I'm sorry this one took so long... I'm fighting writer's block, my friends. But, it's finished! Fairly unedited, I warn you, but finished! And spellchecked, even! ^_^
Ah, now.. this part has no romance, and is quite a bit more sadistic than the last part is, so the warning that I left for the first part still applies: If you are weak of heart or stomach, then I suggest you skip the first bit. I STRONGLY suggest it, in fact.
I'm still not sure about the censor for this fic, but I put a high one just to be safe.... as you can clearly see, I'm more picky with the censors of my sadist fics than the ones I put on my shounen-ai stuff. ^_^
And, without further ado... here it is. If you can think of a better title, I'd greatly appreciate it if you review and say so no da, because my mind is drained right now.
"Demons Within Pure Souls- The Return of Ankokumon
Pain. Pain, in the form of a wave of electricity, surging through every inch of his body. If it had been yesterday, or the day before, perhaps, he would have screamed, struggled, resisted. But now... there was only pain. Pain, regret, and anger.
Anger, but not at the pain or the one who controlled it. No. Of course not. Anger... at himself. For landing himself in such a situation. For allowing himself to make a deal with someone who was no better than the Dark God. For allowing himself to be led astray, and tricked into killing the one he loved.
More pain. Stinging, tingling. All the while, the shocks continued through him..... blood, trickling down his arm. More blood, everywhere... except for his face. No hot iron touched his flesh there, no needles punctured his skin, no whip bit into him like the fangs of a snake. She never touched his face with any instrument of torture.... In the beginning, She had threatened to... but now, he knew Her better than that. She would not burn his face.... but, that didn't matter. All that mattered was the pain...
Soon, but not soon enough, the pain stopped coming, but that which was there remained. He hung limply, exhausted, too tried to scream, too tired to cry. It was over. Over.... but not for long. Not long enough. Her words kept running through his head.... "I am only keeping you alive for my own amusement. I could kill you if I wished to do so.. but I do not wish to do so. Your soul will be mine... maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I will break your spirit in time." Gods, how he hated Her... but he was powerless against Her. He could do nothing....
Somehow, he managed to open his eyes to look at Her. She was grinning, smiling wickedly, as though She was conjuring up yet another way to make him wish he had never been born. He hated looking at Her... at first, he had thought Her to be beautiful, perhaps enchanting... but now he knew the dark soul and cruel mind within.
"Ah, my dear Koushiro... have you had enough yet?" She murmured, reaching out to touch his face, Her cold, soft hands gently stroking his cheek. He cringed, not knowing what he hated more.... the mocking way in which She spoke his name, or how She touched him as if he were merely one of Her possessions and not a living being with a soul to call his own.
He gave no reply. Silently he stared at Her, willing Her to die, wishing She would simply burst into flames under his gaze. Alas, it did not happen.
"Have you had enough?" She repeated, ice-blue eyes staring into his own black ones, which had once been bright with life but were now dull as stone, the light having nearly faded from them. "Will you say it now, or will you say it later?"
Again, no reply. Go, he thought. Leave me here to die. I hate you... so leave.
A sudden pain, greater than the last, shooting through him.. it was Her, slipping a knife through his flesh, now red with blood... He could hear Her, whispering to him... "Say it, Koushiro... you know you are only made of flesh and bones... you will give in eventually.. why not now, when you still have a shred of spirit in you? Say it, dear Koushiro.... you are my slave. Say you are my slave."
I will never obey you, he thought bitterly. You are against everything which is good in the world... I will never give in to the pain you are bringing me. You will have to kill me first. And yet... he did not have the energy to speak such heartfelt words.
"Say it, Koushiro... say it now, while you still can... I will resort to drastic measures if I must, but I know you are too intelligent to force me to do that..." Smiling wickedly, She pressed the blade further into his flesh. "Say it."
It was too much. He could be silent no longer... "No," he whispered, looking at Her coldly.
She arched an eyebrow, still smiling, ever smiling... "What did you say?" She asked mockingly.
