204(Cue Cascade by Tycho)
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Farewell, My Friend
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It has been a month removed since the life changing, climactic battle against Zeed X. An entire omniverse's fate was determined and in the end, the heroes' great enemy was defeated.
However, unlike previous victories, this one felt hollow.
It was a pyrrhic victory.
Before his demise and on his way to the Source, Zeed X cursed their entire universe after making contact with the Galaxy Cauldron. His ultimate wish was fulfilled, cursing the YYGDM dimension into an 'apex' dimension, which has been largely been split off from the hydra alliance known as the Trinity. The other dimensions, DF-616 and XLR-8, have split off to pick up their own pieces.
Dimension YYGDM-01 has been left isolated and with an uncertain future ahead for them. Granted, there were a few loose ends, such as Sailor Orcus' recent turn to a rogue vigilante, a rise in Defiant activities conforming to Cain Bearer's hostile views, the Yami Houou's recent activities building up a faction, and anti-Demon fanatics coming out of the shadows to oppose Spirit World's complacency with allowing Makai demons to freely roam the Earth.
The heroes have never been more uncertain than ever before.
In the end, Zeed X got the final laugh over his conquerors.
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Time Gates/June 23, 2012
"So, whatever Zeed X has done to our dimension can't be undone?" Sailor Pluto addressed Cosmos, who summoned her for a crucial meeting.
Cosmos confirmed her fears. "Yes, he made certain of it after tampering with the Cauldron. While our universe is safe, it will not be the same again."
"Have our other allies' worlds suffered the same curse?"
"No."
Sighing deeply, Pluto shut her eyes. "I understand. Perhaps it's better for us than them."
"Even still, you are to continue carrying out your duties."
"Yes, but what about the new conflict happening on our Earth? A new wave of tensions from individuals calling themselves Defiants may pose an issue for our morale."
Cosmos replied. "It's an issue you and the others will have to figure out on your own."
Pluto expected this answer and wasn't fond of it. "I see. Then, we will find a solution to resolve these differences, but I fear this will be a bigger uphill battle than with Zeed X."
"How so?"
The Time Guardian answered with a steely gaze. "Humans are a complex species. With the way their minds are wired, it'll be hard to convince those who've decided to listen to an extremist such as Cain Bearer. This man has single handedly started a movement against superpowered people. Metas are being collected and subjected to confinement. And with Cain souring the heroes' reputations, it's only a matter of time when we're forced to face these Defiants. I just hope it never comes down to that."
Listening to Pluto's grievances, Cosmos' features conveyed a look of sadness. "Sadly, we cannot change the minds of those who've ultimately decided their own fates."
"But, Sailor Moon. The Tamers. The others…"
"Cannot change everyone's minds. Usagi wouldn't want to impose her will on anyone who doesn't see situations her way. When it comes time for Crystal Tokyo to rise, Usagi must decide whether it's fit to stay in a changing world or to encapsulate herself and others in an unchanging stasis. Is that what you'd want?"
"I don't know," Pluto tightened her grip over her staff. "I've made amends with Memoria. Charon ceases to be. I've found my true love in John Smith. Beyond being Time Guardian, what else is there for me? A family perhaps."
"Doing so, you'd have to give up being a Time Guardian."
"Yes, and I understand the sacrifices I'd have to make."
"Until then, you still have your duties to fulfill."
Bowing, Pluto turned away and faced her Caucasian man garbed in a dark gray striped suit. Waiting for her to finish her audience with Cosmos, he extended a hand to his official partner.
"Shall we, my queen of time?"
Pluto reached out and smiled. "Let's get out of here, my love."
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Spirit World
King Koenma discussed the recent anti-Demon fanatical activities to the Spirit Detectives.
"So, are we clear?" Koenma addressed Yusuke and his colleagues.
"Yeah, yeah, a bunch of assholes giving problems to demons and demon sympathizers," nonchalantly answered Yusuke.
"Remember, you have to handle this situation differently since these people are still human," Botan lectured him and the other Detectives.
"That means you can't kill any of them, shorty!" Kuwabara pointed to Hiei, who averted his gaze from the 'fool' chiding him right now.
"We'll treat these cases like we did with Sensui's psychics," Kurama said.
"Hopefully without you going off the deep end like what happened with Game Master," Koenma reminded the fox demon.
"As long as we still have Yui and her friends helping us, we'll make sure relations don't go straight to hell. Even the Makai demons got our backs," Yusuke reassured the Spirit King.
