Author's Note: Hi again! So I just wanted to quickly mention, in case you haven't already noticed, that I'm totally making stuff up with regards to the location, timeline, and Lucemon's capabilities. The idea is that this episode should be short and intense, while not really changing anything down stream, if that makes sense. I also wanted it to fit into that narrow but interesting period between Koichi's purification and him becoming comfortable with the team. Sort of where Trust is, but more made up for the purpose of this story. Anyway, I just wanted to clarify that. Enjoy!
When Koichi woke it was to notable pain, and not just from his injuries. True, his ribs ached and his head was pounding, but there was also a web of wires digging into his flesh, contorting his suspended body into the most unpleasant wad. At first he didn't understand what that meant; the conclusions fell in line slowly, like dominos in molasses. He was in a net, judging by the pattern in his back, and was being carried. Details filled in the crack, leading to a memory which tried to explain how he'd gotten there. A fight. The soreness of his body told him he'd lost. To Crusadermon and Dynasmon. Koji had been there.
Adrenaline hit his system like a meteor, electrifying every limb and revitalizing his brain. He bolted, struggling to sit up or otherwise reorient in the net. Wind tousled his hair and stung his eyes as he searched, looking desperately for some clue as to his twin's status. Koji wasn't captured with him, that much was obvious, but Koichi didn't see any signs of him in the forest below either. But they hadn't gone far; he could see the scorch where the battle had taken place. It hadn't been a quiet fight, so it was safe to assume the others had found Koji by now and were tending to him. Then they'd come for the dark brother. Shouldn't be too difficult, Crusadermon was making no effort to hide his haul.
"The Warrior of Darkness rejoins us," he said with mild disinterest, taking note of Koichi's squirming.
"Put me down," Koichi demanded, fingers coiling in the net as he tried to shoot Crusadermon a scalding look. "I told you, the Spirit is of no use!"
"And we told you," answered Dynasmon, giving the human a glare of his own. "That Lord Lucemon has no interest in the Spirit. He has asked for you."
"He will get nothing from me."
"That is not yours to decide." Without warning Crusadermon dropped his net, allowing Koichi to fall to the ground before he could scream. He landed hard on his side, gasping and curling up as the flare of pain reached its peak and subsided. His navy eyes caught a glint of pink armor and he stared at it with condensed venom. "Lord Lucemon requested your audience and your audience is what we delivered."
"Lord Lucemon is still imprisoned in the Dark Area," spat Koichi, pushing himself to his feet. He reached for his D-Tector, cursed its absence, hoped Koji had it, and pressed forward. The others had seen Crusadermon take him; they'd be close. "He can't talk to me, no matter how much he requests."
"Not true, Warrior of Darkness," said an ice-cold voice like a dousing of frozen water. Koichi's body went past shivers and straight into frostbite. His muscles ceased up, his gut contracted, and his breath stilled as fear seeded itself in the back of his mind. "We are of one spirit, you and I. You are not safe from me, especially in these places where the world's core has been exposed."
Koichi's lips parted as he tried to breathe, every response dying in his chest as the waves of cold power radiated up from somewhere behind him. Slowly, simultaneously trying to stop his own body from moving, he turned, navy eyes coming to rest on the source of the voice. Less than half a meter away there was a rip in the earth, a gorge whose edges puckered up like a freshly opened wound. Within purple black organs seethed like serpents, pulsing, glowing as only pure darkness could.
He recognized it instantly, felt it reach inside him and take hold, and before he knew what he was doing he'd walked right up to the edge. Shaking, he fell to his knees, gripping the rim as he tried to stop himself from falling any further. The power of this darkness was overwhelming, consuming, so much so that he feared he might loose himself to it then and there. Anyone would've felt the pull, an irresistible magnetic tug on their secrets and fears, but as the Chosen of Darkness Koichi was uniquely sensitive. He knew that Lucemon understood that.
"What do you want," he whispered, wide eyes staring into the inky depths of Lucemon's prison. Something stirred, then two arms like those of a mantis rose up, wicked tips suggestively aimed at the dark twin. "What do you want with me?"
The arms gave no verbal answer. They arched over his shoulders as if in an embrace, then buried their points into his back. A scream of pain and surprise tore through Koichi's throat as his eyes went wide. Then the inflow started and he lost control of his thoughts.
"Koji! Wake up!" There were some other, perhaps more elaborate statements and demands, but Koji didn't catch them. The moment consciousness was upon him he was active, bolting to his feet with only the slightest of stumbles and looking around. Takuya, Izumi, Junpei, and Tomoki all blinked back at him, their expressions a collage of confusion, concern, and directionless anger. He didn't care. His eyes surveyed the four, concluded beyond a shadow of a doubt that a fifth one was absent, and then steeled as they came to rest on Takuya.
