Chapter 9: Partners

Parimon did not stop until she reached the edge of Wizardmon's thorns, at which point a thorny tendril extracted itself from the bushes and waved itself threateningly at her. "Oh, come on," she said. "I can't fly over them to get here and I can't fly over them to get back?"

Scowling, she looked around for another route before hearing a voice behind her. "You really shouldn't walk out on him like that. Or fly out, as the case may be."

Parimon turned and frowned. "Leave me alone, Wizardmon."

Wizardmon sat down on the grass a few feet away. "I do appreciate the need to be alone sometimes…but in this case, I think it would be better to discuss what is going on."

"Really? Well, that's great, 'cause I don't."

She began to fly away, but Wizardmon raised a hand. "Thunder Ball."

A sphere of orange light materialized in his hand and flew towards Parimon. It hit her, and she fell to the ground. "Hey! What was that for?"

"To get you to calm down and talk."

"Yeah? Well, it didn't do a very good job." She tried to hover back into the air, but found, to her horror, that her wings didn't work. They were frozen stiff—as were, as she soon discovered, the rest of her limbs. "What did you do to me?"

"Relax," said Wizardmon. "It's only temporary."

"I don't care if it's temporary! If you don't let me go right now, I'm going to take your staff and stick it right in your—"

"Parimon."

His voice carried an authority that reminded her of Liam, and she let out a scream of frustration that she felt like she'd been holding back for a long time. "Why does everyone have to keep telling me what to do? See, this is why I'd be better off on my own."

"You would, would you?" said Wizardmon.

She nodded determinedly. "Back before I met Liam, I was free to do what I wanted. If I wanted to play, I could play. If I wanted to sleep, I could sleep. Now, he keeps holding me back." She glared at Wizardmon. "And apparently, he's not the only one."

"And the detriments of teaming up with others outweigh the benefits?"

"It's really feeling like that now."

"That's not the sort of answer I was looking for."

She scowled. "What was, then?"

"I was looking for a firm answer. If, after giving it some thought, you can honestly say, 'Yes, the detriments outweigh the benefits,' then I will let you go with no more trouble."

Parimon's head perked up. All she had to do to get him to let her go was say that? That was easy! "Okay, then," she said. "Yes, the detriments outweigh the benef…"

In spite of herself, she trailed off. The word "benefits" had brought to mind some of her better training sessions with Liam, including the one the previous evening, when he had been having so much fun. She tried to block it out, but found the memories flooding back…

Wizardmon had assigned them to, oddly enough, play a game of capture the flag. He had removed the thorn bushes from a section of his defenses so that only trees remained, given each of them a scrap of cloth that would function as their flag, and sent them to opposite sides of the trees. "The dividing line will be along that large oak," he said, pointing. "You will each have to try to capture the other's flag and return it to your side. If you get caught and tagged on your opponent's side, however, you have to return to your own side, and return the flag if you have it. You are not allowed to conceal your flag from sight, but you may place it in a hard-to-see place. Parimon, you are not allowed to fly above the trees. Any questions?"

Parimon had tried a bit of playful trash-talk before they had gone off. "Yeah, do you have something else lined up for when I beat him in the next two minutes?"

Liam had shot her a look that was partway between amusement and admonishment. "C'mon, Liam, I'm having fun," she said.

He kept the same look for a second, and then his face broke into a smile. "Keep your wishful thinking, Parimon." He held up his flag. "And take a good look at this, because it's the last time you'll see it before the game's over."

"Oh, really?" said Parimon, her grin widening. "I'm gonna make you eat those words!"

The two disappeared into the trees, Parimon feeling the excitement of competition. "All right, where are you gonna go?" she muttered to her flag. "It can't be out in the open…or can it? He won't be expecting that…but he'll still see it, I guess."

She floated along for another couple minutes before she decided on an appropriate hiding spot: behind a fallen tree. "Now," she said after placing it, "do I go right after his flag, or wait for him to try to get mine?"

She thought about what he might do. She had only known Liam for a couple days, but she thought she'd gotten a pretty good hold on his personality during that time. He was a cautious person, so she didn't think he'd go right for her flag; he'd probably wait her out on his side before striking out to get her flag, maybe after he had tagged her and sent her back to her side.

