Once again, sorry for the long delays of late. College is a trip. (AHHHH!!!!!!!) Once spring break starts I plan on trying to get a few more chapters out more frequently. I don't even have writer's block anymore, I just can't find time to write lately, but I know exactly where I want to go with this series. For those still interested, you will be shocked by the events in future chapters. But enough talk, back to our feature presentation...

Valerie

Staring at the Satella Police HQ from a distance was a young girl about Luna's age with long pink hair, wearing what looked like the girls uniform for Luna's school, white socks, and black shoes. She pulled out a cell phone still looking at the base.

"Issac, I'm in front of the base now," she said in a voice that made her sound like a cat.

"Excellent. Do you know what to do?" Issac asked.

"Of course. This mission is too easy for me. All I have to do is buy you guys time, right?"

"Good girl. We're counting on you," Issac said before hanging up. The girl looked up at the satellite at the top of the base with a mischievous smile.

"This is going to be purr-fect, Issac," she said, "Watch me."

As Luna walked to Dr. Goodall's lab she thought about Val. What was up with that woman? Maybe she was just feeling the same way Geo felt when he met Ace. After all, they were suspicious of him at first, and he turned out to be a friend for life. This was just the same thing...

Right...?

She opened the door to Dr. Goodall's lab and stepped in. The lab was sort of in disarray, exactly what Luna expected from the good doctor. There was a couch in the center, and a TV in front of it. Dr. Goodall was sort of old fashioned, so she was still using Verizon Fios. Why she didn't just upgrade no one knew. She claimed that "back in the day" it was state of the art technology.

Yeah, in the stone age, Luna thought to herself.

"Hello? Dr. Goodall?" Luna called out as Xerox materialized next to her. Eventually the doctor poked her head from behind a pile of old machines.

"Luna? Is that you?" Dr. Goodall asked. She beamed the instant she laid eyes on Luna and Xerox, "Thank God!" she said running over to them hugging them, "We were so worried about the two of you."

"It's great to see you too Doctor," Luna said with a smile.

"Acidna, come out here. Luna and Ziggy are here," Dr. Goodall called out.

"Ziggy...?" Xerox said to himself, thinking about the God awful nickname he just got.

Acid floated in that instant, "It's good to see the two of you unharmed," Acid said in his usual reserved tone, making both Luna and Xerox laugh a bit.

"Come on 'Acidna', you can do better than that," Xerox taunted. Acid was clearly offended by Xerox's jibe and crossed his arms.

"I'm just trying to remain professional, 'Ziggy'," Acid said, looking down a bit making Luna wonder if he was actually smiling mischievously. Xerox got really annoyed at that come back.

"Wise guy, huh?" Xerox floated up a bit, but Luna put her arm in front of him.

"Easy boys, let's try not to start a fight," Luna said to both of them, but focusing on Xerox, who at times reminded her of a much sweeter Omega-Xis. In response, Xerox crossed his arms and turned his beak up in the air.

Dr. Goodall laughed a bit, and then she and Luna sat down on the couch, where Luna began filling her in on everything that happened to her up in space.

"Aries..." Dr. Goodall said, almost like she knew the name.

"Doctor, is something wrong?" Luna asked, catching Dr. Goodall's attention.

"Oh, no. I was just taking the name in, that's all," she said in defense. Xerox wasn't convinced though and was just staring at her for a while.

"Oh, okay then," Luna said leaving it at that, "But enough about me. What's going on down here? But mentioned something about a 'Neo Arcadia'. And who's this Valerie Sanders?"

"I see you met her," Dr. Goodall said seriously, which shocked Luna who was already concerned about her, "She's an old friend of Arthur's back when they were still in training. Since Arthur and Acidna are helping me in the lab, Val is standing in for them," Dr. Goodall sighed.

"Is she a mean person or something?" Xerox asked.

"Oh no, she's one of the nicest people I know. It's just that she has a tendency to take more rash methods than Arthur."

Now Luna was really confused. Why did she feel so uneasy around her before? According to Dr. Goodall she was a nice enough person, so her air should have been a little more pleasant.

