At Noctus' request for privacy, Dark Davis led the Eternal Lord to his quarters within Miracle's Reach, accompanied alongside Kari, Henry and Argoth, who joined them within the chamber, while the undead Lizardman stood outside with the Bone Guard as to ensure none would try and dare interrupt this meeting between their Master and his favoured.

Using their positions as allies of the Dark Realm to their advantage, Fire Davis and Water Davis were allowed to sit in on the conversation as well, the pair standing alongside their dark variant, Henry and Argoth as both Kari and Noctus sat across from each other at an elegant, albeit menacing looking table that was set up within the room.

"I hope this is all to your comfort, Lord Noctus." Kari said as she broke the silence, the Dark Empress remaining with a polite tone within her voice as she then told the Eternal Lord. "I would offer you something to eat or drink, but I am not certain there is anything you can eat."

"A luxury I abandoned many, many lifetimes ago." Noctus merely said in reply as he leaned forward and brought his hands together.

Resting his skeletal face against his hands, the dark figure then told Kari. "I must say, you have left me in quite a predicament."

"How so?" The Dark Empress inquired as the trio of Davises and Henry also listened in.

Holding his left hand out to the side, Noctus replied with a dark malice in his voice. "On one hand, I want to kill you, mutilate your pretty little body and string your corpse up for your nature boyfriend outside and his light variant to see as payment for the fucking headaches they have caused me over the past centuries."

To Noctus' words, Kari could sense Fire Davis, Dark Davis and Water Davis tense up, each ready to leap to her protection, if necessary, while Argoth clenched his fist around his blade as he too seemed ready to draw forth his weaponry so he could defend his Master.

Holding his right hand out to the side, however, Noctus then diffused the moment as he then told Kari with a small sigh. "On the other hand, I rather do enjoy my alliance with the Shadow here, nor do I wish to have the Lord Champion or the Arch-Savant coming after me, so in that regard, I'll let you be."

"I am most grateful, my Lord." Kari merely said back in reply and with a continued smile, the brunette feeling no fear or concern over the Eternal Lord's words as she had already sensed that he held no hostility toward her.

Bringing his hands back together, Noctus then continued as he looked upon Kari and added. "Likewise, you are quite an interesting one, Kari Kamiya. A chosen of the fucking light, turned to darkness out of grief and pain, one who absorbed and can control the power of those damn Obscarians, as well as the power of our own realm."

"Not to mention one strong enough to master spells from the Tome of Eternal Shadows. My old apprentices told me how you used that power to crush that idiot Maligon like the maggot he truly was." The Eternal Lord then went on to say with a small amusement within his tone, the latter of his words leaving Kari to wonder who had told him about her battle, before two individuals came to mind.

"Lord Azaghast and Lord Ainz?" Kari questioned with a raised eyebrow, a smirk growing upon her face as Noctus nodded his head in reply, where the Dark Empress truly gained the scoop of the Eternal Lord's influence over the Dark Realm as a whole.

"Yes, you are indeed a special one, and with the Dark Emperor already having a plan for you, things will only get interesting from this point forward." Noctus then said with a growing interest in his voice.

"You wouldn't happen to know what that plan is, do you?" The Dark Empress then asked with her own curiosity as she was still concerned over what this grand design the rulers of Nexus seemed to have for her and her beloveds.

"Not a damn clue." Noctus said back, before he leaned in closer to Kari and then told her. "I will say this, however, the Emperor and the rest of those fuckers… they may have physical forms in the here and now, but their spirits do not see time as linear like we do. We may see the opening act, but the fucking curtains have already closed for them, and they do what they believe they must to make sure Nexus moved toward the path they believe is for the best, regardless of the outcome."

Frowning a little to herself, Kari mentally cursed as she found her doubts and concerns for her future with her beloveds returning to her, her frustration over the situation threatening to overwhelm her emotions once again.

Refocusing herself, the Dark Empress then decided to change the subject, where she looked upon Noctus and informed him. "I do apologize, my lord, you know much about me, but I unfortunately know very little about you. Your reputation seems to be widely spread throughout all of Nexus. While I know of Azara's story and of her motives, I am afraid I have not heard anything about your greatness."

