FicWad

Digimon: Silver Star Story

Episode Fourteen: Moon and Mercury History & Nanza Confusion

It was pretty quiet at the Magic Guild.

For the most part, the majority of the population was going about their everyday lives; attending classes, running businesses, and simply tending to the floating continent. If they didn't, then there was a good chance that it would crash.

The Alliance, on the other hand, was trying to not worry about their comrades out on the field. Most of them were waiting for the call that would tell them that everything was alright.

All but one.

At the exact moment that the call from Izzy came through, Amy was presently in one of the waiting rooms, eyes moving rapidly as she puzzled over her data.

She wasn't going over anything concerning Lunarian history, though that was on her list of things to do. Nor was it about the magic powering the Goddess Statue, though it was a topic of discussion she would eventually bring up when she saw a Priestess. What she was looking at was of a more personal nature.

Serena... or more specifically, her recent readings from the Goddess Shrine.

At the time, she had taken Serena's suggestion about a combination of magics being responsible for her return to perfect physical health, as they had been preparing for the Magic Guild Trial. But now, considering everything she had learned about Lunarian magic, it no longer sounded plausible. So what happened? It had to be connected to Serena’s activities over the last month.

“Hey, Ames.”

The young blunette smiled as the voice of her intrigue broke her concentration, and she turned her head. “Hey, Serena,” she returned in greeting, seeing the blond sitting right next to her, grinning. How did the girl manage to sneak in without her knowing it?That was a question that had plagued her for two life times, and she still had no answer.

Of course, this very silent side of the Moon Princess was a side that only herself and Queen Serenity had been privileged to see. It was a side that was both mischievous and intuitive. She seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to knowing when people needed to take a brief breather.

Serena waited until Amy had put her computer down, before scooting over, putting her head on her friend's shoulder. “We just got acall from Izzy. Kuwaguamon is toast, and they're on their way back to the city right now. They'll be here in about an hour.”

Amy hummed in relief, enjoying the closeness the two were sharing. They had very few times when it was just the two of them, so they took them when they got them. “That required you to hunt me down?” she asked. “Not that I'm complaining, mind you.”

“Actually, I wanted to see your reaction when I told you that Tentomon digivolved.”

“Awwww... and I didn't get to see it.”

Serena giggled at seeing Amy pout. “Oh, don't worry, Ames. There'll be plenty of times for you to see it. We're going to be traveling with them for quite a while.” Her mirth dissipated, only to be replaced with curiosity. “So, whatcha looking at? It seemed pretty serious.”

This immediately brought Amy's attention back to what had held it for several hours. She never kept anything from Serena, even if Serena didn't understand half of it. “Just my scan of you from the Shrine,” she replied, picking up her computer again. “I've been trying to figure out something about them, and for the life of me I haven't been able to.”

“What about?”

The Mercury Senshi touched a key, bringing up a screen. “This is the scan I took of you, a week before we were brought here,” she explained. “You know about your back, of course, but there are other injuries that the Crystal has had to heal over the years that you probably don't know.” She started pointing out certain areas. “You had three cracked ribs from your battle with one of Alan's Kardians, as well as a stab wound in your upper thigh. There was extensive bruising from our final battle with Doom Phantom and the Dark Crystal. And finally, there was the final battle with Queen Metallia. The sheer force exerted by both of you caused several hairline fractures to occur in your arms, shoulder blades, and collar bone.” She switched it back to the screen she had been analyzing. “This is the scan I took of you when we were at the Shrine. Notice anything wrong?”

Serena took a good look at the screen for a second, before shaking her head negatively. “I don't see anything,” she replied.“Why? Is there something wrong with me?”

“Actually, you're spot on, Serena. There is nothing wrong with you now. That is what I'm trying to figure out.”

“You've lost me.”

“There are no remnants of those injuries. No residual bruising, nothing to show that you had damage of any kind. In fact, if I were to check on your thigh, I doubt I would find a scar from the stabbing.”

Serena blinked for a few seconds, not quite following everything Amy was saying (even though it was about as simple as she could make it.)She might not be stupid, but she knew that understanding was something that she struggled with.

But now that Amy had mentioned it, she hadn't felt any residual pain or tightness when she stretched, nor had she felt discomfort when she moved. In fact, she felt like she was bursting with energy. She didn't feel tired, and she was somewhat more focused than before.“So... you're saying that I should still be feeling the stresses of a body that has been through a lot of punishment in such a short time,” she guessed.

Amy nodded in relief. She didn't think her analytical mind could handle trying to simplifying it any further. “But that's not all. Your organs are also perfectly healthy. No aging of any sort.”

“Well, I do have the Silver Crystal.”

“Yes, it is a wonderful gem, isn't it?” Amy turned her computer off, setting it to the side once again. “Serena, humans pretty much begin to age as soon as we are born,” she informed her gently. “Cells die off to be replaced with new cells in a never ending process. Our being Sailor Senshi means that the process is slowed to a crawl, and we're less likely to get cancer, but it isn't stopped. And that process continues throughout our lives.” She rubbed her eyes. “Your organs aren't like that anymore. They're as healthy as a new born baby's.”

“Is that bad?”

“No... just strange. Between that and the Crystal, you may just outlive the rest of us by at least a thousand years, barring an accident of some sort.”

“... Wow. That's a lot of years.”

Amy nodded, opting not to add in the advances in medical technology that she was sure were going to happen in the future. Instead, she decided to redirect the conversation back to what it originally was, and inquired, “So, any other reason why the others didn't call me? I didn't leave the privacy mode on... did I?”

Serena giggled at that, remembering the last time that had happened. Embarrassment had run rampant that day, as the Scouts had burst into Rei's room, only to find her in a state of complete undress. Thus, from that day forward, the Scouts decided that privacy mode would only be engaged after the others had been told. “No, you didn't. But again... I wanted to see your reaction.”

“Lovely,” Amy sighed, shaking her head at that. That at least hadn't changed about Serena. She smiled (reluctantly, mind you)at that. “I guess I needed that.”

“You, more than any of us, need that,” Serena replied, grinning. “You don't laugh nearly as much as the rest of us.”

“... Only around you, Serena. Only around you.”




----




Moon Kingdom, Three Years Before the End

In the Gardens of the Moon Palace, two figures ran, laughing merrily.

Under normal circumstances, the guards would have been in hot pursuit of these two, as entry into the Gardens of the Moon Queen was forbidden without permission... unless you were a member of the Royal Family, or a member of their Royal Guard. Or both, as was the case for one of them.

Princess Serena, daughter of Queen Serenity, giggled as she continued running, staying one step ahead of her pursuer. “Come on, Amy!” she called out. “You have to move faster than that!”

Her pursuer, Princess Amy, laughed as she ran, lithe legs moving in perfect tandem. “You know I'll simply outlast you, Serena!” she retorted teasingly, nimbly hopping over a bench. “You're simply not motivated enough to escape me!”

Under most circumstances, this was unacceptable behavior for amember of the Royal Guard. The Sailor Senshi were all Princesses of their respective kingdoms and while they were all best friends, there were still rules of decorum that had to be observed, especially as they approached their majority.

But Amy was different. After all, she had lived on the Moon her entire life. She and Serena practically grew up, glued to the hip. When they weren't in classes, attending meetings of state or handling the many duties they had, they were getting into mischief, and generally being young girls. In fact, many of the staff believed that they were closer than a lot of sisters.

Of the two, Amy was the more responsible. She was always on time, attended classes with wide eyed attentiveness, and was generally the most intelligent of the bunch. Considering her heritage, that wasn't surprising. But when she got into a mischievous mood, she and Serena could bring smiles to even the most ornery of people.

Serena... was the more sophisticated of the two. She had a very good sense for fashion, was already an incredible diplomat, and an equally adept administrator, when her mother went on a very rare vacation by herself. She was always cheerful, always polite, and was beloved by everyone else. However, she was late most of the time, and could be quite lazy on occasion.

But in the few times they were alone, they were not scientist and diplomat; nor were they Princesses. At this moment, they were family.

The two finally stopped running when they reached their 'spot;' a small grove of trees that could hide anything from view. Here was where they made their plans, traded gossip, or simply relaxed away from the pressures of Court. No one disturbed them unless it was avery serious matter.

Serena promptly flopped down, smoothing her skirts out as she did. Amy followed suit, though with more grace, eyes twinkling. “Told you,” she whispered.

Serena giggled at that statement. “Amy, you should know that Iwill never try to escape you,” she replied. “I have no reason to.” She promptly put her head in Amy's lap, fingers immediately combing through her golden tresses. “You know, I've heard an interesting rumor.”

“Oh?” Amy waited for a few seconds, as this was one of the few times they had to relax.

“Yes. Apparently, the Earth Kingdom is sending a delegation to the Moon. They'll be here tomorrow.”

