Wind whistled in his ears. He realized he was falling just before his body hit the water. The force of the hit sent water spraying up into the air. For a few moments he was left dazed, everything around him becoming a blur. It was the sound of a fearsome roar that brought him back into awareness. He shifted in order to swim towards the ice above. With a gasp he broke the surface, hands grasping at the frozen mass while he tried to dig his claws in to keep himself from slipping. While he hefted himself onto the ice, he glanced over his shoulder at the furious sea serpent behind him. Despite his efforts to calm his breathing, Leomon's fur stood on end as he stared.

Seadramon's head swung around. His eyes locked onto Leomon. Clumsily pushing himself to his feet, the lion sprinted away in time to avoid the tail that came swinging down.

"Quit moving, you little pest!" Seadramon snapped.

Leomon ducked, watching the tail above him move past. Seadramon let out a frustrated grunt as he brought his tail back around as quickly as he could. Though he attempted to get back to a standing position, Leomon was unable to avoid having Seadramon's tail slam into his back. He shouted in pain, gripping at the snow covered ice. The tail then came down repeatedly, pummeling even as the ice underneath him began to crack. When it stopped, Leomon was barely able to move. Laughter echoed around him. Gritting his teeth, Leomon's body shook from the effort of trying to push himself up.

"All those stories about your strength are nothing but fairy tales," Seadramon declared. "How foolish of you to sacrifice yourself for humans and the pets they claim are Digimon."

Clenching his hands into fists, Leomon tried to push away the fear gnawing at him. Seadramon raised his tail in preparation in smash the lion. Not once had he ever imagined he would die such a lowly death, especially at the hands of a Digimon such as Seadramon. His thoughts drifted to the DigiDestined and the allies he had left behind. He had failed all of them.

A voice calling his name in concern rang out.

Leomon raised his head to see a fireball explode upon hitting Seadramon. Wheeling around, Seadramon was met with a red blur. His was caught by surprise by an attack that made his head snap to the side. When the figure landed, Leomon gaped. The red Digimon in front of him looked back with a cheeky grin and gave him a thumbs up. Another Digimon appeared from the air and swung the pair of energy blades he held in his hands. The weapons cut through Seadramon's tail, slicing off a sizable portion. The white and blue humanoid dropped to the ground beside his partner. He turned to examine the lion.

"Agunimon. Lobomon," Leomon mumbled. "How did you two find me?"

Lobomon sneered. "It wasn't as if it was hard considering how loudly that snake was hissing."

"Plus you have a rather distinctive roar!" Agunimon added with a loud bark of laughter. He then waved his hand at Leomon. "Rest for a bit. We'll finish this guy off. You ready, Lobomon?"

The swordsman grunted in affirmation.

"You think you measly insects can defeat me?" Seadramon snarled.

Agunimon glanced at his friend with an amused look. "We made the snake made."

"Good," Lobomon said.

The duo prepared themselves by crouching and then leapt into the air. The fiery fighter drove his heel into Seadramon's forehead and followed the attack by spinning around to deliver a flaming kick to the side of Seadramon's head. As he landed, Lobomon drove one of his blades into Seadramon's chest to use as a handhold while he slashed at the sea serpent with his other sword. The serpentine beast flung himself around in an attempt to shake Lobomon off, only for Agunimon to use the brief lapse of concentration to jump back up and punch Seadramon in the jaw. The two landed beside each other again and shared a glance.

"How much more do you think he can take?" Agunimon asked.

"Not much," Lobomon answered.

Agunimon grinned once again. "Ready… Set… Go!"

Dashing forward, Agunimon rushed at Seadramon. When Seadramon attempted to attack him, Agunimon dodged by jumping up and punched Seadramon in the stomach. While Agunimon drew the attention of Seadramon, Lobomon used his swords to launch blasts of light. The light burst against Seadramon, causing him to sway to the side. Agunimon dropped down for only a moment before leaping upwards.

"Pyro Tornado!"

"Lobo Kendo!"

They timed the two attacks to hit at the same time, Lobomon's swords slicing Seadramon in half while Agunimon delivered a devastating flaming kick.

Both landed in front of Leomon, choosing to ignore the Digimon that was disintegrating behind them. Elbowing his partner in the side, Agunimon motioned to the lion with a nod of his head. Lobomon pushed him aside so he could help Leomon get to his feet.

"You know, I would've thought he'd be more of a challenge," Agunimon said. "He barely even put up a fight. How did he beat you?"

Still partially bent over to the exhaustion he felt, Leomon looked at Agunimon with slight annoyance. "The past few weeks have begun to take their toll."

"Uh…" Agunimon looked away as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. I didn't…" He trailed off with a sheepish smile on his face.

"None of that matters. Where are the DigiDestined?" Lobomon asked.

Leomon closed his eyes and then looked at them. "Gone." The worried expressions on their faces prompted him to elaborate. "They were separated when Seadramon and Airdramon attacked. I have no idea where they are now."

Agunimon winced. "That's not good."

"Thank you for your help, but I have to find them."