"Most of that is ancient history now." Noctus replied, the Eternal Lord sitting back a little as he then told the brunette. "I was there when the Tome of Eternal Shadows was written, I was there when the Dark Capital was built and the first Trials of the Dark Lords took place, I was there when Azara joined our ranks and drove her pathetic excuse for a lover mad in spite. I was the one who led our legions into these savage lands for the first time and led the charge during the Multiveral Wars, bringing the fear of Death to all who stood against us, and I have remained since, working on my own ends to bring glory to the Dark Realm."

Nodding in reply as she took in his words and remembering what her beloveds had told her about the history of Nexus and the Multiversal Wars, Kari considered the possibility that Noctus, along with many of the Eternal Lords, could have easily been the source of humanity's concept of the grim reaper and other embodiments of death itself.

Drawn back to reality, the Dark Empress then watched as a small dark portal opened to Noctus' left side, where the Eternal Lord then reached his right hand in, withdrawing a trio of dark scrolls from within, which he then set down upon the table.

"And on the note of the glory of the Dark Realm, a token of my favour, a few spells I have kept within my personal collection. They are yours now." He then told the former Digidestined of Light.

"Those are powerful spells, my Empress, and they could aid us in future battles." Faustian informed Kari as the Dark Empress looked upon the scrolls, before turning her gaze upon Noctus and nodding in respect and thanks for the gift.

Leaning back within his seat, Noctus then told Kari and the rest of those present with a growing seriousness. "Now then, with the fucking pleasantries aside, it's time we get to the main reason I am here."

Narrowing their eyes a little, the three Davises present, along with Henry and Kari, knew that this was the main reason for Noctus' arrival, that the Eternal Lord wished something of the Dark Empress and now they would see how he would react.

"Out of respect, my Lord, the Dark Council has granted me autonomy from the conflicts around Nexus. While I will not aid the Nature Realm against your plans, I cannot help you in your fight against them for obvious reasons, I hope that this does not displease you." Kari then told Noctus with respect as she waited to see his response, whether he would accept her situation or force her to follow whatever plans he desired of her.

"Not at all." Noctus said in reply, his words causing the Davises to let out a sigh of relief, before the Eternal Lord continued. "Favours come in many forms, and having someone like you to help deal with issues back in the Dark Realm can become quite handy."

"Likewise, that is your position for now, but a year from now, a decade or even a century from now, time can change people, and if there is one thing I have learned in my eternal life, it is patience. We shall see what the future holds for you." He then went on to say, his words leaving Kari to consider what her future could hold once she and all five of her beloveds were together.

"No, I merely need you to stay out of what is to come." Noctus then informed Kari and the rest gathered, adding with an amused tone. "Your beloved Grand Guardian and his rabble of insects will have no choice but to confront me, but they will be doing so alone."

"With all due respect, Lord Noctus, what is it you are really after?" Fire Davis spoke up with concern as he gained the attention of the Eternal Lord, his hollow eyes bearing down upon the fire champion, who knew his question was a risky one.

If Noctus told them of his plan, Kari would be stuck between her new duties to the Dark Realm and her desire to tell Nature Davis of the situation, and Fire Davis, Dark Davis and Water Davis knew that this would tear at their beloved's soul.

However, and much to their own nervousness, Noctus let out a dark and gleeful chuckle, before turning his gaze back upon Kari, where he informed her and those around them. "I will tell you, but you do not need to concern yourself about whether or not to tell your other boyfriend outside there. In fact, I am allowing you to tell him, because there is nothing he can do to stop me."

Though relieved to know that she would not have to keep such a secret from Nature Davis, Kari, along with the trio of Davises present and Henry, were shocked when the Eternal Lord then told them. "I have found the location of the Spark of Karnus."

Blinking her eyes and sparing Fire Davis a brief glance, seeing the concern upon his face, Kari returned her focus upon the Eternal Lord as she informed him. "I believe I was told about that recently, it is said to be the source of energy that not only brought life to the Nature Realm, but serves as the source of the Guardians' power as well."

"Correct." Noctus said in reply, adding with a growing darkness within his voice. "Since these filthy savages don't have a capital like our own realms, they had long forgotten the location of their source of power, but at long last, after eons of searching, I have found where it is hidden."

