"We just got a report in. I don't think you're going to like it."

Turning away from the window, Zudomon held out his paw as a signal for Gomamon to hand him the report. The small Digimon did so, carefully placing the paper in Zudomon's paw. As he read it, Zudomon found himself pacing the length of the room. The news was troubling indeed. Amazonia had already fallen; now File City had been reduced to rubble. It would only be a matter of time before the other cities were targeted, Web City included. With Beelzemon having personally gone to File City, Zudomon had no doubts that the gunman would eventually be sent to deal with Web City.

"Gomamon, go tell the Guard Captains that they're to have their platoons begin round-the-clock patrols. Any suspicious sightings are to be reported to me immediately. Hostiles are to be engaged."

"Yes, sir. Right away."

When Gomamon left the room, Zudomon returned to the window. Despite the events that had occurred the past week, Web City and the waters surrounding it were peaceful. He knew it wouldn't last, as they would soon be targeted. As a Resistance stronghold, it was inevitable. The only thing they could do was to prepare for the worst. Though no amount of preparations would help them against Beelzemon. Mervamon's defeat at Beelzemon's hands was proof enough.

That made Zudomon wonder how Mervamon was doing. After going through such an ordeal, he could only imagine how she felt.

"Um, sir?"

Frowning, Zudomon turned to see that Gomamon had already returned.

"What is it?"

"It's…it's the DigiDestined."

Zudomon's mouth fell open. "What?"

The group chose that moment to march through the door. From behind them, one of the guards shouted at them in agitation before giving up when he realized they weren't going to listen. Zudomon couldn't believe that they had actually come back. After such a long time, he had convinced himself that they had been defeated while in the human's world.

"Shizuka, Tadashi!" Zudomon exclaimed. "And Biyomon and Gabumon, too! You've all barely changed!"

"Do we know you?" Shizuka asked.

Chuckling, Zudomon nodded. "We met when I was Ikkakumon."

"Oh."

"It's good to see you again," Tadashi said, "but I'm afraid we're not here for pleasantries. We were wondering if you could catch us up on the events of the past two years."

"Well, I can certainly try, though I would like to hear what all has happened to you and your friends. Please, follow me to the conference room. We can talk there."

They did so, trailing behind the large Digimon as he walked through the building.

"This place has certainly changed," Shizuka commented.

"Yes, it has. A few months after your departure, we became associated with the Resistance. In the past year, we officially became a Resistance stronghold. Since then we have been fortifying the city every chance we get." Zudomon stopped and opened the door to the conference room. "By any chance, would you happen to know how Mervamon is? A report about the attack on File City came in shortly before you arrived."

"She's hurt, but alive. So are all the others in the city," Tadashi said.

Hearing that, Zudomon let out a soft breath of relief. "That is good news."

Everyone took a seat on the far side of the long table. Zudomon slid into the largest chair, folding his arms.

"What would you like to know first?"

"Any information you have on Beelzemon would be helpful," Renamon suggested.

"I am sorry, but there is very little known about him. The only thing I can say for certain is that he is very powerful."

"That's helpful," Shizuka muttered under her breath. "Alright, just fill us in. Has anything major happened that we need to know about? Mervamon told us a little bit about how things have gone, but not much."

With a nod, Zudomon cleared his throat. "Many smaller villages and towns throughout the various Zones are currently under Laylamon's control. During the first year of your absence, we were able to protect them. However, stronger Digimon appeared in Laylamon's army, and as a result of their added strength, we began to lose ground until they were able to win. About three months ago, Beelzemon made his first appearance. After that, Amazonia was burned to the ground."

Eyes wide, Dorumon looked at Judai. The blond ran a hand down Dorumon's back.

"Is that why Mervamon was in File City?" Gabumon asked.

"Yes. No one else would take in those who survived the attack. A few members of the Resistance and the mayor had heard about what happened and offered them refuge. Mervamon swore to protect the city in the hopes that she could repay their generosity."

The group fell silent. It was obvious that the information weighed heavy on their hearts. Zudomon understood how they felt; he himself had felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders for the past year. Being the DigiDestined, the fate of the entire Digital World rested on their ability to end the war. Knowing that, he would do whatever he could to assist them, even if there wasn't much he could actually do.

"You should stay here for the night," he said as he stood. "It is getting late. Should anything happen, all of you need to be well rested. I can have rooms set aside for you if you so wish."

A conversation began between all of them, but lasted for only a minute when they came to a decision. Shizuka turned to Zudomon with a grin. "We'll take you up on that offer."

Each of them were offered separate rooms, though everyone came to the decision to share rooms with their partners, with Mikami staying in Daiki and Renamon's room.

The humans were all asleep by the time the moon rose into the sky, but their partners found themselves wide awake.

