemia's power lends weight to yer argument, though…how's the lass doing, anyways, Ghaleon?"

"Several cracked ribs, energy lashes across her chest and back, some blood loss, one of her feet was nearly broken, and her neck was garroted. It will take several trips to the Goddess Statue, as well as physical therapy to repair all the damage. And, her magic is gone, for the moment. Thankfully, due to her trials, she will reclaim it in short order." Ghaleon closed his eyes. "It was Thorak, Mel," he added.

The beastman's fist slammed down onto his desk as he roared, startling Jessica, who had been listening intently. "If I ever get me hands on him, he'll wish he was never born!" he bellowed.

"Get in line. Lady Ausa and her daughter get first dibs."

Jessica looked over in the direction of the voice, and her jaw promptly dropped. "You guys…" she said, at the same time Nall said, "What?"

"Huh?" Mel looked at his daughter.

Jessica recovered quickly enough, though it was a very close call. "Dad, it…uh…looks like we have guests!"

Mel's gaze shifted to the Digi-Destined, his grin appearing full force. "Oh, Alex! Tai! Welcome!"

Alex bowed. "Good to see you, Mel," he said. "Master Ghaleon."

"I heard of your story from Ghaleon…How did ya do in Vane?"

Tai sat down. "Oh, you know. The usual. Demons, imposters, old enemies. Not to mention the Sunak."

Mel chuckled, even though there was nothing humorous about it. "Well, when you put it that way…" he frowned. "Oh, before I forget…this is my daughter, Jessica." He turned to her. "Jessica…aren't you going to say hello?" he asked.

Jessica stood up somewhat shyly. "Of course." She bowed to them. "How do you do, Alex? My father told me so much about you…"

Tai and Alex traded a confused look. Did Jessica hit her head or something? Why was she acting… proper? Did they travel to another dimension?

Nall voiced their combined confusion, as he seemed to have no concept at all of what the word tact meant. "Hell-ooo? What're you talking about, Jessica? Do have a brain cramp or something?"

"And what an interesting creature you've brought with you…" She leaned in slightly. "Nall, shut up!" she hissed. Thankfully, he heeded her warning this time, considering the flashing of her eyes.

"Interestin. That's puttin' it delicately." Mel looked at Nall with narrowed eyes for a second. It was clear that their last meeting had put the leader of Meribia on edge.

Angewomon chuckled. "We should call him and Gomamon the irritating duo."

Mel laughed, even as Ghaleon rolled his eyes slightly at how quickly his friend could shift his focus from the important to the mundane. "So, Whaddya think, lad? Isn't my daughter the most beautiful lass ya ever lay eyes on?"

Alex turned to look at Luna, then at Jessica for a second, carefully weighing his options. "Well, if I answer yes, Luna will kill me, and if I answer no, you might kill me, so I am going to be diplomatic, and say that she is one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met."

Luna smiled. "Very diplomatic," she whispered in his ear. Jessica had to hide her smirk at that.

"Thank you," Alex whispered back, before focusing his attention on their immediate problem. "Well, Master Ghaleon, what's the plan?"

Ghaleon got up. "There's no time to waste, as you well know. We need a new Dragonmaster." He looked at Alex. "I hesitated to become one because of Dyne…but I can't let my personal feelings prevent me from doing what must be done."

Alex stiffened slightly in understanding. The moment that he brought Ghaleon to Quark, then his quest to become a Dragonmaster was officially over. He knew that it was necessary, but it still hurt. He also knew that there was no other alternative. Ghaleon, with all of his power, would be able to easily pass the Dragon Trials.

Still, though…

"We must meet with Quark and learn the location of the other three Dragons," Ghaleon continued, jaw set. "If we fail, the Magic Emperor will become impossible to defeat. Our mission, therefore, is of the utmost importance."

Tai nodded. "Understood." He shot Alex a look. "However, we have to be realistic here, as well. You may be powerful, but from what we've seen in the White Dragon Cave, you need to meet certain requirements, power not being one of them. And forgive me for saying so, but you might not meet those requirements."

Ghaleon nodded. "Understandable. And I was not suggesting that Alex's quest should end. If anything, I would like him to continue. If I fail, then Alex will most likely succeed." He smiled at Alex. "I meant what I said about you having as much power as Dyne did in his prime. And his power was considerable. But you also possess his resolve. If there was one that I believe can achieve what he did, it would indeed be you."

