Chakkumon= Kumamon

Blizzarmon = Korikkakumon

He didn´t know what had happened to lead to this situation, but Tommy knew he had just been saved by Koichi; just with one look around he knew who the enemy was and who was a friend, but most important of all, he knew who was being kept prisoner inside those pillars. Imprisoned just like he had been seconds before. His friends were captured; not knowing who they were, not know where, not knowing what to do.

Who and why were they doing this to his friends?

Out of habit Tommy reached for his pocked, where his D-tector used to be, only to grasp air. Blizzarmon and Chakkumon were there, though.

Tommy looked for Koichi. Koichi was kneeling on the ground in front of him, panting, covered in wounds with a dark violet mark on his neck and obviously in pain. A lump formed in his throat and his heart clenched together as he watched his friend suffer.

Why?

Koichi met his eyes. Light brown met pale green and Tommy knew. And Blizzarmon and Chakkumon knew.

Lowemon was coming. Was there. Was here. Without a D-tector. It was possible.

Koichi screamed. Tommy could visibly see how he lost all strength and how conciousness left his eyes as they glassed over.

Koichi didn´t feel the ground press against his cheek, didn´t hear or see Tommy nearby or Phelesmon sent him a less and less amused look. Koichi knew nothing of his surroundings as his body was getting ripped apart by unbearable pain and heat. His very being was falling apart while Koichi´s own Darkness filled and hurt his mind. The Darkness was wide so entirely endless wide while at the same time it was so cramped that Koichi felt himself die by its hand.

This Darkness was foreign to him. Darkness could never hurt him. Not even as Duskmon. Not even when he had been nothing but a muddy and sullen Darkness himself. Never. And yet his own and Lowemon´s Darkness was killing him slowly with its blackness.

On instinct Koichi pressed air out of his lungs to scream only to find out that he had no air to give up. His body was unable to move, do even as much as breath. Not even his own heart had the strength to beat.

It hurt so terribly, his heart and mind, to be killed by himself that Koichi would have liked to give up right there and die. To leave it all behind, to be able to move, to be able to think… just for that Koichi would leave it all, but again he couldn´t. Again he was held behind. He didn´t remember when the last time was that he had been controlled like that, but now it was what kept him alive while his body was dying and changing.

Behind his closed eyelids their color set to a strong brown. His hair swirled by darkness bleached to a yellow blond.

He felt it. So close.

Everything suddenly made no longer sense. Why was he where he was? Why wasn´t he doing something? Why couldn´t he move no matter how hard he tried? Why did he see himself from outside his own body?

Wrong.

The moment Koichi had phased away from Phelesmon´s grip through the pillar Cody again realized that he understood something crucial too late. Koichi was not like him. He wasn´t like Armadimon either. Koichi was different from him, he had strength to act. Yet he was still as vulnerable as Cody; wasn´t as robust as Armadimon.

So why? What made them a target? How come they had to be chosen as Warriors? Koichi was not fit for battle. Neither was the boy next to him. They were all too human to fight any Digimon.

So why was Koichi´s body now surrounded by swirling and floating Darkness? Spirits, of course Cody knew, but that was no excuse. To make those, who are unwilling fight; it went against everything that Cody believed in.

Why? Weren´t those Spirits supposed to be their partner?

As he thought, Cody watched Koichi´s body disappear in almost liquid Darkness. The Darkness creped along the floor and seemed to swallow Koichi completely, even the boy next to him had to move back and from his face Cody saw that he was as startled about what was happening as Cody, maybe even more. The boy likely knew nothing about where he was, why, and why his friend was inside a cocoon of Darkness.

He had to get him away from there. Phelesmon was only few steps away and it was getting angrier by the second. It starred with badly concealed confusion and hate at Koichi before its eyes shifted to the boy.

"Can you fight, Armadimon?"

Armadimon stirred and struggled to his feet. Bloody scratches were forming drops that were slowly running down his scales. Cody hated asking this of his partner, when Armadimon could hardly stand, but they had no choice.

"Listen", he whispered, "we need Digmon. While you get Phelesmon´s attention again I´ll try to get Koichi and the boy away from there. You don´t fight", Cody told him, patting his head at the same time. "Just make him think you are. We are going to run."

Armadimon didn´t nod or show any other sign that he had listened to Cody, his eyes were nailed at Phelesmon, but Cody felt Armadimons muscles stiffen under his hand.
Fighting a headache as he stood up, Cody pulled out his D-terminal, preparing to evolve his partner.

"Why?"

A clear voice cut the eerie silence which was only disturbed by sick clicks of Phelesmon´s heels. Surprised Cody paused to take in the change of situation. Phelesmon had stopped as well and looked at the boy with something like sadistic amusement and hate.

