A large bubble burst, and with it the last leaking memory. As visions of Ryo's last breath faded from view, bleeding away until it melted into the blackness surrounding him, the Digimon known as Zeed roused, flicking one of his cat-like ears. Gold eyes glistened, the only light in the suffocating darkness save for the red triangle gem on his brow that emitted a faint golden glow. A fragile bubble of similar color surrounded his curled body, serving as a barrier against the all-encompassing void around him.

Zeed's soft fur was dull and dirty, matted with blood and filth, as his small black draconian wings were nigh invisible as they blended in with the blackness that surrounded them.

Zeed's eyes drifted about, searching for the disturbance - for whatever source had managed to draw him out of his stupor. He was greeted only with silence, as the Dark Ocean didn't dare speak when its master was awake. It could only sneak in its punches when it thought no one - least of all him - was paying attention.

Fools in life, fools in death.

Letting out a snort, Zeed closed his eyes and lowered his head, allowing his weary body to drift back to unconsciousness.

As his mind slipped away, the darkness was quickly replaced by a sea of gold - his subconscious. Within that golden sea, was Ryo, his Beloved. The human child was asleep, his eyes closed as he floated within the gold in a fetal position, oblivious to his surroundings. He wore no clothes as his body had an unearthly golden glow that replaced all other color, while digital code written in the Digital language swirled around him like a protective orb. A thin white line appeared around Ryo's neck as data flickered around it, like a glitch that was slowly resolving itself.

Zeed paid no mind to the code as he slipped past, drifting to spoon Ryo as best as his small body could, wrapping his fluffy tail about his precious Beloved to keep him warm - and safe.

In that gold, the Digimon found himself unable to care about anything else - he lacked both the energy and the will. The pain in his body made it difficult to even remain awake, let alone think. All he could focus on was Ryo's heartbeat, a stable heartbeat that he had worked so hard and sacrificed so much to maintain.

It was a heartbeat that he had nearly lost completely.

Zeed let out a soft rumble as he rested his chin on the nook of Ryo's shoulder, against his head. The Digimon took a deep breath before letting it out as a heavy sigh, attempting to clear his thoughts and any lingering trace of consciousness from his aching, tattered form.

He would have to do a better job of blocking out the Dark Ocean's influence, but it was hard to remain vigilant when he felt so completely spent. However, he wasn't about to lose himself, to allow his individuality to meld into the mess that surrounded him. Nor, more importantly, was he going to let Ryo suffer that fate. Zeed would simply have to continue acting as a buffer between his Beloved and the Dark Ocean, and be the subject of its influence instead. It didn't matter what sort of tricks it pulled, the memories or whispered suggestions that hid among his own - he was a god, their god, and would not be broken.

It was admittedly hard for Zeed to tell what memories belonged to who - what was his, what was Ryo's, and what belonged to some other occupant of the Dark Ocean. But in the end, it didn't matter.

Nothing remained but fragments.