Alex relaxed. He should have seen that coming. Ghaleon was not egotistical. He knew that there was a chance that he wouldn't pass the Trials, so another person would be there to attempt it. "So what about transport?" he asked, more at ease.

Mel sighed. "Unfortunately, the ship to Caldor Isle isn't ready yet, but the sailors are working double time, especially since they still remember what you lot did for 'em the last time. It should be ready to sail by tomorrow morning."

Alex looked at Tai, grinning. "We might as well find an inn then," he said, "unless we want to sleep on the streets."

"I hear the street corner near Black Rose Street is quite comfy," Tai mused thoughtfully. "All the city drunks swear to it."

Jessica, who had been silent at this point, suddenly stood up. "Dad, why don't we let Alex and his friends stay here for the night? I'd love to hear tales of their adventures."

Mel grinned. "That's a fine idea, Jessica!" He turned to look at his daughter with concern. "But you won't be scared by their stories, will ya?"

"I'll be fine, Dad!" she replied, walking around the desk. "All right then! Alex, make yourself at home!"

TK and Kari exchanged knowing looks. Jessica was a great actress. She was fooling her father rather well.

Jessica stopped at the first door in the hallway, gesturing to them to hurry up. "Here's my room, you guys!" she explained.

Luna gaped as she entered, looking around. She remembered full well this room, having been in it the last time they had been in Meribia. "This is your room? And here I thought that Mel had turned this into a shrine!"

"Yeah, Dad told me about that day. Wish I had been there to see that!" The half beastman grinned. "Relax, guys! Take a load off! How'd the dress fit Mimi, anyway?"

Sora started smiling, grateful for the girl's exuberant attitude. "Like a glove," she replied. "Izzy certainly appreciated it."

"As did every warm-blooded male in the room." Angewomon speared her counterpart a significant look.

"Hey!" Angemon protested. "I wasn't the one who was checking out Izzy's behind every other second!"

Sora turned to stare at the female angelic, wondering if she should be indignant for Mimi's sake. "Really?" she drawled.

Angewomon smirked, unashamed. "Hey, he's become pretty handsome. Besides, a lot of the girls were checking out Tai, too."

Jessica started laughing at this. "Okay, you guys are crazy! If someone's not checking you out, then there is something wrong with that person."

Nall looked at her, his mind processing way too much, far too quickly. "Are you feeling okay? One second you're… well, you, the next, you're completely different!"

"Yes, I feel fine, Nall! You just don't get it, do you?"

"Umm…no?"

Jessica almost started laughing again. The little furball was just too much fun to tease, but she really should stop before she broke his brain. "Of course, I remember you guys!" she replied. "I just couldn't say anything in front of my dad…"

"And why not?" Amy asked, curious, though she had a feeling she knew already.

At this, Jessica became wistful, and a little sad. "My father is always telling me how much I remind him of my mom. If he ever found out that I was more like him… and that I was sneaking out of the Shrine to go on my own adventures… He'd freak out!" She chuckled. "And I'd be grounded until I was fifty!"

Alex and Tai shared a look of commiseration. Boy, did they ever know the feeling?

Luna just stared at her in disbelief. "How do you stand it?" she asked. "I could never keep my true self hidden away…" She looked down to the ground. "Not from someone who cares for me as your father cares for you…"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah, you probably wouldn't be able to. You're much too honest for your own good. Too emotional in some instances."

"Which is a good thing," Biyomon added hastily. "That way, Agumon isn't the only emotional one here."

"Hey!" Agumon exclaimed. "You want emotional, see Serena!"

"We have." Greg shuddered. "I swear, she has more mood swings than Beryl and Rei combined! Though being here has tempered that somewhat."

Jessica sighed. "Oh, well," she said. "So, what happened to you guys in Vane? No one's going to sleep, or doing anything else until I get every unsavory detail!"

Alex chuckled. "Well, it started something like this…"

And, over the twenty minutes, he proceeded to do just that. From the moment they set foot in Vane for the second time, all the way to the revelations that they had made, and finally ending with the arrival of the Negaverse. He had left out the part that Mimi was half-demon, as it wasn't his place to reveal that. "And that's all I've got to say about that," he finished lamely.