"You will never own me. I'd rather die than let you have... my.. soul..." He took a breath and tried desperately to keep himself from fainting. Perhaps the blood loss was finally having an affect on him..
She stared at him for a moment, smile fading slightly. She seemed confused at the thought that someone such as him would dare resist Her... But, it didn't last. As She tossed Her dagger aside, he realized that the look in Her eyes had grown darker, and Her smile more evil... "Ah, my dear Koushiro..," She murmured as She wrapped Her arms around his waist and held him, staring into his dark eyes with a look of amusement. "You will learn that you cannot resist my wishes.. you have already seen it for yourself... In time, and very soon, in fact.... you shall see it again." As if to prove that She owned him, She leaned in and kissed him, Her ice-cold lips brushing eagerly against his own, drinking in the warmth of his blood as if it were a sweet red wine.
He struggled against Her, wishing against all wishes that he could just die, rather than be victim of Her cruel pleasures. His futile efforts seemed to drive Her even more, and She reached up and slipped Her hand behind his head, forcing his lips against Hers.
He sighed in frustration against Her mouth and forced himself to relax, knowing that the more he resisted the more She would do this. In a way, it was worse than the physical pain... the pain in his heart, of knowing that She had forced him to kill the only one in his life who had meaning, the only one that he would have allowed to get this close to him.. it was enough to drive him insane.
Something brushed these painful thoughts aside and brought him back to reality. For a moment, he was confused... what was this intrusion? Then, it hit him. Her tongue... Thin and snakelike, it slipped into his mouth before he had a chance to resist. He felt himself tense up as She held him closer, forcing Her tongue down his throat. As She released Her hold around his waist and slid Her hand down one of his thighs, he felt a quick rush of fear... It had occurred to him before that She could do to him whatever She pleased... and yet, before, he had never ventured to think that She actually WOULD do anything and everything She wished...
DO something! His mind screamed at him. Don't let Her do this to you! Have you no honour?!
And then, a solution presented itself to him. He bit down on Her tongue, not nearly hard enough to sever it but enough to make Her pull away from him, cringing in pain. For a moment, there was silence as She stared at him coldly, and he glared back, never taking his gaze off Her. But, as he watched, again a cold smile spread across Her lips.
"My dear Koushiro..," She whispered, shaking her head as if surprised that he would even consider doing such a thing as he did. Smile growing wider, She wrapped Her arm around his waist again, reaching up with Her right hand to finger the collar of his shirt. "When will you learn? What Lady Ankokumon wants, Lady Ankokumon gets." She stared into his eyes for a moment... they held the same light that had sparkled in them when She had first claimed his soul. Defiance. Defiance, and anger. For a moment, Her expression darkened as She remembered his threat to kill Her..... but She brushed it aside, as always. He would never succeed.
"Perhaps it will have to wait until another day," She murmured as She pulled back from Her captive. "Now.... is not the time for this."
"What are you talking about?" There was a voice, speaking.... He was surprised to realize that it was his own.
She smiled that same chilling smile, and held out Her hand. "I have something I need you to do for me." She looked at him for a moment, as if waiting for an answer. When She received nothing, She continued. "I have recovered. Now... is the time for you to kill again."
What little colour was left in his face drained away in fear, not for himself but for his friends. "No," he whispered, trembling. "I can't..."
"You can, and you will," She said firmly, placing one of Her hands on his shoulder and digging Her nails into his skin. "You will do whatever I tell you to do, and you WILL enjoy it." At the sight of his disgusted expression, She narrowed Her eyes and leaned in close to him. "What's wrong, dear Koushiro?" She whispered, running Her fingers through his hair. "Does the thought of your task displease you?"
"Does it matter?"
"Not to me," She murmured, kissing him softly. "But perhaps to you. Oh, come now, Koushiro... I could be so much easier on you, you know, if only you would willingly do as I ask..." As a thought crossed Her mind, She smiled. It was only a matter of time... only a matter of time, before She would have him in Her power. She was patient. She could wait. Until then... She would have fun with him. However, that would wait until he had completed the second task...