So…what did that mean she should do? If she waited him out, and he didn't see her coming, he might get anxious and make a mistake…but that wasn't the way to really play capture the flag. You didn't just wait for your opponent, you took initiative! Otherwise, the game would never end. So, trying to keep the buzzing of her wings as quiet as possible, she struck out for Liam's side. She kept her eyes and ears open, though, anticipating running into Liam sooner or later and getting ready to outrun him when it happened.

Yet she saw no sign of him. She skirted around the big oak, trying to avoid where he might be patrolling, but she still expected to see some sign of him after crossing to his side. "Where are you?" she muttered under her breath. "And, more importantly, where's your flag?"

He had hidden it well—which, to be honest, didn't surprise her too much, as she knew him to be pretty smart. Still, he had a limited set of possible hiding places, and if she checked enough of them without getting caught, she'd be bound to find it sooner or later. True, she didn't have unlimited time, but she was confident she had a head start on him.

The excitement was getting to her, and she felt like she could understand Liam's occasional habit of bouncing his leg up and down. She continued to fly around, her wings buzzing lightly, and she began to wonder why Liam hadn't heard her and come after her yet. She was doing her best to be quiet, but her wings weren't made for stealth. And no doubt Liam would be paying a lot of attention to the area around him…

Then, another possibility hit her. Could he have gone after her flag right away? Maybe he was looking for it right now. Maybe he had found it already! She hadn't thought him to be the kind of person to do that…but maybe there were some things about him that she didn't know yet. Was this part of Wizardmon's training?

In any case, she felt she had to check. Having gone unnoticed for so long had made her suspicious. No longer trying to be quiet, she flew back towards her side, aiming for the large oak.

She was several yards away before she saw movement on the other side of the oak tree, and squinted. A second later, her eyes widened as she saw Liam making his way through the trees—with her flag in his hand.

Wings buzzing as fast as she could make them, she hurtled towards Liam, yelling, "Oh, no you don't!"

Startled, he looked up, and hesitated for a split second before taking off, trying to beat her to the oak and win the game.

For a moment, the two sped towards seemingly the same point, and Parimon worried that he would beat her there. Then, a split second before he arrived there, she crossed the boundary line, angled her flight slightly to accommodate for his last-minute evasive maneuver (which wasn't really an evasive maneuver so much as ducking a little), and slammed into him, knocking him back and sending them both tumbling to the ground.

Parimon was first to rise. "Ha!" she said. "Still on my side! Back you go!"

He didn't make a move to return to his side, but, as she soon realized, it was because he was laughing. "Wait, what's so funny?" she said, but she was smiling, too, and soon found herself joining in, until both of them could hardly get off the ground. The game had been interrupted, but at that moment, neither of them cared.

No doubt about it, that had been really fun. Liam definitely had his moments…and, she thought, she'd probably miss them if she left. But why was he so controlling of her the rest of the time?

It's because he cares, said a little voice at the back of her head.

"He cares?" she said, and then realized that she had said it out loud.

Still across from her, Wizardmon blinked. "What makes you say that?"

She turned away. "Nothing."

"Do you doubt that he cares about you?"

Something in his tone made her frown. "Is it obvious that he does?"

"It is to me."

"So why does he keep telling me off?"

Wizardmon took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I think he feels a sort of responsibility for you."

"Responsibility? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that he is someone who is very aware of his surroundings, and wants to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible, for you especially." He hesitated. "And, perhaps, there are times when you need to be shown that your actions are not the best for the situation. Take talking about Tyler's parents, for instance. I do agree that that was something he didn't want to talk about."

"I didn't really get that," Parimon muttered.

"Then you have someone to point it out for you. Don't take this personally; we all have moments when we do or say the wrong thing."

She raised an eyebrow. "Even you?"

"Even me." He hesitated briefly. "Perhaps less often than others, but still…"

Parimon shook her head. "Look, we're getting away from the previous point. If I say that the detriments of being with Liam outweigh the benefits, you'll let me go."

"That I will. If you say it sincerely."