Jessica frowned. Phacia had told her that she had bewitched everyone in the Shrine, but she had never thought that it would be so... complete. Clearly, Vile Tribe magic was pretty potent. "So, everyone at the Shrine was enchanted by the spell? How embarrassing!"

"Probably. You're lucky you skipped school that day!" Nall piped in.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about, Nall!"

Biyomon giggled. Jessica was such a character.

Abruptly, Jessica's smile vanished. "Well, you're going to be staying the night, so we should get you all some bedrolls to use," she stated. "Dinner should be at the same time as before. And you'll have free reign of the city, of course. Any questions?"

Tai looked over at Sora, an idea coming to him. "Hey, Sora… what do you want to do?" he asked. "We do have some free time, after all."

Sora smiled a little. "Is it alright if we take a walk?" she asked.

"Sure." He and Sora headed out after saying their goodbyes, their Digimon right behind them.

Alex shrugged. "If anyone needs me, I'll be down in the training area. I want to burn some energy before dinner."

"Try not to take off anyone's heads!" Jessica warned him jokingly, a huge grin on her face. He bowed mockingly, before heading out.

"Mind if we take a nap?" Greg asked. "Considering how many nights we've had where we've woken up in the middle of the night, we try to doze whenever we can."

Jessica grinned. "Sure, knock yourselves out. I tend to crash after an adventure. What about you, Luna?"

Luna smiled. "Well actually, I think I'll wander a bit."

"… Do let me know how Alex looks without a shirt. I'm dying to know."

Amy giggled as Luna's face turned bright red. Yeah, she really wasn't fooling anyone with the innocent act.

Mel waited until Ghaleon had left, before finally slouching, his gaze growing pensive. The Vile Tribe, finally deciding to attack Althena's children after all of this time, was definitely not something he could deal with sitting comfy here in Meribia.

Not for the first time, he wondered if hanging up his ax had been the right idea.

Things had been so much simpler back when he was young. Sure, the fate of Lunar had hung in the balance, but it was just him, Dyne, Ghaleon, and Lemia. It was just their group and the Guardians. They had a goal, but they only had to worry about each other.

But now, now he had a whole city to protect. He had a daughter. Ghaleon and Lemia had Vane and Mia to protect. And Dyne… well, if he had survived, he would have most likely had a family to look after. Fighting this war would fall upon the new generation… and it bloody sucked.

And, as was so often the case these days, he found himself thinking back to the past, to some of the conversations he and Dyne had had in the end…

"Hey, Mel," Dyne inquired as the two of them made their way to the Transmission Spring, "Do you ever think you'll stop being a pirate?"

Mel turned to look at him, incredulous. "What?! Give up me freedom?! Bloody 'ell, Dyne! Why would I want to do a crazy thing like tha'?!"

"I'm not talking about you giving yourself up. I'm talking more about retiring. Settling down, have a family. You know, pretty basic stuff. Besides, I'm pretty sure your sweetheart wouldn't mind you giving up the danger."

"Aye… but I'm not sure if we're going to be able to stay together. I'm a pirate… and she's one of the most gentle, virtuous souls in the world. I don't wanna bring her down." He suddenly grinned. "What about you, lad?"

Dyne returned the grin. "Well, assuming I survive the other Trials, I'll probably find a lady back in Burg, settle down, and probably have a small army."

Mel chuckled at that. For someone who was trying to become a Dragonmaster, he sure didn't think like an adventurer. Well, that probably meant that he would get just that.

Though, he did find himself wondering if he could actually do the same after this was all over…

It was incredibly ironic that, nearly twenty years later, it was he, the former most feared pirate of the seas of Lunar, who had been the one to settle down with his soul mate and have a child, while Dyne sacrificed himself for all of Lunar, never to have his small army of kids.

And now, that sacrifice seemed to have been in vain. Lemia had been temporarily removed from the field. The Vile Tribe had managed to infiltrate both the Shrine and the Magic City. And he had to stay here to protect his city, instead of going on the hunt for the Magic Emperor.

'Oh, Dyne…' he thought wearily, head in hands. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Mate.'

Alex's sword slammed with his opponent's, testing his grip on the blade. It was pretty firm. A quick flurry of blows, then a disengage, as the two sized up each other's strengths and abilities. Then came another flurry of attacks, putting a little more force behind their blows.

Because they had a whole afternoon to relax, Alex had opted to get a few hours of training in before heading out into the town with Luna. She was busy trying to get a few additional items for their return trip through the Forbidden Forest, just on the off chance that they needed them.

