Seekers of Millennia's Power
The celebration had a few small interruptions, but they were easily fixed. Trespassers were caught sneaking around the palace walls, but were forgiven and released. Several visitors returned to their homes and attended to their own personal pieces of work. Monsters were let out of the palace to get some exercise and stretch themselves out. Some subjects had to attend to their regular duties such as making their guests comfortable and keeping things tidy and organized.
Seeing that their friends had been waiting patiently, Atem and Mystery decided to let them meet their child as promised. It wouldn't be fair if they didn't get a chance to meet her after their lovers already did. Seto, Mahad, and Joseph approached the cradle and looked at the princess in delight. They even smiled and sighed with the same expression; agreeing that their princess was a beautiful child. They carried this same expression every time they saw a newborn child, but the miracle of a new life never ceased to amaze them.
Joseph was so happy; he had a hard time keeping control of himself. He wanted to play around and be like one of those jolly relatives. But he had to remember that the child he was standing before was a princess and he needed to mind his manners. That was all right for him. Seeing her was enough to make him start imagining that one day, he and Freya would be in the same place as their king and queen and be blessed with children of their own.
Mahad had never felt so strongly of his emotions. Just one look at the princess was enough to make him feel more responsible for keeping her safe from any danger. This small twinkle of light had to be protected if it was to shine through any darkness. But it wasn't just about being a royal protector anymore. Mahad was beginning to love her just as he had loved her parents. Protecting her wouldn't be about his devotion to the royals, but for the love he had for them. And although he hadn't had much experience with small children, he wanted to be there for her and help take care of her. At the same time, Mahad couldn't wait to one day take her as his student in the magical arts. He knew the queen would soon teach her the ways of the Millennium Star, but the princess would also be able to learn as much from him.
Seto had known Mahad for several years and felt as though he knew what he was thinking. That made Seto wonder if he was feeling the same thing as his friend. Seto and the princess had only just met and already, he was beginning to love her. That was reasonable for him since the royal family was his family and he swore that he would always be there for them just as a true brother would. He would be a friend and a guardian to his princess. And although Seto said he wasn't the nurturing type, he knew that would have to change if he was going to help take care of his new family member and perhaps, one day have children of his own.
While Joseph and Mahad keep admiring the child in their own ways, Seto lifts his hand and twiddles his fingers to say 'hello'. The princess keeps an expressionless look for a few short minutes, then smiles and coos at her new friends.
"She likes us," Joseph softly cries. "It's like she knows we're her friends."
"Perhaps it's because we're friends with her parents," said Seto. While his two friends agree with the matter and gossip about it, Seto turns his attention to the king and winks at him. Atem took that a signal of congratulations and winked back in gratitude. Seeing that the rest of the sacred guardians are waiting, Seto, Mahad, and Joseph decide to be fair and move aside and let the rest of their friends see their princess. They all start gossiping and showing the same sense of admiration as well.
Unbeknownst to any of the royals, their enemies had a surprise for them. Now that everything was in order, they were ready to attack. Bakura had the same black clothes on and decorated himself with gold he had stolen from the royal tombs. Max had fewer decorations and remained in her black attire. To keep her identity concealed, she wore a black cap on her head and covered her face with a veil; making only her cobalt blue eyes visible.
"I think it's time we made ourselves known, don't you agree?" Bakura asked Max.
"Yes, Bakura," she answered coldly. She had been waiting as long as Bakura had been and was ready to surprise her foes.
"Then let the ultimate Shadow Game begin," Bakura laughed and began riding his horse out to the city. Max and the dogs followed after him. To Bakura, every challenge or plan of attack was a game. But once the heirs of the Gods would meet, it would mean the beginning of the Battle of the Gods once again. That was why it would be called the ultimate game; because it would decide the fate of not only the country, but the entire world.
Hearing the sound of hoofbeats and barking, the citizens wonder what it is that's approaching their city. Houndoom and Arcanine launch fire attacks from their mouths to burn every house and shop. Everyone screams of fright and runs to seek shelter while the attackers run through the city. "To the palace!" Bakura cried out, almost close to the gates.
