Zypher: And here we are with the next chapter of The Demon of Oz. Sadly to say, this is the second to last chapter but I will have this story end off on a good note. But for now, let's get back to the struggle Yugi has to deal with just to save Bright Haven from total destruction. Enjoy.

Note to Red Dragon of Egypt: I simply love your ideas as always but I won't use it yet, instead, I will use it in the upcoming sequel since there will be one. You as well as all my other reviewers will learn once I get the epilogue up.

The Demon of Oz

Chapter 8

It was a few weeks before Keara came back, finding Yugi's grandfather and took him somewhere safe before she decided to head back to the castle to see if Yugi was alright. She got inside and snuck over to the kings' room, listening to make sure they weren't in there before she entered. Yugi looked up to her, not recognizing her but Keara didn't notice yet. "Yugi, I found your grandfather and I placed him somewhere safe until you deal with the kings." Keara said and he nodded. "Thanks for helping my grandfather but I don't know who you are." Yugi said.

"You don't? We met a few weeks back." Keara said and then realized that Yami and Aqua must've found out that she came and told Yugi the truth about them and got rid of his memories so he wouldn't remember what he seen. 'Curse them.' she thought and then looked back to him.

"Yugi, you may not remember me but I will give you back the memories they stole so you remember what happened." she said as she started to weave a spell that engulfed Yugi and in a flash, Yugi remembered what he seen from the past few weeks and how he lost his memory in the first place about that.

He held his head lightly before looking up to Keara. "Thanks Keara. Can't believe they did that to me." he said softly. "They're trying everything they can to keep you here without learning the truth of the matter. You need to deal with them soon before Bright Haven falls into complete darkness." Keara explained and he nodded as he got out of bed.

"I still need to look for my staff and help the others but I'll deal with them soon." Yugi said and she nodded. "Before you go, I want to grant you more strength. Use it wisely cause you battle with Yami and Aqua will come soon." she said, granting him to power.

"How do you know?" Yugi asked as he accepted the new power gratefully. "I have a feeling that it's coming soon. I don't know the events that will lead up to it but it will be soon." Keara said before she walked over to the window. "But for now, I must keep an eye on your grandfather before any rogue demons get to him. Please save Bright Haven Yugi." Keara said and he nodded. "I will." She smiled and soon left, leaving Yugi alone.

'Well, better go ahead and do like I said before things get worse.' he thought as he left out the room and started heading down the hallways, determined to help his friends first.

Diamond sighed lightly, glad that Crimson and Bakura had left out for their daily routine check over the towns and villages that lead up to the Black Emerald City so that gives her and Ryou some time to relax. She heard the door being opened and held a breath, thinking they came back but smiled softly when she saw it was Yugi. "You guys, I'm here to help." he said as he ran over to them.

"Bakura and Crimson took the keys to our chains but my daggers are hidden in one of the drawers near their beds. Grab them and you can pick the lock open." Diamond said and he nodded as he went to look for said weapon. When he found them, he took on and ran back over to them, picking at the locks on Diamond's chains until they fell off her wrists and neck.

She thanked him and took the dagger from him, easily unlocking his chains and helped him up. "Ok, do you think you two can find the others and get them out of the other Shadow Captains' rooms and meet me back at the kings' room? I still ned to find my staff." Yugi said and they nodded. "We'll do our best. Since Bakura and Crimson are gone, that might mean the other captains are gone as well so we shouldn't have any problems unless guards are roaming around." Diamond said and he nodded.

"Be careful." Yugi said and the nodded once more as they left the room and took seperate ways.

Yugi ran through the halls, hoping to find somewhere when they stored items to find his staff. He came across the meeting room where the council was and stopped when he heard Yami and Aqua's name. "Soon, they will be completely under our control and every world will soon belong to us." One of the council members spoke.

"But what about the savior? If he learns of this, he may try to kill them off or deal with us." another said. "I have a plan for him, Yami and Aqua will do something about him. That Possession Fruit did wonders the first times but too bad they still had some will left and took the spell off of him instead of keeping him under the enchantment." a third council member said.

Yugi growled as he heard this. 'So, it was them all along? They were the ones that caused Yami and Aqua to turn into bloodthirsty, mindless killers and take over Bright Haven. I can't kill them but what can I do to get rid of that curse they placed upon them?' Yugi thought and listened in more. "We'll figure out something but for now, we need to concentrate more on breaking the last of their will and they'll deal with the savior themselves without worrying about the consequences." the first council member spoke and they all agree with that.

Yugi left away from the door and went back on his mission to find the Light staff and quickly so he could use the remaning time to try and get to Yami and Aqua and tell them of what their council was planning before they lose the last of their will.

After helping out the others, Jou and Kaiser wanted to go and save Rensha. "We can't Jou. We have to get back to the kings' room before Yugi so he won't worry about us and think we got captured." Ryou said. "But I can't leave her there with that Blue Eyes. All he does is take advantage of her and I don't want her to be hurt more." Jou said.