The soldier swung overhead, which Alex ducked, whirling. He continued his whirl until he was facing the same direction he had been before, the tip of his sword pressing into the man's chest before he could even think of defense. "You're dead," he said.

"Apparently." The soldier wiped the sweat off his forehead, pleasantly surprised. "You're as good as Dyne, maybe even better. Who trained you?"

Alex grinned. "Sturgis Cashion," he replied.

The guard whistled. "You and the Dragonmaster both, then," he said in admiration. "He learned almost everything he knew from the colonel as well." He bowed in respect to his opponent. "I'm going to take a shower. Could you put these back?"

"Sure." Alex grabbed the soldier's sword, heading over to the training facility's weapon rack. It was tall enough to hide a person from view, though it wasn't closed off, thus making it easy to move in and out. It also had the benefit of being near a water fountain.

Picking up his canister, he filled it up with water, then took a deep swallow. Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck with a towel before putting the two practice swords on one of the racks. He wiped his head off, then prepared to pick up a staff to practice with for a while.

"Alex?"

Alex turned his head in the direction of the voice. "Luna!" he said in surprised delight. "I didn't know you were here." He smiled. "So, what can I do for you?"

Luna looked around for a moment. "Well, I wanted to ask you something."

Alex nodded, turning around fully and rolling his shoulders. "Okay, what?"

Luna blinked, her ability to speak suddenly missing. For the first time, she noticed that he was not wearing a shirt, though how she hadn't noticed that was beyond her, as she had been staring at his back. He was wearing only a pair of training slacks. Her legs trembled slightly as heat began to form.

Suddenly, she realized why Jessica had wanted to gossip about a shirtless Alex.

"Well?" Alex asked, rolling his shoulders again. After a moment, he realized that Luna was staring, and kept himself from grinning. He had seen many of the girls he had met throughout his journey, as well as in Burg stare at him in a similar fashion. He had no idea why they did that. Well... he didn't then, he did now. And not even Luna was immune. She was blushing.

Luckily, she recovered quickly, though it required her to close her eyes. "Well, I was wondering, if you weren't busy and all… if you wanted to get something to eat."

Alex thought about it for about half a second. "Well… sure," he replied. "Just let me shower… whatever that means… and get dressed."

"Okay." Luna started turning around to walk out.

"Hey, Luna."

Luna turned back in Alex's direction. "Ye-?"

She was cut off when Alex, moving quickly, leaned in and kissed her. She mumbled for a moment in surprise before closing her eyes and leaning into it, enjoying the sensations running through her.

Abruptly, the kiss ended as Alex stepped back, grinning slightly. "See you in a few minutes," he said softly, before heading over to the showers. He had stunned her twice in one day. He must have a superpower of some kind.

Luna stayed where she was for a moment longer, stunned. She hadn't expected that level of desire to flood her. Then, a smile spread over her face, and she felt like whooping for joy. "Now that is a boy who knows what he wants," she said to no one in particular, before heading out, whistling a happy tune.

Tai and Sora came back after a few hours, Sora appearing to be slightly more animated. Both Agumon and Biyomon refused to tell anyone what he had done to achieve this. (It wasn't any of their business anyway, and they knew Tai would never do anything untoward to someone in a fragile emotional state as Sora was.)

Dinner was a somewhat relaxed affair, though the current state of affairs was weighing heavily on them all. There were stories to be had, as Mel told them some of the more lighthearted adventures he and the other Four Heroes had during their youth. Tai spoke about how they went to Lann to find the fake Dragonmaster and informed him about his stupidity. Afterward, Alex spoke of their trip to Dibella's Shrine alongside a Priest of Althena, leaving out the fact that it had been his daughter with them. Jessica was understandably thankful for that.

They all went to bed after a few hours. Tai and the others all promptly fell asleep, pretty much tired after the extremely long day they had had. And they would need their wits about them in the morning.

Angemon decided to stay awake for a little bit longer and was currently sitting on the roof of Mel's manor, looking up at the Blue Star. It was strange how, even after several months of being on Lunar, it was still weird for him to look up and see Earth. Strange, but still somewhat soothing.

Not for the first time, he found himself wondering how humanity had found itself on the moon. What catastrophe had occurred that had forced Althena to move them here. Why did the Vile Tribe seek to destroy her? Were the Guardians active at that time? So many questions and the answers were not forthcoming.