"Who dares trespass?" a soldier asked.
The captain of the guard raises his spear and shouts, "Halt, in the name of the pharaoh!"
"You fools," Bakura shouts, "Step aside if you value your souls!"
"Stand tall, men," the captain says as he and the guards steady themselves.
This time, Max barks an order. "Out of our way!" And she and Bakura slip right past the guards and through the palace gates.
"Sound the alarm!" the captain orders. Before the guards even consider alerting the royals, they get caught up in trying to fend the dogs off and keep them from following their masters.
Inside the palace, the sacred guardians began sensing the evil force approaching them. Even the little princess could sense it with the power of the Millennium Star. Frightened, she started wailing. Queen Mystery took her in her arms and began trying to calm her down. Even though the Millennium Star no longer rested in Mystery's heart, she still wielded all of its powers; including the ability to sense forces of evil. Then Mahad's Millennium Ring started shining. He hadn't felt it react so strongly since a few weeks ago in the outskirts. But this time, the dark force it was sensing was much stronger. That made him think that this was the darkness of the Cobalt Star for sure.
"Mahad, is something the matter?" Joseph asked.
"The Millennium Ring," Mahad was saying. "We are in the presence of pure evil!" Then everyone turns their attention to the middle of the room where an ominous black cloud was forming. As the cloud lets up, Max and Bakura's shapes become clear. Bakura draws his hood and reveals his face. "It's Bakura!" gasped Mahad.
Joseph growls and asks, "What does he want here?" Seto tells him to keep quiet and not to start anything. He even knew the answer as to why Bakura would come to the palace, meaning that his assumptions were right all along. Hearing Mahad mention Bakura's name, the queen wonders if this is the man Luna warned her about; the heir of Cobalt.
"Well, quite a glittering assembly, Pharaoh and Queen." Then Bakura starts looking around and addressing the kinds of people present. "Royalty, nobility, peasantry, and-" he stops and chuckles after fixing his gaze at Joseph, Mahad, and Seto. "How cute, even the pets." Joseph growls, taking that as an insult. He tries to approach Bakura to teach him a lesson in manners, but Mahad and Seto grab his arms and hold him back. Bakura wipes his brow and says plainly, "Max and I must have been left off the guest list. We both felt quite distressed about not receiving an invitation."
"You wouldn't want it," growled Joseph.
"Enough of this game," said Seto. "We know you two are putting on an act and you shall be punished for your mockery and for trespassing on sacred ground."
"Not so fast," said Max. "We reside in the outskirts of your little kingdom, so your rules don't apply to us. But I suppose because of that matter, it would be impossible for us to receive an invitation to any royal celebration."
Trying not to let Bakura and Max sense her fear, Mystery asks, "So the two of you are not offended?"
Bakura grins and answers, "Why, no, your majesty. And to show we bear no ill will, we've come bearing gifts for the child." And he and Max throw gold treasure towards the royals. Many of them recognized a lot of the golden trinkets and knew right away that they were stolen goods from the royal tombs. However, Bakura continued to take advantage of their ashamed expressions. "We assumed that these trinkets wouldn't be enough, so Max and I brought another token of our esteem." Then he and Max place their fingers close to their teeth and whistle to call for their dogs. The dogs come running to the call and bring with them the sarcophagus of the former king. "Say 'hello' to your previous king!"
"You dare disrespect the tomb of our former pharaoh?" asked Seto.
"Now you've taken this too far," Atem exclaimed. "Your souls must now be judged by the Great Goddess Millennia." The sacred guardians agreed that a Millennium Trial had to be called into order and told the guards to bring in two sealing tablets. A Millennium Trial would always be called by the royals to judge the souls of any criminal who threatened or disrespected the royal family. Judgment was always based upon the kind of Shadow Creature dwelling in the soul. It was assumed that Shadow Creatures were born from the will of the Dark Lord and fed upon the anger and hatred of humans; parasites living among hosts to survive. The Millennium Items didn't have the power to destroy Shadow Creatures, so the sacred guardians used them to extract the beasts from the soul and seal them in stone tablets. If the soul was free of the evil within, the one being judged would be free to go. It wasn't necessarily considered punishment; rather it was saving the poor victim from the darkness controlling them.