Diamond sighed lightly and nodded, knowing that Jou didn't want Rensha to go through any more pain. "Ok, we'll go but we need to hurry. Not only because Yugi will be waiting for us but we don't want to be out in the open when those captains get back." Diamond said and he nodded as they left for the stable where Rensha was being holed up.

Yugi finally found his staff inside a safe which took him a while to open and then ran off to go look for Yami and Aqua. He first went to the garden and looked around, not seeing them there. He then left to head back to the meeting room and listened quietly, hearing no one in there and knew the council probably left to finish what they started and hurried on, hoping to find them soon.

'Where could they be? They're not in the garden, they're not in the meeting room and I don't know where in this giant castle the throne room is located.' Yugi thought with worry as he continued to look around.

They noticed that Teikyu was gone so they suspected that he went with Seto so they went for Rensha and got her out. She rumbled her thanks and loked to Jou and Kaiser, not really wanting to leave them alone in the palace and nudged them to come with her. "We can' would love to but we still have something to take care of here. You just go on and be free like you should be. Maybe one day our paths will cross again." Jou said. She whimpered softly and lowered her head, nuzzling him before turning to Kaiser and did the same.

She lifted her head and looked down to them with sad red eyes before she unfurled her wings and flew off. They watched as she left and Jou had tears coming to his eyes at the lost of the only friend they made ever since he and Kaiser were transformed. Malik walked over and pat his shoulder lightly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you two will see each other again once we change this twisted kingdom back into Bright Haven. So come on, we need to go and meet up with Yugi back at the kings' room before the captains get back." Malik said and he nodded as he wiped his eyes free of tears and they headed back inside.

Yugi ran towards Yami and Aqua's room and saw the others waiting there for him. "You guys, we have a situation and we need to find Yami and Aqua fast." Yugi said. "Why? Did you find out something?" Diamond asked. "Yes and it's not good." Yugi said. "I know where the throne room is. Maybe they're there." Topaz said. "That's what I had in mind but I didn't know where it was myself." Yugi said and they nodded as they ran off towards the throne room.

But it was too late for the council already completely took over their mind and soul, making then into heartless kings that couldn't have a care in the world about what happen to someone else. The first council member smirked as he looked to them. "Alright you two. You are now under our control and we need the power of the light so you can get more land than this. The demons aren't satisfied with just this kingdom and you need to give them what they want." he said and they nodded. "Don't worry, the savior will be giving his power to us along with much more." Yami said with a smirk.

"Good, good. We'll leave now so make sure you do as you are commanded to do." he said once more and they all left out through a hidden door and when they were gone, Aqua turned to Yami. "So, what are we going to do with him?" he asked. "Not much, only take the powers of the light he has and once he's devoid of that, he can become a concubine or personal slave to satisfy our needs." Yami said as he went to sit upon the throne. Aqua took his spot beside him and smirked as well, dulled eyes shining with an unsated hunger.

"That sounds just delightful..." he spoke.

Otuside, they made it to the throne room and heard what they were saying. "...And to think, he will only be used just as our personal slave and nothing more." Aqua said with a laugh and Yami laughed with him. "Yes and he can't do nothing to stop us once his power is stripped from him." Yami said and Yugi looked down sadly.

'I was too late and now they completely surrendered to the darkness, taunting me all the while. I can't let this go on. Whether I love them or not, they will not put this world into anymore danger and keep me here just satisfy their own hunger.' he thought with anger.

Diamond placed a hand on his shoulder. "See Yugi, we told you they weren't as you thought. They were evil from the start and we must do something to stop them or Bright Haven will be doomed." Diamond said. He nodded and looked to them. "Are you guys ready? This will be the final battle that will determine whether we save Bright Haven or not and I will need all the help I can get." Yugi said, eyes shining with determination.

Malik brought out his scythe and nodded, looking to Topaz before looking back to him. "You can count on me and Topaz to guard your back." Malik said.

Ryou brought out his axe and Diamond took her daggers from her belt. "We're with you along the way Yugi." Ryou said, hefting the large axe onto his shoulder and brushing strands of his hair from his face.

Jou and Kaiser's claws lengthened out and they nodded to him. "For Rensha and every person they and their captains hurt and killed in the past. We are here to stop them and end their reign here and now." Kaiser said.

Yugi nodded and then took out his staff and kicked the door open, looking to Yami and Aqua who sat upon the throne with a glare. "Your reign ends here Kings of the Shadow Kingdom!" Yugi said. "And with it you give me one wish!" he continued. Yami smirked and looked to him.

"And what would that be little savior?" he questioned, glaring back at him...

Zypher: And that's where we'll stop at for now so I won't ruin the epilogue. Hurrah to the cliffhanger! Anyways, hoped you liked and will be eagerly waiting for the epilogue which is actually pretty much done except for the missing lemon I promised. See you soon.