"Once it is within my grasp, I will corrupt it with Dark Mana and change its very nature." The Eternal Lord went on to say, his words shocking even Dark Davis he, Kari, Fire Davis, Water Davis and Henry realized the scope of Noctus' intentions.

"My Lord, you do understand what you are proposing here, right?!" The fire variant of Davis questioned with a small panic within his voice, one that almost caused Argoth to draw his blade, but stopped when Noctus held his hand out.

"Indeed, I do." The Eternal Lord replied with a growing sadistic tone, before he told Kari and the others with a growing wickedness. "The Nature Realm will lose its connection to Karnus, the very forests will die and the Guardians will become as useless as those they try to protect. There will be death on a scale that has not been seen since the Multiversal Wars, while the power of the Dark Realm will grow. We will feed and become stronger, stronger than any of the other Realms and we will rule Nexus for all eternity!"

Remaining silent as they allowed Noctus' declaration to fill their ears, Kari, the trio of Davises and Henry then watched as the Eternal Lord rose from his seat, where he looked down upon Kari, the Shadow and his variants as the ancient Dark Lord then told them. "So just sit back and enjoy the show… though I do promise if your dear Grand Guardian does get in my way, I won't break him… too much."

Looking between Kari and Noctus, Dark Davis, Water Davis and Fire Davis were left with a growing concern and self-anger for allowing themselves to walk right into this terrible situation, namely for placing their beloved in such circumstances.

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Outside Dark Davis' quarters, Nature Davis, the Pack, Julie, Caleb, Victor, Kenji, Ungala, Cerine, her escorts and the others from the Digital World waited patiently for the conversation within the room to end.

Pacing back and forth, Nature Davis kept his glare upon the undead lizardman and the Bone Guard, the Grand Guardian despising the situation and mentally worried as to what Noctus wanted of his beloved.

While remaining as calm as they could be, despite still feeling a sense of dread from Noctus' presence, TK and the others from the Digital World continued to notice the way Garen and Erik glared toward the large undead reptile before them, leaving many within the group to believe they have history with the large brute.

"What's wrong Garen, Erik? Don't tell me you're afraid to take me on?" The Wightborn lizardman questioned with a dark amusement within his tone.

"If this wasn't neutral ground, we would tear you apart Tenebran!" Garen growled in reply, the hostility between the wolfman and the lizardman evident and concerning those newer to Nexus.

"Do they have history?" Sora asked Alicia, Sakuya, Shinon and Lyna in a hushed whisper, where the four nodded their heads in reply.

"Tenebran used to be a Guardian and fought alongside us against Noctus, before he betrayed us and his tribe to Noctus, turning them all into Wightborn all for power and to serve the Eternal Lord." Shinon said in reply as she kept her eyes upon the former Guardian turned Wightborn, her words shocking and surprising those newer to Nexus, before they felt a chill as the undead lizardman expressed an amused chuckle in response to Shinon's words.

"Sometimes it's as that old saying goes, that it's better to be the right hand of the devil then stand in his path." Tenebran then said with a dark glee within his tone, which only angered Nature Davis and the Pack even more.

Fortunately, the tension died down slightly as the door to Dark Davis' quarters opened, revealing Noctus and Argoth, while Kari, Fire Davis, Water Davis, Dark Davis and Henry were right behind them.

"Our business here is done." The Eternal Lord said to Tenebran and the Bone Guard, before turning to face Kari as Noctus then told the Dark Empress. "I am looking forward to our next meeting."

Turning back and giving the Nature Realm individuals one final glare, Noctus' hollowed eyes glowed with a dark purple light, before he and his entourage disappeared in dark wisps, the dreaded aura of the Eternal Lord disappearing from the airship as Kari, Fire Davis, Water Davis, Dark Davis and Henry reentered the hallway.

"Lord Motomiya, the Dread Wyrms are leaving and heading back toward the Faelands." A member of the bridge crew informed Fire Davis over the intercom, allowing everyone present to express deep sighs of relief.

"So, how was it meeting the big guy finally?" Caleb then found himself asking of Kari, the fire champion eager to hear the Dark Empress' thoughts on Noctus.

