She held out her hand as the purple butterfly, also known as the transport demon, landed gracefully on her slender fingers.

"So, she has left us." The woman said, emotionless.

"Pardon?" A young man bathed in shadows asked.

"Takako. Takako is no longer on our side. She has abandoned her position as our Princess of Disaster. She has returned to herto the Pretear Himeno." She murmured, still slightly emotionless. A sharp intake of breath was heard from the young man and he took one step forward.

"Takako is..." He trailed off. The woman laughed.

"Do not act so surprised Kao. I've been expecting this for quite some time."

"You...have?" Kao asked, unsure of whether he should be asking the question.

"Yes, it is all going according to plan. Summon the other Knights Kao, we have much to discuss." She said, gently stroking the transport demon's wings. Kao bowed. "Yes Your Majesty," he bowed again. Then he knelt down on one knee and slammed his fist in the ground before him. "Haraku, Saraku, Garu, Kiru, Miraku, Hajiru, and Shanru." He named them off one by one. When they were called, the appeared in a circle around him. Kao pushed himself up into a standing position and faced the Queen as one with the other seven knights.

"You sent for us Your Majesty?" Garu asked, annoyed.

"Watch your tone Garu," Kiru warned. "She deserves your respect you moron."

"And why don't you keep you snidely little comments to yourself Kiru." He snapped back.

"Ohhh, looks like someone is a little fired up this morning. I know you're the Fire Knight, but this is a little extreme don't you think?" Miraku teased. He ducked as Garu's fist came flying at his head, barely dodging the attack. "Touchy aren't we?" He smirked, diving behind Kao for protection. Garu tried to follow him, but Kao grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away from the ten-year-old knight. Garu ignored the tightening sensation on his arms and neck and continued trying to reach out for Miraku to strangle him. Miraku stuck out his tongue, leaning out from behind the protection of Kao's legs.

"Enough you two," Sarkau began, "and you Garu are acting younger then Shanru." Saraku smiled slightly at the expression Garu was flashing his way. He forced the smile away, banishing the amusement from his mind. However, the other young knights, Hajiru and Shanru had no such intentions and let their laughter go. Garu redirected his scowl towards them. Haraku, who had been the only one not to talk since he had been summoned, turned to the Queen.

"You wish to discuss something with us." It was more of a statement then a question. She glanced at him quickly and then back to the transport demon that still had yet to leave.

"Yes. We may have a small setback among our plans. Takako is no longer our Princess of Disaster. She has been led, by the White Pretear, back to the Knights of Leafeania."

"The White Pretear? The Legendary White Pretear? And this, this, this girl has actually managed to become the Princess of the Light. The bringer of the Leafe Snow?" Haraku gasped and she nodded calmly.

"So, what are we going to do Queen Galaxia?" Kiru asked.

"What do you think we should do?" Galaxia asked, still calm.

"Get Takako back?" Shanru asked, curious.

"Close child, but not quite. Think pure and good." She said sweetly to the youngest of her knights.

"Umm, Himeno?" He asked, looking for approval.

"Very good Shanru. Himeno Awayuki is exactly who I have in mind." Shanru beamed at the praise.

"Himeno? Why her?" Garu asked.

"Because, she became the White Pretear. If we can convince her to come to our side, no one can stand up to us." She smiled to herself and sent the transport demon away to its own kind and stood up, facing her knights. "This little set back may actually be to our advantage." She smiled. "Prepare yourselves Disaster Knights, or battle has just begun." They all bowed. Their right fists over their hearts and turned to leave. "Kao, you stay behind. I have different plans for you." Kao stopped mid-step and turned to face Galaxia.

"Yes Majesty?" He asked.

"You are different from the others. You are the Knight of Darkness. You are not a Disaster Knight. In fact, you are supposed to be on the side of the Leafe Knights and yet you are not. You fight on the side of disaster and destruction."

"But, with all due respect, I already know all of this. Why are you telling me again?"