"I need you now, dear Koushiro... you'll let me in, won't you? Oh, I forgot... Of course you will. You have no choice in the matter..." Her eyes sparkled at the very idea of it.
"Drop dead, you-" his threat was silenced by yet another kiss. From that moment, time seemed to slow down, as if the Keeper of the Stars has decided that a second was really an hour. His eyes closed unwillingly, as if they were being forced shut... All around him, he could feel a searing heat, like a dark flame licking at his flesh. Let it in, his mind willed him. Let it in....
Slowly, his soul gave way to the darkness and sank once more within the depths of his heart, as the black shadow of Ankokumon wrapped itself around his physical body, transforming him once again into the servant of darkness.
Lady Ankokumon stepped back from her captive, the smile never leaving her face. Yet, behind a mask of amusement, her cruel mind was slightly troubled. It should have been a simple task, claiming the boy's weak spirit... but this time, it was no easier than when she first possessed him, when his heart had been blind to the ways of Ankokumon. The Dark Lady's mind raced. His spirit should have been broken days ago... and yet, it was as strong as ever. Am I losing my touch? she thought quickly. Am I no longer the master of torture? The thought faltered, and was quickly pushed aside by simple logic. No one could stand against the Daughter of Darkness.. it would merely take time. And time, of course, was something which she had a lot of..
She held out her hand, calling the shadow back to her. It came eagerly, knowing it had done its task well. Shadows were souls, so easily infected by the darkness, so easily trained.... so reliable. They left their essence in spirits without complaint, and withdrew it on command... Ah, yes, Shadows were such loyal creatures. Always willing...
She waited. In moments, he would awaken... and realize that he was hers once more.
He opened his eyes, mind slowly clearing as if it was emerging from a deep fog. His vision, fuzzy at first, sharpened as if it belonged to a completely different person. A fact which, in a way, was completely true.
"Lady Ankokumon...," he murmured, lifting his head to look upon her. "I see now... I was a fool to even consider putting faith in those Digi-destined children.. they are so weak, so unlike the creatures of darkness.. How do you wish me to do away with them?"
The demon smiled. "Ah, my Koushiro... Eager, are you?"
"Yes, my lady. I wish to be rid of them.. they have pulled the wool over my eyes far too long."
"Well, you have my most sincere apologies.. I am not ordering you to kill anyone this time." At the sight of the boy's confused expression, the demon smiled. "Is something the matter?" she asked softly.
"Why do you not wish me to destroy them?"
"Oh, I wish you to destroy them... But, there is a time and place for everything, you know. And this time, my sweet one, is not the right one, and the place they are in now doesn't fit the moment either. Ah.." Lady Ankokumon trailed off in thought, eyes sparkling as she thought of the time when it WOULD be right to destroy them. "Yes... when it is right, you will do as you wish with them. You will drink their blood as though it is water, and you will feast upon their souls.. take them within yourself, savour the flavour of their miserable little lives.."
Koushiro licked his lips, nearly able to taste the sweet flavour of blood on his tongue. Though at the point he didn't know whether it was his imagination or his own life liquid, he knew that it would be something worth waiting for. After all, the servants of Darkness were well rewarded... or so Lady Ankokumon had told him during the times when she toyed with him. "Yes, my Master Ankokumon... it will indeed be worth the trouble of killing them."
The demon smiled. "Indeed, it will be," she murmured, stepping close to Koushiro and reaching up to the chains which bound him to the wall. They crumbled at her touch, the only evidence that they had ever existed being deep cuts in the boy's wrists where they had dug into the tender flesh. As the boy fell, weak from loss of blood and the transition from light to dark, she caught him and held him close to her, placing a sweet kiss upon his lips. "It will be," she repeated, eyes sparkling. "And then..."
"Yes, my lady?" Koushiro gasped, squirming under her freezing cold touch.
Lady Ankokumon smiled and kissed him again, once, twice, thrice, always deeper, each kiss sweeter and colder than the last. Finally, she whispered softly into his ear... "And then, my Koushiro... you will be Lord of Darkness."