This definitely caught the young Mercury Princess's attention, and her body stiffened slightly. Despite the fact that the Moon Kingdom was the strongest nation in the Solar System, they was one simple fact that remained; their celestial body was still just a satellite in orbit of a planet. Earth was their closest neighbor, and were having problems concerning the rising Dark Kingdom. Because of this, relations with Earth were becoming frosty, which was not a good thing at this critical time. The Negaverse was on the move again, attempting to conquer the universe, and they had set their sights on the Silver Alliance.

Serena immediately the change in her closest friend, and looked up.“It's being led by Prince Endyimon,” she informed soothingly. “I think the delegation is an excuse to get his son to safety, as their kingdom's top generals are also accompanying him. You can relax.”

“That reassurance is all I need.” Amy was silent for amoment, though she did relax a bit. She went over this tidbit of information, looking at it from every angle. “Serena... I think it's odd that the four lead generals of the Earth Kingdom would be sent on what amounts to a glorified escort mission, when they would be of more use preparing for the inevitable war.”

“Mother agrees with you on this, though there is also no reason for her to inquire as to the reason. And there is no reason to deny them, as it could go a long way to showing that the Earth Kingdom is still out friend and ally.” She shrugged a bit. “At least, that's what she hopes.”

Amy nodded in agreement, the reasoning behind it sound. She smirked.“Plus, you want to see Endyimon again,” she teased.

“Maybe.”

The two girls giggled at this, as the Moon Princess's interest in the Prince was well known, and one of the biggest pieces of gossip circling the grape vine. None of the girls paid much attention to it, save for some good natured teasing.

The moment of amusement faded, leaving a comfortable silence in its wake. Serena merely dozed while Amy continued stroking her hair in arelaxing manner. They didn't speak for a few minutes, just soaking in the peace and quiet.

The moment of peace was shattered when an amused voice stated, “I had a feeling I would find both of you here,” from the opening. Both girls looked up, smiling.

“Hello, Mother,” Serena greeted without opening her eyes, as the Moon Queen slid into the grove, sitting down next to them. “You finally managed to get away from the stuffy nobles, I see.”

“I have.” Serenity smirked. “Though remember, you will have to deal with them one day, too.” It was a well known fact among those who lived in the palace how much the Moon family really did not like dealing with the nobility. Unfortunately, they had to deal with them every day during Council.

Amy smirked a little. “Not all of them are terrible,” she reminded them both gently. “Luna and Artemis are pretty good... if a little furry half of the time.”

Serena cracked an eye opened. “I'll never understand why they would want to be in their feline forms. Are mice that tasty? Is cleaning one's self with a tongue truly the way to go?”

“Spend some time as a cat. You're already as curious as one.”

Amy chuckled at this banter, which was something she had heard and participated in for the longest time. “You also love milk, Serena. All we need to do is give you some string, and rub your tummy, and you would be one step closer to becoming a cat.”

“Amy...” Serena whined, even as all three of them laughed.

----

Present Day, Vane




“That was one of the best days that we ever had,” Amy sighed, as she combed her fingers through Serena's golden locks, much like she did in their past life. It was so familiar to them both, that neither one of them questioned when Serena had shifted her head to Amy's lap during their conversation. “We never did get an answer from you, by the way. Would you like to be a cat for a while?”

Serena cracked an eye open so she could mock- glare at her best friend. “Sure, still picking on me. How typical. Just because Ilike milk, and try to learn everything I can...”

“You also purr when I do... this.” Amy added weight to her observation when she scratched right behind Serena's ear, causing the other girl to... purr. “You know, we don't need to turn you into a cat. All we have to do is get you some cat ears and a prop tail, and we could turn you into a neko.”

Serena decided to hate her later, after she stopped doing that.

----



“When are they going to come back?” Rei complained, rubbing her face tiredly. “Did Meatball-Head even /find/Amy?”

Luna chuckled at this. “Rei, you should know by now that Serena can always find Amy, no matter where she hides. They are connected by something more than simple bonds of friendship.” Her eyes twinkled. “Also, knowing each other since they were children in the Silver Millennium helped a lot.”

Lita had to laugh at that. Though her memories of the past were no where near complete, she knew enough to know how tight they were in the past. She could remember one time when she saw Serena protect Amy from a bully who thought he was a noble. She remembered another time when Amy did the same for her... and then the two of them got their revenge in a most creative way.

To the final day, none of them could figure out how two ten year olds had managed to gain entrance to their chambers, nor how they were to replace all of their clothing with frilly pink dresses... but those two never bothered them again. They had a lot of laughs with that.

Lilika frowned in confusion. “I don't understand most of this,” she confessed rather shyly. “Reincarnation?Regaining memories of a past life? I was always taught that only the Goddess could allow such a thing to happen.”

Rei shrugged. “Amy could probably tell you the best, but from what we know, it has something to do with the Silver Crystal. Apparently, it's literally the spiritual energy of the Moon Goddess herself, given a physical form. It responds to the wishes of its wielder.” She paused for a second to let that sink in for their newest friend. “Queen Serenity wanted to make sure that we could live normal lives, without having to worry about evil coming after us, but she also wanted us to be prepared to fight should the Negaverse ever invade again. So, she wished for our memories to be suppressed instead of erased.” She held up a hand. “Don't ask how that's possible. I can sense a person's soul, but I can't give you more than that.”

Lilika nodded in understanding. The soul was one of the greatest mysteries that both magicians and scientists had tried to unravel for centuries. Neither had been able to scratch the surface of it.

Pluto sighed, leaning her head back on her seat. The soul was definitely a mystery that not even she could solve, and she technically had eternity to figure it out. It was something only the Gods could even begin to understand.

She took a look over at Mina, who had shifted the conversation over to something less metaphysical, and breathed out in relief. While aphilosophical debate was something Amy would enjoy, she didn't enjoy it at all. Difficult to when one had access to much of Time's secrets. Scratch that; her own universe's secrets. This place was awhole different beast.

She hadn't tried to see the history of Lunar once since they had come here, as she had no idea how the timestream would react to such an intrusion. She didn't even know if she could.

“Hey, Pluto,” Mina suddenly asked, bringing her attention back to the conversation, “do you have any stories about Serena and Amy from way back when?”

Pluto frowned thoughtfully for a second, before smirking slightly.“I believe I do,” she replied, a particular scene she had witnessed coming to mind. “It was about... five years before the end, I believe...”

Unfortunately, the moment, and Pluto's story telling, were shattered when a giant blue insect creature landed right in front of them. All questions, and thoughts of attacks, came to a halt when Izzy and the others jumped off of the insect's back, reminding them all that this was Kabuterimon, Tentomon's Champion form.

Mimi grinned as they approached, hair windswept in a way that did nothing to diminish her beauty. “Hey, everyone,” she said. “So, everyone ready to go?”

----

Tai kept his gaze on the small group that was standing in front of him, Sailor Moon and Alex standing to either side of him. "Kuwaguamon said /that/?" he asked, incredulous. "He might as well have said I was a troll, or something equally gross!"

"And apparently, any Digimon with a stitch of intelligence is supposed to have seen it," Tentomon added, still confused by the whole ideal. "But why, I don't know. I've never noticed anything different about Izzy, and I'm beside him almost every day."

Alex nodded in agreement. "And no idea why he said that to you?"
“Someone probably does," Izzy replied."Gennai."

Serena noted the bitterness Izzy's voice, and sympathized. While she was as dense as a door nail(though that seemed to have faded over the last month,) she could tell that this Gennai person and Izzy had afondness for each other, and didn't keep anything important from one another.

Everyone's attention focused on Izzy. "You think Gennai knows what Kuwaguamon meant by that?" Agumon asked.

"It doesn't matter." Tai waved a hand dismissively. "Kuwaguamon’s nothing more than a liar. He'd do anything to break us apart."

Mimi shook her head immediately. "He was telling the truth. I could feel it. He didn't have any real reason to lie. We had him beat. And who would lie, and then attack in a final, suicidal attack that he knew wasn't going to succeed? It just doesn't add up." She smirked. “Besides, we already know I’m different. How many people do you know that can throw lightning bolts from their hands, besides Jupiter?”

"Hmm… good point. So, any ideas?"

Izzy shook his head. "I'm going to try and figure it out on the way."

"Then please do," Nash suddenly stated, speaking for the first time in the entire conversation. "Our mission waits for no one."

"Agreed." Alex turned to Tai and Sailor Moon. "Get your teams together, and tell them to get enough provisions to last several weeks. We may not see a stop point for a long time."

The two other leaders nodded.




----




"Antidotes?"

"Check."

"Healing Nuts?"

"Check."

"Cleansing Water?"

"Double check."

"Small, winged creature?"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, T.K. Nall will be happy to know that we’re not making fun of him behind his back."

"I aim to please, Patamon."

As the two of them chuckled over their little joke concerning Nall, Kari and Rini observed them from a short distance. "Ya know, T.K. is kinda cute," Rini mentioned, then rethought that. "Wait, he's not kinda cute. He's really cute…in a nine year old sort of way."