"Where are the Royal Knights? Where did they go," he demanded, tone bordering on accusatory. The Warrior of Flame, who had apparently been squatting by his unconscious body, stood, frowning.
"Where's Koichi," he asked, not getting the message. Koji's jaw tightened, lips curling around a more scathing retort as he began searching the horizons.
"They took him."
"Umm, guys," interrupted Tomoki, cutting of any further banter and drawing attention to himself with a raised hand. Or, to be more precise, to the black and grey D-Tector that hand cradled. He pursed his lips, unwilling to state the obvious; Koichi was indeed captured and he had no feasible means of escape.
"Damn!" Koji didn't even try to suppress the hysterics in his voice, taking the D-Tector from Tomoki and slipping it into his own pocket. "Where could they be taking him! They can't have gone far!"
"I think I saw them flying off that way," offered Junpei, indicating a direction with two fingers. "Crusadermon had something in a net; it must've been Koichi!"
Izumi's features settled into a mask of righteous determination and, without comment, she pulled out her own pale purple D-Tector and Spirit Evolved. Fairymon took to the sky, following Koji's earlier scan of the horizon. "There," she said, arm extended parallel to Junpei's "I see them!"
In a whirl of periwinkle light the other Legendary Warriors joined her, and no more than a few minutes after Koji's electrified consciousness returned to his battered body they were on the Royal Knights' trail. Across the scorched earth and through the remainder of the forest, their run couldn't have added more than another few minutes, tops. They were maybe five minutes total behind the Royal Knights, five minutes away from Koichi. Still, they arrived too late.
"Why take Koichi," asked Aldamon, hovering just above Beowolfmon as they sped through the brush.
"I don't know," he answered, face tight. "We were just having a conversation and they appeared out of nowhere and said Lucemon wanted him for something."
"That can't be good," said Beetlemon in what he'd meant to be an undertone.
"Wanted him for what," Fairymon tried to clarify.
"I don't know Izumi! We were too busy getting our butts kicked to ask! No thanks to you."
The others fell silent. Truth be told, Koji and Koichi should not have gone off on their own to begin with. That was the biggest fault here. But there was no anticipating that Koichi would be kidnapped and they all knew it. Koji was just lashing out, annunciating his worry with perfect clarity.
Beetlemon was the first to spot the Royal Knights as the hovered side by side passively observing something on the ground. Distracted. Tactical mind aflame, he dropped down into the brush with the rest of the group and signaled for quiet, indicating that they were close. Aldamon and Beowulfmon must've misinterpreted the 'let's ambush them' signal, charging forward out of the brush with decisive screams. They ground to a halt just as quickly, staring in horror at what met them.
Koichi was kneeling on the rim of some gash in the ground, wide eyes staring unblinkingly into the swirling purple energy within. Two tendrils of that energy rose up out of the earth and arched over Koichi's shoulders, burying themselves into the flesh of his back. Just medial of his shoulder blades. Glowing energy pulsed through them and Koichi's body twitched each time one of these waves entered him. Grimace after grimace rippled across his face and his fingers had curled up in the dirt, knuckles white. What was happening or why lost its immediate significance. They were hurting him.
"So the remainder of the merry band appears, how quaint." Crusadermon's voice gave an off hand comment, drawing most attention away from their teammate.
"What are you doing to him!" Aldamon's words were accompanied by a surge of flame, emanating from his armor as he charged his attack.
"This is Lord Lucemon's will," shot Dynasmon, folding his arms. "No one is to interfere."
Koichi let out an audible choking noise as his body tried to jerk away from Lucemon's embrace, his spine cracking. Beowulfmon snarled, pulling out his saber and staring intently at his twin. The decision was made for him as another groan of pain rumbled in Koichi's chest and he lurched into action, blade extended. In a flash he'd passed over the dark twin and severed his connection to the pit. Both tendrils still protruded from him, stretching outwards like fleshless wings as he arched his back, wide eyes cast skyward. Beowulfmon turned, intent on ripping these remainders from his brother, but they moved first. Writhing for a moment in either frustration or glee, the severed heads began to retract, burrowing into Koichi's flesh. They bulged beneath his shirt briefly, then were gone. The Warrior of Light caught his brother in one massive hand, trying to support his suddenly limp form and hold a blade between himself and the Royal Knights at the same time. His brown gaze was ice cold.
"What have you done?"
"What we were commanded." Dynasmon made a move like he was preparing for battle, but Crusadermon extended an arm to block him, continuing in a detached tone. "And now it is done. Our task is concluded; lay down your arms and we shall depart."
The two did not wait for the Legendary Warriors to put down their weapons. Correctly assuming that the group was too preoccupied with Koichi to pursue them, they simply turned their backs and began to fly off.
"Patience. The next time we meet," Dynasmon tossed over his shoulder. "There will be more fighting."