Prisoner of the dark
A gentle wind streaked across the land. LĂśwemon inhaled deeply, then opened his eyes.
He stood atop a very high hill and let his gaze wander across the Continent of Darkness, the area of the Digital World he watched over. A lush forest stretched far in every direction. To the west, he could see the glitter of water, where the sunlight hit the ocean. At the moment, everything was quiet and peaceful.
But that could change instantly.
With a worried frown, LĂśwemon stared at the horizon. Something was brewing. He could feel it. Something dark was stirring, but not of the same darkness as him. No. Whatever it was â it was evil.
'How are the three great angels?', the Warrior of Darkness wondered. There were rumors that there had been a fight between them. If it were true, it would be catastrophic news. For, after Lucemon and the ten Legendary Warriors disappeared and left behind the Spirits, the three angels Seraphimon, Ophanimon and Cherubimon were the strongest beings in the Digiworld. If even only one of them strayed from the path of righteousness⌠LÜwemon shuddered at the mere thought of what might happen then.
It was also why he was worried about some of his friends, the other Legendary Warriors. While he had talked with Kazemon just yesterday and with Ranamon four days ago, it was several weeks since he had last received a message from Agunimon, Lobomon or Beetlemon.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted. A dark, vile energy flared to life â close. Too close.
"What theâŚ"
That was when a Biyomon crashed to the ground in front of the Warrior of Darkness.
"Hey, you alright?!"
Protector that he was, LĂśwemon instantly knelt and took the bird Digimon in his arms. He was horrified to see how injured the poor thing was.
"What in the name of the Ten Legendary Warriors happened to you?! Who did this?!"
"I'm⌠sorry⌠Lord LĂśwemonâŚ", the Biyomon said weakly. "I tried to⌠escape⌠instead⌠I led him to youâŚ"
"Who?! Who have you lead here?!"
"Please⌠he's already here⌠you have to runâŚ", the pink Digimon said instead. "Lords⌠Agunimon and Lobomon⌠are alreadyâŚ"
The Biyomon wasn't allowed to finish the sentence. In a flare of sparks, it turned back into an egg and flew off towards the Village of Beginning.
LĂśwemon stared after it. In his shock, it took him a few moments until he understood. Probably also because he just didn't want to believe what Biyomon had said. However, the words it couldn't say anymore rang loud and clearly in the air as if spoken aloud.
"Agunimon and Lobomon are⌠dead? N-no wayâŚ"
"Ah, you better believe it, my dear LĂśwemon", a deep, menacing voice said behind him, accompanied by the same evil energy he had felt before. "They are dead, reverted back to their Spirit form and hidden away so nobody can find them."
LĂśwemon whirled around. His eyes widened in disbelief. There was no way this could beâŚ
"Lord Cherubimon? Is that you?"
"Yes, it is me", the shadowy figure in that mass of evil energy replied.
LĂśwemon barely recognized the usually benevolent Cherubimon. Because from that benevolence and good nature was absolutely nothing left.
"By the Legendary Warriors⌠what has happened to you?"
The angel Digimon didn't answer. For a few moments, LĂśwemon remained silent, staring at it. Had to digest what he had heard. His mind had great trouble processing what was going on. He just didn't want to believe that all those rumors about the usually so gentle, kind angel Digimon were actually true.
But slowly, agonizingly, it dawned on him what must have happened. When he did, anger began to rise in him, like a searing hot flame eating away at his stomach. The Warrior of Darkness wasnât usually one to get enraged quickly. But this wasn't about him. This was about his friends, and who knew how many other innocent Digimon that had already suffered. It would also explain why he hadn't heard from some of the other Legendary Warriors in a while.
"So it is true", he growled, summoning his spear to his right hand. "You have turned against Seraphimon and Ophanimon and gone to the evil side." He pointed his spear at the fallen angel. "You killed Agunimon and Lobomon! How⌠how dare you! And what have you done to Kazemon, Beetlemon and the other Legendary Warriors?!"
"Kukuku." Malicious glee echoed in Cherubimon's once so familiar and soft, now distorted voice. "You are perceptive as ever, LĂśwemon. You are wrong, however. It was Ophanimon and Seraphimon who turned on me."
"What?! No way!", the Warrior of Darkness yelled at him, unwilling to accept those words. "Lady Ophanimon and Lord Seraphimon would never do that!"
"I am speaking the truth. But that does not matter right now. However, you are right in that it was me who killed Agunimon and Lobomon. The others are being dealt with one after another. Besides⌠some of your comrades were willing to join my just cause, and they are already doing a great job. Be honored that I came to invite you to join me personally. Join me, LÜwemon, in this just revenge."
That was to much for the black warrior. "HONORED?! JUST?!", he roared, being entirely the lion after whom he was named. "Where is justice in killing Legendary Warriors and other Digimon who have never done you the slightest wrong?! I don't feel justice in you, only evil!" He paused, panting. Calmer, he continued: "Whatever happened to you, Lord Cherubimon?! I refuse to believe someone as kind and gentle as you would willingly give himself into evil. Please tell me, I could help you."
"You are quite arrogant, LĂśwemon. Don't ever presume you know me. All I want is that you join your power to mine."
There was something⌠odd about those words. The Warrior of Darkness couldn't put a finger on it. And he hesitated only briefly. All he saw was that Cherubimon couldn't be reasoned with.
