In Search of the Royal Family
The search continued as soldiers and their demonic companions scoured the desert. They called out for the royals in hopes of knowing where to find them, but heard nothing but the desert wind. While the royal guard was searching for the royal family, the members of Council Rock finally picked up Max and Bakura's scents and traced their trails to the dead village of Kul Elna. Sensing the evil presence of the village, the beasts decided not to go beyond their point. They instead alerted their fellow soldiers.
The royal guard wasn't the only one searching for the royal family. Bakura and Max sensed a disturbance in the forces of evil. They knew for certain that the Millennium Star still existed in this world, so they sent their subordinates and their dogs to seek out the royal family.
Suiguintoh and Barasuishou didn't always like the orders their masters carried out, but they had no choice. The girls brought this lifestyle upon themselves and they had to deal with it. Suiguintoh had no regrets about sending her sisters to the Shadow Realm and secretly hoped that Bakura, being a master in the forces of darkness, would set them free. For now, the twins' Magical Creatures had to serve Suiguintoh. As for Barasuishou, she continued to be a spy and didn't let everyone at the palace know where her loyalties truly lied. That was why she told Suiguintoh not to attack the royal family once and if the girls would find them. Instead, she would return to the palace and arrange another surprise.
Returning to the spot where the Shadow Game took place, the dogs picked up the scent of the royal family and began following the trail. The girls followed the dogs and found themselves coming close to the river. The area was wide and open for all of them. The girls kept hidden and ordered the dogs to find the royals, but not to attack them. The dogs typically wouldn't obey anyone besides Bakura or Max, but if Suiguintoh or Barasuishou said that their order was carried out by their masters, then they would obey.
Sitting along the river's bank, Mana gazed at her reflection in the water. Still feeling depressed about her master's fate, she had been oblivious to what was going on. The young magician was spending a lot of her time alone, away from her friends and classmates. But she still vowed that one day she would become a great magician like her master. For Mana knew that if she ignored her studies and pushed everything aside, her master would be very disappointed in her. So she decided to keep up with her training as best as she could.
Standing up and holding her wand, she clears her mind and inhales. I know I have what it takes to be an elite spellcaster. I just need a little more practice. Then a fish leaps out of the water. Mana waves her wand around to catch the fish. "Excellent!" she cheers for herself. As she waves her wand around, the fish moves with it. "Oh, yeah! Practice does make perfect," she says and laughs. Then the fish stops moving on her command.
"Huh? Let's go!" Frustrated, Mana roughly waves her wand back and forth and incants, "From river, lake, sea, or pond, fish, obey my magic wand!" Instead of moving around, the fish inflates and flies around her. Confused, Mana watches the fish and tries to stop it, but Kirlia immobilizes it with her psychic powers and places it back in the river.
Watching the fish swim away, Mana scolds herself. "I guess it's back to the spellbook." She even admitted that what she just said wasn't even a real spell. Feeling tormented and upset, she falls on her knees and begins to cry. "How am I supposed to do this without Master Mahad to guide me?" Kirlia sighs compassionately and rubs her companion's head to comfort her.
Just as she gazes at her reflection once again, she sees Jirachi's face in the water. Wiping her eyes and getting a clear vision, she realizes that he's really in the water looking right at her. He gets up to the surface and asks, "Mana, have you been here all this time?"
Surprised, Mana yelps and jumps back. "Jirachi? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the palace looking after the princess?"
"Well, I would be if she wasn't missing."
Mana's eyes widen. "Missing?"
Jirachi slaps himself. She really has been away from home for too long. "While you were away and alone, Bakura and Max returned to the palace and attacked the royal family. They kidnapped the princess, the king and queen tried to rescue her, and now they're all missing. Everybody's trying to find them."
Mana curses under her breath and scolds herself once again for her ignorance.
"Jirachi," calls a voice. Mana and Jirachi turn and see Lucario in the river. He gets out of the water and holds out what appears to be a cape. Lucario smells the cape, but it's hard to pick up a scent.
Jirachi approaches his friend. "Do you suppose that could be the pharaoh's cape?"
"I'm not sure," answered Lucario. "I'm not picking up his scent." He closes his eyes and begins honing his senses. Lucario's surroundings change and he sees many different colors. Finally, he senses the king's aura. Lucario opens his eyes and fixes his gaze in the southern route. "The pharaoh is nearby. So are the queen and princess. I sense that they are hurt." His ears perk up and he turns around. "Something else is nearby."
Then everybody hears howling. Facing the hill behind them, they see Bakura and Max's dogs coming their way. They remember that they were ordered not to attack, but don't want to take their chances. They growl and warn their royal enemies to stay out of their way.
Sensing that the dogs are also out searching for the royal family, Lucario demands for them to leave. The monsters keep growling at each other. Finally, Lucario launches his Aura Sphere to attack the dogs. The attack is effective against Mightyena and Houndoom, but Arcanine's Flamethrower deals greater damage to Lucario. Jirachi helps by using his psychic powers to immobilize and weaken Arcanine, but Houndoom and Mightyena's Dark Pulse and Crunch attack him. Unable to stand by or let Kirlia join the battle, Mana lifts her wand and sends a wave of water to wash the dogs away. Lucario brushes his scrapes and tells his friends to follow him as he picks up the trail.
Lucario was right all along. The royal family was alive and well. In order to save herself and her family, Mystery had to lose the extra weight so she could fly steadier. She saved her husband just in time before he could touch the ground. Exhausted from their Shadow Game with Bakura and Max, they took refuge inside an empty cave. Physically, they were well. Being the spellbound acrobat the queen was, treating injuries like the ones she and Atem were inflicted on was no problem. But emotionally, the two were broken. Bakura and Max almost succeeded in destroying the one thing they held dearly; their only child. Atem and Mystery were thankful that their daughter was well and alive, but could not forgive their foes for what happened. The bitterness they felt inside was greater than they had ever felt for them. But their pain was greater than the bitterness itself. Neither one could find the hatred to kill or condemn their foes even after what happened. It would only make the bitterness inside worse.