"Why are you doing this?" The boy asked, with a slightly shaking voice. "Why are you doing this to us?"

The dangerous smile became wider and Cody felt that he would rather stare a dragon in the eye than having that expression aimed at him.

Phelesmon took deliberately slows steps towards Koichi and the boy again. Like a hunter before the final attack it stalked around the two of them. The boy took a step backwards as Phelesmon closed in, but after a fast look to his side, to the dark cocoon he thought better and remained next to where Koichi used to be.

Just as Cody wanted to finally evolve Armadimon Phelesmon chuckled. It was creepy and it felt like the temperature dropped few degrees. "I´m doing this for fun." It informed them. Cody clenched his teeth and could see the boy do the same.

"But why? What do you want with us?"

"Control." Phelesmon said. "With the Spirits and this ship we can control everything." It laughed this time. "And then I won´t have to fear punishment from above anymore when I have fun." It stopped and directed its gaze directly at the boy. "From neither you annoying Chosen Children nor anyone else." It took a huge step directly towards the boy, swinging its hips and scratching along the ground with its heels.

"No matter how much blood I spill."

That was it. Cody didn´t think he had ever felt more disgusted by anything living than by that Digimon.

"Digimental up!"

Phelesmons head swirled to him and the boy, too looked like he had just noticed him for the first time.

"Armadimon, Armor Evolution!" The holy light from Cody´s Digivice and D-Terminal engulfed Armadimon, giving him strength. But Cody knew, it would never be enough to fight head on. "The unbreakable knowledge, Digmon!"

Digmon, just as cut up as Armadimon had been wasted no time with his attack; using the moment of surprise to shoot his drills across the round dome at Phelesmon. Drained of his strengh the attack was sloppy, though. The drills were swaying in midair and some missed Phelesmon by far. Still it was enough; Phelesmon took some hasty steps backwards and be it only of surprise and not because the attack actually presented a danger to it.

Digmon, knowing how desperate they were followed, more stumbling than actually flying to prefect range and shot more of his drills effectively creating a dust screen; making it impossible for either competitor to see the other.

As dust swallowed his partner and the enemy Cody sprinted over to the boy, who was now standing few feet away from the dark cocoon, looking at it with an expression Cody couldn´t quite identify.

"Hey!" Cody called out to him, as he arrived skidding to his knees ready to touch the mysterious mass and carry Koichi, who hopefully was still in there, away. "Help me carry him out of here."

His fingertips just inches away from the dark mass stopped in place when the boy, who Cody suddenly realized appeared to be about his age, grabbed his wrist. The other boy's skin was surprisingly cold.

"You can´t." He pulled Cody quickly away from the Darkness, "if you touch him now, Koichi will die." The boy said with a pained face, his eyes never leaving the Darkness. "But Koichi will be alright. Here the others won´t leave him to die."

Any question died on Cody´s lips when he felt his heart grow cold and his throat dried. Biting back tears and eyes darting around fanatically, Cody found too quickly what he had dreaded.

The dust had started to settle down, but it still lingered few feet above the ground. Yet, it was enough to see what had happened to the battle between Digmon and Phelesmon. Cody´s eyes stung, his fault, because he had been too slow, because it had been his idea to send Digmon to battle again. His fault that a dark, bloody claw had pierced through Digmon; that the claw was sticking out of his partners back.

"No!"

The boy unfroze with a desperate scream and first walked shakily then ran to the Digmon that was about to die. Tommy spared a last glance to Koichi knowing that there was nothing he could do for him anyway and then ran after the unknown boy.

Tommy still had only a black and white picture of who was evil and who was good, but that was enough. His short exchange with Phelesmon had not helped at all to find a way out of wherever they were or where they were supposed to go. So right now all that Tommy could do was to help save that one Digimon, knowing fully well that Phelesmon at least did not deserve anything like mercy from him.

Phelesmon glanced over Digmon´s shoulder and its expression turned from pissed off to the disgusting sadistic smile. It dropped Digmon in a pool of his own blood and gave its undivided attention to Tommy; not even seeing Cody who was closer. Tommy knew he couldn´t fight -risk changing just yet- but at least he could buy time for Lowemon to finish his evolution. And, if Tommy´s and his Spirits´ guess was right he could follow; after all he hadn´t seen a D-Tector anywhere near Koichi. More importantly, Tommy didn´t fell like he needed one. Chakkumon and Blizzarmon were with him and Tommy could feel their and his own ice coursing through his body.

Blizzarmon, Tommy called in his mind and immediately he felt the temperature around him drop.