"The Blue Star is rather beautiful. I sometimes wonder if Althena would have come here if it was still habitable."

He was on his feet, staff in hand within an instant. He hadn't heard anyone climbing onto the roof, but that didn't matter. Especially not for someone with the ability to teleport.

Phacia however, didn't seem to be there to fight. Her posture was nonthreatening, and she was doing her best not to antagonize him. "My apologies for startling you, Angemon," she said. "I didn't want to wake up your friends."

"What are you doing here, Phacia?" he asked in return, not relaxing his stance. She had spent an inordinate amount of time lying to everybody. He didn't want to be caught off guard when the trap was sprung.

"I just wanted to know if Luna was alright. My sister put her through the emotional ringer... and I know I didn't help matters any." She sighed. "Also, who do you think suggested that Mel needed to be warned."

"… Jessica knew who you were?"

"She does. I told her back at Dibella's Shrine. And I suggested that she tell her father about what was going on."

He blinked… then blinked again. She was telling the truth, which he was surprised. That was something Jennifer neglected to mention when they were talking,(though he could understand why she didn't.) And he had a very good feeling that even Mel did not know that. But why? Why would she betray her own people? But then… he remembered Dibella's Shrine. The look of pure sorrow on her face when she told them about those who refused to fight in the Heresy War.

Slowly, oh so slowly, the Angelic Digimon lowered his staff. "Alright," he said. "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt." He took a breath. "She's doing fine. She's a pretty resilient girl, all things considered."

Phacia nodded, looking very relieved. "Thank you." She turned away. "I'll… leave you to your contemplation."

"Hold on. I do have one question left for you. If you care so much… why not join us?"

Her gaze shifted a little. For a moment, he thought she wouldn't answer… but then she replied, "Because I have people in the Vile Tribe I must protect. People that I promised Sheyra all those years ago would be safe from retribution. If I choose to betray my Tribe, then they will be defenseless." She looked at her. "I know that you understand that."

And sadly, he did understand to a certain degree. As T.K.'s partner, he had pretty much made a similar pact with him and the others, and it ended with him being reformatted. But he had returned, ready to do battle once again.

He nodded to her. "Pray that you don't come to a moment where you will have to choose between protecting your people and doing the right thing," he warned. "Because it may very well destroy any goodwill you have with them."

He felt more than saw her nod of acknowledgment before he heard her teleport away. It was a pretty brief discussion, but considering that she was now an enemy soldier, her leaving as soon as possible was probably a good idea.

He knew that he was going to have a great deal to think about… and he was going to have to tell the others in the morning.

So great were his musings, that he was completely unaware of a pair of red eyes watching him from the distance, burning with never-ending hatred.

Morning in Meribia made itself known the next day with the chirping of birds, the sun shining in a cloudless sky, and Luna waking up with the air of someone who had had a dream one too many times and was getting tired of it for that reason. Her, and the Six.

Everyone else in that room, basically Alex and Nall, awoke with smiles on their faces, and a great deal of happiness in their souls. They were going home, after all. What reason did they have to be grumpy?

"Good morning, Luna!" Nall called out, his usual exuberant self for a few seconds, which disappeared when he saw the expression on her face. "What's wrong? You look like you're about to faint… and so do you guys, for that matter."

Mercury smiled wanly. "Good call, Nall."

Luna, of course, knew what they were talking about. "I… we… had the dream again," she confessed, speaking for all of them.

Alex grinned, though he knew that this wasn't funny. "Oh, come on, guys! That's all it is. Just a dream. Don't worry yourselves about it."

Greg turned to look at him. "Once or twice, it's a dream. This…is a serial nightmare."

"But, you're right, Alex," Luna continued, getting out of bed. "Let's… just have some breakfast and bid Master Mel and our friends goodbye."

"Good idea. Judging by the looks of it, Tai's ready to upgrade the defenses to their sea wall. Let's leave before he decides to shut the port down."

"Good point," Kari grumbled. She wouldn't put it past him to do that before they left, just so she couldn't leave. 'Stupid overprotective brother!'

In fact, Mel and Tai were already restructuring Merbia's defenses, arguing over little details like the deployment of troops in case of an attack while Sora watched from a chair, listening intently. Agumon and Biyomon were speaking to the commanders of the various patrols, having them begin war training.