Renamon was pacing the length of the hallway when the others came out to join her. All of them had too much on their minds to sleep, so they made their way out of the palace to sit outside to avoid disturbing their partners. They gathered around each other at the top of the steps and stared down at the rest of the city.

Once a place that accepted all kinds of Digimon, a large wall now loomed around the peripheral of Web City to keep out the unwelcomed. Along the top of the wall, guards marched back and forth, ready to battle at a moment's notice. Even with the patrols, the night life of Web City thrived. From where they sat, the group could see movement everywhere. For several minutes they watched the activity going on throughout the city in silence while collecting their thoughts.

"It's hard to believe how long it's been," Gabumon said.

"Now we know how our partners felt when they got home," Biyomon mumbled.

There was a sniffle from Dorumon.

Renamon turned to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"He never got to see their world."

His voice was quiet, but they all heard what he said. As Dorumon began to sniffle again, Renamon reached over to him and wrapped her arm around him. Surprised, he stared at her until he moved closer to press his side against her.

"I know how hard it is," Renamon whispered, stroking Dorumon's back. "Everything we went through, the battles we fought…"

Soon enough everyone else had surrounded her, with Salamon in-between Renamon and Dorumon, and Gabumon and Biyomon on her other side.

In the humans' world, they had done their best to stay strong because they knew they had to be for their partners. Because of that, none of them had even thought about showing how badly Impmon's death had affected them. They avoided the subject per request of their partners and hid away their feelings. Renamon had been lucky enough to be able to talk to Nelia about how she felt, which had helped her to come to terms with what had happened, though it would always hurt. The others more than likely hadn't had the same opportunity as she had.

Without their partners nearby, her friends wanted—no, needed to talk about it, even though it was near impossible for them to actually speak.

It was for that reason that Renamon pushed through the tight feeling building in her chest and kept talking.

"Thinking about the time we spent together can be painful. Even so, we can't just ignore those memories. It's important for us to remember those times, that way we can focus on what he would want us to do. He would never want us to be sad about all the things we did together."

Gabumon raised his head to stare at the stars. "I can just imagine what he would say if he saw us like this."

A small laugh came from Salamon. "He'd called us stupid."

For the next few minutes, they simply sat there together and talked until Renamon convinced them to go get some rest.

They would never truly move on, but at least they were there for each other.

~0~

In the empty, darkened hallway, the echoes of his footsteps sounded like thunder. The truth of the matter was that he dreaded entering the throne room and having to face the lecture he was sure he was going to receive. He came to a stop in front of the doors and took a moment to steady himself. Remaining composed when speaking with his master was important, as showing too much emotion in front of her often annoyed her. He swung the door open and stepped into the room.

"My lady, I have returned," he announced.

"Ah, Beelzemon," Laylamon murmured. "Welcome back."

He kneeled before the throne. "Thank you, Lady Laylamon."

"It has come to my attention that you failed to follow my orders." The disappointment in her voice made him tense. "May I ask why that is?"

"I apologize. I could not bring myself to allow my troops to do more than incapacitate the residents of the city."

"How unfortunate."

When her feet appeared in his vision, he raised his head to see her standing over him. She crouched and placed a finger under his chin. A small smile spread across her face as she moved her hand higher and cupped his cheek in her palm. A chill ran down Beelzemon's back. How she was able to instill such fear in him with such a simple action was beyond his understanding; all he knew was that she made him feel as if his entire body was frozen.

"You are such a skilled fighter, yet you are far too caring," she said. "It is truly a shame. If only you could overcome the kindness in your heart."

She removed her hand and stood. Beelzemon kept his gaze downcast as she strode past him, focusing on the floor while forcing himself to remain calm.

"From now on, I want you to absorb the data of every enemy you defeat."

The order made his head snap upwards. He looked over his shoulder at her.

"I am one of the strongest soldiers in the army. Why would I need to absorb the data of other Digimon?"

He realized too late the mistake he made. With her eyes narrowed, Laylamon glared at him, her lips pressed tightly together. Doubting the orders given by her was something that was simply not done. The last one to do such a thing had disappeared with no explanation.

"Do you plan on disobeying me again?"

"No, my lady," he answered quickly, feeling his chest tighten. "My apologies for questioning you."

"Good." From the tone of her voice, he could tell she was pleased by his response. "Do not do it again. One of my messengers will be watching you from now on. If you attempt to show remorse to the enemy, I will know, and I will not hesitate to punish you."

"Yes, ma'am. Was there anything else you wanted to speak with me about?"

"Are you ready for a new mission?" Laylamon asked.

"Of course."

"Go speak to Datamon. He'll explain to you the details," she said, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. "When you are ready, leave. Make sure you are not seen by any enemy forces."

Beelzemon nodded and stood. As he walked out, he kept his eyes forward, though he could feel her gaze on him until he left the room.