"As for Neo Arcadia," Dr. Goodall continued, "You would be better off asking Val herself. She knows more about it than I do."

"Funny, she wanted to talk to me in person after seeing you," Luna said.

"Well then, you and Ziggy should go take care of that," Dr. Goodall said as the got up, "And don't you dare be strangers, you two. Feel free to see me anytime."

"I will, thank you," Luna said bowing to Dr. Goodall. Xerox and Acid were staring at each other closely, as if having a staring contest.

"See you around, Acid," Xerox said in a cold tone.

"Same here, Xerox," Acid said with the same tone. Xerox then digitized back into Luna's Hunter VG and she walked out of the lab. Dr. Goodall looked troubled after they left, "Is something troubling you?" Acid asked.

"Just that name, Aries... I wonder... is it... the same person...?" she said to herself. Acid turned his head in confusion.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Acid, there's something you have to know. But you must promise you won't tell anyone," Dr. Goodall said seriously. She only used Acid's real name if she was being extremely serious, so Acid nodded.

"Understood," Acid said bracing himself for the most shocking news of his life. News that would change how he saw everything up until this point.

Valerie was sitting in her office waiting for Luna. She was looking at a picture of her with Ace and Acid back at the academy. Looking at it brought back a lot of pleasant memories. She was knocked out of her daze by a knocking on her door.

"Come in," she said, knowing full well who it was. She wasn't disappointed, as it was indeed Luna Platz who walked into her office, "Ah, Miss Platz, glad you decided to come."

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Luna said.

"Not at all, please have a seat," Luna hesitated slightly, but sat down in front of Valerie's desk nonetheless. Valerie then surprised Luna by holding out a brown folder, "I've looked at your records, and I must say I'm impressed."

"Um, excuse me?" Luna asked, now getting a little defensive.

"You've been to three different schools, yet from kindergarten all the way to eighth grade you maintained an A average. You were class president four years in a row, and then became student body president in your fifth year in school. According to this, you're a generally good natured, straight A, high class girl who's only concern in life is getting into a good college."

"Um, Miss Sanders-" Luna started.

"Please, call me Val."

"Okay, Val, you have a lot of information on me on record. If you know all of that then why do you need to talk to me?" Luna asked.

"Because, I'm not interested in this mask," Valerie said tossing the folder aside, "I want to know the real you."

"The real me...?" Luna asked.

"Come on Luna, straight As at age six?" Valerie sounded almost incredulous at that, "No kid gets straight As that early unless they're either A) a genius, or B) trying real hard to please someone that's hard to please. Not to mention, the girl in that folder wouldn't dream of becoming Zero; she's too busy trying to get into Harvard to dream about adventure, and yet here you are."

Luna was really taken aback by what just happened. Valerie just plain and simply read her. She hadn't ever thought about any of the things Valerie mentioned. Now though, she was really thinking about it, partially because of Valerie just now, but mainly because of what happened in the Four Guardian's fortress. Ever since then she had secretly been wondering what Aries meant by her "former life", and it was starting to scare her a bit.

"Um, why are you..." Luna started to ask.

"Because I want to help you Luna. When I read your file yesterday I felt a connection to you. I'm just like you, I wear a mask for other people too. But I have a theory about you Luna. I bet the only time you're really, truly yourself, is when you're Zero. Am I right?"

"I... I don't know..." Luna said softly.

"It's okay, I want to help you. Like I said, I wear a mask as well. You've just worn your mask so tightly, and for so long, that you've forgotten what you really look like underneath. I can help you find the real you, all I ask is that you help me with something," Luna looked up when she heard that.

"Help you? With what?"

"Well, you see-" the alarm went off before Valerie could complete her thought.

"Val, we have an emergency! Someone is hacking into the central computer of the base!" an officer said on the intercom.

"So, they decided to come to us directly!" Valerie said, she then turned to Luna, "Looks like you'll get to see what we need help with instead of me having to explain it," and with that Valerie got from behind her desk and ran out of the room. Luna looked at Xerox in her Hunter VG.

"Xerox, let's go too!"

"Right!" Luna then ran outside after Valerie, a strange sense of de-ja-vous as she ran down the long hall way.