Kari giggled. "Yes, he is."

"And what are you two looking at?" Gatomon asked, walking up.

"T.K." Both girls answered at once.

"Why are you two doing that?"

Both girls blushed as one. "Ummm…no reason," Kari stammered.

Her Digimon partner didn't look convinced. "Uh, huh. Kari Kamiya, do you have a crush on Takeru Takahashi?"

"No!" Kari's blush went even darker. "T.K.'s my best friend!"

"Right. Well, see you around, lover girl." With that, Gatomon walked away, chuckling to herself.

Kari sagged slightly as her partner walked away. "Wonder if mommy and daddy ever had these problems?" she asked.

"I know mine did, 'cept they were always at each other's throats. At least, that’s what Serena and Darien here told me."

"I still can't believe that you're from the future."

"I still can't believe I'm in the past, and now on another world to boot. And I've been here for a full year."

"Good point."

Rini giggled, then looked around. "I think the air and meatball head is finally ready."

T.K. walked up. "And why do you call Serena meatball head?" he asked.

Now it was Rini's turn to blush bright red. "Um, because of her hair style, and because she lets me."

"Ah."

Tai and Darien observed the three children from a distance. "Now there's friendship," the former noted, grinning. "Your kid and my sister being embarrassed being around T.K."

Darien laughed. "Well, Rini's very lonely in the Twentieth Century, because she doesn't have that many friends in her age group. I think it’s a good thing." He stared at his future daughter with a wistful expression on his face. "You know, it's like you think you know everything about your life, and what your future will bring…"

"…and then you find out something that you never knew about yourself," Tai finished, his gaze darkening.

The Prince of Earth caught his expression, and winced. He had seen that very same expression on Serena’s face many times, whenever Luna and Artemis began discussing something from the Moon Kingdom. "This isn't about the future, is it?"

Tai shook his head, deciding to confide in this man. After all, who better than him to understand? "Darien, have you ever had a day where you think you knew everything about someone, but suddenly found out something about them that blew you away?"

Darien thought about the day he had learned that Sailor Moon and Serena were one and the same, and sympathized. "Oh, I have had a few of those days. Why do you ask?"

The Digi-Destined leader took a deep breath, not knowing how to answer that. "I found out something about someone who I thought Iknew," he finally settled on. "I thought that he was asimple man, living a simple life…well, as simple as a life in Tokyo is." He looked at the katana, thinking hard about those days. "Now I learn that not only was he from Lunar, but that he was a great warrior. Makes being a businessman seem rather tame in comparison."

"Guess the saying's still true; we learn something new everyday."

"Did it have to be so late, though?"

(Better late than never, people always say.)

'Thanks for your two cents.'

(I have never heard of that saying, but no problem.)

Darien chuckled. "Well, we better get going. From what I've read, Dragonmasters are notoriously difficult to defeat…or even find."

"Which means that either he's a fraud, or extremely incompetent. Neither really bodes well with me," Agumon stated, walking up. "We're leaving now, so you two better get to your horses."

"Alright, then. Let's go."

And with those words, so began one of the largest alliances of heroes ever conceived.




----




If an observer was watching the roads at noon, he would have seen one of the most amazing sights that would ever graced the land of Lunar.

Eight Digi-Destined, six Sailor Scouts, eight Digital Monsters, six ordinary people, and three felines, one who possessed the ability to fly, were now making their way steadily to the Nanza Barrier. No one had ever seen such a group before. Certainly, people of various strengths, personalities, and civilization had banded together to defend their homeland, or to simply have a great adventure. History was full of such men and women, all making their way through Lunar. But they were always in small numbers. Groups of five or less. Some were even alone in their journeys.

Never before had they ever banded together in such large numbers, or in the presence of monsters. Granted, people did keep monsters as companions, but most of them were kept on leashes. And none of them had the ability to talk, or think for themselves.

"We must look like we're out of our minds," T.K. grumbled, sitting on top of Garurumon, Matt right behind him.

Pluto shrugged from her mount. "I've seen and done weirder things," she said, not elaborating on any of it. "And let me tell you, in all my long life, this isn't so bad."

"We don't doubt it." Serena shifted slightly in discomfort. "I must have gotten the toughest saddle, and the roughest horse."

"Now you know how I feel," Joe grumbled.

Lilika smiled. "Oh, I don't know," she said shyly, scratching the top of her horse's head, before looking at Joe with very open eyes.“I think they are adorable.”

Joe blushed. "Um, sure," he stammered slightly.

Rini giggled as he said this, before turning to Kari. "Lilika's sure getting Joe wrapped around her finger," she whispered.

Kari laughed.

Greg listened as Lita and Mimi argued over various little details about cooking, shaking his head in confusion. "Geez, what happened?" he asked Amy. "Lita is quick to suspicion, quick to lull?"

Amy giggled. "I think Jupiter got a measure of Mimi on their mission, and found it to her liking. She's on the fence concerning her, but she's giving her the benefit of the doubt."

"Is that all?"

"Pretty much."

Gatomon grinned. "Mimi does have that effect on people."

Amy's grin became wistful. "I know. And so does Serena and Rei, all too well. Speaking of which... I need to go talk to Serena again, before she and Rei start their customary ten o'clock tongue war again."

Gatomon blinked. “Again? ...This is a tradition?”

“Which started all the way back in the Moon Kingdom.”

----




All conversation halted as they stopped, a full week after they had ridden from Vane. A week of conversations and training that would prepare them as well as they could for whatever they came across. Nothing else happened during that week that could be construed as dangerous.

In fact, the only thing that could be considered interesting was watching Serena on a horse. For some reason, she was becoming far more focused, not to mention more balanced. She didn't seem to have any trouble guiding her horse, and she paid more attention to the path. And when they stopped to rest, she was far more sure footed than the previous month... at least, to those who had seen her the month before.

But, once again, that was something that wasn't harmful, so Amy shelved it for later, when they took another rest.

Nash rode up to the front, gesturing grandly. "We have arrived at the Nanza Pass," he proclaimed. Everyone crowded around him to look.

Patamon looked somewhat crestfallen. "Well…that's different." He kept what he really wanted to say to himself. Telling Nash that he was exaggerating a great deal didn't seem like a good idea at the moment.

The Nanza Pass was in actuality a vast range of mountains, with a single path in the center of it. It wasn't very elaborate, nor did it house the ancient remains of a civilization. It was simply…there.

"Was the mountain path made?" Izzy asked. "Or is it the natural result of erosion?"

"Who knows?" Nash made an indifferent gesture. "The point of that matter is that it's there. And it's crawling with monsters. Located in the center of this pathway is Meribia’s Nanza outpost. It is run by, quite possibly the most irresponsible hick Ihave ever met."

Izzy's computer was out in an instant. "Well, let me see what we have in here." He typed on his keyboard for a moment, his narrowing."Wait a minute. Something in the mountain is blocking my sensor!"

"Now you're naming your functions. Oh, goody. Can you name one of them, mini Nall?"

"Quiet, and let the man work," Alex hissed.

T.K. and Kari looked at each other, and then nodded as one, agreeing on an unspoken revelation. Izzy still spent too much time on his computer.

Thirty seconds later, the reason behind the interference became perfectly clear, as the Digi-Destined of Knowledge rode over to the side of the mountain, taking a closer look at the rock face. Something about it was different from what he knew most rock to look like. It was far too smooth. "Hey, Alex, Nash. Could you two come over here, and tell me what this rock is?"

Alex and Nash approached, looked at the rock that Izzy was talking about, and practically breathed in sharply in surprise.

"Kelbonite," Alex whispered. "Pure, unrefined, kelbonite."

The others stared at them. "What's kelbonite?" Darien asked.

Surprisingly, Pluto was the one who spoke. "Kelbonite is an extremely rare substance in our universe that can block scanning equipment and most forms of teleportation, be they magical or technological. It's also very difficult to refine and put into practical use, but when it's possible, it can make a person stronger, faster, and tougher then most of his peers, and with no lasting side effects. However, it is, as I said, extremely rare…well, in our universe, anyways."

"Well, it's actually quite common on Lunar," Nash stated. "It can be found in just about every rock and mountain throughout the Silver Star. It's the refined form that's very rare. Only the most powerful of mages can successfully purify it. The only other beings I've read about that can do that are the Dragonmasters, the Goddess Althena herself, and her six Guardians. Guess no one thought that the Nanza mountains would being nothing but kelbonite."

"Its refined form is rare?" Alex seemed very surprised. "I thought it was very common. I have a piece of it with me." With that, he pulled something out if his pocket, showing it to them. Curious, everyone crowded in around him to see.

What it was became clear as they stared at it; a single crystal, as clear as glass, though with a bluish tint to it. It was cleverly shaped, like someone had cut it like a diamond. It was also developed in exquisite detail, down to the wings, which actually seemed rather life-like.

Nash leaned in, shocked. "I would never have thought that a commoner would get his hands on a piece of refined kelbonite," he whispered. "Where did you get this?"