"Okay, then. The detriments…"

She still couldn't say it! What was the problem with her?

Wizardmon's eyes twinkled. "Perhaps you're not ready to leave just yet."

"Oh, yeah? I'll be fine on my own. The detriments of being with Liam…"

But again, she saw his smiling face in her mind, and the words died in her mouth.

Wizardmon stood up. "I think this tells us something." Parimon did not respond. "And, now that you've both had some time to cool off, perhaps you can—"

Suddenly, he cut himself off, jerking his head at a point down the hill. "What?" said Parimon, turning her head (the only part of her body that she could still move).

Wizardmon frowned. "Trouble."

"What sort of trouble?"

"Nothing to be too concerned about. Here…" He held out his hand. "Thunder Ball!"

Another sphere of orange light flew from his palm and hit Parimon, and she felt herself regain movement in her limbs. "Go back inside," said Wizardmon. "Tell the others that I have a slight issue to deal with, but will be back in a few minutes."

Parimon floated up…and saw smoke emanating from the bottom of the hill. "Are you sure?" she asked. "It looks like trouble."

"It is nothing I cannot handle," Wizardmon reassured her. "Please, if you would just inform the others."

Reluctantly, Parimon drifted back to the door of his house…and thought, just as she went back inside, that she heard maniacal laughter coming from further down the hill.

Liam did his best to ignore the awkward silence that followed his argument with Parimon. He apologized to the others, but they didn't seem to want to talk about it—except maybe Wizardmon, who got up and walked after Parimon soon after her departure. And Tyler, who said, a few seconds later, "Uh, don't worry. Volpesmon and I have gotten into a few arguments, but it's worked out in the end."

Liam glanced up at him. "Thank you," he said, but not with much feeling.

They returned to their soup soon after, Liam's thoughts going at full speed. True, he and Parimon had never seemed like a great match…but he couldn't help but think back to the good times they had had. Particularly their capture the flag game the previous evening…but now, it was likely that those times would be over.

He bowed his head. He had admittedly come to think of Parimon almost like a daughter, and to have her just walk out on him like that…

He had failed.

But, several minutes after her departure, the door opened again, and she floated back inside. "Parimon!" said Liam in surprise, getting up.

She looked uncomfortable for a second before remembering something, and addressing the entire group. "Oh, uh, Wizardmon's taking care of a problem outside. He'll be back in in a little bit."

"What kind of problem?" asked Mara.

"I'm not sure…I saw smoke coming from the bottom of the hill, and I thought I heard laughter…"

"Laughter?" said Tyler. "Like, from another evil Digimon?"

"Maybe. But Wizardmon said he had it covered."

"But you're worried nonetheless," said Liam.

Parimon looked at him. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Liam nodded. "I don't blame you. Still, Wizardmon is a powerful Digimon; I'm sure he'll be able to handle it."

Mara frowned. "I forgot to scan Wizardmon…what level is…is he?"

Volpesmon blinked in surprise and turned to her, but Parimon spoke before he could. "I think he's Champion. But he is a pretty good Champion."

"Champion?" said Tyler. "But…hang on…that means that there could be a more powerful Digimon out there!"

"It does," said Liam. "Not necessarily, though."

"And Wizardmon's got a lot up his sleeve," said Parimon. "Yeah, I think we might be able to sit this one out."

Liam was impressed; Parimon was showing a level of restraint that he hadn't seen in her before. What had Wizardmon said to her out there?

Tyler still looked uncertain. "I dunno…"

"It'll be fine," said Volpesmon. "How about this: if we hear trouble, we can go out and help hi—"

BOOM!

All of them (except Bitmon) jumped at the explosion from right outside, which was followed by a voice. "Ha ha! You think you can get away with that so easily, Wizardmon?"

Tyler looked at his partner. "That count as trouble?"

"I think it does."

The two of them rushed out, followed by Mara and Bitmon, leaving Liam and Parimon alone in the house for a moment.

Parimon scratched her head. "Uh…sorry. I kinda let my emotions get away from me back there. And, for the record, I never meant to actually hit you. I guess I just felt really frustrated and wanted you to let go of me, and I decided I only had one option left to me."

