It was December; a month after he had voluntarily taken a 'cold bath'.


He was getting better, Wizardmon told himself. It had been a week and two days without his once seeking out Gatomon and watching her from afar. He could do this… slowly wean himself away. And wasn't that a good thing? For sometime during the respite from the vigil he'd kept over the feline she had taken a new companion.


Oh, not a *human* companion--- Gatomon would never abandon Kari, they were bonded to each other--- but a digimon friend: a close 'male' friend.


Wizardmon sighed a little as he watched the white cat and yellow lizard go into the motion picture building with their respective Digidestined partners. He should have expected that one day Gatomon would take a new mon friend. However, knowing a thing was likely and accepting it in your heart was two different applets altogether as the reconstructed mage was coming to realize.


"I told you to go and take her, but you would be one of the most stubborn of all digimon. It's truly pathetic."


Wizardmon shrugged in response--- a habit he had assumed when acknowledging the mental voice's presence during those times he didn't want to respond in a more articulate fashion.


"For all that virus cares for my desires," Wizardmon morosely thought to himself. "except to use them against me."


But it wasn't like the ghost was separate and could *see* the gestures he made. Wizardmon could just have well have given flag signals. His personal parasite could only sense his 'out loud' thoughts. Or at least, that was what the vampire had alluded. For all the mage knew he was a completely open book.

No… no, that couldn't be true, for if it was why needle and gnaw until he responded? His adversary resorted to talk to stave off pure boredom. If the virus knew the answers beforehand it would hardly be worth the trouble to him.


At least that was what Wizardmon hoped.


At any rate it didn't truly matter. After so many months of hiding from everyone who knew him? Well, when you came right down to it--- who else could a supposedly dead wizard and an equally pronounced vampire talk with but each other?


There had been a time when the Champion had reveled in solitude: sought it out like a lover and rejected such mundane 'chores' as conversation with strangers or making friends.


Ah, but that had been before Gatomon.


She'd come into his life when he'd thought his current incarnation was ending for good and had staved off the death that would have surely taken his data. Hadn't asked for a thing in return for that act of kindness, she'd merely done it because she was lonely maybe. Yet with that act she had shown him how lonely he had been. Together, they had kissed loneliness adieu and stuck together even when she had needed to return to her cruel master. He'd joined the Nightmare Soldiers to be with her even when at the castle gates she had begged him to turn back and go his own way before it was too late.


Dear Gatomon.


She hadn't realized then that it had been too late for retreat the moment she had shown him the intensity of her Light she'd buried down under a façade of darkness. Wizardmon might have been the mage in their little duo, but it was she who'd cast the stronger magic; he'd had neither the strength nor the desire to ward of the spell she'd woven over him.


"Are you asleep or what? Or do I really need to guess the cause of your silence? (Nasty chuckle) You're dreaming of her again."
"Perhaps I am."
"It's still not too late. What competition a mere Rookie to you? She'd dump him within a heart beat to have you back."
"And have you as well?" Wizardmon scoffed. "Somehow, I don't think she'd want you anywhere near, Myotismon."
"Don't try to be sarcastic, you don't do it well. It takes a certain charisma of expression that your level and type lacks."
"Poor plebian me, then."
"Your words--- but truly spoken ones for all that. However, as to Gatomon and myself you need only retract your magical tethers and I promise neither you nor that mangy feline shall ever see me again."


Wizardmon snickered, the majority of his attention centered on the two digimon who had just snuck out of the cinema and were heading towards the park. "No doubt! You'd wait until you were stronger than an Ultimate to try to attack her. Of course she wouldn't see Myotismon. You'd show her Malo Myotismon or some other vile Mega virus's face."


"I would do that?"
"You would! Yes!"


The silvery voice chuckled. "Yes, I probably would. You know me pretty well, Wizardmon. I hazard that it is from being in such close quarters for so long a time. Naturally, though, the reverse is true."


"Meaning you know me," answered as he took flight to shadow the pair from the sky.
"Very much so."
"And yet, knowing me---as you say--- so well, you never give up."
"Giving up is not in my nature. More, giving up is boring. In other words, I have to get my jollies from somewhere and you are the only one handy. You have only yourself to blame for that."


"My goodness, our commonalities just keep right on piling up! It would appear we are both as stubborn as Real World mules." The Champion chuckled. "Soon, people will be referring to us as The Twins."


"Actually, I believe we might now be considered under 'The Siamese Twins' category," the inner voice grumbled, "seeing as we are so ill joined together. Be that as it may we are straying from the path of the conversation. Namely, are you or are you not going to save Gatomon from that guttersnipe of a be-horned lizard she has taken up with?"


"There is nothing wrong with Gabumon. He is a decent digimon. An honorable, partner to the Digidestined of Friendship. If he makes her happy-"

"Oh, spare me the martyr speeches!" Myotismon's voice snarled within Wizardmon's mind. "What does it matter if he is a saint or a devil? No, what matters is that he is not YOU! It will be HIS arms holding her! HIS hands holding hers! HIS tongue swathing against-"


"Shut up!"


"---her palate or sneaking over to tickle an ear! HIS eyes gazing deeply into hers and HIS mouth connecting with your paramour's! You cannot lie to me that this does not bother you! Pathetic specimen though you are--- do you wish to be a Lover or a Loser?!"


Wizardmon flew down, hooked his hand around a branch and swung onto a tree limb. Green eyes searched and made sure that the two digimon he was tracking were not too far away to get lost from sight yet not too close to notice their tracker should he become overly distracted. Position of secrecy secure, he sighed.


"Neither. Because of you, Myotismon," he said bitterly, "I can not be her lover. But that does not make me a loser. On the contrary… I have won that which I most wanted: Gatomon's freedom. She is her own mon now, making her own choices. As long as that holds true I will be content."


"And you're claiming you are content now, I suppose?"


"Not even close," Wizardmon had kept the thought silent, but Myotismon must have gleaned it anyway.


"You're a boiling hotbed of need. You want her so badly you can taste it. You would give anything to make love to her."
"But that it just it, I will not give up 'anything'. I will not give up you."
"Yet, mage! Are partnership is young. Eventually either your hormones will control you or I will. Do not think that I do as you: content to let destiny pass me by. One night I will find a way to break the chains of your magic, Wizardmon. Then I will be free! Free to do as I will without consideration of any pact with you! Perhaps I will even take your body as my vessel as originally intended. Yes, then YOU will be the one shoved in the background while I move about freely! I might even decide to take that which you are giving up on! It is inevitable and you know it! Now, will you accept my proposal and save yourself unnecessary grief? Or are you going to remain as stupid as when I first laid eyes on you?"


~~~~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~~~

REVIEWRS!

--Okay, now, any readers out there, what do you think Wizardmon will do? Will he:


a) Let Myotismon's data go?
b) Hold his position despite the future threat?
c) Give in to temptation while still holding on to Myotismon?

Tell me what you want and possibly influence my decision! :