Kari grinned, sharing a bemused look with Angewomon. It sounded like Tai was having a great deal of fun.

Mel perked up when he saw them enter the room. "Hey, boys and girls!" he bellowed in greeting. "Did ya sleep well? I sure did!"

"Mel, you could sleep through a tornado, and still win a battle!" Greg looked around, neatly sidestepping the question about his rest. "Where's Ghaleon?" he asked.

"Probably waiting for you at the harbor…" Mel threw Alex a significant look. "Best not keep him!"

Alex threw off a crisp salute. "Understood. Tai, Sora, we'll see you all later. Stay out of trouble, will you?"

Tai nodded. "Just…keep my little sister out of trouble," he told him.

"I am not like that, Tai!" Kari shouted.

T.K. grinned. "Mel, keep Tai out of trouble."

Mel laughed as Tai turned to glare at the little boy. "Will do, kiddo!"

Tai simply remained silent. 'Kids,' he thought irritably, though with a little fondness. 'Can't live with them, can't get rid of them.'

Ghaleon stood patiently by the boat, standing perfectly still as the now greatly diminished group approached. He seemed inherently interested in how the crew was loading cargo without the use of levitation charms, though that could only have been the expression on his face. It never really seemed to change any.

Angewomon shook her head in disbelief. "Is he ever impatient?" she grumbled.

"Probably not." Mercury smiled slightly. "Kind of like me."

T.K. laughed.

Ghaleon's head shifted slightly in the direction of the laugh, showing no surprise at the fact that they were there. "Good morning. I trust all of you slept well."

Alex smiled. "Some of us did," he replied. "The rest; not so much."

"But we won't let that stop us," Greg added.

The Premier nodded. "You definitely seem refreshed. Are you ready to sail?"

Alex turned around to take a poll, noticing eight heads nod affirmatively. "We're ready."

Ghaleon nodded as well, satisfied with their answer. "Then let us not waste another minute… to Burg!" He turned on his heel, heading up the ramp. The group followed behind him, shaking their heads. They all decided that this man needed a woman, and fast.

The boat ride was pretty uneventful for the majority of the day. The sea was calm, and the wind was blowing favorably. Thus, they would be in Saith by tomorrow.

Ghaleon had surfaced from below decks after lunch, speaking to Mercury about the various magical powers that existed in her world, and how they were triggered. He continued questioning each one of the Six, displaying a single-mindedness for knowledge that they would have found suspicious at any other given time. However, his voracious appetite for knowledge was well known throughout Lunar. It was almost an addiction for him, knowing everything there was to know about his world.

Angemon spoke to Alex, letting him know that Phacia had come to visit. He was able to calm him when he told him the reason for her visit. When he was assured that she had posed no threat to any of them at that time, they decided to tell the others that night… except for Ghaleon. He had enough on his plate.

Finally, after two hours, Ghaleon joined the aspiring Dragonmaster, focusing his phenomenal attention fully upon him. "So, tell me…" he began, "what drives you to become a Dragonmaster?" He stepped forward so that he was standing next to Alex. "What drives you to attempt what so many others before you have tried and failed to achieve?"

Alex was struck dumb for a second, before he began thinking about the question. And it was a good question, one that he never really considered before. Why did he want to become a Dragonmaster? It wasn't something that he had thought about a great deal.

Luna stayed silent, allowing her love to think about his answer. She almost giggled as one of his eyelids twitched slightly. He was so cute when he was thinking!

Alex looked up after a moment. "Well, for starters I want to protect the people of our world… and all of the people that I care about," he answered.

Ghaleon grimaced as if he had heard that answer far too many times to count. Considering that he probably asked a similar question to his students back at the Magic Guild, he probably had. "How…very noble of you," he said, trying to maintain a neutral expression.

Alex grinned. "But that's not the only reason. I… also want to be like Dyne, while making a name for myself. I want to say that I had a hand in protecting Lunar, that I had met the Goddess Althena in person. I want to be able to tell people that, if farmers from Burg can do the impossible, then so can they."

Now Ghaleon was speechless. Never before had a young man aspiring to be a Dragonmaster told him that. "Still," he said, recovering quickly, "a Dragonmaster's power is meant for far much more than mere protection… and the magnitude of his responsibility to wield that power is immeasurable." His gaze grew even shrewder. "May I ask you another question?"