Liam couldn't say that he was completely over that incident…but he also couldn't deny that he regretted letting Parimon go, and was glad to see her back. "Well…we're still working on how best to act around each other. But thank you for apologizing."

"I, uh…I think I can give our partnership another shot. Uh, if you want to."

Liam slowly nodded. "I think I would."

She smiled. "Great! Well, uh…let's see what we can do?"

He returned the smile. "Sure, let's do that."

They exited the house to find the scene of a battle before them. Wizardmon was standing with his back to the house, but facing him was…

Liam suppressed a shudder. It was a creature out of nightmares, with what looked like a giant humanoid body made entirely out of steel, and a face that was a steel mask with two red lights for eyes, eerily reminiscent of a skull. It had black pants with flame decals, chains that wound around its body, more metal skulls on its feet, and dark blue hair.

And it was on fire; blue-grey flames were emanating from its body—but it didn't look to be in pain. On the contrary, from what Liam could tell, it was smiling. "So, Wizardmon!" it bellowed in a grating voice. "Not only do you refuse me, but you decide to harbor humans!"

"Leave!" said Wizardmon angrily. "They deserve my help, and you do not."

"We'll see who deserves what!" the flaming giant roared.

Off to Liam's side, Mara beckoned him and Tyler over. "SkullMeramon," she said, reading off her Digivice. "Ultimate level, Data attribute. Attacks, Metal Fireball, Flame Chain. A violent creature with a volatile temper, it will burn anything in its path without regard for others."

"Ultimate level?" said Tyler, sounding nervous.

"Chin up!" said Volpesmon. "He may outpower us, but we outnumber him! We can take 'im!"

"No, stay back!" said Wizardmon. "This is too dangerous!"

"That's why we can't stay back!" said Volpesmon. "We're gonna help you out, whether you want us to or not!" He turned to Tyler. "Tyler?"

Tyler nodded, and looked down at his Digivice, where, Liam noted, the word "Digivolve?" had appeared on the screen. He pressed the screen, and a white light shot out and enveloped Volpesmon. A second later, Liam heard Volpesmon's voice from the light. "Volpesmon Digivolve to…Alepomon!"

Liam couldn't help but stare at the first Digivolution he had witnessed. Volpesmon had changed, and was now a six-or-so-foot-tall fox, still with the trench coat and fedora, but now handling a pair of guns. But his attention was almost immediately diverted by Mara doing the same thing, and Bitmon changing into a large metal sphere with the same eyes, hefty-looking arms and legs, and a gun on the top of his body.

Wizardmon wasn't waiting for them, though. "Thunder Ball!" he yelled, and an orange sphere of light shot from his outstretched hand. But SkullMeramon swung a large hand and batted it away. "You'll have to do better than that!" he said with a laugh.

"How about this?" said Alepomon, jumping in and pointing his guns at SkullMeramon. "Muscle Blaster!"

Two flashes of light came from the gun barrels, and a second later, two flashes of light erupted on SkullMeramon's chest, knocking him back. "Seeking Laser," said Bytemon, from behind Alepomon, and a red laser shot out of his gun and right into SkullMeramon's left eye. He roared with pain…but soon recovered, glaring at all of them with a burning hatred. "You have dug your own graves!" he yelled, and sucked in a breath.

"Get back!" said Wizardmon. Alepomon jumped back, Bytemon stood his ground, and the humans and Parimon retreated further away, watching SkullMeramon nervously.

He made his move. "Metal Fireball!" he yelled, and spewed a stream of molten metal from his mouth. It hit the ground in front of Wizardmon, who had dived out of the way just in time, and incinerated the grass.

Alepomon instantly went back in for the attack. "Vulpine Shot!" he yelled, and two bursts of fire in the shape of fox heads shot from his guns and hit SkullMeramon. Unfortunately, they seemed to have no effect—if anything, they made his fire blaze even more.

Mara grimaced. "A fire attack against a fire-based Digimon? That wasn't smart, Alepomon."

"Oh, sorry!" he called back. "Wanna see if you can do better?"

