Willoffire123: Today's the day of Brigadoon!

Lien: Briga-what?

Willoffire123: It's a musical about…umm…some Scottish town that shows up once every 100 years called Brigadoon.

Folgore: Oh?

Willoffire123: It's fun! We put on the musical, we sing, dance and do synchronized swimming formations.

Tia: I guess that's cool…

Willoffire123: Ugh, you're no fun. I don't own Zatch Bell. On with the chapter!

Kiyo

Kiyo was having a bad day.

Not just a bad day, the past month had been pretty shitty, to be honest.

Given, he couldn't really remember much of what had happened over the past month, but he knew it had been bad because all he could feel was cold and pain and sadness.

That's all he still felt.

At first, he told himself that it wouldn't be for long. Surely his friends would come and rescue him from his prison. Surely Zatch would save him.

But Zatch was locked in the same prison he was.

He didn't know how he knew that, but he did. He felt Zatch's presence close by.

After a while, he gave up on anyone rescuing them. The only thing that mattered anymore was staying alive. He could do that, right?

But how was this living? Being trapped in his own mind while his body acted on someone else's will?

He heard snaps of conversation, and felt his mouth moving and producing sound without his permission, but other than that he was still stuck in the prison of his mind.

He was so alone.

The silence all around him was so loud; it threatened to crush his eardrums.

He tried to remind himself that he wasn't completely alone. Frequently, the voice of his worst nightmares, full of pure evil, echoed around his mental prison, giving him orders.

"Stop it!" he tried to tell the voice, but what could he do? He was stuck there; too weak to do anything but watch his body obey, doing one cruel act after another.

"You were very foolish to run away from me," said the voice.

"I'm still trapped; I never ran away!" Kiyo tried to protest. It was never any use. The voice never listened to him, only to the words that weren't his, coming from his mouth.

"We can make it better though," said the voice. "You two will stay here, under the glow of the moonlight, and make sure Laila doesn't leave. As long as none of you leave the light's glow, Laila won't turn to stone, and we can skip the cleansing process."

Kiyo's prison suddenly felt much, much smaller. He knew what the cleansing process was. He was tied underneath the moonlight while other mamodo hurt him, over and over again. Each time he had felt the glow of the moonlight healing his wounds, but they still hurt, leaving him exhausted from the pain. And then, when he couldn't take it anymore, he was dragged aside, and from his prison, he saw Zatch take his place. Brave, stupid Zatch endured the same torment that he himself had experienced, saying after every hit

"Kiyo, I'm so sorry."

And even though Kiyo no longer had control over his own body, he still knew how to cry, and how to feel pain for his mamodo.

Kiyo didn't want Zatch to go through that again.

He wouldn't let Zatch go through that again.

"One more thing," said the voice. "Anyone who comes this way is an intruder. Destroy them immediately."

Kiyo forgot all about his friends coming to rescue him. He forgot all about other people getting hurt. All he could register was protecting Zatch from ever going through that pain again.

When he heard himself say "Of course, Master," he didn't even protest.

Megumi

They returned to those ruins as soon as they could. After reviving the unconscious surgeon, he told them how a mamodo had kicked down the door, ripped Kiyo from the gurney, picked a kicking and punching Zatch up like a rag doll, knocked the surgeon out, and disappeared again out the door hole. The group made plans to go after their missing friends immediately, and set off the next morning.

Their group made it past the look out sentries easily, slipping into the castle without a sound.

"Alright everyone, gather round," ordered Megumi. "According to Apollo's map, the stone of moonlight should be on the top floor."

She pointed to a tunnel outlined on the map. "We can either take this tunnel here, which is the most direct route, or we can go around. Going around is more indirect, and will take much longer, but there will be less guards on the indirect route."

"Then that's the way we're going," said Wonrei. "Megumi, you seem to know this castle better than the rest of us. Care to lead the way?"

Megumi gulped, but nodded. She felt as if all her senses had been heightened tenfold, and it scared her.

Megumi's group crept through the ruins in silence. Every once in a while, Wonrei would sense a lookout from around the corner, and Megumi would signal the others to dart from one wall cover to the other, and they would continue on their way.

"Stay close, guys," said Megumi. "We should be almost there."

They emerged on a wide-open room with statues around the wall. Chunks of fallen rubble littered the floor. The most interesting part of the room though was the large spotlight of blue light shimmering down from a room somewhere above us.

"Let's keep moving everyone!" said Dr. Riddles, striding to the blue light with Kiddo in tow. "It is obvious that this light is coming from the Stone of Moonlight. According to Laila, there is a powerful monster in the room above us. We must replenish our strength from within with this light from the Stone of Moonlight."

From a distance, Megumi saw four shadows appear under the moonlight. She couldn't see who they were from their distance, but Wonrei, with his superior vision, did.

"Zatch? Kiyo? Laila? What are you doing?" he demanded, putting an arm out to stop Megumi and the others.

Megumi squinted and, sure enough, Laila and her missing friends were standing under the stone of moonlight. Laila had her wand pointed at Tia's heart. Kiyo, his face void of any emotion and still covered in bandages, had his book open.

"Everyone move!" shrieked Megumi, sensing what was coming next.

"Migron!"

"Zakeruga!"

The deadly attack came hurtling past Megumi and the others, creating a gaping hole in the wall behind them.

"They're really attacking us," said Kanchome in shock. "Folgore, why are they attacking us?"