Cody was only few feet away from Phelesmon when it moved. So fast it almost disappeared from sight. Blizzarmon´s instincts warned him and he immediately stopped running and spend all of his attention instead materializing the coldness in his body. In just the split second that it took Phelesmon to reach him Tommy had covered parts of his skin with fain ice crystals. They couldn´t protect him at all, though.
Something connected with Tommy´s shoulder and the next thing Tommy knew he crashed in a wall. But despite the pain from the impact and a dizzy feeling Tommy smirked. No mercy.

Sure enough, just a second later a howl filled the air. Slowly looking up, Tommy saw Phelesmon hold its right hand. And even from the distance he saw a hateful death glare directed at him and an innocent white coloring Phelesmon´s usually black hand.

Tommy´s smirk turned to a smile. It was too late. Phelesmon couldn´t get to him anymore. He felt it. Tommy was going to be protected. The smile didn´t waver when Phelesmon charged at him.

The more the pain ebbed away, the more it became clear. Koichi had never felt the way he was feeling now. So entirely different. Not human. His being and fusion with his Darkness had reached a new level. And while the feeling was not unpleasant or painful, the second Koichi remembered the price he had to pay for this power, for this change, for this possibility, his still numb emotions froze in the most hurtful ways. So much he could never do again, so many things he could never say. His mother… Koji…

But this body was no longer for his own to use, his mind no longer free to dwell. Because right now he wasn´t Koichi anymore, but Lowemon. Koichi had paid the price for this power to use and now he couldn´t just waste its existence. That was not why he was able to pay.

His finger twitched and Lowemon opened one eye with an effort. He was lying on the soft dark ground, but as far as he could see there was nothing. Only ground and columns and shadows dancing on the wall. There was something else, though; he could feel it more than he could hear it. The muffled noises didn´t make sense to him unlike the felling that there was something that was just wrong in the room.

While trying to push himself of the ground Lowemon lifted his dizzy head to gasp whatever situation he was in better. Last thing he remembered was Tommy kneeling next to him. So where was he? Why did he move? Why was he flying across the room?

Phelesmon.

Tommy.

Supporting his shaking body with one knee still on the ground and ignoring the blood that was running from his wounds Lowemon crossed his arms in front of his chest. He had power and now it was time to use it. He didn´t want to have paid the horrible price for nothing. He didn´t want to see his friends get hurt. He had to make Phelesmon pay.

Phelesmon had dared to lay a hand on Tommy. It had dared to cross him, embodiment of true Darkness, despite being nothing but a lowly dark-type itself. And more than anything, Phelesmon had dared trap his other side. His twin. Koji. Wolfmon. Harming was one thing. Entrapping and forcing Light and many other Digimon into slavery something completely different. This was by far more than just personal.

Hate so strong, he hadn´t felt it in years. It blew all pain and tiredness out of his system, strengthened the energy he was collecting in his chest. Lowemon felt his muscles expand by Darkness´ high concentration in his body. It was the first familiar feeling since he had regained the ability to think and it felt good. Yet, some tiny part of his mind knew to be frightened by how easy it was to loath and use those feelings with every intention of hurting. Said small voice died when Tommy impacted in the next wall, when Phelesmon began stalking towards its defenseless victim.

With a final mental push Lowemon gathered as much Darkness as possible in the lion´s head on his chest and released a yellow beam of swirling Darkness.

But far before it could do any damage Phelesmon saw it coming and ducked out of the way. Biting down a frustrated growl Lowemon summoned his spear, spun it around, gathering momentum for the next attack and dashed forward with every intention of impaling Phelesmon on it.

"Ewig Schlaf!"

Watching with mild satisfaction how Phelesmon dodged Lowemon´s second attack with much less save distance Tommy stood up, but not without winching when the damage from when Phelesmon had sent him flying finally settled in his shoulder. Placing his free hand on the wound Tommy focused and froze his skin. It didn´t bleed, but Tommy didn´t doubt that an impact strong enough to send him flying was nothing to joke with. So better safe than sorry.

Keeping an eye out for the battle Tommy hurried over to the boy whose name he still didn´t know and the Digimon that was wounded badly at best. Which was bad; even if Tommy didn´t quite know where they were right now, it was as plain as the day that they all were in danger, losing a possible offensive power is in that kind of situation was never good.

Tommy knelt wordlessly down on the other side of an Armadimon. But as his knee touched down he felt something wet and warm on the otherwise pleasantly cold ground. Even with this little light he only needed a second short look to confirm what Tommy had expected from the second Digmon had been pierced through by a claw. However despite the ever-growing pool of blood there was still hope for this Digimon. Digicodes had yet to appear.

"I might be able to save him." He informed the other boy while he still scanned the body in front of him. Ignoring fluent curses and the clash of attacks Tommy closed his eyes and concentrated. Freezing anyone but himself needed much more care or he might just end up hurting this Armadimon the same way he had made Phelesmon´s hand useless and dead.