"You can't," Lobomon said.

Leomon stared. "What?"

"Harpymon has called a meeting. I am sure the DigiDestined will be fine. Right now there are other things we have must worry about."

"Whoa, Lobomon! Wait a sec," Agunimon said in objection. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think? If something happens to them, then everything will be—"

"It isn't wise to underestimate them. Besides, even if we were to go searching, it would be inefficient to do so with only three of us and no clue as to where they are. It's for the best if we report back to Harpymon and have scouts sent out."

Agunimon groaned. "I hate it when you're right!"

"Must you act so immature?"

"Do you have to be such a smartass?"

"Agunimon…"

They two began to lean closer to each other with the clear intention to start fighting.

"If we're going to the headquarters then we had best be on our way," Leomon said, interrupting them.

Agunimon straightened while Lobomon cleared his throat. "Right. Call Aquilamon and Thunderbirmon back."

Rolling his eyes, Lobomon put his fingers to his lips and whistled. The bird Digimon, one red and the other blue, came swooping down shortly after. The red bird gazed at Leomon with mild surprise, but neither of the flyers said anything. While Agunimon helped Leomon climb onto Aquilamon's back, Lobomon gave the two a quick rundown of the situation. Once they understood, he turned his focus back to Leomon.

"Will you be able riding alone?" he asked.

"Yes," Leomon answered. His ear twitched.

Agunimon snorted in an attempt to keep from laughing. "To be fair, you're about as heavy as the two of us combined because of all that muscle of yours."

Leomon, unamused, muttered, "Of course," under his breath.

Lobomon had already climbed onto Thunderbirmon when he said, "Agunimon."

Agunimon's grumbling as he joined Lobomon earned a bemused look from Thunderbirmon. With a hand signal from Lobomon, the two birds took to the sky.

~0~

The massive castle that acted as the base of the Resistance was a breathtaking sight to behold. The closer the group got to it, the louder the roaring of the waterfall could be heard. The two birds swooped down towards the island once directly overhead, landing in front of a pair of giant wooden doors. Agunimon hopped down to the ground. He stretched his arms out and walked up to Aquilamon to help Leomon down. Lobomon slid off Thunderbirmon's back and approached the gate. Raising his head, he squinted his eyes and looked around until he spotted who he was searching for. He put his hands on his hips.

"Knightmon, open the gate!"

Not having noticed their arrival, the knight turned around. There was a bit of surprise when he said, "Ah, Sir Lobomon! Welcome back! The doors will be opened right away."

He's almost as bad as Agunimon, Lobomon thought sourly as he scrunched up his face. How one who follows the code of "chivalry" can act like such a child at times is beyond me. He shook his head.

The gate was slow to open. Agunimon, with Leomon leaning against him, stopped beside Lobomon.

"…And then he gets mad at him!" Agunimon said dramatically, clearly not caring that Lobomon was able to hear him. "I looked at him and said, 'Are you kidding? It was an accident!' Then he just glares at me and says, 'You did it on purpose.' Like I would do that for shits and giggles!"

Letting out a loud sigh, Lobomon covered his face with his hand.

"Can you believe that?" Agunimon asked in exasperation.

Leomon answered, "It is very hard to believe," in a monotone voice.

Once the gate was fully opened the trio made their way through and into the castle.

The large entrance hall was buzzing with activity as various Digimon made their way about their day. The first to notice the trio was a small Kunemon who gasped when her eyes landed on Leomon. The noise drew the attention of those nearby. Soon enough everyone in the room was crowding around the three. Annoyed, Lobomon pinched the bridge of his nose and tilted his head back. The clamor made Leomon move his free hand to press it against his ear. Agunimon smiled sympathetically and covered his other ear, knowing the amount of loud voices in the room made the lion's ears hurt.

"Everyone move aside!"

The voice startled most of the Digimon and made them scurry away from the group. When there was a clear path, a white Digimon strolled towards the three calmly. It took a moment for Leomon to recognize her as Harpymon.

"Return to your work," Harpymon order while glaring at those gathered. Hearing a few of them grumble, she raised her voice. "Now."

Leomon lowered his hand and watched as everyone dispersed. Clearing her throat, Harpymon turned and motioned for the three to follow her. They made their way up the stairs and through the door at the top. Inside the smaller room was a large round table with a handful of Digimon standing around it. One Digimon in particular caught Leomon's eye. Surprised to see IceDevimon there, he shifted a little. IceDevimon seemed to feel the same way since Leomon noticed his eyes widen.

"What happened to you?" IceDevimon asked, hurrying to make his way around the table. He stopped in front of Leomon with a frown. "It's only been a few days since I last saw you!"

"I ran into some…trouble since then."

"Yes, I can see that. Goodness, just look at you."

"I am aware, IceDevimon," Leomon muttered.

"That is enough of that," Harpymon said. She tapped on the table. "Hurry up."