Koenma nodded. "I hope you're right, Yusuke."
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Outside Kaiba Corp/Domino City/5:03 PM
"So, you and Pegasus have an upcoming case with that Cain Bearer guy, Kaiba?" Yugi asked his long time, former rival.
"The blowhard wants to blame Duel Monsters for those injuries those Paradais duelists inflicted on innocent duelists a few years ago," Kaiba replied with Lyn behind him holding their daughter, Kisara.
"He's got nothing on you, honey. Too bad I can't wring his neck by myself!" Lyn added with frustration in her tone.
"Easy. We wouldn't want any more lawsuits than what I'm already getting," Kaiba calmed his wife's anger.
"We wanted to tell ya we're all here in y'alls support," Joey said. "Kaiba, look. I know we had our differences…"
"Thank you, Wheeler," he nodded.
Téa smiled. "I can't wait to see that Cain eat crow in court."
"You speak for all of us," Tristan concurred.
"Win this like you would any duel, my friend," Yugi said as he and Kaiba shook hands, signifying a heated rivalry long since put behind them.
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Shibuya District (渋谷区)/5:30 PM
Reuniting for the first time since the last battle, the original six Legendary Warriors walked down the streets. Along the way, they entered an underground train station. The very same one Takuya and the others used to take them to the Trailmon station.
"Doesn't this take you back, guys?" Takuya asked his crew, taking out his D-Scanner. "It's been a long unwinding journey for us."
"Nearly 10 years plus," Kouji added.
"After that Zeed X deal, you think we're at the end of our road?" Junpei wondered.
"Who knows," Izumi sighed. "But, as long as we have each other."
Tomoki folded his arms. "In the meantime, there's those Defiant jerks causing trouble. I hope we don't stay on the sidelines too long."
Kouichi advised everyone. "We're going to need to approach this delicate situation with caution, my friends."
"We will, brother," Kouji replied.
"But, don't think for a minute the Legendary Warriors are done yet," Takuya said with resolve on his face.
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Hikawa Shrine/Azabu-Jūban District (麻布十番)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/6:45 PM
"Sorry, we're late, guys!" Usagi called out as she, Mamoru, Usa, Chibiusa, and Luna arrived to meet with the other Sailor Senshi.
"You're almost always late," scoffed Rei, who walked up and hugged Usagi. "How are you feeling?"
"Physically well, but that last battle with Zeed X and these Defiants have been emotionally draining for me," Usagi replied.
"It's been emotionally draining for the rest of us, too," Minako added. "But, I've been managing to cope."
"The fact we even survived Zeed X was a miracle," Makoto said, sitting down next to Ami.
"The probability of our survival was one in a million," Ami revealed their statistical chances from the omniversal battle.
"That's our luck," Mamoru said.
"By the way, where are Haruka and the others?" Usagi asked Hotaru as she noticed the absence of Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna.
"They'll be here soon," Hotaru confirmed as she walked up to Usa. "I'm glad you can make it, old friend." She then looked down and patted Chibiusa's head. "And you, too, little one."
"I knew coming back here was a good idea," Usa smiled and hugged Hotaru.
"Have any of you heard from Kuipers?" Usagi related this to the group.
"Last I checked, they're still looking for Orcus," Minako verified.
"I can't believe she just went and left the way she did," Makoto conveyed her disdain for Sailor Orcus' recent fallout. "You just don't go and leave your friends like that."
"After her father learned of his daughter's identity from an outside source, he revealed Christina's identity to the world out of pettiness," Minako said. "But, still you're right. Orcus shouldn't have given up the way she did. The fact, she's turned into a rogue vigilante is not a good outlook for anyone. It especially paints us in a negative light."
Rei concurred. "Between that and the Yami Houou possessing my father, it's been emotional distress for us. Now there's evil clones of us out there biding their time to take us out at any time of their choosing. I don't blame Usagi for being stressed the way she is."
"It's ironic. You girls and many other heroes helped stop Zeed X, but it doesn't feel like we've truly won," Artemis said, eyeing at each Senshi worryingly
"I feel we're about to enter an unpredictable and volatile period, Artemis," Luna sighed. "I just hope we can see Crystal Tokyo before it's too late. Right, Usagi?"
However, Usagi was silent. She reflected back on Zeed X's scathing criticisms about their heroism.
