Gabumon woke up, groaning. His head ached. "Oh what happened?"

"You and the girl over there let the spires take over." Mimi looked down at Gabumon. Sora was still asleep.

"Oh sorry!" Gabumon was instantly ashamed. Neither Gabumon nor Sora had ever experienced the black spires at all before. "I didn't mean... I mean.."

"Boy you sure aren't what I expected for some high servant of Gamma. I expected a somewhat meaner, and better fighter." Mimi went over to Sora. "But now that you are awake we can get the hell out of here." Mimi grabbed Sora's shoulder. "Hey you, wake up!"

"Ohhh..." Sora was shook awake, but was rather groggy. Her stomach ached, from the blast she took. Sora began to stand up, Mimi helping her.

"First rule of the streets." Mimi started as Sora was fully upright. "Keep your cool. Second rule, never underestimate your opponent. Even a pink haired girl." Mimi smiled. "Though you did catch me off guard."

"Well, lookie what we have here." Gabumon and Mimi noticed for the first time two Garbagemon, servants of Gamma, staring at them.

"Look like Gabumon is betraying Gamma." The second foul smelling Garbagemon replied.

"Hey, if we kill them, we may get a promtion." The first Garbagemon smirked.

"Blue blaster!" Gabumon shot out a blast of dragon breath from his mouth. The first Garbage merely held out his garbage lid shield, blocking the attack. The second Garbagemon held his popcan cannon, and fired several rounds of rock hard sludge into Gabumon's stomach and face. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Sora hid behind Mimi as the two Garbagemon hopped forward. "Now that's over and done with…" The Garbagemon chuckled as they advanced on the girls. One grabbed Mimi's arm with surprising strength.

A blast of energy sailed from the heavens, connecting with the Garbagemon holding Mimi. It burst into atoms as it was destroyed. "Hey back off!" The second Garbagemon started firing into the air, but he didn't even come close to hitting the fast moving figure. "I'm trying to do a job here!"

"So am I!" Another blast of energy sailed down, and the Garbagemon disintegrated the same as the first. "Are you all right?" The figure asked as it landed it front of the girls.

"I guess so." Mimi replied to this strange new digimon. Something about this character seemed oddly familiar.

Sora was already bent over Gabumon, making sure he was all right. Gabumon groaned and weakly got to his feet and looked over the new arrival. The scent was strangely familiar. "Who are you?"

"Lillymon." Lillymon smiled at the three refugees. "I'll explain after I get you all to safety."



Lillymon, Gabumon, Sora and Mimi where hiding in a nearby apartment building she had led them to. Gamma's forces where returning from their phony search, so it was deemed too dangerous to travel. Lillymon assured them that they'd be safe for the time being. Sora and Mimi looked out the window from the third story as Gamma's forces converged back in the mansion.

Gabumon however was staring intently at Lillymon, her scent different yet oddly familiar. "Excuse me, um Lillymon?"

"Yes Gabumon?" Lillymon replied with a knowing smile.

(She knows my name?) Gabumon thought. He finally voiced the question he had been thinking. "Do I know you?"

"Well let me give you a hint. I used to be all green, a lot shorter, big flower on my head, and I knew you since you were Tsunomon." Lillymon answered.

"Palmon?" Gabumon choked out. "Is that your ultimate form? But how? We lost our digivices!"

(I have mine, hidden on me, given to me for my service as Epsilon, Council of Five member.) Lillymon thought to herself. "Years of practice" Lillymon lied. "Do you want to go somewhere were we can talk in private?"

Gabumon nodded weakly. He told Sora that he knew Lillymon, reassuring the two girls she was a friend. He needed to speak to her in private though, to get some things off his chest. Sora nodded in understanding agreement.

Lillymon flew ahead, up the stairs and into an old apartment. She sat down on a couch, and patted on the cushion next to her, inviting Gabumon to join her.

Gabumon jumped on to the couch, and sat. He was trying to organize his thoughts from all these events. He hadn't left Matt's mansion before, and now Palmon/Lillymon was back. "Where have you been all these years? We were so worried about you when you left, we afraid you might have even been…deleted."