Without as much as looking to the other boy Tommy touched and turned Armadimon around with the hand that he could still move freely so that he saw one of the holes.

Ignoring a shockwave of one attack or another wash over him Tommy traced the wound´s edge with a single finger. Tommy didn´t need his eyes to see his ice grow and cover the hole. It was all Tommy could do in this situation. If only one of the others were here. They would know what to do.
A sharp intake of breath drew his eyes for the first time clearly to the other boy. The boy was small so Tommy had assumed he was younger than him, but now he seemed more the same age. A smile tugged the corners of Tommy´s mouth as he saw a spark of hope on the tear streaked face.

"Can you help me turn him around?" Tommy asked, already moving the Digimon while trying to ignore painful moans. To his ears they were so much louder than anything Lowemon and Phelesmon were creating.

Of course Tommy didn´t have to ask twice; the other boy immediately handled Armadimon with so much care and love that Tommy allowed himself to hope that maybe the Digimon didn´t feel being moved at all. He hurried to suppress the spark, though, swallowing all kinds of feelings that surfaced from said spark as well. Tommy couldn´t allow himself to feel right now; hope, anger, fear they all could dim his concentration and even the smallest slip up could mean that Tommy messed up and couldn´t save one Digimon. And Tommy didn´t want to have anyone feel the pain that would result from losing a friend.

After repeating the process of freezing the wound on Armadimon´s back Tommy took a shaky breath and wiped the sweat from his brown. But this time swallowing didn´t get rid of his feelings. Tommy took another deep breath as confusion and fear came back with vengeance. He didn´t know where he was, why he was there and what Phelesmon wanted from him and the others other then sick entertainment. He clenched his fists when his body started shaking from a delayed reaction of Phelesmon´s attack. Why them? Why Koichi? Why did Koichi have to fight for his live? Why, when he was so much against violence? Who was doing this? Would they kill Koichi? Or Takuya? Or Zoe? What about the others?

Who could do something so cruel?

"Thanks." Tommy refocused on the other one next to him. The boy was drying his tear with a sleeve while the other hand never left Armadimon´s head. The boy wanted to say something more, but Tommy cut him off; he didn´t want to get false hopes up.

"You´re welcome. But I can´t heal Armadimon. I only bought some time."

The other shook his head and gave an unsure and small smile. "This is more than I could have done. So thanks."

Not wanting to disappoint the other even more Tommy didn´t argue that, instead he wanted to get some more information on what was going on.

"Do you know where we are? Or how we can get out of here?" He asked, not taking his eyes of the ongoing battle. Lowemon was having a hard time. All of his attacks missed and even from the distance Tommy saw blood drip to the ground.

"We are inside a huge flying fortress." Tommy pictured Cherubimon´s castle in his mind. "Koichi, Armadimon and I infiltrated to free you and the other Spirits." Tommy didn´t have to ask for more information, the other boy didn´t stop with summarizing just yet.

"We found this room and Koichi somehow got you out of one of these pillars. The rest you know. But the problem is, that we don´t know the way out, and no backup is coming."
Tommy heard the boy´s voice break at the end. He didn´t want to know, but Tommy suspected that it finally sunk in that there was little to no hope for Armadimon. Maybe the same feeling of despair that was taking Tommy over was settling in the other boy as well. The feeling of helplessness; despite being able to move, Tommy knew that no matter what he tried he couldn´t get his friends out of those pillars. He was Ice. Not Darkness. Out of all the spirits he was the one with no possibility of getting his friends out of those accursed prisons. Ice was solid not elusive.

So Tommy didn´t take his eyes of the battle. Something about it was bugging him. Something was wrong. Many voices in the back of his head were telling him the same.
The one, who just let Phelesmon´s whip wrap around his spear and pulled the evil Digimon closer, was not fighting like Lowemon. It was definitely Lowemon, though.

As a German myself it sure was strange to write and use German words in an English text. Moreover so since the grammar is wrong and has a double meaning right now, the meaning changing with whichever way of possible correction said mistake is preferred. 'Ewig Schlaf' for example could mean either 'sleep for all eternity' or 'eternal sleep'.

'Endlich Meteor' is much harder translate accurate, because the word 'endlich' can normally not be used in context with a meteor, since 'endlich' means 'finally' or 'at last' or 'ultimately'. So translations of the attack can be very different depending on the meaning that the translator guesses the creators meant when they used 'endlich'. Translating to 'final meteor' or 'infinite meteor' or 'meteor that appeared at last', etc.

Thinking about all the possible meanings is always quite a distraction, but well... it´s not the meaning of the words, but the attack itself that counts.

This is the chapter for February. I hope you like it and please review, comment and criticize. And thanks for the reviews from the last chapter.