It was hours before Koushiro was finally able to begin his new mission. He lay on the floor with his master beside him, knowing that soon the time would come. And during the time that he recovered, absorbing generous amounts of energy from Lady Ankokumon, his captor elaborated on what he already knew...
"Koushiro.... we need to cripple the Digi-destined, suck out their lifeblood gradually," Lady Ankokumon whispered as she ran her hands over his shredded, bleeding body, each cold, light touch sending her dark energy surging through his spirit. "We need to make them weaker and weaker, draw it out.... soon, they will be begging for your mercy..."
Koushiro closed his eyes and ran his tongue over his lips, the image of Taichi cowering before him coming into his mind. "Yes, my lady...," he murmured, voice ragged from the dark energy which continually surged through him. "We must make them realize that they have no power before us...."
Lady Ankokumon smiled wickedly and pressed a kiss to his lips, eyes glittering at the thought of victory. "You think as I do, my Koushiro.... and now that you have destroyed the Holder of Sincerity, it will be all the easier to suck their life forces from them...." She paused, and sighed. "However, it will take time.... and that is what we have. So now... I do not wish you to destroy anyone, my Koushiro. This time.... you will capture the Holder of Friendship, and you will bring him to me...."
"....Friendship..," he murmured, gasping slightly as the demon began to kiss his neck, cold sensations rushing through his spirit. A million thoughts flew through Koushiro's mind, at a speed that would send off sparks if it was any physical apparition. Why Friendship? he wondered, eyes narrowing slightly at the thought of the blonde-haired Digi-destined. Why is he so important?
Somehow, Lady Ankokumon sensed her servant's discomfort. "What is wrong?" she hissed, arching an eyebrow. "Does your mission displease you?"
Koushiro nearly choked. How had she known? "My lady... please, I don't mean to seem ungrateful for such a mission, but... what significance does the Holder of Friendship have? Surely, if we wanted to weaken the Digi-destined, wouldn't it make more sense to destroy their leader, the Holder of Courage, first?" He cringed, expecting a swift blow from his master... but none came.
The Dark Lady merely smiled and laughed softly, stroking his cheek with something in her eyes that might be thought of as affection, if she had been any other creature. "Ah, my Koushiro... I like the way you think. And yet, you think far too quickly... because, of course, we want to destroy them slowly... age the wine of their blood, season it with fear... what better way is there to accomplish that, then cause one of their strengths to disappear? The Holder of Friendship may not be as powerful as the leader, but they can never do without him for long. Without him, they are nothing... and so, all the power to you, hm?"
"Yes...... as always, you are right, my lady...."
Taichi shivered against the cold of the strong north wind. It had only been a few days, maybe a week, since they had lost Mimi and Koushiro.... but it had seemed like so much longer. After Mimi's death and Koushiro's bizarre disappearance, everyone simply hadn't had the strength to be themselves... the loss of their friends had been so hard, particularly on Taichi himself. He had always respected Koushiro and thought of him as a close friend, even though he tried so hard not to show it. And now that the child prodigy was gone... The mere thought of his memory caused tears to well up in the Digidestined leader's eyes. They were gone...
".....Taichi?"
Great, Taichi thought. I'm hearing things. I miss him so much, that I'm imagining that I can hear him calling me...
"Taichi!"
The voice, so much like the one he remembered, yet raspy and weak at the same time, caused him to turn around... and stare. It was Koushiro, very much alive, but oh! what a terrible state he was in. He lay on the ground as if he had collapsed, long, thin wounds criss-crossed over his arms and body in a bizarre spiderweb-like pattern, blood running down his skin in threadlike streams. He seemed so small, so fragile... Even his eyes had lost their curious, intelligent sparkle...
For a moment, Taichi could do nothing but stare at him open-mouthed, unable to believe he was alive, and even more unable to believe he was injured so. But the younger boy's cries did not go unheeded. For it was only a brief moment that the digidestined leader stood there stunned, before he came to his senses. Though Koushiro was injured beyond logical belief, it was still Koushiro, not some bizarre illusion conjured from the depths of his own mind. So, naturally, Taichi did what anyone else would do....
"Hey! Everybody! We have a Situation here!"
