I don't own the songs. This one is: "Keep holding on", by Avril Lavigne. Song lyrics are both italic and bold.
Chapter 4 : Partners And Father
The door burst open. There was a Digimon in the room with Hope. Beelzemon clenched his teeth and pointed his gun at the intruder.
- Ya have five seconds ta explain yourself!
The Digimon looked at Hope.
- Show him.
Hope turned to Beelzemon and showed him a lavender object.
- What's that, Beelzemon?
The fallen angel stared at her with wide eyes.
- It's a D-Ark.
She gave him a puzzled look.
- What's a D-Ark?
Beelzemon ignored her. He seemed shocked and angry. The other Digimon decided to introduce himself.
- I am Wizardmon, Hope's partner.
Beelzemon clenched his fists and glared defiantly at him. Hope was nervous.
- Beelzemon, what's wrong?
He was still staring at Wizardmon.
- Nothing, everything is fine.
His voice was cold. Wizardmon frowned.
- Sorry If I caused any trouble. I didn't mean to scare Hope.
Beelzemon didn't answer and mustered a lot of energy to stop his hands from shaking, his cold eyes still on Wizardmon.
- Go back ta sleep, Hope. I'm going out fer a few hours. I'll be back before dawn.
He left. Tears appeared in her eyes.
- I did something wrong, didn't I?
Wizardmon turned to her.
- You didn't do anything wrong.
She couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
-Then why… why… is he… so… mad?
She was sobbing now and Wizardmon didn't know what to do.
- Don't worry, I'll talk to him.
The Digimon jumped up on the window sill and looked outside.
- You should go back to sleep. You look tired. I'll be back in a moment.
She shook her head.
- Yeah, right.
Wizardmon joined Beelzemon outside.
- What's wrong?
Beelzemon stared at him, clenched his fists and swished his tail back and forth as he became angrier and angrier. He was about to attack Wizardmon when a ghostly leonine face appeared right in front of him and growled warningly. A flashback hit him like a brick. He saw and heard twelve-year-old Jeri Katou wailing and sobbing. His eyes widened in horror. Wizardmon gave him a confused look. He hadn't seen what had occurred before Beelzemon's eyes. Beelzemon turned and flew away.
Beelzemon flew higher and higher, hoping those horrible emotions would just melt away and leave him alone. Rage, fear, pain. Would it ever stop?
"She has a partner, now. She doesn't need ya anymore."
"Shut up!"
"Ya nearly did it again. Ya nearly killed a tamer's Digimon partner."
"Shut up!"
"Yer stupid and selfish. Ya wish Ai and Mako hadn't grown up. Ya wish they hadn't gone on with their lives. Ya wish Hope wouldn't grow up and ya wish she didn't have a partner because yer a jealous, selfish jerk."
"SHUT UP!!! JUST SHUT UP!!!"
He landed and sank to his knees, sobbing as if his heart had broken, his body wracked with the pain that seemed to fill him.
"Where is that cream puff fetish freak when ya need cheering up? Not that I'd allow anyone ta see me like this."
He looked around.
"This place looks familiar…It's where I found her. Wait a minute! What's that, glimmering in da moonlight?"
He picked up a silver chain with a silver pendant in the shape of a unicorn's head.
"I'm sure it belongs ta her. She must've lost it the night she was attacked by Ogremon."
The pendant looked minuscule in his big clawed hand. He pocketed it and flew away. Fifteen minutes later, he landed and took a look around.
"Is that the entrance ta da cave she used ta live in?"
It was dark inside the cave, but his night vision allowed him to see a bed made of dead leaves, a tattered blanket and a bag.
"Definitely IS."
He gathered wood and rocks and started a fire. As he warmed up by the fire, he thought about what had happened earlier.
"I swore ta myself I would protect her and take care of her. I swore ta myself I would do anything in my power ta make her healthy and happy again. Her partner shows up and what do I do? I become angry and cold and I nearly kill her partner. Thanks to Leomon, It didn't happen. I have ta stop and think more often. I don't want ta hurt anybody, not ever again."
He looked down, his face streaked with tears.
"I have ta go back. She's a tamer, now. A D-Ark and a Digimon. She will soon be called ta fight Evil in da Digital World. I can help Hope and Wizardmon ta win that battle. I know I can do this. I have ta stop being selfish. I have ta see the big picture. I'm not all alone. I was stupid ta think that. I have many friends, so I'm gonna help and fight."
He jumped to his feet.
"Come on, Beelzemon, go home."
He took the bag with him and flew away.
Beelzemon landed in front of the house and found Wizardmon waiting for him.
- Is she asleep?
Wizardmon nodded.
- She is. I found out she was sick, so I used my healing powers to fastened her recovery a little.
Beelzemon looked away.
- Good. She really needed that, I think.
Wizardmon took a step toward Beelzemon.
- Don't think I don't know what's going on here. I can read people's mind, but I don't need to read yours because I know exactly what's happening to you. What you feel is what humans call a paternal instinct.
- HUH!? WHA!?