Alex shrugged. "I found it at the bottom of the lake back home. I was swimming one day, and saw something shimmer in the light. When I went to investigate, I found this. It's shaped like a Dragon," he added unnecessarily.

Luna Two nodded, thinking back on that day. "I remember that day very well. You showed it to me, after you had me turn around. It was last year, if I recall correctly. You came up to the shore, handed me it, then went back to swimming." A thought suddenly occurred to her."Several minutes later, you got out. You didn't know I was still there, at least, you didn't until you turned around."

"And we'll leave it that!" Nall suddenly shouted hastily. "These guys really don't need to hear the gory details!"

"Gory details?" Nash echoed, perplexed. "What gory details?"

Luna Two blushed. "Well, let's just say that I learned more about Alex in those fifteen seconds than I did in the last fourteen years." And it hadn’t been a terrible view of it.

The females immediately grasped what she meant by that, except for Kari and Rini, of course. "We'll have to talk to you about that later," Pluto remarked casually, smiling wickedly.

Tai turned to look at Alex. "Do we want to know?" he asked, though he had a pretty good idea as to what they were talking about.

"Not particularly," Alex replied, squirming a little bit.

Mimi grinned for a moment, then said, "Well, getting back to the topic at hand, I was always wondering what this was." And with that, she pulled a necklace from underneath her shirt.

Nash almost pulled a Peter Pan, flying off his mount in shock. "You…you have…a piece of refined kelbonite?" he stammered.

Pluto was also shocked. "How is that possible?!"

Mimi shrugged. "My mom said that it was a family heirloom, being in the family for several generations. She never told me what mineral it was." She took a closer look at it. "Now that I think about it, this kind of looks like it’s molded into some form of afamily crest," she added.

Upon closer inspection, they realized that it did indeed look like acrest; The Crest of Sincerity, overlapping another shape. They couldn't tell what it was, though it did look like an exotic flower.

Serena leaned slightly. “Hey, I remember you showing me and Molly this,” she said. “We used to think that it was adiamond.”

"Oh, well." Nash, having recovered, shrugged. "I can tell you this. A piece of kelbonite, refined and made into something, is worth more than all the Dragon Diamonds on Lunar right now. And I know how those are made." He looked at them both, his arrogance gone in the face of this unexpected revelation. "Remember this well, you two. Tell no one of this. Everyone will want to get their hands on those, and some of them won't care if they have to kill you to obtain them. Be on your guard, and don’t let anyone see them in public."

Alex and Mimi nodded.

Amy frowned thoughtfully. If a piece of refined kelbonite was able to increase the overall capabilities of a person, then what could it do to someone who was already incredibly strong? Was there a limit to this?




----




"What is it with all of these treasure chests just lying around all over the place?!" Izzy finally shouted. "The Dragon Cave, the Weird Woods, the Old Woman's Forest, the sewers of Meribia, the Magic Guild Trial, and now here! What is going on here?!"

"And Izzy explodes," T.K. murmured to Rini, who giggled softly. 'She has a really nice giggle,' he thought to himself absently. "I thought it would have been a whole lot sooner."

Kari stared at them, not knowing what she was feeling at that particular moment. It lifted when T.K. looked at her, holding her gaze for amoment, and winking, before turning to see what Nash's answer would be.

Nash stared at the chest speculatively. "You know, I have no clue on this one," he finally replied.

"Do you ever?" Agumon grumbled, glaring back at Nash, who had turned to give him a piercing stare.

"Oh, great. Who would know?"

"Althena," Artemis and Luna One said at the same time.

"Are you glad that you’re Kari's partner?" Tentomon whispered to Gatomon. "I mean, having a partner who asks questions is alright, but the way Izzy pursues it is absolutely scary, bordering on obsessive."

Gatomon looked at him, nodding in complete agreement. "You're telling me."

Alex stepped up, getting ready to open the lid. After all, it was just atreasure chest. "Oh, well. Let's just open it, and get whatever it is out of it."

And Greg, who suddenly had a burst of caution, ran for Alex, shouting,"Alex, wait-"

He was a tad too late, as Alex had already opened the chest, trying to see what was inside. He found out soon enough.

A pinkish colored cloud suddenly shot out of the chest, enveloping Alex and Greg, hiding them from view. The others backpedaled immediately, trying to see if they were still in there.

"What the hell?! Sorry Sora." Tai dismounted, walking to the edge of the cloud, trying to peer in.

(Don't enter the cloud!) His sword shouted.

'Gee, like I needed the warning!' Tai replied. 'But someone needs to get in there!They could be hurt!'

Suddenly, as if to help him relax, Greg suddenly shot out of there. "Everyone, stay back!” he shouted, sword out. “It's some sort of confusion dust!"

"Phercia Flowers!" Amy spat, getting off her horse. She had had plenty of time to study some of the local flora, so she knew exactly what those flowers could do. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but Alex sure isn't!"

As if to add strength to his remark, Alex suddenly emerged from the cloud, sword swinging. And he was heading for Tai.

Tai immediately had his katana out, blocking Alex's downward stroke. He immediately pushed back, making the confused man stumble a few feet."Everyone, stay back! I want him focused on me only! Keep your eyes open for any monsters that might show up!"

As if to punctuate his warning, several giant bugs suddenly shot out of the chest, hovering for a few minutes, then dived.

Izzy opened his computer, noting that the monster identification function was still working. He pointed the screen at the attacking bugs.

Slumber Moth: A moth whose power rivals that of the Giga Wasp, the Slumber Moth is more dangerous. Its greatest power is its sleeping powder, which is strong enough to put even a beastman to sleep for several hours.

"Ooh, boy. Just what we needed on top of everything else." Izzy put his computer away. "And Alex is out of it," he added.

T.K. jumped off of Garurumon, heading in Alex's direction. "Kari, Patamon, Gatomon! Deal with the Slumber Moths!" he ordered."Greg, Mercury, you're with me! We need to knock some sense into Alex!"

Kari blinked. The way he issued orders, with such confidence and strength, made her think of Tai. However, she reacted instantly, sliding off of Tai's horse, and heading into the thick of the battle.

The Sailor Scouts and Digi-Destined reacted as well, without spoken orders, and began striking at the Moths as they came within range.

Darien, having transformed into Tuxedo Mask, produced what looked like awhole garden of roses, and let them loose. Jupiter released apowerful Supreme Thunder. The two of them created a slight distinction of being electrifying, and rather thorny.

Venus forced her mount to be still, so she could aim properly. And aim she did. "Venus…Crescent…Meteor!"

From her finger, a series of pure gold blasts erupted, striking with unerring accuracy upon a group of Slumber Moths.

"Mars…Fire…Ignite!"Mars unleashed a hellion of flame, one that made a bonfire seem positively tame in comparison. It scorched through the sky, taking out any flying creature that didn't have a right to be there.

The Digimon made themselves very well known, methodically taking them out one by one.

Tai continued to defend himself admirably, never launching an attack of his own, simply content to let Alex tire himself out. There was only one problem with his strategy; Alex didn't seem to be tiring.

"Sword Dance!"

"Oh shit. Flaming attack!"

Tai, having uttered a phrase off the top of his head, suddenly became ablur, as his sword blocks became much faster, enabling him to block Alex's attack with ease. Still, he kept him at bay. Still, he did not press his advantage.

T.K. came in, his sword out of its scabbard. "Alex, Snap out of it!It's us, your friends!" he shouted.

Alex's head snapped around at the new voice, and he disengaged from Tai, instead swinging at the little boy. T.K. blocked it, and then pushed back. Alex stumbled backwards, falling right into Mercury's arms, who soon had him pinned. "Greg, sometime this year!" she shouted.

"Light Scepter Activation!"

Kari's scepter lit up, releasing its attack in a blast of power, obliterating a clustered group in mere moments. She saw Patamon blow another group away with his Boom Bubble, and Gatomon simply sliced them into several different pieces as they came into range. 'Not much of a challenge.'

Greg absently swatted another moth as he reached the struggling form of Alex. He stared at him for a moment, then slapped him hard.

Then again.

And again.

On the fourth attempt, Alex's hand snagged his in midair. "I think," he rasped, "you convinced me. You can let go of me now." Mercury did so, allowing Alex to rub his wrists. "Did you have to slap me so hard?"

Greg grinned. "Just be glad that you can be brought out of it. You need to slap someone several times to accomplish it, though."

"That's good to know. Were those Slumber Moths I saw?"

"Yep."

Kari, Patamon, and Gatomon worked with an ease that none have seen from them before. They were so in tune that when one ducked, the moths actually hit themselves. In fact, in the time that it took to restrain Alex, the moths had all been made extinct.

"All right, guys!" Kari high-fived first Patamon, then her own Digimon partner. "Patamon, I never knew that you could bend like that."

"Neither did I," Patamon replied, grimacing. "I think I'll wait until I've digi-volved into Angemon before I do that again."