Koushiro held back a smile as he looked at his former friends. His plan was coming along perfectly... They didn't have any idea of what was REALLY going on. Not any idea whatsoever... and yet, something was wrong. Yamato had been keeping his distance... it was as if the blonde knew that there was something in store for him. But the others... ah, the others were totally ignorant of his plans. And he was beginning to realize a logical reason behind Lady Ankokumon's thorough torture....
"Oh, Koushiro you poor thing... what happened?" Sora asked as she bathed his brow, eyes clearly expressing concern for him. "You look like you've been chewed up and spit out by a Monochromon."
Koushiro groaned and closed his eyes. "Gods..," he whispered, controlling his voice to make it sound weaker than it was. "If only it was just that..." He paused. "I didn't know what would happen to me.... but.. it's worth it to see you all again."
"It's good to see you too... we missed you. We need you... after all, you're the brains of the operation." She smiled, but it quickly faded as her expression became sorrowful. "After we found her... Mimi, I mean... we didn't know what to think. Everyone thought you were dead..."
"... I know." In the depths of his mind, Koushiro laughed. Gods, do I ever know.
"Something's wrong," Yamato said softly as he watched Koushiro and Sora from a distance. Something simply wasn't right about Koushiro's return... Though he wasn't sure what it was, he knew there was something going on. The question was, what......
"What do you mean?" Taichi asked, arching an eyebrow at the blonde. "Were you happier when you thought he was dead or something?"
Yamato shook his head. "Of course not. But, it just.... seems wrong."
"Come again?"
"This whole thing.. it just doesn't seem right. Like something planned, worked out... like something you'd read in a novel or something."
Taichi sighed. "You're always looking for excuses, you know that? I mean, come on! Nobody could have planned this! He just went out in the woods and got attacked by a digimon or something. What's so hard to understand?"
"Well, why didn't we find him when we went searching?" Yamato shot back, bright blue eyes filling with rage. "Why didn't our digimon sniff him out and find his trail? Why did they say the blood on the grass only smelled like Mimi?"
"I.... don't know! But that doesn't mean you have to go sniffing for trouble!" Taichi snapped angrily. "Look, he's here now, he's going to be all right, so who CARES what happened?!"
Instead of the cold reaction he expected, Taichi received only a glare. "All I'm saying is that if it had been you and me, we would have died from those wounds," Yamato said softly, eyes narrow. "And if you can't realize that, then I guess there's no use in pointing it out. You're too thick, any way... you never see what's in front of you." He froze for a moment, as if slightly dazed by what he had said, then turned and walked away.
Any other time, Taichi would have shot back what he thought was a clever retort.. but this time, it was different. This time, even he had to admit that maybe, just maybe... Yamato was right.
Lady Ankokumon frowned as she dipped her fingers into the mirror-smooth waters of the watching pool. This Holder of Friendship, this Yamato, he was wary, suspicious... much more life-smart than any of the other digi-destined children. "Hn... I wonder what it would be like to hear him scream," she whispered dully, eyes rolling back into her head.
"Is torturing our enemies all you ever think about?" came a moody reply from the shadows.
"Hmph. It's not all I ever think about... " Ankokumon snapped, glaring in the direction of the voice.
"I'll believe it when I see it. You're wasting too much time... when, my dear, are you planning on killing these brats?"
The dark lady's eyes turned red and she spat into the watching pool, the water suddenly turning a dark blue as the foreign liquid touched its mirror-like surface. "I'll kill them when I'm good and ready!" she bellowed, snarling as she did so. "And not a moment before it!"
And, though it seemed like the simple outburst of a child, Lady Ankokumon truly meant what she was saying. She would do as she wished... and never completely obey the orders of the one higher than her. For she was a free-thinking digimon... and when the time was right, when she became bored with toying with the minds of the children, she would destroy them as she saw fit.
In the darkness of the shadows, bright blue eyes smirked at the sight of the dark lady throwing a tantrum much like that of a young, disobedient child. "Ah, my daughter... you have so much to learn," a voice whispered, like that of death itself. "And your only true flaw is that you have decided not to learn the lessons of life.." For, he was the Dark Lord... and he knew in what he dared to call a heart that sometimes.... you must follow logic rather than pleasure when it came to destroying enemies.