"Great Goddess Millennia," the sacred guardians were saying, "Lend us your power and help us to fight the darkness within the hearts of these criminals."
Max and Bakura weren't worried about what was going to happen to them. They were masters of darkness and knew they would be capable of overcoming the magic of the Millennium Items. "Your weak magic will never contain us," said Bakura.
"No mortal can resist or endure the sacred powers of the Great Goddess Millennia," said Shada.
"Hold on," Karim said, noticing the behavior of his Millennium Item. "The Millennium Scale is unable to find balance. That means the evil within both of their hearts is immeasurable."
Aknadin agreed and used the magic of his Millennium Eye to look into Max and Bakura's souls, but could see nothing but shadows. "I see dark forces that know no bounds. Their souls are bottomless pits in which thrive terrifying creatures. I am afraid that these two share the same amount of anger and hatred within their hearts."
Shada held his Millennium Key towards Bakura and Max. "Now, Great Goddess Millennia, show me the beasts that dwell within." His Key started shining and revealed the shadows of two dangerous monsters. The forces he felt were stronger than any other Shadow Creature he had encountered. "Those are no ordinary beasts."
"What did you see, Master Shada?" Joseph asked.
"The most powerful beings I've ever witnessed," he answered. "Those sealing tablets are far too small."
Seto didn't believe him. "Ridiculous."
Joseph agreed. "We have never had any difficulties before." But he spoke too soon. Max and Bakura cackled and summoned the beasts of their souls to prove that they were too powerful to measure, let alone contain. Max summoned an angel with pale skin, tattered black clothes, and a sickle while Bakura summoned a silver man-shaped beast with a snake for a lower body. "Unbelievable!" Joseph gasped as he and the others stared in shock. "How can such creatures live in the hearts of two petty thieves?"
Bakura stops cackling and tells them, "Let us introduce our friends. Diabound, Angel of Death, meet the pharaoh and queen."
"And, Pharaoh and Queen, meet the instruments of your demise," Max finished.
Seto now understood why his friends were worried, but he still decided to take his chances. So he used his Millennium Rod to capture both monsters and seal them away. When their images appeared on the tablets, Seto assumed that it was over. "Just as I have suspected, their souls have been cleansed."
Bakura lowers his voice and says with mock innocence, "Thank you, Master Seto. You've saved our lives. Those horrible creatures were controlling our minds and now we are finally free."
"Free to annihilate you, that is," Max finished, and the tablets cracked and shattered; releasing Diabound and the Angel of Death.
"This doesn't make any sense!" Joseph exclaimed.
"It makes perfect sense," Queen Mystery argued. Seeing the power both monsters possessed was enough to justify her assumptions. "That man is the true heir of the Dark Lord Cobalt. Such tremendous evil power could only come from the Cobalt Star itself." Then she fixes her gaze at Bakura and speaks directly at him. "I have actually known all along, Bakura. A friend of mine told me of your identity and I knew you and I would one day meet."
Bakura wasn't concerned hearing that. He knew the very same thing. There was one difference between him and Mystery about the matter though; he was looking forward to the day that they would meet while Mystery prayed that it would never come. "Yes and here we are now," Bakura told her. "The heir of the Dark Lord and the heiress of the Great Goddess standing face-to-face. You know what that means, don't you? The Battle of the Gods is about to begin once again."
Mystery growled. Fighting was not something she was looking forward to, but no matter how bitter her emotions were about it, she knew that she had to fight if she expected to keep her friends and family safe. What was worse, Mystery knew that her daughter was the one Bakura was really after and wanted to get to now that she was the new guardian of the Millennium Star. That was all the more reason she had to gather her courage and face her nemesis.