Alex was now confused, though he said, "Okay."

"If you had to choose between the survival of the one you cared about most… or the lives of everyone in our world… which would it be? One, or many? Love, or duty?"

Alex was surprised, but he was also ready. "I guess the real question is: How can anyone really make that choice? How does one, especially a Dragonmaster, make that choice without knowing if it's the right one?"

"Dyne was never able to answer that question," Ghaleon informed him, impressed by the return question. "And, unfortunately, a Dragonmaster is forced to make such choices every day of his existence…" He suddenly chuckled. "But we're getting considerably ahead of ourselves. Aren't we? You're not even a Dragonmaster. Not even close."

"Too true." Alex looked out to the water. "However, you've given me something to think about on my journey."

"Indeed." The Premier walked back in the direction of the stairwell, stopping after a few feet. "The closer you are to becoming a Dragonmaster, the more important it will be to answer." He turned to leave, then stopped before turning to face Luna. "By the way, Luna… so renowned is your singing voice, that word of your abilities had spread all the way to Vane." He smiled. "When we reach Burg, I would desire nothing more than to hear you."

Luna blushed at the praise. "I don't think my voice is that special… but I would be honored to sing for you, Master Ghaleon."

"I look forward to it. And there's no need to be so modest about your talent. You have a gift." His gaze became mysterious. "You should share it with the world…" With those last cryptic words, he headed down the stairwell.

T.K. grinned. "You see?" he said. "People really do appreciate your singing voice."

"I think that's all they appreciate about me," Luna grumbled dejectedly, looking over the ship's bow. "The person isn't important, so long as they have a good singing voice."

Angewomon stared at her. "We appreciate the person. And so does everyone else who knows you." She smiled bitterly. "I wish I could appreciate myself like that, let alone be appreciated by others the same way you are."

Luna smirked. "You, not appreciated? I appreciate you." She frowned suddenly. "Why don't you appreciate yourself?" she asked.

The female angelic didn't answer. Kari turned her gaze to her in sympathy. "Angewomon's life hasn't been a bed of roses. She had a pretty rough start."

"The kind that leaves its mark on you… literally." Angewomon looked up. "I was beaten by an extremely powerful Digimon known as Myotismon. He tricked me into believing that I was a warrior of darkness." Her gaze, hidden as it was by her mask, still managed to convey her emotions rather well. "I still bear the scars from the beatings I received from him, all over my body. They're present, even in this form."

Nall looked at her in shock. "It must have been terrible."

Angemon nodded. "If it weren't for Kari and Wizardmon, Angewomon would probably have destroyed herself." His gaze saddened. "Wizardmon made the ultimate sacrifice to save her. May he rest in peace."

"And the worse thing is, I know how she feels," Greg said. "As a Shadow Warrior of the Negaverse, I was 'toughened up' with lashings, designed to drive all remorse and all pain from my body. Even in this life, I still bear many of the emotional and mental scars." He grinned. "I just keep an upbeat personality so no one sees it."

Such a thought was absolutely abhorrent to all of them. "How's that possible?" Mercury asked. "I had several terrible moments in the Moon Kingdom, but I didn't remember them until recently."

Greg shrugged. "It's a mystery even to me, though I think being Moon Healed by Sailor Moon might have something to do with it. But on the day of the Moon Kingdom's destruction, as I was dying on that battlefield, I swore to myself, never again. No more death on my part. No more evil by my hands." He looked upwards to the sky. "But now, I fear that Lunar will suffer the same fate as the Moon Kingdom."

"Not while I'm here!" Alex declared immediately. "It'll happen over my dead body."

T.K. whooped. "That's the spirit!" he stated. "We'll beat Xenobia and her allies, and save everyone!"

Mercury nodded, a look of determination crossing her face. "Let's face it. You face one powerful being, you face them all. These demons are going to find themselves in a position they're very familiar with." She grinned wolfishly. "They're going down."

Nall grinned, warming up to their attitude, then looked out over the horizon. "Look, guys!" he shouted. "Over there, on the horizon… it's Saith!" He evaded Luna's and Alex's charge. "And boy, it never looked so good!"

Alex and Luna looked at each other, then back at the town. "Yeah," Alex replied softly, knowing full well what that meant.

Their first adventure was almost over.

Their second adventure was about to begin.