"You shouldn't worry about me, I've done okay by myself." (As Epsilon.) Lillymon smiled to herself as she scooted closer to Gabumon. "I'm more worried about you, what were you doing at Gamma's?"

Gabumon placed his eyes in his hands. "My human, you remember my human? I found him, I found Matt, but he…changed. He wasn't the Matt I was supposed to meet, he was...is Gamma." Gabumon began sobbing as he unloaded on to Lillymon. "I knew what he was doing was wrong, but I had to protect him, serve him. The things I did…I'm sorry." Gabumon began sobbing hard. "You can't imagine what I've done."

"I don't need to." Lillymon placed her hand on Gabumon's shoulder. (I've done them to. You've should have stayed with Gamma, not a smart move on your part. Of course, none of my former friends are very swift.) "You've changed a lot since File Island Gabumon. You were always the one who believed more than all off us that our digidestined would one day show up. I miss that optimism, it was what I really admired about you."

"A lot of good that did me, finding my digidestined." Gabumon sighed. "Sometimes... I wish it was Sora who was my partner. She is kind and sweet. But sometimes I think Matt will realize what he is doing is wrong. I guess that I won't ever see that. Matt probably knows me and Sora left by now. But maybe we can at least find some peace. Living with Matt.... wasn't pleasent."

"Peace? In this world?" Gabumon looked up at Lillymon. "I mean, we digimon aren't exactly well loved. We're responsible for what happened to this world. Could you imagine what they would do to Sora if they found out that she was friends with a digimon?"

Gabumon stuttered, he had never thought about that. "We could hide in some place secluded…far away."

"And then what? No contact with anybody for the rest of your lives?" Lillymon removed her hand from Gabumon's shoulder. "And can you protect her from the Council of Five all by yourself?"

"I... I..." Gabumon slumped down the couch. "I don't know. I don't want to let Sora get hurt! She's my only friend." Gabumon wiped his eyes.

"She's not your only friend now." Lillymon ran a hand over Gabumon's eyes. (Could this get anymore syurpy?) Lillymon had to struggle to keep a straight face.

"Maybe I should go back to Matt. Beg his forgivness." Gabumon choked. "At least Sora would be safe."

"I don't what the best option for you is Gabumon." Lillymon sat back. "But I will help you through this." Lillymon suddenly jumped up. "Listen!"

"Huh?" Gabumon strained to hear, but couldn't pick up anything. "I don't hear anything."

Lillymon began to hover. "I thought I heard something on the roof." She flew out the door, and turned around briefly. "If I'm not back in ten minutes, get the hell out of here." And she flew off.

(That was odd. Palmon never swore back on File Island. She's changed a lot.) Gabumon sighed to himself. (I guess we've all changed, wherever we all are.)



Lillymon flew on to the roof, turning around once to make sure no one was following her. She smiled and sat down on an old air duct. From her blossom she produced two small black devices. She placed one in her ear hidden under her flower, and held the other to her mouth. "Calling Ladydevimon, Earth to Ladydevimon."

"Very funny Epsilon." Ladydevimon's voice echoed in her ear. "What have you to report?"

"I found the girls and the Gabumon right where Gamma's servants reported them to be. I had to delete two of Gamma's Garbagemon, they were following their own private agenda." Lillymon whispered into the microphone.

" I could care less about two foul smelling digimon." Ladydevimon's voice huffed and continued. "Mimi should be taking you back to Joe's Church, stay there. The rest of the digidestined team should be joining you shortly."

"What about that Veemon?" Lillymon asked. "He knows about me and it would be such a shame to delete such a cute digimon."

"You must give me some credit, Epsilon." Ladydevimon replied. "You know all my plans are flawless and with every possible contingency in consideration, don't you? I did take over the Earth and digital world, remember? I've take liberties to make sure that Veemon remembers what I want him to remember. My spy in Veemon's little group tells me that he thinks you're Jun."

"Ple-ee-easeee…" Lillymon announced. "That spiked hair girl? I'm insulted! She's not even a good cook, let alone a good Epsilon."

"Don't worry, soon this will all be over." Ladydevimon's voice laughed in Lillymon's ear. "And then absolute power will belong to us."