The queen rose up from her throne, but Seto turned around and raised her hand to stop her. "Do not force yourself into his hands, Queen Mystery. That is exactly what he wants. Please allow us to subdue these fiends," he insisted. Mystery sits back down and decides to listen to him.
The sacred guardians agree that the only way to stand against the heir of Cobalt is to unite and work together. This was one time that Seto would not let his pride get the better of him. Now that he knew who he was up against, this was not the time to show off. He even admitted that his strength alone wouldn't be enough to defeat two powerful Shadow Creatures, so he asked Joseph to come and help him. Seto and Joseph had always made a good tag team in battle and thought they would have a bit of a chance if they worked together. But this wasn't a game or a sport and they couldn't afford to let their guard down. They had to fight with every bit of their strength.
Seto and Joseph raise their left arms and activate their diadianks to summon Shadow Creatures for battle. Seto summoned a red dragon named Goresgoloth and Joseph summoned an armored dragon named Garoozis. Bakura and Max weren't worried. They knew their Shadow Creatures could overcome whatever beasts their opponents would sic on them. Seto and Joseph commanded their monsters to attack. Max's Angel of Death counter attacked and defeated Garoozis with ease, but rather than having Diabound take down Goresgoloth, Bakura summoned another monster called Winged Sage Falcos and ordered it to fight instead.
Everyone fighting for Millennia was confused. "Only those in the royal court can do that!" Seto protested, thinking this was a trick.
Mahad agrees and asks Bakura, "How did you summon that beast? Neither one of you possesses a diadiank." Those tools didn't just allow their wielders to summon Shadow Creatures of their will, but to call more than one into battle. Without a diadiank, the combatant could only call forth the Shadow Creature of their own soul.
Max chuckles and asks, "Is that so?" and she and Bakura lift their sleeves and reveal diadianks on their left wrists. "Don't you remember? We paid a visit to your old pharaoh's tomb. While Bakura and I were paying our respects, we thought we'd borrow a few of his little toys."
Isis raises her voice and asks, "Can't the two of you see that you are interfering with forces beyond your control?"
"Obviously not," Bakura answered. "You forget I am the true heir of the Dark Lord Cobalt and have complete control over these forces. And I must thank your former king by making me a fine army of Shadow Creatures by capturing and sealing them."
"You dare disturb the great protectors of the sacred crypt of King Aknamkanon?" Seto asked.
"Those monsters were sealed to safeguard the tomb of a great pharaoh!" Joseph exclaimed.
"So you say, but I disagree. He was a tyrant!" protested Bakura. He stomps his foot on the sarcophagus and explains, "He destroyed our village when he fashioned the seven Millennium Items; in a selfish attempt to further his own power!"
Max speaks up and adds, "You may think he forged the Millennium Items to help the Great Goddess bring peace, but we know the real truth. Instead of fulfilling her wishes, he betrayed her and used her powers for himself so he could gain control and see to it that nothing could stand in his way."
"You lie!" Aknadin debated. "King Aknamkanon helped Millennia to put an end to the great wars that ravaged our nation. He shared her dream of bringing peace and prosperity to this kingdom. That was why he created the Millennium Items; to ensure that harmony would reign forever in Egypt."
Seto agrees and adds, "Then he gave these tools to us so we could preserve Millennia's dream; to keep the peace and rule the land with justice as well as to thwart evil doers not unlike yourselves."
"Evil doers?" Bakura echoes. He growls and asks angrily, "Who do you think you are? Do you know why the Millennium Items can sense any dark presence that the Star itself cannot? It is because there is dark magic within the Items. They react to the inner darkness of any human they come into contact with. So the fact that the seven of you wield these Items makes each and every one of you and evil doer just like Millennia's so-called finest follower King Aknamkanon!" he protests. "Just as Max mentioned, your former king betrayed your Great Goddess and wanted to selfishly use her powers to control the entire world. And the secret lies in the village of Kul Elna."