"It'sa unclear, bambino mio," said Folgore, putting a shaking hand on Kanchome's shoulder.

"Laila!" called Mr. Sunbeam. "You helped us to escape when we were fighting Dalmos. You said what you were doing with Zophis was wrong. So why are you attacking us now?"

Laila flinched. "It's true that I helped you escape before. But-"

"But what, Laila?" asked Lien. "What's wrong?"

"But I don't want to return to stone!" she cried. "You have no idea how painful it was. A thousand years of stone!"

Laila burst into tears.

Megumi felt horrible. Laila was only a little kid. No little kid should have to go through that much pain and sadness.

"It must have been incredibly painful and lonely," said Dr. Riddles. "But we're here now, Laila. We won't let Zophis turn you back into stone."

"No matter how much I want to believe you, I can't," Laila cried. "Zophis said that as long as I stay under the light from the Stone of Moonlight, I won't return to stone."

"I don't think that's true, Laila," said Dr. Riddles.

"Dr. Riddles, what are you doing?" whispered Megumi.

"It's alright, Megumi," said Dr. Riddles, taking another step forward with Kiddo in tow. "I can handle this."

"The original spell was cast by Gorem of the Stone one thousand years ago," said Dr. Riddles. "Only he has the power to recast that spell; Zophis has no power over you."

Even as he said it, Megumi knew it was a lie. She could she Laila shaking from fright, terrified of a broken spell because Zophis had manipulated her emotions until she believed everything he said.

"Don't listen to him, Laila!" said Penny, charging down the flight of stairs with Byonko and their partners.

"Penny?" said Tia in wonder. "When-,"

"Laila, listen to me," Dr. Riddles said quickly. "We're your friends, not your enemies. Believe me when I say that moving outside the light will not turn you back into stone."

"Are you really going to listen to this guy, Laila?" sneered Zatch. "The master took care of you, broke the stone spell, and protected you. Now you want to betray him?"

"Zatch-," started Kiddo.

"The Eighth Spell!" Kiyo interrupted, book glowing. "Ganreizu Zaker!"

A glowing turret gun appeared on Zatch's shoulder.

"Another new spell?" said Lien in amazement.

"And that was number eight," said Dr. Riddles, edging away slowly from Zatch. "Which means they have at least three new spells."

"Zatch," said Kiyo. "Kill them."

"With pleasure," said Zatch. The turret gun fired, sending short, powerful blasts of electricity in every direction.

"We need someone to knock the spellbooks out of Albert and Kiyo's hands so we can cast Gigala Seioshi," said Megumi.

"Consider it done," said Dr. Riddles. "Let's go, Kiddo!"

Kiyo

Kiyo was vaguely aware of voices and explosions happening all around him.

"Kiyo!"

Kiyo flinched. That was Megumi's voice. What was she doing there? It wasn't safe there! Kiyo felt the urgent need to tell her to go and save herself. He couldn't, though; he was still a prisoner in his own mind.

"They're really attacking us. Folgore, why are they attacking us?"

That was definitely Kanchome's voice. And he mentioned Folgore as well. Were they also with Megumi?

"It'sa unclear, bambino mio."

Folgore and Kanchome both sounded terrified, but of what?

Then, Kiyo heard himself call out a spell. He didn't actually hear which one it was, but explosions followed, so it must have been a harmful one.

"We need someone to knock the spellbooks out of Albert and Kiyo's hands so we can cast Gigala Seioshi!"

"Consider it done. Let's go, Kiddo!"

That was Dr. Riddles' voice. They wanted to take Kiyo's spellbook. But why?

"Be careful, you two!"

They weren't attacking their friends. Were they?

No! Stop! Kiyo tried to protest. He felt himself lower his spellbook ever so slightly and he smiled. That was his first triumph against this evil spirit controlling his body.

But then the pain from before exploded in his head.

Oh no you don't. You will destroy your friends, Kiyo Takamine. If you don't, I will make sure that you and Lightning Blonde suffer the same hell over and over again for an eternity.

Kiyo collapsed. He couldn't do it. He couldn't fight the voice. If he did, Zatch would get hurt again.

Then he felt more pain. Except this time it was dealt to his physical body. He felt his spell book knocked out of his hands.

"Dr. Riddles!"

"KIDDO!"

"Gigala Seioshi!"

Desperate to know what was going on outside his prison, Kiyo used the last of his strength to open a window to the outside world.

He didn't like what he saw.

There he and Zatch were, entrapped in Tia's barrier, watching everyone else, including Laila and Albert gather around Dr. Riddles and Kiddo. They were all crying. Penny and Byonko hid behind a pillar, observing the scene from a distance.

"Goodbye Dr. Riddles," said Kiddo. "You'll always be my best friend."
"Zophis will pay for what he has done," growled Wonrei.

"Everyone, don't blame Zatch and Kiyo for this," Kiddo said earnestly. "It wasn't their fault."

That was when Kiyo saw Dr. Riddles and Kiddo properly for the first time.

Kiddo's book was burning. He was returning to the mamodo world.

And it was Kiyo's fault.

Willoffire123: Dun dun DUUNNN!

Tia: Major plot twist there.

Willoffire123: This is going to make room for some major angst later on.

Tia: But it took you until after you got back from camp to finish this chapter!

Willoffire123: So? It's done now.

Tia: Whatever.

Willoffire123: Until next time!