The night was cold and dark, and in the shadows... Koushiro was waiting. He knew he would have little trouble capturing Yamato.... after all, he had the power of darkness inside of him.. he had the energy of the Lady running through his blood. It would be little trouble to knock him out.. and then, the powers of the Shadows would transport them to the lair of Ankokumon. But...
....but....
.....but..... First, there was the task.... first, he had to capture him.
Koushiro licked his lips, smiling with anticipation. It would not be difficult... no, not at all. He had a simple, flawless plan... and, despite the Holder of Friendship's suspicions, it was bound to work. All it took was time and thought... and soon, it would pay off.
He knew that the only ones awake at that moment were himself and Yamato... he had seen the blonde stir in the firelight, has seen the flames glitter in his eyes. The others lay about snoring, mumbling in their sleep. Simple..
"Yamato-san?" he called out, taking extra precaution to make his voice sound weaker than it truly was. "Yamato-saaan..... are you still awake?"
For a moment, all was silent. Then came the reply, cold, soft, concerned all at once... "Yeah, Koushiro... I'm awake. What do you want?" Hardly waiting for an answer, the blonde stood and walked toward his friend, eyes glittering in the dim light.
"I really just want to talk to you....," Koushiro began, smiling an entirely fake smile as the Holder of Friendship sat beside him. "There's just... things I want to talk about... things I want to know.. About what happened during the time I was gone, I mean. Was everything all right? Was the group safe without my assistance?"
Yamato's reply was harsh and emotionless. "We were fine," he muttered, eyes narrow. "Nothing went wrong."
"Oh, good!" Koushiro let out a well-rehearsed sigh of relief. "I was worried that something would happen to you... like what happened to Mimi." The tears came as he bid them,slowly rolling down his face. I'll have him soon, he thought in the back of his mind. Lady Ankokumon will be pleased, I am sure...... Koushiro had to hold back a smile at the thought. And yet, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wish that he was destroying the Holder of Friendship... or, at the very least, capturing the Holder of Courage. But, orders were orders....
It took him a few moments to realize that Yamato was trying to speak with him. Feigning embarrassment, Koushiro smiled slightly and asked "What was that? I... wasn't listening. I was thinking of Mimi..."
Yamato's expression didn't change at all. He simply stared back, an expression haunting his eyes.. what was it? Suspicion? Regret? Something else, perhaps? Koushiro didn't know. "Koushiro...," Yamato whispered, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Tell me... did you see Mimi die?"
"Yes!" Koushiro cried out, bursting into fresh tears. He lowered his head as if ashamed, as if unable to even look at Yamato. "I saw it. I saw her die... Gods, Yamato, please... don't remind me...."
Still, Yamato remained emotionless. "Who killed her?" he asked, grabbing ahold of Koushiro's wrist, fingernails digging painfully into the cuts left by the chains of Ankokumon. "Tell me... now."
It was at this point that Koushiro realized that he would have to release the Lady's power into his enemy, or fail in the attempt. It was going a little too far.. he acted as if he knew what had happened, as if he was just playing the fool to hear it for himself.... and so, Koushiro simply frowned and pulled his hand away, looking up at Yamato with tearful eyes. "I know who killed her.... it was the same person who controls all that is evil in the Digiworld.... it was the same person who gave me these wounds. And, Yamato..... it was... or rather, will be... the same person who will eventually take your life."
That moment of confusion was all he needed.... while Yamato was unable to do anything but stare at him in complete confusion, Koushiro took the opportunity to call upon the powers of darkness, of evil, of Ankokumon....
There was a flash of light, there was a sudden darkness.... as the darkness swirled around him, became one with him, he looked upon the face of his former friend.... If he had been in his right mind, he would have wondered what he was doing, what he was attempting, questioned himself as to why he was trying to manipulate the powers of evil, powers given to him by non other than the Lady of Darkness.... but, nothing of that reached his mind. All he saw was the dark energy glowing in his palms, and the fear in Yamato's eyes. And so, he took a breath and held out his hands as he had seen the Dark Lady do so many times, and let loose the energy.....