Thinking for a moment, Kari then looked upon Caleb and told him. "Arrogant, egocentric, swears worse than a drunken sailor, manipulative and cunning, all of which is equal to or dwarfed by his own power. I can see why everyone fears him so much."

Nodding to Kari's reply, Caleb then turned his attention upon Nature Davis, who approached his beloved with a soft and understanding smile upon his face.

"Kari, I know you can't talk about any of what he said, but…" The Grand Guardian started to say to Kari, to let her know that he was alright with the situation and didn't want her to feel conflicted between her love for him and her duties as a Dark Lord of the Dark Realm.

"Actually, he's allowed her to tell you." The Shadow said as he interrupted Nature Davis, his remark causing most to look at him with shock as Dark Davis then went on to say. "He's that confident that you cannot stop him, so he doesn't care if you know."

"Before we even discuss that, there is one issue that needs to be clarified first." Water Davis then said, the attention now focused upon him as the Arch-Savant looked toward Ungala and Cerine, informing the two powerful leaders of the Nature Realm. "Kari made certain to inform Lord Noctus that she was neutral in the conflicts and would not help in any battle against the Nature Realm, to which Noctus seemed acceptable."

Looking upon Kari, Ungala smiled and bowed respectfully toward the former Digidestined of Light, the arch druidess pleased to see that the Dark Empress was keeping her word to her and Verathiel.

"He mostly told Kari, along with the three of us, to stay out of what was to come." Dark Davis then remarked as he gestured to himself, his water and fire variants, along with Henry, before the Shadow then looked upon Kari and nodded his head, telling her to go ahead and let the other know what Noctus had told them.

Turning her gaze upon Nature Davis, Kari looked into the eyes of the nature variant of her beloved, before she told him with concern and dread within her voice. "Noctus claims he has found the location of the Spark of Karnus."

While those from the Digital World were surprised to hear this news, the group gained their own concerns as they looked upon Nature Davis and the rest of their new allies as they saw the horror and dread now expressed upon their faces, a sight that allowed them to know that things were much worse than they thought.

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Returning to the briefing room on board Miracle's Reach, the Digi-heroes and heroines of the DDF and Dark Imperium watched in silence as Nature Davis paced once again, this time in concern, while his allies within the Nature Realm held their own growing fears about what they had just learned.

On the side, Kari stood amongst Fire Davis, Dark Davis, Water Davis, Henry, Julie, Caleb and the two heirs as they remained silent and allowed the Pack, Ungala and Cerine to discuss the matter amongst themselves.

"This is bad… this is bad…." Alicia muttered with a growing fear within her voice, her nerves only soothed a little as Garen placed a comforting hand upon her back.

"Um, I apologize for asking this, but… while we were told about that the Spark is and how it helped create this realm and the Guardians… how bad is this really?" Yoshi found herself asking politely, the DATS officer desiring to understand the full scope of the issue.

"If Noctus completes his plan and infected the Spark with Dark Mana, the Spark will lose its connection to Karnus and become another extension of Mordrakus." Nature Davis replied with a great seriousness within his voice.

"If that happens, not only will we Guardians lose our power and our connection to our bonded partners, but the Nature Realm itself will become a realm of ruin and death. The trees and fae life will die out, the beasts and beastkins will starve and turn on each other. It will be the end of the Nature Realm as it is." The Grand Guardian then informed, his words and their meaning coming as a deep shock to Yoshi and the others as they now grasped the situation.

'Noctus thinks that once that happens, the Dark Realm can move in and claim the realm for themselves, using the dead and the dark energy unleashed to empower our forces and ranks to the point that not even the Light Realm could stand against us…' Henry then told the others, who looked upon him and Dark Davis as the Shadow narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"While I commend his creativity and his ambition, his timing could have been better." The Shadow remarked with a growing frustration.

"Such an action would throw off the balance of power between the realms of Nexus." Water Davis then informed, before he said with a growing concern. "Without the Nature Realm to aid them, the Light Realm will have no buffer against the Fire Realm nor an ally to stand against the Dark Realm's advances."