Bytemon cut into their argument. "Seeking Laser," he said, and another red laser shot at their enemy…but this time, he batted it away, much like he had with Wizardmon's attack. "You think you stand a chance against me?" he said, and grinned widely. "How foolish."

"Magical Game!"

SkullMeramon grunted as a stream of lightning hit him, emanating from Wizardmon's staff. "Get back, SkullMeramon!" said Wizardmon. "You won't find what you're looking for here!"

"I think I will!" the flaming giant roared. "I no longer have need for information, Wizardmon. I have found what I sought from you before! Now, I want revenge!" He inhaled again. "Metal Fireball!"

This time, Wizardmon was not fast enough. The molten metal slammed directly into his chest, knocking him back and leaving a nasty burn mark.

"Wizardmon!" said Liam and Parimon simultaneously, and they both ran over to him. He looked unconscious…but at least he was alive. "Can you heal him?" said Liam.

"I can try," said Parimon. She took the jug from her side and held it over Wizardmon. "Fairy Medicine!"

A blue liquid flowed out from it and onto Wizardmon's wound. He stirred weakly, but made no other movements to get up. "I don't think it's working!" said Parimon.

"Keep trying," said Liam. "You can do it."

"Guys! Look out!"

Liam and Parimon turned around, and Liam's stomach dropped. Alepomon was lying on the ground covered in burns, Bytemon was flat on his back, struggling to get up, and SkullMeramon was bearing down on himself and Parimon. "You want to help him?" he said. "That's fine by me! I'll wipe you all out at once!" He inhaled again, preparing another attack.

"Oh, no you don't!" Like a bullet, Parimon shot at him and stretched out her hands. "Ruby Beam!"

The beam hit SkullMeramon in the mouth, barely hurting him but stopping his attack. Glaring at her, he held out his arm, and the chain around it began to unravel, until he was holding it in his hand. "Flame Chain!"

He whipped the chain at her, but Parimon was too fast, and dodged it. Snarling, SkullMeramon tried again, with the same amount of success. "See if you can get Wizardmon out of here!" Parimon called.

"Parimon, what are you doing?" said Liam. "You'll get killed!"

"Have some faith in me! I can handle this guy!"

SkullMeramon swung his chain again, and again Parimon flew out of the way. Liam watched her, at a loss for what to do. They had to get Wizardmon to safety…but he couldn't desert his partner. Not after her display of bravery. She was doing everything she could to take care of them…

…like he did everything he could to take care of her. Despite their arguments and differing personalities, he always made sure to look after Parimon, ever since they met. And now, she was doing the same.

That was it. That was why they were partners. Even though they didn't always get along, they both ultimately wanted what was best for everyone else around them. Liam smiled. He took back what he said earlier: he knew why they were partnered together. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

As soon as that thought came to mind, his Digivice started to beep. Looking down, he saw, with a slight jolt of surprise, that a blue tint had covered the screen, and it had brought up the "Digivolve?" option that he had seen on Tyler's Digivice. Digivolve…it was what he and Parimon had been training for and working towards. It was what she had been looking forward to. And he wasn't going to do anything to delay it.

He pushed the button that said, "Yes," and a white light shot out of the screen, enveloping Parimon. He caught her smile of triumph before she disappeared, and her voice called out.

"Parimon Digivolve to…Tajinnmon!"

The white light faded away, revealing Parimon's Champion form. It looked as though Parimon had aged almost ten years in just a few seconds; Tajinnmon resembled a young woman, now about five feet tall. Her dress was a slightly deeper shade of blue, and her necklace now consisted of purple stones. Her wings now more closely resembled those of an angel, with white feathers, and a thin trail of smoke hovered around her lower legs and feet.

SkullMeramon did not seem intimidated. "Digivolve all you like!" he roared. "I'm still more powerful than any of—"

"You really need to shut up," said Tajinnmon, her voice deeper than Parimon's. She spread her wings. "Amethyst Wing!"

The jewels around her neck glowed with a purple light, and a split second later, her wings followed suit. Then, a beam of the same color erupted from each wing, and both hit SkullMeramon in the face. He cried out and staggered backward, and Tajinnmon took the opportunity. She flew over to Wizardmon and held out her hands. "Spirit's Cure!"

