Disclaimer: Silver Moon Phoenix doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh or the character, Shadow Phoenix who is used by permission by Phoenix727.
Chapter 11: Yugi's Descent Into Darkness
I could feel my mind slipping into the darkness as Luna continued to gain control of my mind. Atem watched helplessly, and he struggled to break free of Luna's spell.
"Atem..." I said weakly as I collapsed onto the floor.
My vision blurred and my eyes suddenly closed. Luna grinned as she completed her task and walked over to my limp body. She made sure that I was fully unconscious as she waved her transparent hand across my body. I was breathing deeply from the struggle I had with Luna.
"What have you done to him?" Atem demanded.
"Weakened his mind." Luna simply answered. "Now I can freely take over it and bring him to Pluto."
"Curse you, Luna!" Atem exclaimed.
"Do you want me to kill Yugi instead?" Luna lunged at Atem as she took control of my body.
"Yugi, I know you're in there..." Atem cried feebly as my hand grasped his neck.
"Sorry, Yugi's not here anymore!" a demonic voice spoke. It turned out it was a combination of mine and Luna's voice into one, like the time when Marik talked through Joey and Tea, "I can now possess Yugi like I did with others in the past!"
"Why have you turned against us?" Atem asked.
"You pitiful mortal never did know where your bloodline descended from, did you?"
"How can you know?"
"This entire universe was created by three powerful beasts who first breathed life to Animus," Luna began, still talking through me. "Their greatest threat was a creature called the Galactic Dragon, but he was unable to accomplish his goals thanks to those Millennium Dragons."
"Millennium Dragons!" Atem uttered out.
"The seven Millennium Items contained their powers, and were passed down to their descendants. I believe you know who they are."
"Then Artemis is both mine and Yugi's ancestor."
"Now you understand." Luna replied. "Ra, the Golden Phoenix Dragon is the only known Millennium Dragon, but the other two are the Silver and Bronze Phoenix Dragons. Their names are unknown."
"The family crest! The phoenix and dragon that intertwine each other represent the Millennium Dragons!" Atem concluded. "That is why Pluto wants the puzzle, but what will happen to Yugi if you bring him and the puzzle to Pluto?"
"Pluto wants to know if Yugi is really the reincarnation of Ra himself." Luna explained. "The other two Millennium Dragons are still yet to be found but I think we may have witnessed the Silver Phoenix Dragon within Artemis, and luckily Pluto has her!"
Luna motioned my body to the door and she used her telekinesis to move Atem's body from the wall. My mind and soul were becoming consumed by shadow the more Luna had control over me. I realized I was in my soul room, but it was covered in a black shroud.
My eyes were half shut, and no longer contained the color of amethyst, but a shade of dark violet. I overheard Luna's conversation with Atem, and their voices seemed to echo in the darkness. Each passing minute I have felt as though I was forgetting those familiar voices from outside my soul room. No, Luna did not send my mind to the Shadow Realm which would mean she didn't know how.
"Those voices... Where are they coming from...?" I whispered to myself.
My mind was willing to embrace the darkness, and the bond with Atem was severed. I no longer cared for no one except myself. All those that I cared for were just a mere memory as I descended into the darkness.
Back at Pluto's temple, Artemis was relentlessly trying to use her psychic powers in her cell. She came to no avail because she was too weak from the encounter she had with Shadow Phoenix and Fenrir. She tried it again, but her attack backfired and struck her instead.
"It's no use." Pluto's voice spoke from amongst the shadows. He appeared before her, blues eyes glaring at Artemis.
"You want to bet!" Artemis decided to rely on her wind powers. She created strong winds in the palm of her hand and aimed it towards the bars of the cell. The blades passed through, and Pluto evaded her attack.
"You have grown much too dependent on your psychic abilities that your wind powers have somewhat diminished." Pluto replied.
"Damn you!" Artemis shouted. Pluto ignored her comment.
"I believe that Luna will bring me the boy and his Millennium Puzzle soon. I guess being Luna's hikari wasn't enough to conceal her dark soul."
"What about Atem?" Artemis asked.
"The Pharaoh! He's useless to me but fortunately for you he will survive." Pluto answered. "Once I obtain Ra's power, I will banish all of mankind to the Shadow Realm and there will be no one who can stop me!"
"You can't do that!" Artemis screamed out. "In order to use Ra's power, you need the reincarnation of him!"
"That is why I want Luna to bring me Yugi. He is the reincarnate of Ra, and you knew it all along!" Pluto explained.
He noticed Artemis wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were kept closed, and she muttered a strange incantation that probably was spoken in Egyptian. Artemis's body began to glow, and suddenly the doors to the dungeon were open. Pluto shielded himself from the powerful gusts of wind, and fell onto the floor. Shadow Phoenix and Fenrir entered the room to find nothing occurred.
"What did you do?" Pluto roared at Artemis.
She smiled and stood up. Shadow Phoenix and Fenrir were baffled about the whole event, and Fenrir helped Pluto get up. "Atem won't be coming to your castle if you want to deal with Yukai and Apollo." Artemis said.
"So, the bond with your twin brother, Apollo, is stronger now that he is in Animus." Pluto deducted.
"Clever, teleporting the Pharaoh to those friends of yours." Shadow Phoenix replied.
"I don't understand." Fenrir said bewildered.
"That is why you can't teach an old dog new tricks." Shadow Phoenix mumbled to himself.
"I'll teach you an old dog!" Fenrir was about to attack Shadow Phoenix when a strange blue aura immobilized his body in midair.
Luna was standing by the doorway, still possessing my body. Artemis's eyes widened as she saw that my mind was taken by the darkness. Luna lowered Fenrir to the floor, and released him from her spell.
"You actually mind controlled that runt?" Shadow Phoenix asked, not wanting to believe that a spirit could control my mind.
"Relax. You can have him." Luna said as she appeared before them in spirit from, and freeing me from her control.
"I can sense this boy no longer has a light soul, but a dark one." Pluto replied.
"Then where's the Pharaoh? Did he escape?" Shadow Phoenix turned his direction to Luna.
"He disappeared when I was coming here." she answered.
"You lost him! I guess we can't always rely on you!" Shadow Phoenix laughed.
"Artemis!" Pluto growled as he faced her. "Now that your beloved little Yugi has chose to obey the darkness, how would you feel if he went and killed his friends in front of your eyes?"
"No!" Artemis cried as she was taken forcefully out of her cell by Pluto.
"Shadow Phoenix!" Pluto called. "Take Artemis and Yugi to their friends, and have Yugi kill them!"
"That is what I can do!" Shadow Phoenix left the room with both Artemis and me as Luna, Pluto and Fenrir stayed behind.
"I have this bad feeling that Shadow Phoenix will fail." Fenrir spoke softly.
"I heard that!" Shadow Phoenix's voice echoed through the hall.
"As long as he can get rid of those humans, then I can continue my plans." Pluto said.
Meanwhile, Shadow Phoenix was dragging Artemis who was attempting to free herself from his grip. This annoyed him and he called me over with his Millennium Rod. I willingly came over and grasped my hands around Artemis. She no longer struggled as she sighed in defeat. Artemis gazed up at me, and couldn't help but wonder what she can do to unbind me from the darkness.
All is going according to plan, Artemis thought, and we finally made it down the mountain.
My mind had no will of its own, and I couldn't help, but think about Artemis. She felt very familiar to me, like we met before in the past. Why am I beginning to like her more than a friend? These questions clouded my mind as we reached our destination, and our objective: Kill my friends.