In less than a second, Yamato was laying upon the ground, unconscious. The Shadow Snakes wrapped themselves around his captive, claiming him for the realm of darkness. Koushiro smiled... he knew he had done well. He had done as the Dark Lady commanded him.. and so would be well rewarded.
Moments passed..... and as Koushiro closed his eyes, a sudden coldness fell upon him. He knew it was Her.... and so he cast what was left of his soul away and allowed himself to be taken.
As Yamato slowly regained consciousness, the first thing that hit him was the sudden cold of the air.... not a natural cold, but a fierce, strong chill, stronger than the north wind. It bit into him, wrapped around him in a dangerous embrace...
The next thing that hit him was the stillness.... there was no sound of wind, no sound of water... it was as if he was in a void, with nothing else, not even the air... it was as if he was dead.
After a few moments, he gathered the courage to open his eyes, blinking at the darkness. There was nothing.... nothing but darkness, midnight black... small lit pools in the centre of what seemed to be a large room, but nothing! Nothing else..... until he looked to his left.... and his eyes opened wide at what he saw there.
It was Koushiro, chained to the wall, eyes closed as if asleep.. and yet, it wasn't the Koushiro he had seen what seemed like hours before, but the Koushiro he had always known... the one which had nothing to do with shadows and darkness, the one who was filled with knowledge, not dark thoughts and evil truths.
"Koushiro?" Yamato whispered, voice nearly breathless. "Are you all right?" For a moment, it seemed as if he wouldn't answer.. but then, eyes opened to reveal onyx black pupils, and the younger boy turned his head slightly to look at his friend.
"I'm fine..... no." Koushiro paused, catching his breath. "I'm not fine. Gods, Yamato... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.... I shouldn't have done this... shouldn't have let this happen..." His eyes travelled from Yamato's face to the chains which bound him to the wall. The hurt on his face was so obvious, it nearly shattered Yamato's heart.
"It doesn't matter now...," he whispered. "What's done is done. We can't change it now..."
From the darkness came a laugh, bitter and cold as the north wind. "Ah, yes.. the past can't be changed. But it makes no difference, for you don't have much of a future..."
Koushiro nearly choked, and closed his eyes tightly. "Yamato.... it's her. The one.. who controlled me... oh gods, Yamato... I'm so sorry."
The demon was upon him like a cat upon a mouse, staring into his bright eyes. For a moment all was silent, save the shallow breathing of the two prisoners. Yamato could do nothing but stare back at Her, hardly believing that she was the one who had controlled his friend and chained him... for she looked innocent, and as far from a figure of evil as one could get....
"Ah, Koushiro," the demon whispered, voice soft and bright, as if greatly pleased. "So, you have done what I asked of you... and so, you will be greatly rewarded."
From the corner of his eye, Yamato saw Koushiro cringe... and for a moment, the demon followed his gaze. But no look of pity appeared on her face, nor a look of concern. Simply a smile, as if she was amused by the young boy's pain.
"Who are you?" Yamato asked coldly, trying to get a grip on what was going on. "How could you control him the way you did?" Somehow, he knew that his courage would do little against her... and the power of his crest would probably be even more useless.
For a moment, the demon was silent.... she simply looked at him and smiled, eyes sparkling. But, the moment passed... and then, to Yamato's horror, she leaned in and kissed him, freezing lips brushing against his own. Though it was only for a brief second, it filled his heart with fear and hatred.
"I am the Lady Ankokumon," the demon replied as she pulled away. "And you will surrender your soul to me.... or, I shall torture you in whatever way I please."
Koushiro's breath quickened. Gods, he thought... she's going to do the same thing to him as she did to me.... I can't let this happen! I can't! But I'm powerless.....