"The same goes for the Fire Realm, who will lose an ally in the defense against Water Realm incursions." Julie added with her own concerns as she imagined the more war-like elements of both the Water Realm and Light Realm taking advantage of the loss of the Nature Realm in such a way and the bloodshed which would ensue.

Likewise, all four Davises present knew that is They were coming, then the loss of the Nature Realm would only weaken Nexus as a whole.

Feeling annoyed and frustrated by the situation, Tagiru stood up and glared at Dark Davis as he bluntly questioned the Shadow. "Can't you do anything to stop this?! You're the Dark Emperor's champion for crying out loud!"

While annoyed with the Superstar's sudden outburst, the Shadow merely glanced at Tagiru as he told the brunette. "Yes, I am the Dark Emperor's champion, but even my power has limits, especially when it comes to the Eternal Lords."

"Vaddik, a Dark Council member, one of the rulers of the Dark Realm, who was scheming to kill the rest of the council with Maligon, came to us because SHE feared what Azara would do to her for attacking one of her favoured!" Dark Davis all but bellowed as he narrowed his eyes and further expressed his frustration toward Tagiru. "Do you understand the power the Eternal Lords wield? Unless his actions are a direct threat to the Dark Realm, I cannot interfere!"

"None of you can interfere, this is a matter for the Nature Realm to deal with." Nature Davis informed Tagiru and the others with his own seriousness, the nature variant of the Motomiya knowing that even their Fire Realm allies could not interfere this time, nor could those from the Digital World without incurring Noctus' wrath.

Turning to face Queen Cerine, the Grand Guardian bowed with a great respect toward her and then asked of the fairy queen. "Please, Queen Cerine, allow this airship and its occupants to stay within your kingdom until this matter is resolved and Noctus is driven back."

Nodding her head in reply, the fairy queen then said. "They may indeed stay within our borders, but I must also muster our armies and allies for the battle to come."

"My tribe will also aid in this battle." Ungala added as she looked upon her allies and went on to say with a sense of urgency. "I will also send work to King Tichalla and to my son. Hopefully the Wild Horde has not moved to far that they cannot help us."

As the two royals of the Nature Realm nodded in agreement, the room's attention then focused on Garen, who questioned with a clear frustration within his voice. "With all due respect, but how are we going to fight Noctus if we don't even know where he is going?! No one alive knows where to find the Spark."

Once again, silence reigned as the Pack and their allies realized that Garen was right and that their enemy was one step ahead of them.

"There is one person we could ask." Sakuya then said with uncertainty, the elven Guardian looking around the room as she then told the others. "We could ask my grandfather."

To Sakuya's words, many of those that were a part of Nexus looked at her with shock and horror, before Dark Davis then said back. "Yeah, you guys have fun with that, I'm going to stay here with Kari and keep her away from that lunatic!"

Turning to see the look of confusion his beloved sent his way, the Shadow then inquired with his own concern. "You do remember the story I told you about Azara, right?"

Blinking for a moment, Kari's eyes then widened as she remembered what Dark Davis told her back in the Dark Realm, about Azara and her beloved, Alacard, who she had lost and in a fit of desperation to bring him back she turned to darkness, only for her newly revived lover to spur their love for her fall to the shadows, and in retribution, Azara broke her beloved and drove him to madness in punishment.

Turning to look back at Sakuya, Kari couldn't help herself as she then questioned with a clear shock within her voice. "Your grandfather is Alacard?"

Their eyes widening as they remembered the story they heard back in the Dark Realm, TK and the rest of those who remembered the tale looked upon Sakuya as well, who softly nodded in reply.

"After Azara broke his mind, the Fallen King retreated deep within the woods around our homeland. At times over the eons, he emerges from those woods, either to aid us or to bring death, depending on which of his personas is in control at the time." Sakuya told the Dark Empress.

"The elf, although insane, can be reasoned with and can answer questions." Erik then said, before he expressed his own worries and concerns. "But the beast… that persona would rather tear us apart and feast on our corpses."

Sighing in frustration, Nature Davis drew everyone's attention as he then told the others. "We need to try. Alacard is one of the oldest beings in the Nature Realm other than the Empress herself and he would know exactly where to find the Spark."

