Leomon had always been prepared for the possibility that he would not die peacefully in bed, but heroically resisting the powers of darkness in the digital world. It was how he passed away last time, and he had grown up on stories of other Leomon doing the same.

He was not prepared for the possibility that this would happen outside the digital world, and that his spirit would not return to the village of beginnings, but watch the world's crisis helplessly from an incorporeal form. He had expected to be slain by Imperialdramon or some other powerful digimon in open combat – not to be stabbed (and slashed, and clawed) in the back by the digimon he had naively fallen for, right after the moment of their apparent victory.

Leomon wondered if the thought that he wasn't defeated fairly ad that his fight was not yet over was what kept his spirit floating around Tokyo after his body had disintegrated. Then again, perhaps it was simply what happened to those who died on earth, and his own feelings had nothing to do with the matter, save that he would be stuck with them for an eternity.

If this was truly his afterlife, and if he was truly a ghost now, what surprised Leomon most was just how boring it was. He had never got along with the Bakemon, because what they called fun often crossed the line into hurting the living; he had never before considered that their cruel pranks were simply a way to hold back the ennui of eternity.

"Not that I ever thought I'd evolve into a Bakemon," he muttered to no one in particular; he hadn't seen any other digimon. (Or, for that matter, much of anything else.) It was unbecoming of one of the digital world's heroes to complain that way, but he had already given his life twice to save both worlds, and felt entitled to a little griping. "Serves me right for falling for that stupid cat."

"What did you say about Tailmon?" He turned to hear the angry voice of another disembodied spirit floating over Odaiba, the ghostly remnant of a wizard in yellow with a giant blue cape and hat. The afterlife was more crowded than he thought. "Though I suppose you're not wrong…"

"I meant Meicoomon," Leomon responded.

"Oh," an embarrassed Wizarmon said. "I'm sorry. Is Tailmon well?"

"She's happy, as is Hikari, as far as I can tell," Leomon replied. "How did you know her?"

"Tailmon rescued me when I was dying of thirst, and we traveled together for a long time, searching for her partner… but I died getting them their tag and crest," Wizarmon explained, straightforwardly. "You?"

"I rescued Meicoomon from the Digimon Kaiser, but then she turned on me. I don't know why. I hope she'll be okay. I hope the Chosen Children will be okay," a distraught Leomon answered.

"If your spirit is still here, perhaps you have a role to play in that."

"Elaborate."

"It's not just digimon who reincarnate. Haven't you seen all the temples that humans build? Or heard those sutras? They sound different when you're a ghost – ask the Bakemon," Wizarmon explained.

"Not sure I want to," Leomon replied. "I heard the story from Jou once. Sounded painful."

"I went too close to one the other day and my ears still haven't quite recovered," Wizarmon said with a laugh. "I'm sure the time will come for my spirit to move on, but I'd rather do it on my own terms and not because I got too close to some monk."

"How long do you think it will take?" Leomon was always used to explaining things, not having them answered, but the world of the human dead was an unfamiliar place for a newly deceased digimon.

"Half the digimon I came to Earth with have already departed, but it's not my time yet; I even gave the chosen children a message three years ago. Maybe someday I'll travel with Tailmon again," Wizarmon said nostalgically – a nostalgia for Tailmon, or perhaps simply for being alive

"I'm not sure that spending time with her is conducive to a long life…" Leomon muttered, then smiled. "But then again, neither is being a Leomon! Maybe the chosen children will need a message from my spirit too… I wish I had more time to explain everything. Thank you, Wizarmon."

The two ghosts smiled, and laughed, and watched as the living fought on to decide the fate of two worlds, wondering when they could again play a role in its ever-evolving adventure.