"Now, what is your choice, oh Holder of Friendship?" Lady Ankokumon murmured, staring into the eyes of her new prisoner. "Surly you don't wish to die, hmm? Really, to serve me would be so much better than death.... for it is the complete end, yes? However, if you do not wish to serve me, I will make your end slow and painful.."
Yamato stared back, forcing himself to stand her evil eyes and cold touch. "I don't understand who you are.... or what your purpose is... but I know you're the one who killed my friend Mimi and hurt Koushiro. I'd never lower myself to serving the likes of you..."
"Ah...," the dark lady murmured, eyes sparkling. "It is as I had hoped... because, truly, I would indeed love to hear you scream... and so you shall." And from her sleeve, she drew four hair-thin needles, sharp as daggers and strong as steel. "What do you fancy, my dear?" she whispered, holding the needles to her captive's eyes. "Raw or heat? Slow or quick? Perhaps if you scream loud enough, I will go easy on you."
Sweat beaded on Koushiro's brow. It was like his first time with Ankokumon all over again.... how she had tortured him endlessly in the dark, while he could do nothing but scream.... And yet, she did not seem to be quite as enthusiastic with Yamato as she had been with him...... and so, there was still a chance.... still a chance that he could save his friend.... but how? The thought plagued him while he hung there, listening while Yamato screamed. He couldn't let this happen...
And then, he saw the light.
"Ankokumon!"
"Ankokumon!"
The Lady Ankokumon looked up, smiling slightly at Koushiro. "What do you wish, little one?" she asked softly, voice laden with honey. "What do you wish?"
"Ankokumon..." Koushiro replied, trying desperately to force his words out. "I...." he coughed, swallowed, as if the words were choking him. "Ankokumon.... I know you have no interest in the Holder of Friendship... please, Ankokumon, won't you release him? He really holds no use for you..."
For a moment, it appeared that the demon was considering his words. Please, gods, Koushiro thought. Let her agree... let her release him...
"Ah, my Koushiro," the demon murmured, eyes smiling. "Now, why ever caused you to think that? I would never release a prisoner... they always have some use, hmm? Though, you needn't worry... you will always be my favourite catch."
"I... see..." Koushiro closed his eyes, trying desperately to hold the tears back. He had hoped that he could persuade the evil one... but had failed. And now his friend would die....
"Ah, Holder of Friendship," he heard her say. "Your choice was a good one... slavery would have been much too good for you."
Slavery... slavery.... the word played over in Koushiro's mind. Slavery... slavery... Slavery.... like what she had wanted of him... like what she said would come in time...
Koushiro swallowed. The Lady Ankokumon was corrupt and evil.... but still, truthful all the same. And if she said that the time would come.. then it would come. And perhaps.... it would come sooner than she had thought...
"Ankokumon," Koushiro whispered again, voice raspy and uncertain. "My lady..."
At this, Ankokumon's head snapped up from her work, and Yamato gave him an odd look as well. They had known that he would never speak that way... not when the shadow had returned to the Lady...
"My lady," Koushiro repeated, putting in extra effort to keep his voice steady. "If you release my friend... I will say the words you wish to hear."
For a moment, the dark lady appeared confused. "What do you mean, little one?" she murmured, brow furrowing with confusion.
"I mean... that if you release him," Koushiro whispered. "Then... I will surrender my soul to you. I will be your slave.... if only you release him."
"You are lucky, very lucky indeed," Lady Ankokumon murmured to Yamato as she dragged him by one hand down the dark hallways of the realm of Ankokumon. "The only reason you will live is because your little friend is now my slave.... you should be thankful that he was such a fool, that he would offer himself to me as he did..."
While the dark lady rambled on, Yamato was having thoughts of his own. Why did Koushiro do that? he asked himself. Now he's completely at her command... he'll never be free again... he'll never be whole again...
The pain stayed with him, even after he was freed from the realm of Ankokumon. It stayed with him, even after he returned to his friends..... and when he again saw their smiling faces, his heart plunged into the depths of despair.
"Taichi," he whispered, looking into the eyes of the Digi-destined leader. "I have been to hell and back.... and now, I know this.... we have to rescue Koushiro. At all costs.... for he is the only reason I am alive."