"While your universe is full of idealistic views, dimension YYGDM-01, you refuse to move forward. Your dimension props itself up as some grandiose, 'perfect' world and considers yourselves to be better than other dimensions, including dimension DF-616. Does your world ever face real life hardships? Your dimension refuses to truly move forward and it clings to its nostalgia goggles, seeing itself as the grandiose, pretentious superior universe attempting to impress people, but failing to embrace actual changes akin to real-life… YYGDM is a victim of its own success...will you refuse to move forward with a new life and retain your nostalgic hopes for Crystal Tokyo's inevitable rise? You're doing yourself a great disservice by staying the course and you see your own fantasy monarchy become a reality. All of you would best forget about Crystal Tokyo, but I know I can't change your minds."
"Usako?" Mamoru whispered to his wife, expressing his concern for her.
"Usagi?" Rei queried to her.
"I don't know…" Usagi closed her eyes. "But, I do know if I turn into Cosmos twice more, it'll be the end of me."
As Usagi said this, it silenced everyone.
Opening up her brooch, Usagi gazed over the Silver Crystal.
"Usagi, it'll be ok," Usa approached her mother's present self.
"I wish I could say the same thing, but just know if anything happens to me…"
"Nothing is going to happen to you!" Usa cried out.
"Please…"
Clenching her hands, Usa wiped tears from her eyes. "Ok, but please make sure little me is taken care."
"I will," Usagi said, scooping Chibiusa up into her arms.
"As for Orcus, if the Kuipers can't do anything about her, then I'll deal with her my way. I'll be the one that sets her straight!" Minako resolved to teach her Kuiper counterpart a lesson.
"Let's all hope for the best and weather this coming series of erratic storms," Rei advised everyone.
"Me, too, Rei," Usagi nodded.
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Not too far off from the shrine, Haruka and Michiru stared off at the sun starting to set. They met each other's gaze and held hands, vowing to prepare for the series of turbulent events.
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Karin and Dimitri's Condo/Azabu-Jūban District (麻布十番)/Minato, Tokyo (港区, 東京)/6:56 PM
The Kuipers, minus Orcus, gathered for some downtime. There was discussion about Orcus, but Karin suggested keeping such talk on the down low until they hear more of 'Sailor O's' latest activities.
Athena and Rosa walked out on the balcony.
"Athena, you two please get back inside," Karin asked before Dimitri stopped her.
"Let them. They were probably getting bored hearing us talk," he said.
Closing the balcony door, Athena turned to her friend. "Are you going to be ok?"
"Kinda. I hope mom can come out and see me. I don't like that she's been avoiding us."
"Me either. Between uncle Ken asleep and now Christina gone on her own, it hasn't been the same."
Rosa grabbed Athena's hands. "But, we have each other, don't we?"
"Yeah!"
Elsewhere, a dark masked figure with long blonde hair watched the kids and the Kuipers from afar. An emotionless glare adorned her face. Not even Rosa's presence got her to come out of hiding.
Biting her bottom lip, Sailor O seemed to give in to the temptation to see her former friends and her future daughter. Then, images of her father, Michael Denton, crossed her mind, causing the life in her eyes to leave her. For a moment, Sailor Orcus seemed ready to return, but Sailor O confined her into an emotional bottle.
"No, my mind has been made up," Sailor O coldly muttered, vanishing out of thin air.
Rosa suddenly sensed a presence. "Oh…?"
"What is it, Rosa?"
"I thought… for a second, mom…" Rosa shook her head. "Or, maybe I felt something else."
"You almost scared me."
Just then, Karin and the Kuipers walked out to meet the girls.
"Is everything ok out here?" Taylor asked the two.
"Yeah, we're ok," Athena replied.
"Seems like Rosa looked down about something," Tyra noticed.
"Just that she misses Christina," Athena sighed.
The mention of their former friend silenced the Kuipers.
"Sh… She's gone away for a while," Karin sighed. "One day, she'll come back to us." She clasped her hands and stared at the sky. "That's my wish anyway." And my wish is for Christina to come to her senses and drop this Sailor O charade.
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Shinjuku Park (新宿公園)/Shinjuku, Tokyo (新宿区, 東京)/7:06 PM
Facing the sunset, the main three Tamers and their partners mulled over their uncertain futures.
Takato & Guilmon, Rika & Renamon, and Henry & Terriermon heard footsteps behind them. It was Himura & Inumon accompanied by Kotori, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta, Philippe, Suzie, and their partner Digimon.