None of the sacred guardians could take much more. "Enough lies," Mahad ordered.
"What you speak is treason," Aknadin added. But although he was just as bitter and joined the others in disagreement with Bakura, he was in shock to hear him mention Kul Elna. Aknadin was certain that all of the village's secrets were buried with its destruction. How could Bakura and Max possibly know anything about it? Mahad, Seto, and Joseph had different opinions about the matter. Since they knew that Bakura resided in the desolate village, perhaps they could get Bakura to spill all the secrets he knew about Kul Elna.
"Hidden deep beneath the sands of Kul Elna lies a structure known as the Millennium Stone," Bakura told the royals. "Place the seven Items in the Stone and ultimate power will be yours."
Joseph changed his mind and saw that this debate wasn't getting his friends or his opponents anywhere. He knew that the only way to settle this was to continue the Shadow Game. "I don't care much about your story, Bakura. All that matters is sending you where you must go."
Seto agreed and decided that their Shadow Game had to go on. He and Joseph also knew that their tag team efforts wouldn't be enough to stand against Diabound and the Angel of Death. The other sacred guardians knew just as much, so they joined in the fight and summoned their own monsters.
Mahad made the first move and ordered his Illusion Magician to attack. The purple-armored mage raised his scepter and destroyed the Winged Sage. Even though one monster was taken down, it didn't matter to Bakura or Max. That Shadow Creature was a throwaway and therefore no longer of any use to the thieves. Max decided to devastate her opponents with a real attack from her Angel of Death. The Angel opened up her wings and released an ominous force attacking and destroying the monsters summoned by Aknadin, Shada, and Karim. The remaining monsters were pushed away and weakened. Seven against two was fair for the royals because they could attack the enemy and defend themselves at the same time, but they were still at a disadvantage against the might of their opponents.
Mahad wanted a second chance to attack, but his friends knew that his monster would easily be destroyed. Seto and Joseph decided to give their tag team efforts one more shot. That was when they turned their attention to Karim. Using the magic of his Millennium Scale, Karim merged Seto's Battle Ox with Joseph's Mystic Horseman to become Rabid Horsemen. Now they were truly united in strength and spirit. Bakura still felt like he wasn't being challenged and figured this would just be another easy victory, so he ordered his Diabound to steady himself and be prepared to fight back. When Joseph saw the snake part of Diabound stop Rabid Horseman's attack, he thought that his teamwork with Seto truly was no match against one beast by itself. Seto, on the other hand, wasn't worried. He wanted Bakura and Max to think that they were willingly walking into defeat when really, he was luring them into a trap. This was the opportunity he gave Mahad. Without sparing any seconds, Mahad takes this chance to attack. The Illusion Magician doesn't land a physical assault on Diabound. Instead, he uses his Binding Illusion to render Diabound immobile. It doesn't last very long unfortunately. Diabound breaks free and attacks once again. The force of the attack pushes everybody back against the wall.
For these two monsters to easily overpower seven opponents, Mystery had to assume that Bakura was tapping into the powers of the Cobalt Star, giving him and Max extra strength and putting them at an unfair advantage against her friends.
Bakura and Max weren't having much fun against their opponents, but they thought it would be a waste to just do away with them right now. They wanted a real battle, otherwise easily destroying Millennia's followers wouldn't be worth trying to seize her powers. Perhaps they would get the challenge they wanted by taunting the royal family. "Pharaoh, if I were you, I would consider replacing your staff," Bakura tormented.
"That is enough," Seto snarls and gets back on his feet.
Mystery was finally beginning to lose her temper. "Bakura, you and Max are on sacred ground and your disrespect is appalling!"
Bakura saw that his plans to draw the pharaoh and queen and make them join the battle were working. He continues to taunt her and say, "Well, it looks like we've gotten a rise out of Her Highness. Please excuse us for disrespecting a kingdom that destroyed our home!" and orders Diabound to attack.