Gatomon removed one of her gloves, rubbing the paw underneath it. "That makes two of us. Trying to hit two Moths at the same time is no fun." She rubbed for a few minutes more, before realizing what she was doing. She looked up.

Kari was staring at her paw, more noticeably, at the red, ugly scars that adorned that paw. She looked at Gatomon. "Gatomon, did Myotismon…?"

"Yeah," was the brusque reply she received as her partner shoved her paw back into her glove. "Let's get going."

Kari stared at her partner as she walked away, trying to figure her out. Whenever Gatomon talked about her former master, she got that hard, ice-cold gaze, and her answers were brusque, to the point of being rude. And she kept her hands covered, to keep her scars hidden from view. In fact, when Gatomon began shedding, Kari wouldn't be surprised if she saw many more scars on her body.

'Why?Why doesn't she want us to see her scars? Why doesn't she want us to see her weak? I mean, we all have our moments of weakness. Why should she be any different?'

Rini walked up next to her. "What was that all about?" she asked, confused.

Kari shrugged, knowing one thing about Gatomon. She didn't know a thing about her friend. She didn't know her at all.

Greg had made a small container appear out of thin air, was busily scraping a bit of the remnants of the gas from the side of the chest. He capped it, and handed it to Amy. "Here ya go, Ames," he said. "Maybe you'll find an effective method to combat it."

Amy nodded, making her sword evaporate into the air, before turning around. "I'm training to be a doctor," she explained, answering their unspoken question.

Joe understood. "So am I. Maybe I can help."

"The more the merrier, I always say. Well, let's get going."

Venus laughed. "Yeah, I think we've wasted enough time."

The Six rolled their eyes at this.




----




A blast of fire erupted from a mud cyclops, only to be stopped by Agumon's own fireball. The orange lizard took the two second delay that came afterward to move as Garurumon's attack destroyed it.

Patamon blasted another one into the rock face, yawning after he did so."This is soooooooo boring," he said.

Gatomon slashed at another one, turning it into three separate pieces. "Two hours of this without even the slightest change in strategy. These guys aren't exactly unpredictable."

"But a great way of getting money," Kari added, turning another one into a mud pancake. She could feel her money bag come close to exploding. "These Antorions ain't got nothing on us, either!"

Pluto finished another mud cyclops off, by knocking it into the side of acliff. "We really need to get moving. Otherwise, we'll be here all day."

"Good idea." Alex put his sword away, having wiped it clean with arag. "I want to complete this mission."

“Don’t we all?” Jupiter stated, shaking her head. “But hey, it’s not like they’re intelligent… or even that fast.”

They didn't get their wish immediately, to say the least.

"Why are leader-type people have to be so optimistic?!" Artemis shouted, as he jumped off the horse he was sharing with Mina, trying to spot their new opponent.

They had reached the near end of the Pass, when they were attacked by agroup of dog type monsters. Not a largely surmountable problem, except for one thing…they were fast! Too fast to be seen, in fact.

What else they could do became apparent during combat.

Death Mutt: A member of the chira monster family, the Death Mutt is extremely fast. Its attack strength is decent due to its size, and its speed, while nowhere near as fast as its smaller cousins, makes it the most dangerous beast in the Nanza Pass. However, what makes it dangerous is its needles, which hold a powerful toxin, capable of paralyzing its prey for several minutes.

"Move, move, move!" Tai shouted, urging his horse into a gallop, his katana out. The others heeded his advice. Joe waited for a few seconds, allowing Lilika and Venus to go past him, then he began to urge his horse to go.

He wasn't fast enough.

One of the Death Mutts bristled quickly, and unleashed a bunch of needles. They flew through the air, hitting Joe in the arm. The effect was instantaneous. Joe fell off of his horse, hitting the ground with a thud.

The Death Mutt paid for it, as Tai brought his blade down, catching it in one of its legs. Then he reached out, snagging the reins of Joe's horse as he did so.

"Hang on, Joe! I'm coming!" Gomamon jumped off of the horse, and ran to where Joe was laying, unable to even stop the slight drool that was coming out of his mouth.

Mercury looked around, trying to track the movements of the other Mutts. She heard a cry of pain as Luna Two was cut in the waist, another grunt as Jupiter blocked one with her arm. Finally giving up, she shouted,"Gatomon, Luna One, Artemis! You three are the only ones who can track these things! See if you can catch them, then direct us where to strike!"

Gatomon nodded, understanding dawning, before starting to look around. All they needed was one of them to stop for half a second, and their hyper sensitive feline eyesight would lock on.

"Pluto, Patamon!" Luna One shouted. "Coming in at eight o'clock… mark!"

"Jupiter, Greg!" Artemis roared. "Two of them at six o'clock… now!"

The four immediately uncoiled. Pluto and Patamon blasted theirs into so much dust. Jupiter and Greg sliced the other one into three separate parts.

Gatomon finally caught a glimpse of one of them. Immediately, she locked in on it like a homing beacon, watching it move, waiting for the right moment to strike.

That moment presented itself in a slight shift, as the Mutt slowed down ahair to turn.

"LIGHTNING PAW!"

T.K. recoiled as the Death Mutt's head rolled right in front of him, severed from its body due to Gatomon's expert aim and powerful strike. Its eyes were still portraying its shock.

Rini, also spooked, turned to look at Gatomon. "Remind me to never get on your bad side," she said.

"Ditto." Nall was shaking. "Man, I didn't even see you move!"

Gatomon grinned. "When one hunts wild game, one must have lightning fast reflexes."

"Agreed." Mercury immediately stabbed backward, catching a Death Mutt unawares. The creature dropped, mortally wounded. She looked up. "If there are any other out there, I have got some advice for you; Don't push your luck!"

The sudden silence, and the lack of new yelps of pain, attested the fact that they were now alone in the ravine.

Gomamon finished giving Joe a Cleansing Water, waiting until Joe's mouth started working again, before sighing. "He'll be okay," he said. "Though I'll never look at monsters the same way ever again."

T.K. nodded, re-sheathing his sword. "That was fun."

"Yeah, if you really like fighting monsters, and not having any feeling from the hair down," Joe grumbled, getting up. He looked at Garurumon. "Why didn't you do anything?"

If at all possible, the giant champion level Digimon was able to show pity. "Joe, I'm a giant dog. What was I going to do? Breathe really loudly? I’m nowhere near fast enough to chomp one of them."

"Hmm…good point."

"I like fighting monsters," Jupiter stated, applying a herb to her bite wound. "It's really great exercise, and a hell of a way to release your anger productively."

"Damn straight, sister. And no, I'm not apologizing, Sora," Mimi threw in.

Sora sighed. "I've stopped trying a while back where you’re all concerned. Of course, I've never pegged you as the free spirit type."

"I'll keep surprising you, so stay tuned."

Kari giggled. "Like we have a choice in the matter. We're stuck with you."

The whole lot of them laughed as they began moving again, heading for the light at the end of the tunnel…figuratively speaking, of course.




----




After another half hour of traveling and fighting the wildlife, they reached the gate to the Nanza Pass, and met their first man made obstacle; the guards to said pass.

"Now, Nash," Joe reminded him, "be polite. These guys are a whole lot bigger than you."

Nash, of course after hearing this, took the direct approach. Apparently, he had missed the course on being polite, and being gentle. "We come on behalf of the Magic Guild of Vane!" he declared forcefully. "We have been ordered to travel to Lann by Ghaleon himself! Let us pass!"

"That was gentle?!" Venus asked, incredulous.

"If that's the case, then I don't want to know what his idea for forceful means." Serena replied, shuddering. "It's really not worth thinking about."

Apparently though, it did the trick in this instant, as the guard’s eye widened. "Oh, man, we don't wanna get mixed up with the Guild!" He opened the gate. "Go on through…quickly!"

Nash nodded, satisfied. "Lann is west of here…and this place is teeming with the criminal element," he said speculatively."So I suggest that we pass through here as quickly as possible."

Agumon nodded. "For once, you and I are in perfect agreement." He gestured grandly. "You first. If your head rolls back out here, we'll know it’s not safe to enter."

Nash grumbled as he took a step forward.

"C'mon, Jess! What'd I do? Gimme another chance…c'mon, please?"

Nash's one confident step became two alarmed steps back. "What the Hell…?" he muttered.

Nall looked around, blinking rapidly in surprise. "D-did you guys hear that?" he asked, bewildered. "Please tell me I'm not going crazy!"

"If you are," Gomamon informed him, "then we're accompanying you to the funny farm."

The guard sighed. "You lot aren't crazy. Our boss is just drunk out of his mind, and screaming himself hoarse…again!"

"What happened, as if I really want to know?" Luna Two asked.

"Another fight. I love the man, but he can be a huge pain in the ass sometimes."

Nash sighed as well, his alarm fading. "How lovely. The idiot /still/has not learned his lesson," he muttered. "Can we please go now, before he manages to find us? Lann isn't getting any closer!"