Sitting by the water and cradling her child, Mystery began whispering her anger towards Bakura. She would never forgive him, but she would not kill him. At the same time, she started taking her anger out on Luna; blaming her for these tragedies. Mystery started to believe that her friends were right about Luna all along; that she was a traitor. But as bitter as she was, Mystery still loved Luna. The two did have their differences, but they still became close. The queen even remembered her promise; friends do not kill one another no matter how much pain one had caused the other. Thinking about her promise and their friendship, Mystery's bitterness slowly began to subside. Luna was her friend and she needed her help. Like King Aknamkanon warned her all those years ago, Bakura is everybody's enemy. Even though Luna was born a Cobaltite, the heir of the Dark Lord was her enemy as well; using her to attack her friends. That was when the queen promised herself that she would defeat Bakura and Max and rescue Luna.
Atem was still in the cave. He couldn't believe what was happening; Millennia's power was being used against her to fulfill the wishes of the Dark Lord Cobalt. He was no longer in possession of the Millennium Puzzle, but he thought he heard the Great Goddess' voice in his head. Pharaoh, I warn you of an impending danger. Zorc, the Dark One, will soon awaken.
Still feeling dazed, Atem asks, "Who is Zorc?"
The ultimate monster born from the will of the Dark Lord.
Atem gasps and opens his eyes. "Please tell me what I can do to stop him!" He sits up, but finds that he's alone.
When the time is right, you will know, the voice answers and fades away.
Atem rubs his eyes and groans. Was that a dream or was the Great Goddess really trying to warn him? Usually, Mystery was the only one who could hear Millennia's voice. That made Atem wonder if she heard the same thing. But after walking outside and seeing her look so silent and still, he decided not to ask her. He instead sat beside her near the water.
Sensing her husband's presence, Mystery silently gasps and faces him with tears. Everything that was on her mind right now, she had already discussed with her husband. Right now, the two were just happy to see that they were all right. Softly, Atem wraps his arms around his wife to hug her and let her cry on his shoulders. Afterwards, he takes his daughter and holds her. It was natural that an infant wouldn't know of the events that were going on. All she knew was that she was with her parents again. Was this being oblivious something to hate? Seeing Emily look so innocently unknowing tortured him. That was why he vowed not to rest until she was safe from Bakura's wrath.
Atem and Mystery both heard their friends crying out to them. They turned and saw Mana cheering with Jirachi, Kirlia, and Lucario. Happy to see that they're all right, Mana and the Magical Creatures run towards the royal family. Jirachi circles around them and hugs Mystery's face. Lucario runs up to Atem and smiles at him with tears. Atem puts one arm over Lucario to hug him. Mana starts hugging the queen as well. Lucario tells Jirachi to return to the palace and tell everybody that the royal family has been found. After hugging the king and kissing the princess, Jirachi carries out that order. After hugging Atem, Mana takes Emily and decides she wants to play with her. Mystery asks Mana to be careful as she takes her in her arms. Mana plays with the princess by gently bouncing her and lifting her.
Jirachi returned to the palace and began telling everybody that the royal family was found. Word was getting out really fast to the servants and masters. Seto was still watching over Kisara and Freya as they were resting from this morning's battle. Rest well, my friends. You each possess a gift that might save us, he wonders, thinking about the White and Black Dragons. Now that your secret is out, Master Aknadin wants to take your powers away from you. Then Seto begins thinking about his master's behavior. What puzzles me is how a man who built his reputation on giving mercy to criminals can be so heartless. When I first moved into the palace, it was Aknadin who taught me compassion and reason. But now I hardly recognize him.
One of the royal handmaids came to the chamber to notify Seto of the news. "Master Seto," she was saying, a little out of breath, "I've just received word that the royal family is all right."
"I knew it," Seto says, happy to hear the news. He turns around and asks her, "Where are they?"
"On the south bank of the river Nile, sir," she answers.
Looking at her, Seto sees that she's one of the few handmaids who worked alongside Kisara and Freya. He decided to leave the cousins in her care. "Quickly, find one of your friends and move Kisara and Freya to another room. And make sure no one sees you."
The handmaid nods and does as she's told while Seto makes his way to the throne room.
When everybody is present, Jirachi announces, "My royal friends, I bring you joyous news: the royal family has been found!" Everyone cheers hearing the news.
Isis holds her hands close to her Necklace and says, "According to Millennia, the royal family is in good health and Shada and Joseph will see to it that they return safely."
Shimon nods. "We can all rest easy now."
"Yes," said Jirachi. "Their majesties are safe."
Impossible, Aknadin wondered. How could they have survived?
"Wait," Isis was saying, "I'm seeing something else. Oh, no." Everyone faces her and asks her what's wrong. "I have some terrible news regarding the pharaoh's Millennium Puzzle: it's missing."
Jirachi clears his throat. "I have some other news. Our brothers, the beasts of legend, have discovered that Max and Bakura are in the village of Kul Elna."
Isis nods. "And according to the Great Goddess, the pharaoh and Shada will be on their way there. Joseph will be bringing our princess and queen home."
"I say we join them and protect our king," Jirachi decreed.
Everyone cheers in agreement, but Seto speaks up and tells everybody, "While I agree with Prince Jirachi, we cannot leave the palace right now. Although Joseph is safely bringing our princess and queen home, I believe that the queen must see that we are all right. We should also wait for her to give us the word to help our king." Everyone changes their minds and agrees with Seto.
"Oh, no," Aknadin silently gasps, "not Kul Elna."