Wizardmon nodded.
-You love her as if she was your own daughter.
Beelzemon shook his head.
- No way! I don't do that mushy stuff! Besides, Digimon don't have parents and they can't have children. Were I to feel that It would be a glitch in the program.
Wizardmon looked at him.
- We were created by humans, but we evolved on our own. I've meet other tamers before and one of them was practically raised by his Digimon partner after his father died.
Beelzemon shook his head again.
- I don't do that mushy stuff.
Wizardmon sighed.
- Your eyes say otherwise. And so did your reaction when you found out she had a partner.
"Pathetic jerk, go back ta da Digital World! We don't need ya here! Everything was fine before you came along!"
"Shut up!"
"She'll be in danger because of ya! Yer gonna ruin everything! Why don't you just go hang yourself?"
"Shut up!"
"Throw yourself off a bridge for what I care, but get off my face."
"SHUT UP!!! JUST SHUT UP!!!"
- Beelzemon?
Beelzemon took a deep breath.
"Get out of here, now! Get away from him!"
Wizardmon took a step toward Beelzemon, concern etched on his face.
- I am not a threat, Beelzemon.
Beelzemon narrowed his eyes.
- Don't you ever dare ta read my mind without my permission!
Wizardmon shook his head.
- I don't have to. I am not a threat. You might not want to admit it, but you love her as if she was your own daughter. You're afraid I'm going to take her away from you, but I'd never do that. I'd never hurt her in any way.
Beelzemon clenched his fists.
- Listen ta me, ya, idiot. She lost her parents and her unborn baby brother. Almost everyone think she's a freak. She's dealing with rage and sorrow and as if it wasn't enough, she'll soon be called to fight Evil in da Digital World, possibly both world. So ya better not hurt her in any way or I'll make ya sorry ya ever came to this world.
Wizardmon nodded.
- You have a heart of gold, Beelzemon. Think about what you could accomplish if you stopped fighting your allies.
- Humph!
Wizardmon looked at him.
- The way you reacted when you left the house hurt her. She cried because she thought you were mad at her.
Beelzemon's eyes widened.
- WHA!?
- She thought you left because she did something wrong.
Beelzemon shook his head.
"Because of yer stupid jealousy and selfishness, ya ended up hurting her. And da "guilt trip" contest winner is a stupid Demon Lord Digimon who should get a grip and do what he can to make things right again."
- Come on, let's get some sleep before sunrise.
Wizardmon followed him inside. Beelzemon threw him a pillow and a blanket and went to his room.
When they woke up, they sat at the kitchen table and ate in silence. Beelzemon looked at Hope and saw tears in her eyes.
You're not alone, together we stand
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand
When It gets cold and It feels like the end
There's no place to go, you know I won't give in
No, I won't give in
"Now is da time ta make things right again and don't screw up this time."
- I was never mad at ya, toots. I was angry because… Well, I…
"Oh, great. What am I gonna tell her? I don't wanna lie ta her."
Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make It through, We'll make It through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
Wizardmon turned to her.
- Beelzemon's worried about you because now that you are a tamer, your life will be in constant danger.
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do
There's no other way when It comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make It through, we'll make It through
Beelzemon mentally slapped himself.
"It's getting worse and worse. This is all my fault. I'm a proud idiot who can't even admit that he love the girl as if she was his own daughter. Why can't I just tell her? And now, her partner just told her that her life might be in constant peril."
So far away, I wish you were here
Before It's too late this could all disappear
Before the door's closed and It comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend, yeah, yeah
Hope burst out laughing. This time, Beelzemon was really angry. He slammed his fist down on the table.
- Stop laughing! This isn't funny!
Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make It through, we'll make It through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
She shrugged.
- I'm not surprised. After everything I've been through, why should it matter if I live or die? Things can't be worse than they were before anyway.
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do
There's no other way when It comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make It through, we'll make It through
Beelzemon clenched his fists.
"Why can't I just tell her?"
Hear me when I say, I believe
Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny
Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
He opened his mouth to tell her that he cared, that he loved her as if she was his own daughter, that she brought joy to his life, but the words wouldn't come out. He looked away as a single tear fell down his cheek. His voice softened.
- You have a responsibility to both worlds, now. This is serious and it does matter.
Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make It through, we'll make It through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
She looked at him.
- Why?
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do
There's no other way when It comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make It through, we'll make It through
- Because…
He looked down, hating himself more and more.
Keep holding on
Keep holding on
Wizardmon looked at her.
- People and Digimon will need us. We have some serious talking to do, you and I. I'm not even sure I can prepare you for what's to come.
There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do
There's no other way when It comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make It through, we'll make It through
She gave him a puzzled look.
- Aren't we supposed to fight or something?
He nodded.
- Yes, we are, but most of the time, we don't even know what we're up against.
She turned to Beelzemon.
- What do you think of all this?
He jumped to his feet.
- I'm sorry, I need some fresh air.
He left and sat outside, pondering over what had happened over the past few days.
"Why can't I just tell her?"