"Good idea." Alex took a wary step forward, hand on his sword."Still…let's stay on our guard…just I case their boss gets extremely vicious…"

Moving very cautiously, the group took their first step into the Nanza Outpost. All around them, they saw the guards eyeing them with some wary interest, ready if they tried to do anything foolish. They also saw the Outpost itself.

The Nanza Outpost was almost completely supported by wooden pillars, each one about fifteen feet high. A walkway was being partially supported by those pillars, partially supported by the mountainside itself. The walkways connected to three towers, each of them slightly shorter than the peaks surrounding them. Each tower had cannons, sticking out in all directions. And all of them were fully staffed to the brim with fully armed and armored soldiers, all who looked like they were ready for a fight.

Serena shuddered at the sheer feeling of the place. "This isn't an outpost, it's a fortress."

"No argument from me," Amy replied, looking pale. "Isn't this atad much for an outpost?"

"Not when you take in its exact location, which is precisely the reason for its armaments." Izzy looked around. "From what I've read, the Nanza Outpost is the crossroads to Lann, and to the Stadius Zone, the heart of Lunar. As such, in wartime, it is a strategic piece of real estate to control, Due to that, it has to be armed to the teeth 24/7."

"Oh, well, that makes me feel nooooo much better," Mina grumbled.

Tentomon shrugged. “Look at it this way. Those guards don’t want to hurt us, as long as we don’t do anything that will require them to do that.”

“Not helping, Tento.”

With those wonderful thoughts to nurture them, they made their way to the other side of the outpost without incident…only to try for arepeat performance.

"We come on behalf of the Magic Guild of Vane!" Nash boasted. "We have been ordered to travel to Lann by Ghaleon himself! Let us pass!"

Slowly, the guard looked up at them, then stood up….and up.

"Oh, my goddess," Rei gasped, looking upward.

"We're in trouble," Gomamon muttered quietly.

T.K. simply gulped, rendered speechless. He had no idea human beings could be so tall

"Listen up, kid!" the guard bellowed. "I don't care if you were sent here by the Goddess herself! I don't care if you're bringing milk and cookies to my dear sweet mother!" He jabbed a meaty finger at Nash. "No one gets through this gate without Kyle's permission! Got it?!"

"Without Kyle's permission. Got it," Nash echoed nervously, looking at the finger like it was a weapon. Of course, the man’s hand looked about as large as a slab of beef, so it probably wasn’t that far from the truth. "Can we speak, then, with Kyle?"

"Alas, I think the poor man is drunk off his arse at the moment."

"Great," Tai groaned. "So he won't understand us."

Darien smiled helplessly. "That's usually what happens when a person is drunk."

"Yeah, yeah. Can we talk to him anyways?" Nall asked impatiently, not the least bit intimidated by the giant in front of them. "We're kinda in a hurry!"

Amy groaned at this rather bold statement. This was the problem with being Nall; he didn’t know when to be respectful. Then again, he was probably used to being the smallest being in the room. A man eight feet tall wouldn’t make much difference to him.

The guard frowned at that, though it was noted. "The last I saw of him, he was enjoying a cup of our finest brew in the North Tower."

Serena looked around. "I think that's it," she said, pointing to the lone tower to their east at that particular moment.

Rei looked as well. "If you're right, meatball head, I'm buying you lunch when we get back home."

"You're on, Pyro. Better take me to one of those all you can eat buffets."

The two cats sighed. "Will they ever give it a rest?" Luna One asked.

"No," Artemis replied. "And there isn't a thing we can do about it."

"The day those two stop bickering, is the day Jaedite becomes a good will ambassador," Darien noted.

"Hey!"




----




Darien tied the last horse to one of the poles, grumbling to himself as he did so. "I just had to say that out loud, didn't I?"

Tai chuckled next to him. Due to the fact that they would most likely be here for a while, they had gone in separate directions. Pluto had even headed for the towers, saying only that she wanted to take alook around. "I didn't know Rei could breathe fire. I mean, throwing fire, sure. Breathing it, now there's a classic."

"You're not helping here."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Darien! Even I know when to keep my mouth shut around a girl. And you know Rei is someone who takes just about everything seriously."

Tentomon buzzed up to them. "She's fiery, no doubt about it."

"'Fiery'doesn't even begin to describe her," Lita stated. The only one more vicious then her is me."

"Though your temper isn't nearly as explosive," Mimi interjected. "I've/seen/ Rei blow up at someone who tried to prove his superiority." She grinned. "Never saw a man run so fast before in my life. It wasn't very pretty. I wanted to take pictures of the flight for posterity, if I thought I could even catch him on film."

While she said this, the woman who was the point of their conversation walked up, smiling sweetly. "I forgive you," she said. "But Serena is going to need some convincing. Amy is in complete agreement."

Rini began laughing. "Good luck there, Darien."

Kari began giggling. "Yeah. And remember to make it good!"

Darien groaned, before making his way to where Serena and Amy were, waiting for him.




----




Pluto emerged onto the second level of the outpost, smiling at the slight breeze ruffling through her hair. This was one of those things she had learned to cherish, due to the fact that they were not there at the Gates of Time. That and so many other things.

Sadly for her, satisfying her more carnal urges were going to have to take a backburner for later. The last thing she needed was for one of the kids to walk in on her, and there were quite a few of them living here, from what she could see.

Of course, there was a reason why she wanted to take a look around. She wanted to see the entirety of the outpost from an observer’s position, and this was the best way to do that.

She took note of the three massive towers set up there, which she knew were the only things connecting the many catwalks together, serving as the primary stabilizers for the whole structure. Slightly smaller wooden pillars acted as additional support, helping to support the sheer weight that was forced upon them on a daily basis. Finally, she observed the people. Twelve Hundred warriors strong, with an additional seven hundred women and children making the place their home. And that wasn’t counting the patrols that roamed the pass, destroying both thief and monster alike so caravans could travel with some security. And some of those many seemed rather large…

‘No, not here!’ she thought, remembering those children. They had been given free reign of the place, after all. If they caught her being screwed by some man or woman, she’d probably die from embarrassment.

As she struggled with her relative arousal, the sound of moaning reached her ears. Looking around, she tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from, before going to the right, closer to one of the massive towers.

She quickly saw what was going on, and it made her blush bright red. Apparently, the Nanza adults weren’t as concerned as she was when it came to having sex in public. A particularly brawny man had his pants down around his ankles, clearly enjoying a quickie with abuxom red head. The red head had her back to him, her dress off and shift shoved up at her waist, moaning in obvious pleasure.

The Time Senshi quickly moved away, giving them their privacy as she fought her own arousal. At the same time, a slight smile began to emerge on her face, and she started looking around for a man of her own… or woman.

Perhaps she could let go of a few inhibitions while she was here…




----




Serena giggled a little as she and Amy sat down next to the pillar closest to their friends, which was just out of earshot of the rest of them.“You know Ames, I think it's possible to train Darien to be agood boyfriend,” she mused. “I mean, it'll take some doing, but it can be done.”

Amy started giggling as well, as she remembered something the Moon Kingdom. “Serena, he's a human being, not a dog. I don't think he can be punished simply because he said something that we didn't want to hear. Exactly what would you do at this point. Deny him sex for a week?”

“Well... good point. See, you are so much smarter than me, and not just because you got brains.”

Amy sighed dramatically. “Yes, it's a terrible burden, to be blessed with such common sense. I must always struggle to use this power for good, not evil, lest I become like Sailor Pluto.”

At that moment, a tremendous, though muffled cry came out from behind them, catching their attention. Turning their heads as one, they took note of the structure before them.

“Was that... Pluto?” Amy asked curiously. “Is she in trouble?She didn't sound like she was in trouble.”

Serena laughed. “Actually, I think she's taking care of... some urges of hers. And people here on Lunar are actually quite... vigorous in dealing with... urges.” Her smile grew at Amy's suddenly reddening cheeks, and her surprised gaze. “When all you can do for a month is read, you learn quite a bit.”

Amy started laughing at that. Never did she think she would ever hear'Serena,' 'reading,' and 'books' all used in the same sentence... at least in this lifetime...




----




Realm 2, Moon Kingdom Three Years Before the End




“So, Serena,” Amy began as the two of them walked through one of the hallways towards the Throne Room, “how is the book you are reading?”

Serena smiled. “It's very good,” she replied, “and thank you for recommending it. Though to be fair, I never thought that you would read something like that.”

“It's a guilty pleasure of mine.” Amy blushed lightly as she said that. “Something I read when I'm feeling particularly... frisky.”

“I never thought I would hear that coming from you. You always seemed like you were in control of yourself.”

Amy grinned. “I'm still a human girl, and I still have needs. Needs I simply cannot ask any person to take care of.”

Serena had to laugh at that, knowing what she meant by that. Anyone who truly knew Amy knew that she was a closet prankster. Serena definitely knew this, cultivated it... for her own good, of course.

