A/N: Sorry for the short chapter this time, but it features Beelzemon at least! That should make up for it, right?

Beelzemon sat on top of the building Astamon had stood mere moments ago, looking down at the city. "…to be back in this city, doing what I'm doing…Ai, Mako…I'm sure they wouldn't be proud of me," Beelzemon said with a sigh. "But if they knew why I was here, they might understand…"

"Lamenting upon the good old days?" Witchmon asked from behind Beelzemon, flying on her broom, startling the Mega.

"I've told you before, Witchmon; don't sneak up on me like that!" Beelzemon said.

"Sorry, handsome; thought maybe I could cheer you up a bit," Witchmon said. "…Were you…thinking of your human partners?"

"Shouldn't you be searching for that Yuggoth thing right now?"

"Everyone else in this army is searching for it and Shibumi; I'm sure they'll be fine without a klutz like me for a little while," Witchmon said, landing next to Beelzemon.

"How'd you know I had human partners?" Beelzemon asked.

"I asked around. From what I heard, they used to live in this very city. Why would you come here and tear this place up?"

"You said it yourself; they used to live here. If they still lived here still, I'd already be fighting against Astamon."

"Ooh, that sounds treasonous!" Witchmon said with interest.

"So, what are you going to do about it? You going to tell Astamon on me?" Beelzemon asked.

"I'd never do that to you; you saved my life, remember?"

"…I'd never forget the day I met you, Witchmon."

"So, why are you here?" Witchmon asked. "You don't sound like the type of Digimon who'd follow the orders of a Digimon like Astamon for no reason."

"You're quite perceptive…you're right, I do have a reason," Beelzemon said sadly, looking up at the sky.

"Well? Are you going to tell me?"

"…It's my friends. Astamon has them trapped in his castle, and he's threatened to kill them if I didn't come with him. Actually, he had originally captured me along with the others, but he allowed me to come with him, 'cuz he knew I'd be the most willing to go along with his plan. He also told me that Ai and Mako had moved out of this city, giving me more reason to go along with his plan."

"…You do realize that Astamon was probably lying to you, don't you?" Witchmon asked suspiciously."

"Yeah, I guess so, but I can't really take the risk; if I'm responsible for the death of anyone else, my partners, they'd…if they ever found out, I'm sure they'd hate me…"

"Nonsense! A human partner could never hate their Digimon, especially a Digimon as kind as you!" Witchmon said.

"Kind? Heh…lady, if you only knew what I've done in my past…"

"I don't need to know, and it doesn't matter if your partners do or not! Even if they did know, I'm sure they'd still love you as much as you love them! You…do love them, don't you?" Witchmon asked.

"…Of course I do. Those two are like family to me. Up until I met them, the only living thing I could tolerate was my own selfish ass. Of course, they were pretty young when I first met them, and they argued with each other constantly up until I abandoned them, but they…they welcomed me back as soon as I found them again…"

"If you care about them that much, why don't you find them and fight against Astamon?"

"I can't do that! My friends will get killed if I betray him in the slightest!" Beelzemon shouted.

"You have other friends here in this city, don't you?" Witchmon asked. "What if one of them gets hurt because of you?"

"You talk too much," Beelzemon said with a sigh, standing up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To do my job, which you should also consider doing for once," Beelzemon snapped as he left the top of the building.

"Beelzemon…if you save a friend's life at the cost of killing another friend, what will you have accomplished?" Witchmon lamented as she flew away.