"It pains me", he said, "but in this case, I have to stop you. I hope you can forgive me in the next life. EWIG SCHLAF!"
Concentrating his energy into his spear, LĂśwemon shot a devastating ray at Cherubimon. However, to his horror, the fallen angel brushed it aside with one massive hand.
"Ha ha ha ha! You'll have to do better than this, LĂśwemon, if you want to stop me."
"ENDLICH METEOR!"
"Pah! LIGHTNING SPEAR!"
The two attacks collided in midair. It was the prelude a brutal battle that ensued. LĂśwemon tried attack after attack. But nothing worked, neither special nor physical attacks.
With a mighty backflip, LĂśwemon brought some distance between them. He was panting. All the energy he used up, and not a single scratch on Cherubimon.
"What's the matter?", the corrupted Digimon taunted. "Already tired, dear LĂśwemon? Why don't you do yourself a favor and give up?"
"As if I'd let you kill me that easily!"
"Now now, who did say I was going to kill you?" Cherubimon's glowing eyes and face contorted in uncontained glee. "I have so much bigger plans for you! You, the Warrior of Darkness, heir of AncientSphinxmon, will be my perfect servant."
Those words rekindled LĂśwemon's anger.
"Darkness and evil are not the same!" He knew that he had grown too weak to resist much longer. So he grabbed for the only option left to him.
"LĂśwemon, Slide Evolution! KAISERLEOMON!"
As he unleashed his Beast Spirit, LĂśwemon felt new power flood through him. Using the strength of the four legs he now possessed, KaiserLeomon did a mighty leap into the air.
"Ah, you fool seem not to be as smart as I first thought. At least, Agunimon and Lobomon were wise enough to hide their Beast Spirits."
The warrior of Darkness did not reply to this new taunt. Instead, he focused on winning this battle, gathered energy again which he unleashed in a mighty attack.
"SCHWARZER DONNER!"
A blast of energy shot from KaiserLeomon's mouth. Cherubimon blocked it, but to the black lion's satisfaction, it coaxed an "umpf!" from him.
'Yes! I can do this! I just have to keep at it!'
Releasing all the power in his body, he cloaked himself in energy. This was going to be the most powerful he had ever executed this attack. Then he charged the fallen angel.
"SCHWARZER KĂNIG!"
At great speed, he flew at Cherubimon. Saw himself already pierce and defeat the former member of the three great angels. He was almost there. Only a little more, and this battle was going to be over.
A large hand, moving faster than KaiserLeomon could have ever imagined, grabbed him. Plucked him right out of the air as if he were a toy.
"AAAARGH!"
Somewhere through the pain from Cherubimon's energy blast straight out of the huge Digimon's palm, disbelief and denial pierced KaiserLeomon's mind. When the pain faded, his body went limp. His muscles didn't obey him anymore.
"I-ImpossibleâŚ", he groaned, hanging in Cherubimon's hand. "Where⌠where did all this power come from? You⌠you were strong before⌠but thisâŚ"
"Gnihihi. Surprised? I simply shook off all the shackles that held me back. And I would like for you to do the same. You will see how strong you can really be."
A dark aura appeared around Cherubimon's other hand. KaiserLeomon, being the Warrior of Darkness, immediately knew what it meant. His eyes widened, and a dread like he had never felt before grabbed his heart.
"No⌠you wouldn't do that⌠No. NOOOO!"
The black lion squirmed, tried to free himself with all his might. But Cherubimon's hand didn't budge.
Then the dark energy enveloped him. KaiserLeomon screamed. Never before experienced pain ripped through him as his essence dissolved, split, reshaped He was still himself, but he was being forced into a new form. His conscious saw the two horrid new spirits into which he had been transformed. They were filled with the same hatred that that he could sense in Cherubimon.
He even started to lose control over his mind. The last thing he knew was that he sank into darkness. However, this one was different than his own. Evil.
That was when for a split second, the distorted form of the angel Digimon vanished. Instead, LĂśwemon saw Cherubimon's true form â and it was bound by tendrils of black energy. Their eyes met, and the Warrior of Darkness could see the tears in Cherubimon's eyes. So it had not just been his imagination⌠the evil he sensed in the fallen angel was not its own. Some outside force had corrupted him.
"L-Lord Cherubimon⌠what⌠what happened to you?"
Then everything turned black. And LĂśwemon was trapped in this hostile place. Suspended in black nothingness.
Without hope of ever being freed. The thing Cherubimon had turned into would never allow it. And in a fit of cruelty, the fallen angel let him sense what was happening. Saw the poor human boy falling into Cherubimon's clutches, being taken over by the new malevolent thing his Spirits had become. Saw the horrid deeds the poor soul was forced to perform. Forced to do them by a mighty Digimon possessed by some vile outside force itself. And his heart bled to see his element becoming so twisted and corrupted. Darkness had never been evil in itself. Instead, it could sometimes even be gentle. Now, however, Cherubim turned it into everything that the Warrior of Darkness despised.
In the black void that was his prison, LĂśwemon screamed.
Ewig Schlaf (correctly: Ewiger Schlaf): Eternal sleep
Schwarzer Donner: Black thunder
Schwarzer KĂśnig: Black king



