“So, how did the meeting with the Earth delegation go?” Amy asked after a minute. “And I mean the actual meeting, not the fifteen minutes afterwards with the Prince?”

Serena sighed. “Not good, Ames. Not good at all,” she replied sadly. “They've confirmed what we have already suspected; the Negaverse has been trying to break through the dimensional divide, and attack Earth.”

Amy stilled, completely stilled, as this piece of information was revealed. A cold feeling settled in her chest. An attack on Earth would put Queen Beryl's forces right on the Moon's doorstep. They would be able to attack with impunity, especially if their supreme master, the almighty Negaforce, was at full strength.

Serena, who was always observant of the Mercury Princess, quickly grabbed her hand. “Amy, it won't happen again,” she told her fervently. “Mother won't let it happen. We'll find a way to stop them. You won't lose your family again.”

She held Amy close for a while, and for that while, Amy let her.




----

Present Day, Lunar

Joe almost sagged in exasperation. "Good God, does Kyle hate us or something?"

"He probably does," Gomamon replied. "I mean, people who like us don't try to avoid us for whatever reason."

After they had handed their horses over to a grumbling Darien, Tai had assigned Joe over to Alex, wanting a Digi-Destined to help with the search for Kyle. Lilika had immediately joined with them as well, so as to give Luna Two some female company.

And at that moment, she looked at the blue haired woman in amusement."Then again, he could be drunk-"

"-just like any other man," Luna Two finished, smiling wickedly.

"Encouragement, girls. We boys need encouragement."

Alex laughed. "On your world maybe. Here on Lunar, getting drunk has become an art form. Most men, and some women, mind you, try to out drink each other for just the hell of it."

Gomamon smiled somewhat. "Must be reeeaaallly laid back here."

Nall laughed outright. "Yeah, you fit in perfectly!"

"You've got a good point," Gomamon conceded as they walked up the stairwell to the upper pylons.

"Excuse me!" Nall called out, the second they stepped outside of the North Tower. "Have you seen a man named Kyle?"

"Have I seen Kyle?" The man, middle aged, and with a bald spot, thought for a second on that question. "He was stumbling to the East Tower with a mug of ale the size of my head."

"Thank you. Let's go find him, Alex!" Luna Two exclaimed.

"And what are we?! Cannon fodder?" Joe asked.
"Maybe."

Gomamon chuckled. "You ask, you get answer."

Alex laughed outright. "Well, let's go to the East Tower, cannon fodder."

"Oh, you are sooooo much help." Lilika walked up next to Luna Two."Girl talk as we search?"

"Most definitely."

Nall looked at the boys, then at the girls, then at the boys again. "Makes you wonder what they're talking about," he mentioned.

"No, just worried," Joe stated.

"Everything worries you," Alex noted.

"I’ll ignore that."




----




"My friend Kyle was here," a little eight year old girl stated, grinning widely, "but he went to get some food 'cause he was hungry!" She looked thoughtful for a second as she concentrated."I bet he went to the cafeteria in the basement! That's where Igo to get ice cream!"

Lilika perked up. "They have ice cream? Young lady, you have made my day. Thank you!" With that, she stood up to her full height, and headed down the stairwell to where the others were waiting for her."Kyle is now down in the cafeteria, getting something to eat." She smiled, like a little child. "They also have ice cream," she added.

Gomamon grinned. "You like ice cream," he noted.

"Oh, yes."
Joe smiled as well. 'I'm friends with an ice cream lover. Very interesting.'

Lilika's head turned sharply. "Did you say something, Joe?"

"Um…no," Joe replied, confused.

"Oh."

Nall looked back and forth between them, before shaking his head. "Weird," he murmured to Alex.

Alex nodded. "You said it."

Joe pulled out his newly acquired D-Terminal, toggled it to short range speech, and activated it. "Tai, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Loud and clear," Tai replied./ "What ya got?"/

"Kyle moves more than a flock of geese. He's now in the cafeteria." Joe sighed. "Better tell everyone to get comfortable. This could take a while."

"Understood. I'll pass the message along. Tai out."




----




"This isn't a cafeteria, it's a mess hall!"

Nall's rather obvious statement hung in the air for a few minutes as the whole lot of them took in the large, cavernous room, complete with amassive kitchen, and over several dozen tables set up in rows. Of course, none of them bothered to tell him that mess hall and cafeteria were simply different words describing the same damn thing. That would simply extend the conversation beyond a healthy level.

Joe groaned. "This is going to be like finding a needle in ahaystack."

"A very large, very dangerous haystack," Alex added, knowing how dangerous drunken warriors could be.

Luna frowned a little at his observation. "Honestly," she exclaimed, "you'd think you were afraid or something!"

"Not afraid, worried. They are many, we are few."

Lilika frowned a little at that. "Fine. I'll ask." She headed into the cafeteria, head held high.

For a moment, silence reigned. "Well, Joe," Gomamon finally said, "If you ever have a relationship with her, you can be sure that it'll never be boring."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Her, too?"

"Shut it!"

"And Nall, don't you dare say anything!" Alex warned, noticing the little fur ball’s mouth opening.

"Rats."

Meanwhile, Lilika went to the first table, where several women were busy eating."Excuse me," Lilika said, waiting until one them looked up from her meal. "Could you tell me if Kyle is still here… anywhere?"

The young lady didn't even have to think about it. "He /was/here. What happened to Kyle today?" She shuddered. "He came in really angry…and /really /drunk!"

"Something about an argument with an old friend. Do you know where he went now?"

"I saw him stumble off to his bedroom after his twentieth drink…do you think he's all right?" she asked.

"Probably… not. Thank you." Lilika bowed, then turned on her heel, walking back over to them. "He's now in his bedroom," she reported wearily, "getting some much needed sleep."

Alex groaned. This search was just getting better and better with each passing moment. "Like we don't have enough problems! Where's the bedroom?"

"That way." Lilika pointed north to empathize her point.

"Well, let's get going." Alex marched off, with Nall, Joe, and Gomamon right on his heels.

Luna and Lilika looked at each other, then at their retreating forms."Men!" Lilika declared in exasperation.

"Yeah. But Joe's cute…in your opinion?" Lilika nodded. "Don't let Sora…or Mina know of this."

"Will do, ma'am." the stripe haired girl saluted. "But let's get going. Because I get the feeling that the boys might just kill Kyle while he's sleeping.

----

Alex began beating his head against the wall in frustration. "Why… can't… he… stay… in… one… place!" he ground out between head butts. There was just no way any one person could be so aggravating!

"Bad luck?" Gomamon suggested, rather unhelpfully. "I thought he went to sleep."

"He did go to sleep…right?" Luna asked the man standing nearby.

The man sighed in relief. "Kyle did fall asleep, thank the Goddess!When he gets drunk, he's completely out of control…so we lock him up in a jail cell until he dries out!" He wiped his brow."Pretty bad too, if you want my opinion."

"So Kyle's going to stay put. Good." Joe halted Alex's forehead before it went forward again. "Alex, you can stop beating the wall, now. Our chase is nearing its end, thankfully."

Alex rubbed his head. "It better be. Otherwise, Master Mel is going to have to find a new head of the Nanza Barrier, cause I'm going to put him in the hospital if he moves again!"

Luna and Lilika looked at each other, and made a simple pact without saying a word; they’d help him do just that.

Once more, they set off in search of the man named Kyle. Hopefully, for the last time.




----




Sora stared at the small card board, lost in thought. "Not bad," she finally said to Izzy. "I'll play…'Justice Knight' in attack mode." She looked at it for a moment. "Who in their right mind calls a card ‘Justice Knight?’”

Izzy grinned. "A card game creator," he replied. "I'm switching my 'Dark Mage' into defense mode, and then play the enhancement card 'Grant Shield.' It increases its defense points by two hundred points. I also play 'Lunar Guardian,' in attack mode."

Tai looked over Sora's shoulder. "Now, why'd ya do that?"

Izzy chuckled. "Well, Grant shield two hundred defense point increase now makes my Dark Mage strong enough to withstand any attack from her Justice Knight. And I put down my Lunar Guardian down because it equals the Justice Knight in both attack and defense power, effectively creating a stalemate." He looked at Sora. "Part of my overall strategy," he added matter of fact.

Mimi nodded. "And it's a good strategy too. However, I can see a very fatal flaw. Do you, Sora?"

"Um, there's a flaw?"

"Guess not."

Izzy sighed. "Well, if you find it, you'll know how to counter it."

"Oh."

Sora had decided that now was as good a time as any to learn how to play/Secar Triad/, considering the fact that it had been over an hour since Alex had gone in search of the Nanza leader. And she had challenged Izzy, thinking that he would be the perfect opponent to work with.

So far, she hadn’t had much success defeating the young man, leading her to believe that he was a far more proficient player than they had all been led to believe. Which sucked.

On the other hand, he was proving to be a great teacher. She had learned so much about the game over the last hour, and knew that she would learn more by the time the others got back.