Isis steps in and orders her monster, a blue-skinned and blue-haired fairy named Spiria, to defend everybody. Spiria holds up a rainbow shield to block the attack. It works for a few seconds, but the shield is soon destroyed once the attack finally stops.
Mahad comes to Isis' aid, then growls and tells Bakura, "This is not over!"
"It will be soon enough," Max promised. "One more attack from our monsters and this entire palace will be reduced to rubble." Then she and Bakura raise their heads and laugh.
Atem and Mystery both had enough. They decided that they couldn't sit by and watch their friends struggle against their opponents anymore, so they finally jumped out of their seats and joined in the fight. "Leave this palace before we remove you!"
"Pharaoh and Queen?" Aknadin asked.
"Please," Seto begs, "for the safety of your child, allow us to battle these fiends for you." He kept insisting although he knew he and his friends were weak and wouldn't be able to take much more.
Atem and Mystery knew just as much, which was why they paid no attention to him. "Bakura," Mystery cries out, "is this how you introduce yourself as the true heir of Cobalt? Trespassing on sacred ground and tarnishing the very name of my ancestors and my husband's? You have always been despicable, but now you have reached a new loathe!" Although Mystery had never actually met Bakura until now, she was aware of the crimes he had committed after hearing the stories Luna told her about him.
Bakura chuckles once again. "Queen Mystery, I understand how much you care about your ancestors. But admit it; you probably don't even know the first thing about your husband's! But here, maybe this will teach you a little something." Then he shoves King Aknamkanon's sarcophagus towards them.
Shimon approaches the sarcophagus and starts weeping his apologies. "King Aknamkanon, I never imagined your return to the palace would be so disgraceful." He faces Atem and Mystery with tears and tells them, "I'm sorry you had to see this, Pharaoh and Queen. But we cannot let these fiends continue to dishonor our heritage by spouting false accusations and lies! And you mustn't believe what they say about our former leader. You both know as well as I do that he was kind and just."
"Of course we do," Atem said compassionately. As he looked at the sarcophagus, he thought he heard his father's voice. "Justice lies with the Egyptian Gods". Atem wondered what that meant. Was the voice referring to the three divine beasts resting in the temple?
Mystery was forgiving, but not towards Bakura and Max. She fixed her gaze at them and growled, "I have had enough of your evil ways. It is time to end this."
"But, Queen Mystery," Bakura was saying, "you and I have a lot of catching up to do considering that meeting and battling is something we should have done many years ago. So here we are now; the princess of light standing face-to-face against the prince of darkness. But as far as I'm concerned, I've won this match and you've taken no part of it. And not to mention you and your husband interrupted me at the best part, just when my monster and Max's were about to deliver the finishing blow, forcing you into submission. Now any last words before I destroy you and seize Millennia's power?"
Mystery doesn't answer. She just keeps glaring and frowning with tears of anger.
Not hearing a response, Bakura and Max take this as an opportunity to attack. Atem and Mystery both agree that they can no longer hold back. If they expect to protect the people they love, then they must summon their most powerful beasts. Although Mystery promised never to call her beast into battle, she had no choice and assumed it would be the only way to defeat Diabound and the Angel of Death. Atem began praying to the Egyptian Gods to help them in battle. He heard his father's voice again; calling forth one of the Egyptian God monsters. Like the rainbow ring surrounding the Millennium Star, a rainbow covered Mystery's outline as she raised her left arm and summoned her Rainbow Dragon. The throne room also began to shake as the presence of the Egyptian God monster, Obelisk the Tormentor came into battle.
Obelisk attacked with his Fist of Fury while Rainbow Dragon attacked with her Rainbow Ray. Max and Bakura both knew that alone, their monsters wouldn't stand a chance of survival. Max was left with no choice but to tap into the magic of her Cobalt Star, supplying her Angel of Death with tremendous power. Afterwards, Diabound and the Angel combined their strength in hopes that they would be able to hold off the opposing assault.