"Noctus might know the location of the Spark, but knowing him, he'll wait until its Mana is at its peak, meaning when the Green Moon is full, which isn't for a few more days." Shinon said as she thought about how the Eternal Lord worked and knew that they had some time to still counter their ancient foe.

"Once Miracle's Reach enters the Faelands, the Pack and I will leave to go find Alacard." The Grand Guardian then informed everyone, before looking amongst his fellow Pack members and suggested to them. "We'd better get some sleep, we have a long day tomorrow and we need to be ready."

As the Guardians all nodded toward one another, Kari and the majority of those within the room felt at a loss over the fact that they could do nothing to help as they worried about Nature Davis' safety and the safety of the Nature Realm.

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Within his quarters and a few hours after Cerine and Ungala departed Miracle's Reach in order to prepare the Faelands for the upcoming battle with Noctus and his servants, Nature Davis allowed himself a moment to relax upon his temporary bed as he contemplated the events that had transpired during the day.

While sending out messages to the Beast Confederacy and to the Wild Horde about Noctus' plan, the Grand Guardian also sent out a call for help to the Light Realm, an action that left Nature Davis to wonder if this is what it would take for them to allow Light Davis to come and join them, or if the Conclave will use the fact that Kari is favoured by Noctus to say that this is a trap to weaken the Light Realm as a whole.

Ignoring the internal politics of the Light realm for the time being, the Grand Guardian then focused his mind on his foe, upon Noctus.

Though Noctus had been a threat he had faced many times since arriving in Nexus, Nature Davis had never truly faced the Eternal Lord one on one before, thus leaving the Grand Guardian to wonder if he could even defeat the dark being if he had to face him.

But he would face this threat, for Nature Davis knew that if he didn't, then the Nature Realm would suffer for it.

And though his partner was silent for the moment, the Grand Guardian knew that Jiraiya would back him up in the battle that was to come.

Hearing a sudden knock on the door to his quarters, however, Nature Davis was snapped out of his thoughts as he stood up from his bed and said with a welcoming voice. "Come in."

As the door opened, the nature variant of Davis was slightly surprised to see Kari enter his room, before he gained a look of empathy to see the tears forming within her eyes and trailing down her cheeks.

"I… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I…" The Dark Empress tried to say as she tried to control her emotions, the brunette feeling the weight of all this crashing down upon her and knowing that even with all the power at her disposal, she could do nothing to help the nature variant of her beloved.

Smiling lightly toward the woman he loved and assuring the former Digidestined of Light, Nature Davis approached Kari and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace, one the brunette melted into as she continued to fight back her tears.

"Kari, none of this is your fault, this is how life has been in Nexus for eons and will probably continue long after you and I are gone." The Grand Guardian told his beloved with a soothing tone.

"In fact, if it hadn't been for you, I might never have known about Noctus' plan until it was too late." Nature Davis then remarked with a smile as he looked into Kari's eyes, before he added with a growing warmth in his voice. "Now, we have a chance to stop him, and I will stop him."

"How do you know that?" Kari then questioned with a small doubt within her voice.

Though she deeply trusted and believed in her Davises, having just spent a few hours with Noctus, Kari could sense the great power within the Eternal Lord, one that even surpassed her current level of strength.

Cupping Kari's cheek and keeping a warmth within his eyes, Nature Davis replied with a further honesty and love within his voice. "Because, for the first time in twenty thousand years, I have something to come back to… I have you, Kari, and I will never let you go again."

Allowing the tears to finally flow down her cheeks, Kari allowed her emotions to take over as she leaned in and kissed the nature variant of her beloved, an action Nature Davis returned as he allowed himself to enjoy this moment with the woman he loved.

Taking his time and enjoying his night with his beloved, the Grand Guardian knew that soon, he would be embroiled in a literal battle between life and death for the very future of not just the Nature Realm, but for all of Nexus.

before that would occur, Nature Davis knew he would have to contend with a mad elven demi-god, and that was a situation he was not looking forward to.

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Author's Note: Noctus' plans are revealed and the next conflict has been made clear. Will Nature Davis and the Pack find Alacard, and if they do, will he be an ally or see them as a threat? Stay tuned as the adventure continues.

PS: As a heads up, updates won't be as fast as the past few have been, but they will still be there nonetheless.