The smoke around her ankles extended to wrap itself around Wizardmon's prone form. As it did, Liam saw the wound on his chest heal up, the burn disappearing almost as quickly as it had been inflicted. A second later, his eyes opened, and he got to his feet. "Thank you," he said.

Tajinnmon looked back at SkullMeramon, who was recovering from her attack. "Hold him off for another second; I'll get the others."

Wizardmon nodded, and leapt forward. "Magical Game!"

As more lightning raked across SkullMeramon's torso, Tajinnmon flew over to Alepomon and repeated her healing process. Liam couldn't help but be impressed; here she was, proving that, when it really came down to it, her primary concern was her friends. He was so proud of her.

"Flame Chain!"

Liam's attention was yanked back to the battle, and, with a jolt, he saw SkullMeramon yank Wizardmon's staff out of his hand and send it flying. "Try all you like! I will destroy you here and now! And after you, your friends!"

"Oh, is that so? Bruiser's Kick!"

SkullMeramon turned just in time to see Alepomon's foot connect with his head. With a cry, he fell sideways, as Bytemon and Tajinnmon returned to the fray.

"Seeking Laser."

"Amethyst Wing!"

The two attacks connected, and SkullMeramon cried out again before struggling to get up. "I'll burn you away!"

"No, you won't." Wizardmon stood right next to SkullMeramon, his open palm aimed straight at his head. "Thunder Ball!"

The orange sphere flew right into his face. SkullMeramon let out a sort of strangled cry, then fell back to the ground. The other Digimon advanced, but Wizardmon held up a hand. "No; it is over."

Alepomon frowned. "Over? He could get back up."

Wizardmon's eyes twinkled. "Perhaps. But that may not be as bad as you'd think."

Alepomon looked like he was about to ask what Wizardmon meant when they heard a groan, and SkullMeramon opened his eyes. "Uh…where am I?" he asked. His voice was still rough, but didn't carry the same malice that it had before.

"You passed out from exhaustion," said Wizardmon. "You were coming here to thank me for giving you and your friends assistance, but ended up driving yourself a little too hard." He nodded to the others. "Fortunately, I and my assistants were here to make sure you didn't come to serious harm."

"Really? Well, thanks, I guess."

"Oh, don't mention it. But you should be getting back to your duties."

"Oh, duties, right." He paused. "Which duties?"

"You remember. It is your job to safeguard the Digimon of the mountains, and protect them from any evil that might come their way. But make sure you don't burn any foliage or innocent Digimon by accident."

"Um, okay." Slowly, SkullMeramon got to his feet. "I, uh, seem to have lost my sense of direction…"

"That way," said Wizardmon, pointing in the direction of some distant mountains.

"Right, of course. Well, thanks again."

"Think nothing of it, my friend."

With that, SkullMeramon lumbered off, still seeming a little disoriented. When he was gone, Tyler turned to Wizardmon. "How the hell—"

"A rather potent technique of mine," said Wizardmon, walking to retrieve his staff. "My Thunder Ball has a variety of effects, one of which is memory loss. In order to temper SkullMeramon's violent nature, I removed the majority of his memories. Now, we can safely hope that he will begin a new, benevolent life."

"I thought SkullMeramon's inclination was towards destruction," said Mara.

Wizardmon shook his head. "No Digimon is born evil. SkullMeramon did not start out with a pleasant disposition, but his attitude was further aggravated when he came to me, some time ago, seeking a way to rule his mountain. I refused him, and he attacked me; however, he was a Meramon then, and a Champion, so I was able to fend him off. Somehow, though, he managed to Digivolve, and returned for revenge." He looked the others over. "I must thank you for your assistance. If you had not distracted and weakened him, I may not have been able to get off that attack."

"We're glad we could help," said Tyler, looking pleased with himself.

Liam looked over to Tajinnmon, who was smiling. "Good job," he said.

She turned to him. "Thanks." She folded her hands behind her head. "And I suppose you deserve some credit, too. I couldn't have Digivolved without you."

Her voice had a teasing tone, but Liam could sense the sincerity behind it. And he was grateful for it.