"Patience Kao, all will be cleared in time. Let me finish and then ask your questions." She said calmly. "Your father was the original Knight of Darkness and I know this because I was the very first Pretear all those years ago. Back then, there were eight nights of Leafeania. The knights of Wind, Darkness, Sound, Fire, Light, Ice, Water, and Plants, while today, there are just seven, minus the Darkness. Your father abandoned the path of good and turned to the road of destruction. Following me as I had left before him. He loved me, I hated him, but there is a thin line between love and hate, and sooner then I had liked, I found I had grown to love him as well. He was King of Disaster and I his Queen. Together, we would take out the Knights who had betrayed me. The Knights I had believed to be my friends. We had won, they were gone and the Leafe was ours to take as we saw fit. But the wheel of life was always turning and turned to favor the side of good. New Knights were awakened along with a new Pretear. They had the memories the Knights before them had experienced beforehand. They fought us. They fought to protect the world and during the battle, your father was killed. I retreated, vowing to return and win once and for all. Not wanting themselves, nor the future knights to feel pain from the betrayal of the Knight of Darkness, they hid the memories of the incident from themselves, hidden until the memories would be needed again. A few months later, I found I was pregnant with you. Pregnant with the next Knight of Darkness. Your father had left behind a gift, a piece of our love. Where you and I were, time passed much slower. What was nine months to me was nine decades to the rest of the world. When you were born, I could do nothing but fall in love with the Knight of Darkness all over again. I raised you the way your father would have raised you and I think you would have made him proud."

"You think so Your Majesty?" Kao asked, trying to clear his throat as a lump had formed awhile ago. Sure he knew about his father, but he had never heard this story.

"He would be very proud Kao, very proud indeed." Galaxia smiled. "While you were growing up, I began to put my plans into motion, making it hard on all Pretears, turning them into my Princesses of Disaster if I could, and sometimes it worked. I was waiting, waiting for the time to attack. Meanwhile, you were growing older and you needed company, so I founded the Knights of Disaster. Those Knights were Haraku, Saraku, Garu, and Kiru. You all grew up together, growing as close as brothers. Then I found Miraku, Hajiru and Shanru. My circle of Disaster Knights were completed and rivaled the power of the Leafe Knights. Then Takako came along. She was a promising one she was, but unfortunately, she has left us and here we are, with a new plan, a plan that will begin with you Kao." Kao bowed.

"I have only the need for your orders. What shall this plan be Majesty?"

"Your job Prince Kao, is to return to the Leafe Knights. Return to them and make them remember what they think to be the myth of the Knight of Darkness. Teach them that the 'myth' is actually true. Tell them that you never sided with us and that you escaped. Their memories should be reawakened and you can convince them that you side with them. That you belong with them. Once you do that, we will speak once more. Leave now, I shall tell the others of your departure. Put our plan into motion so that we may leave this dreary place and live in Leafeania, like we are supposed too. Do your Mother and Father proud. Do us all proud Prince Kao."

"Could you expect anything less from me Your Majesty?" Kao asked, bowing low and smiling slightly.

"I could not expect less even if I tried. Now go, the sooner you leave the easier for yourself, the battle between the Great Tree of Fenril and Himeno was not long ago, if you leave now, you can tell them you escaped during the fight. Tell them I was distracted and for my sake, stay safe My Son." She stepped down and embraced him. He smiled and wrapped his arms around his mother's small yet powerful frame. He was a good foot taller then her, but she still had an aura of authority around her. An aura that he loved as well as respected. He smiled into her lavender colored hair.

"Of course Mother." He could feel her smile, though he could not see it.

Bloopers

"Yes Your Majesty," he bows again. Then he kneels down on one knee and slams his fist in the ground before him. Kao's face screws up in a painful expression and he lifts his hand up slowly. "I should have taken the ring off first!" He cries, cradling his hand to his chest and hopping around as everyone laughs. "It's NOT FUNNY!" He yells out.

Garu tried to follow him, but Kao grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him away from the ten-year-old knight. Kao yanks too hard and the Fire Knight falls backwards and just lays there stunned. Everyone laughs.

"Sorry Garu, don't know my own strength." Kao laughs. He reaches his hand out for Garu and Garu grasps it and pulls hard. Kao loses his balance and falls next to Garu.

"Payback's a Bitch ain't it Kao?" Garu asked then he starts laughing as did Kao.

"So, she has left us." The woman says, emotionless.

"Pardon?" A young man bathed in shadows asks.

"Tacakeo..." She trails off and starts laughing. "Guess doughnuts weren't enough for the breakfast table! Now I'm turning Takako into cake!" She calls out and everyone laughs.

"Yes, it is all going according to plan. Summon the other Knights Kao, we have much to discuss." She says gently stroking the transport demon's wings. Kao bows. "Yes Your Majesty," he bows again. Then he kneels down on one knee and slams his fist in the ground before him. "Haraku, Saraku, Garu, Kiru, Miraku, Hajiru, and Shanwu." He stops and repeats, "Hawaku, Sawaku, Gawu, Kiwu, Mirweekwu, Hajiwu, and Shanwu." He says again in baby tone. Everyone laughs at him and Garu walks up and pounds him on the back.

"Keep messing up this scene don't you dude?" Kao looks at him,

"At least I remembered to take the ring of this time!" Everyone laughs.