"Is this all of us?" Henry asked the group.
"Kotori, I'm surprised you're here," Takato noticed her. "Shouldn't you be with the Valkyries?"
"Nah, they're all doing their own thing," Kotori replied.
"Yeah, and Sasha said she's on her way here," Philippe confirmed.
"It's hard to believe it's been a whole month since that Zeed X battle," Himura reminded the other Tamers.
"I still can't believe y'all survived that whole ordeal!" Kenta said. "I'm so glad some of us stayed behind."
"Hey, where's Adora, Kenta?" Kotori asked him.
Answering her question, Kenta pointed to the former evil Valkyrie poking her head behind a tree and sneering at them.
"Yeah, good to see you, too, Adora," Kotori replied with a smug grin.
As soon as Sasha arrived, the group faced the direction where the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building stood.
"Has it really been 10 years since we first became Digimon Tamers?" Takato said, taking out his D-Ark. The other Tamers took out theirs as well.
"And we've been through a lot, haven't we?" Guilmon asked.
"Too long, but I'm not complaining," Rika added with a smirk.
"So, after we helped save the omniverse, where do we go from here?" Terriermon wondered.
"Who knows? With these Defiants causing trouble, could we end up opposing some of the same people we've protected for so long?" Henry speculated on their next opposition.
"But, if we're going to fight humans, situations will have to be handled with extreme caution," Renamon said.
"Some of the same humans we protected may now fear us?" Betamon asked Kotori.
"They're not going to fear you. They better not stir trouble with us," Kotori said. "That's just more trouble for me and Himura since we're police officers now."
Inumon turned to Himura. "That's going to be a headache to deal with."
Himura sighed. "Tell me about it."
Patting Guilmon's head, Takato looked to the sky and watched the sun fully set. "Who knows what the future will bring for us, but for tonight, the sun has set until another tomorrow comes."
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Hi, readers.
If this brief entry didn't get the message across properly, then let me be the first to say it. For those who've followed this crazy multi-crossover series for the better 15+ years, then let me the first to say: it's over… for the most part. I'll get to that in a bit.
Over time, I've given YuYuGiDigiMoon a lot of my dedicated free time, which could've been spent on some other leisure things. Granted, that's not to say I haven't committed to other leisure things, but this series has occupied a part of my life. Many of life's obstacles have tried to keep me from seeing this series through to the very end.
Perhaps, I created a world too big and dense to oversee, but with the partners that willingly stuck with me and lent me their creative talents, I was able to stay the course and see many of YuYuGiDigiMoon's entries finish. I didn't want to be another one of those fanfic authors who ultimately never finished their stories. I've canceled stories willingly (see Witchblade Sakura and other long deleted stories in the years past). However, YuYuGiDigiMoon is different, because it's stuck with me this long. It became part of my creative identity. And I've wrapped up every story, except the finale yet to be written.
Lately, my creative energy for YYGDM dwindled since the end of Cross Generations. My creative muse for YYGDM hasn't been there. Even my former beta reader, LazerWulf, has stepped down due to burnouts and personal matters. None of these disputes have anything to do with us personally. It was a mutual decision.
Ironically enough, the last pure YYGDM chapter I've written is the Gaiden chapter preceding this one. Although Cross Generations was a collaboration between YYGDM, Digimon Fusion Kai/Ascendancy, and other universes, the YYGDM universe still played a big part against the likes of Sailor Specter, the Black Ascendants/Zamasmon, Rebellious Homura, and the final boss Zeed X.
What I'm trying to say is after some careful thinking over the past year and with the recent end of long-running fan projects (Team Four Star's Dragon Ball Z Abridged comes to mind), I've spent the last year recovering from creative burnout. That would be my lack of YYGDM-related updates. Well, I'm here to give my official statement:
With the exception of the impending series finale Wrath of the Defiants, every other YYGDM entry has been effectively canceled.
Having made headway into my first novel (which I'm calling 'Advent' for now) and started on a Persona 5/Code Vein fan project called Akane no Mai, I've fallen out of favor with YYGDM. So much so, I haven't even written anything for Defiants. Zero content over the past year. Defiants was intended for a 2019 release, but as you can surmise nothing was fulfilled.
Gaiden - As of this update, it's finished. I will not write any more entries. There were a few entries left I considered writing, but I felt they weren't worth the time.