When the attacks finally subsided, everyone was amazed to see that all four monsters were still standing. "This is impossible!" Aknadin exclaims. "Their powers are equal!"
"Those thieves withstood the assault of an Egyptian God!" gasped Seto.
"And a legendary Dragon, no less," Joseph added, both impressed and worried.
Max and Bakura face each other, agreeing to withdraw their monsters and take their leave. Before they go, they promise to return to finish what they started. "This isn't over, Pharaoh and Queen," Bakura promises. He turns his attention to Mahad and gives him a direct warning. "And you, I believe it's Mahad. Don't grow too fond of that Item around your neck. I have a small, shall we say, fondness of the Millennium Ring. I always seemed to admire it since the times I've seen you come to the outskirts to hunt me down and I think I'd like to have it."
Mahad growls and argues, "The heir of Cobalt would never be able to control Millennia's powers. Her treasures are of no use or value to you."
Bakura disagrees. "All seven Millennium Items and the Millennium Star itself are fated to fall into my hands. Just you wait." Then he and Max turn around and take their leave.
"Stop!" Mystery orders. Although she was glad that she would be able to stop fighting, she wasn't relieved it would be in this way. She knew the fight would never be over if Bakura and Max would leave in hopes of making themselves stronger. At the same time, she knew that none of the people she cared about would ever truly be safe if the heir of Cobalt was on the loose.
"We mustn't let them escape," said Aknadin. While he tells the guards to pursue the two thieves, Atem and Mystery make it to the balcony and see Max and Bakura fight their way out.
"You'll never contain us," Bakura tormented, getting on his horse and riding past the guards. "Until we meet again, Children of Millennia," he cries out, riding through the city streets with Max and the dogs following them.
Watching them ride away, Atem and Mystery witness the devastation Bakura and Max caused to the city. Many buildings were smoldering now and some soldiers were on the ground motionless. There was no blood in sight, but it was hard to know for certain if they were killed or had their souls taken from them. Mystery wanted to send herself in pursuit of Bakura and Max, but she didn't want to leave her friends and family unprotected. Bakura was full of surprises and would have many traps and plans of attack in store for her. Frightened and worried, she wasn't sure what to do. All she knew was that Bakura had to be stopped, but how and at what cost?
Fearful of her daughter's life, Mystery held her close to her chest and gently hugged her, vowing to keep her safe and never to rest until Bakura was stopped. At the same time, just thinking about forcing herself to fight terrified Mystery. As mentioned before, she knew that the time would come for her and Bakura to meet face-to-face and fight to decide the fate of the world, but she prayed that it would never come. Mystery's heart was too strong and she wasn't the violent type. She would never seek revenge or force herself to harm another human being no matter how great the pain she was caused. But as forgiving as she was to the people who hurt her, she would never forgive Bakura for taking everything dear to her. At the same time, she would never forgive herself if her victory meant his death. Mystery was terrified and confused about the whole thing and began sobbing about it.
The sacred guardians praised their king and queen for their courage and tried to assure them that they would all be able to rest easy tonight. Mystery disagreed as she was pondering over her emotions. Atem understood her and decided to stay by her for the remainder of the night. Even the sacred guardians agreed that their queen needed a few moments alone after what happened tonight. They even insisted on watching over the princess for the night while Mystery would take the time she needed to pull herself together. Personally, Mystery didn't feel comfortable about the idea of leaving her child alone, but Mahad kept assuring her that she would be all right in his care. Atem was just as unsure, but he trusted his friends and appreciated their thought. Finally, Mystery gave in and gently placed the baby in Mahad's arms.
"Come," Mahad silently whispered to Seto and Joseph. "Let them be alone for a while."
Seto was just as understanding of the queen's thoughts about the matter. "She is really frightened of Bakura," he told his friends.
"What are we going to do?" Joseph asked. Now that the children of the Gods have met, the battle has already begun.
The Angel of Death is not a real Duel Monster. It was inspired by my younger sister, just as Max was.