Lobomon scoffed but took his place at the table. Though reluctant, IceDevimon returned to where he had been standing before. Agunimon helped Leomon walk up to the table. Slipping out of Agunimon's grasp, Leomon opted to place his hands against the table so he could lean on it. He looked around, eyeing everyone that was there. In the process he noted that there were two Digimon who were absent. Knowing that one of them had a habit of arriving late, he decided to ask about the other.

"Musyamon?"

"No one has heard from him for a while," Harpymon answered. "He recently enlisted in the Master's army in order to relay information to us, but it has been some time since his last report. Shoutmon left to find him and bring him back. There is no way for us to know when he will come." She glanced to the side. "That's not important at the moment. I want to know what happened. Why did Lobomon and Agunimon return with only you? Where are the DigiDestined?"

He recounted the events that took place in the Ice Zone. When he was finished, Harpymon narrowed her eyes.

"Angemon, have scouts sent out. Get in touch with all our available contacts. If we have luck on our side, someone might have seen them. For now, we have best prepare for the worst."

Leomon objected by saying, "The DigiDestined are alive."

"How do you know that?" IceDevimon asked.

"Yes, Leomon. Do tell," Harpymon said.

"They have gone through worse than this on their journey," the lion stated with a growl directed at Harpymon. "They will survive and find their way back to each other. They have before."

"Regardless, we shouldn't get our hopes up. Should something happen that isn't in our favor, we need to be ready."

Agunimon knew the look on Leomon's face all too well; it meant he was annoyed at her. "Don't you think we should have a bit of faith in them?"

"Considering I have never personally met them, no."

"Understandable," Lobomon said, "yet we do know quite a bit about them from the reports we've received. For example, they were able to defeat Arbormon and wiped out Fractal Fortress. I would say they are quite capable."

"Even so—"

Lobomon didn't let her finish. "They defeated Greymon, protected the Village of Beginnings, and survived an encounter with Angela and Devimon." He paused to revel in Harpymon's irritation. "It seems they have accomplished much more than we have recently."

"Lobomon," Harpymon said in warning.

He stared at her in defiance. She looked away with a huff.

Leomon had tuned them out as he looked over his shoulder at the door. He was worried since the last of their group should have joined them by then. He turned back, catching Agunimon's attention when he waved his hand.

"Where is Lowemon?"

Agunimon froze, his eyes widening. Lobomon looked at him in concern, causing Leomon to stare in confusion at the reaction. With no warning Agunimon turned around and hurried out the room, slamming the door shut behind him. Unable to move away from the table, Leomon watched, worried but not knowing what to say.

"Can you go check on him for me?" Lobomon asked IceDevimon. The icy Digimon nodded and headed for the door. Taking notice of the bewildered look on Leomon's face, Lobomon lowered his head. "Lowemon is gone."

"What do you mean?"

"He was captured." Lobomon slammed a fist onto the table, earning a combination of glares and concerned looks. "We heard from Musyamon what they did to him. They—" He choked up for a moment but forced himself to continue. "They corrupted his data and turned him into Duskmon."

"I am sorry. I…"

"You couldn't have known." Lobomon flicked his gaze to the door. "Agunimon can't stand to hear about it."

Leomon lowered his head to stare at the table. "Who can blame him? To have your best friend taken…"

No one spoke following the conversation until Harpymon announced, "I'm postponing this meeting until tomorrow. Lobomon, you should go find Agunimon and make sure he is okay."

Lobomon left the room without saying a word. The others headed out one by one until Leomon was left alone with Harpymon. She moved to stand beside him, grabbing his arm to put it around her shoulders. He begrudgingly allowed her to do so even though he felt ridiculous. Having Agunimon and Lobomon help was one thing, but being forced to rely on his superior? If he was honest with himself, he was embarrassed that he needed to accept her help.

"You should have been careful," she chided, the worry she felt noticeable in her voice. "What if you had gotten defeated? Or worse?"

"I was defeated," he said.

"You are lucky Agunimon and Lobomon arrived when they did."

"Yes, I know."

She sighed. "I am just glad that you came back in one piece."

"Had the DigiDestined not taken out Airdramon, I might not have."

"Well then, I suppose I will have to thank them when I meet them."

Leomon nodded. "I do owe them more than I can say."

"If you owe them, then so do I."

They walked in silence after she finished talking as they headed for the living quarters. Digimon that passed them by greeted them happily, many of them pleased to see that Leomon had returned. By the time they reached Leomon's room, his mood had improved significantly, though his body ached more than he cared to admit. Harpymon opened the door for him and held it as he grabbed the doorframe. A thought crossed his mind that made him stop. It was something that he had been wondering about for a while. Turning, he looked at Harpymon, who was wondering why he was just standing there.

"Darcmon. When did she…?"

"Not long after you left to find the chosen Digimon." She lowered her gaze with a sad sigh. "I am sorry, Leomon. I know you two were close. You should get some rest now."

He nodded. Slowly, he walked into his room. The door closed behind him as he carefully sat on his bed. He swung his legs up onto it and laid back, closing his eyes against the throbbing pain.

How could you lose hope so easily, Darcmon?