The Crystal Age - Canned. This was intended to be a separate series epilogue saga, but will instead be partially incorporated into the Defiants story as a bookend.
Prelude of the Defiants - As a separate entry, it's canceled. Instead, this prelude story will be incorporated into Wrath as a series of recaps leading into the main conflict.
Wrath of the Defiants - Quite frankly, this one is all that needs to be told story-wise. It's the heroes meeting their next big threat: the civilians they've protected turning against them based on a man's personal and political vendetta against superpowered beings. With recent developments relating to my Advent novel and Akane no Mai, this story won't see a release for a while. I can't give an exact release, but likely when I'm halfway through AnM and finish my novel's first draft. Moreover, updates for Defiants will be slower than usual. Originally, I discussed with Lazer that Defiant's format being a seasonal one (i.e. Pharaohmon, Rajita, Dawn of Chaos). However, after DoC and Cross Generations, I didn't want another long season format. Instead, I opted for a movie fic format, which Lazer and I seemed to agree on. Now with the recent happenings with my creative life, I am looking to possibly lessening some workload. I'm considering pre-writing crucial scenes long before Wrath is ever released, but who knows when I'll get to those.
And to get this out there. While not a YYGDM story, this story did feature characters from the series:
Digimon Fusion Ascendancy - There's still a few tales to be told here. For the moment, any continuation will be on hold until I make headway with my Advent novel and get halfway done with Akane no Mai. When it returns, it'll probably be 2021 or whenever Dragon Ball Super returns. I do know I want to adapt the DBS: Broly movie and possibly Tournament of Power. A Moro adaptation is still up in air. Anything else will be original stories and one-shots. Ascendancy is more likely to return sooner than Defiants tbh. If I don't write anything else, at least I wrote a worthy epilogue for Digimon Fusion Kai/Ascendancy in Cross Generation's final chapter. Anything beyond that is simply filling in gaps between Zeed X's demise and DFK's 40-year timeskip epilogue.
Perhaps having spent time away from YYGDM for over a year changed my perspective. With the recent decision to shift my focus toward original content and a refreshing fan project, I won't have dedicated time to create new YYGDM content. Cross Generations for me, and I'd also make a case for Dawn of Chaos, felt like a finality. I felt that it was a series high that can't be topped. While not every plot point has been resolved, I feel the majority of them have for YYGDM. More importantly, how do you top someone like Zeed X?
Zeed X was essentially the apex villain and threatened an omniverse. It took a combination of YYGDM, DFK, and various characters from other worlds to fight him. The YYGDM heroes got their power-ups for the final fight. Zeed X gave the YYGDM cast quite a lecture about being 'an end all be all, grandiose, and perfect universe' that considers itself an elite compared to the other universes. He affected the characters physically and emotionally.
With Defiants, it'd be a 'back to basics' and the story becomes more grounded. However, CG's ending felt like a culmination. Anything after it would just be an extended epilogue. And quite frankly, does Defiants deserve to be an epilogue? Who knows?
In the end, Defiants may ultimately end up being a few chapters full of summarized events and just a handful of written dialogue scenes. Essentially, you're looking at a few OVA-styled chapters. While I'm not at a 'wits end with creativity' like TFS ultimately did for DBZA, I feel like it's time to close the door on all but one project. I don't want to be burdened with YYGDM forever. I also don't want this to run too long like The Simpsons, One Piece (anime version), Naruto/Boruto, and the ilk already have.
YYGDM has been a blessing but a curse at the same time, but I'll fondly look back on it. The old stories will remain on this site and will expand into other sites like AO3. But as far as new stories go: that's it until Defiants is ready to go for closure. And even that may be a long wait.
After 15+ years, this is the final update until the sun rises for Defiants. I'm happy to have shared these wonderful stories with you and I hope they left y'all with some great memories. For those who've long supported and read my YYGDM series, thank you. To my collaborators who've been on this journey with me, I couldn't have done it without you. This passion project was a great creative endeavor. If anyone new is reading this, you have a wealth of stories to read and reflect back on in this new decade.
I hate to disappoint especially with one story arc left, but this has to be done. It's time to say 'farewell for now' to this passion project.
Until the light shines again on YYGDM, enjoy the rest of your lives. Take care of yourselves and each other.
So long… partner. - Woody, Toy Story 3.
Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you. - Neo, The Matrix.
Bang. - Spike Spiegel, Cowboy Bebop.
(End theme)