----




Gomamon looked around in interest. "This place reminds me of the prison complex I saw in some strange looking fortress," he noted. "It was kind of built like a shoe, now that I think about it."

Alex turned to look at him, a sudden suspicion nagging at him. "Gomamon, why do you tell the rest of us things that we have no idea about?"

"To confuse you."

Lilika leaned over to Luna and Joe. "It's working," she whispered."I'm confused."

"So am I," Luna whispered back.

"Ditto." Joe stared at his Digimon partner. "And I've known him longer than you two have."

They headed over to the lone guard who was sitting in the area, looking bored out of his mind. "Excuse me!" Nall exclaimed in his usual manner. "But is you boss here… and wasted?"

The guard groaned as he straightened, his shaved head not even glistening in the torchlight. "My boss is most definitely wasted," he replied gloomily. "He is becoming this way every time he's speaking to Jessica." He looked at the cells. "I am wishing they would make up and start boxing their tonsils! Oh, yes!"

They all looked at each other. "Roughly translated," Joe stated,"Kyle is here."

"And he's not going anywhere," Alex added thankfully. "Good." He turned to the cells. "Which cell?"

Nall flew to the cell's fluttering from to the next in rapid succession. He stopped in front of the middle one, taking a look inside, and crunched his nose up in disgust. "It's this one…I think," he said, dropping a bit from the air.

"You think?" Alex came over, and took a peek. "You think." He took a step back. "Um, guys," he said, a sickened expression on his face, "We have found him." Everyone clustered around him to see.

In the jail cell, was quite possibly the most pitiful sight that any of them had ever seen in their entire lives. It was a man, at least several years older than Alex, lying on his side on the hard bunk with his head propped up, snoring and belching in a particularly sadistic fashion. A bubble, quite possibly moving in the same sadistic pattern, was growing from his exhales, becoming larger and larger with each passing moment.

Alex had the urge to throw up, and struggled to suppress it. "My Goddess," he whispered.

The bubble reached the breaking point, and promptly popped, the sound echoing in the small cell. And then, Kyle woke up, his head falling off his hand. He sat up, quite a feat for a man who was drunk off his ass.

Lilika and Luna quickly jumped out of sight of the man. They didn’t want to be seen by him for any reason.

"What a night!" he slurred, his eyes unfocused as he spoke to the far wall. "Kyle had himself another night of wine, women and song!Just between you and me, I think I had a little too much of the wine!" He burped rather loudly at that. "But the women didn't complain!"

And as suddenly as he regained consciousness, he promptly passed out, hitting the bunk hard.

Alex and the others backed away really fast, joining the two girls at their chosen spot. "That was… scary," Alex said, still green around the gills.

"I think 'pitiful' is the term I choose to describe him at this particular moment," Joe stated, throwing in his two cents.

Lilika opened her mouth to reply.

"You are being quiet, kids!"

In their collective nausea, they had forgotten about the guard, who had literally jumped out of his chair the moment they had started speaking, and was in front of them, looking absolutely terrified."Kyle is sleeping most calmly, and you are stoking him into furious anger!"

Nall looked at the guard, taking his gaze off of Kyle's prone form. "That sloppy drunk is the in charge of Nanza?" he asked in suspicion."So what's he doing drooling over the floor of this jail cell?"

The man turned to observe the prone form of his boss for a moment. "When Kyle is getting worked up, he is becoming most entirely berserk and uncontrollable. When he is having a disturbing battle with his old girlfriend, we are knowing what is coming." He sighed in pity."So," he continued, with another glance at Kyle, "we are encouraging him to drink most excessively, and throwing him into the brig." He shrugged. "It is being for the best, we are thinking."

Alex nodded, reluctantly seeing the twisted logic of it. "Guess even leaders have bad days, though if I'm reading between the lines correctly, these are very frequent."

Joe looked at him. "Define 'frequent' in your terms."

"At least once a week."

"You are being very correct."

The conversation would have continued, except for the fact that Kyle decided to make his presence known. "Waz gode on out dere?" he asked, slurring every word.

Luna shuddered. "Disgusting."

"Definitely," Lilika replied, averting her gaze.

The guard turned around, absolute terror on his face. "Kyle!" he exclaimed. "It is being nothing! Nothing at all! You are going back to sleep now!"

Kyle yawned, apparently liking the suggestion. "Ooooookaaay…sleepy." With that, he passed out once again.

Everyone sighed in relief. "That was being too close," the guard said.

"Definitely." Luna headed over to the exit. "I guess we'll have to wait…"

"Wait!I will make you a deal! If you are not disturbing Kyle again…I am ordering the guard to open the door most swiftly!" The peculiar man let them think about for about half a second. "I am suggesting that you accept my offer before I am throwing you into the cell with Kyle, and devouring the key!"

"Okay, okay! We'll go already!" Alex turned around. "Let's go before Kyle wakes up again, and we incur this guy’s wrath."

Joe agreed with him whole heartedly. After all, he didn't want to touch Kyle at that moment with a ten foot pole dipped with acid.

The guard waited until they had headed up the stairs, then brought his hands down to his feet. He pulled up…revealing Sere under avery unique cloak, designed to make her appear like anyone she chose to be. She sighed in relief. "Thank the moon. Geez, what I have to do to help them sometimes." She frowned. "Jessica just had to come today, didn't she? She couldn't have held off another day!" She turned around. "Okay, they're gone," she called out.

The actual guard appeared from underneath an invisibility cloak. "Good. Are you having to copy me most accurately? It is sounding most sad and pathetic coming from you, Lady Sere."

Sere chuckled. "Well, when you're desperate, you do what you can. And I find the way you talk to be amusing." She looked at Kyle."When he sobers up, tell him to find another way to relieve his stress, and to lay off his fees for a while. I would like to keep my traveling salesmen employed, ya know."

With that, she put the Invisibility Cloak on, and headed for the exit.




----




Pluto poked her head out furtively, taking in the surrounding area. Relieved to see that none of the others were there, she stepped out more fully, stretching her arms out. “Well, that was satisfying,” she said, turning around. “Thank you for the entertainment.”

A serving maid stepped into view, straightening her garments out so she looked somewhat presentable. “No problem,” she replied, sounding rather breathless. “And I thought the men had stamina.”

The Time Senshi shrugged, smiling. “I can go longer. That’s all. I have a lot of lost time to catch up on.” She made her way back to the tower, heading downward. She had a feeling that it was nearly time for them to head out again.

After all, how long did it take to find one man?”




---




Sora groaned, putting her cards down. "You're good, Izzy," she said. "How'd you get so good?"

Izzy chucked a finger in Mimi's direction. "I've been playing her. She's extremely talented in the game."

"Good to hear." Mina walked up. "Are you sure-?"

"Yes!" Izzy interrupted, burying his head in his hands. "My, god, why are you doing this?"

"They're bored." Jupiter was currently sending a glare in the giant guards direction, not even intimidated by his size. If it weren't for the fact that there were a large number of men around them, she probsbly would have pounced. "And Mina's always trying to put this person together with that person at any given point of time."

"Thank you for the information. It is most enlightening. Go bug Matt or something!" Izzy snapped at the Senshi of Love.

"Bug him about what?" Mina asked sweetly.

"About girls, or his hair! I don't care!"

Rini burst into giggles. "Talk to Matt about girls?"

"Better than bugging me about it!"

Alex and his group arrived at the tail end of their conversation, just as Pluto also reached them. "Leave the poor boy alone, Sailor Venus," the green eyed boy said. "We have gotten permission to travel to Lann, and I personally don't think that Serena would want you strangled."

Luna Two finished talking to the guard, who nodded, then opened the door."All right everyone," she said, gesturing. "Let's get Sailor Moon, and Mercury, and let's go!"

Agumon grinned as they began walking. "You see, Nash," he said smugly. "Not everything can be settled with simple aggression."

Nash growled, but there was nothing he could do. Agumon had upped him for once.

Still, it was annoying.




----




Serena looked at her communicator as it began beeping. “Looks like we've got permission from Kyle,” she said, flipping it open. “We're on our way.”

Amy stood up, brushing her skirt off. “Serena... do we tell the other girls about...?”

“Not yet... Idon't think any of us are ready for that conversation. I mean, they believed that the Kingdoms were all attacked at the same time. How do we tell them that that wasn't the case?” The Moon Princess hesitated. “How do we tell them the reason why our connection is so strong?”

The blunette could see the logic in that, but knew that they would eventually have to tell them everything.

But, how did you tell your best friends that your Kingdom had been destroyed... because they had been looking for you?




And here is Episode Fourteen. Sorry for the massive delay, but I've added additional back story that focuses on Serena and Amy. It probably feels disjointed, but it's been long enough. Also, my schedule at work has been all over the place. There are times when I simply don't have the mental strength to do any typing. I may rewrite this chapter at some point so it flows better... but that won't happen until I finish reposting Season One.