Light and Darkness

The queen meant what she said about wanting to end this battle once and for all, but she still lacked the confidence. Her strength and spirit had not yet been restored. But if this was a trap to get her to fight, then she was going to gather whatever courage she had. In the past, Mystery never always knew what she was getting herself into when she was still the hero of the desert, but this wasn't going to be like those past adventures. True, Luna was still out there and needed her help, but this wasn't going to be like one of Mystery's rescue adventures. Also, knowing Bakura, he would have a whole new game played out for the queen. He said he wanted to talk, but Mystery knew too well that Bakura wasn't one to be trusted. Still, she said she would take her chances. They never actually had a real battle against each other and this would be their first.

Queen Mystery finally made it to the outskirts and came to the first street of the village. The atmosphere was exactly as she remembered it; filled with an evil presence. Though the Millennium Star no longer resided in her heart, the queen still sensed the evil around her. Walking through the village, she looked around for Bakura. "I know you are here," she called.

Bakura came out of his house and walked towards her. "So you got my message and decided to come," he told her. "Honestly, I'm surprised. But were you brave or foolish?"

"Actually, I have often wondered the same thing about myself over the years," she replied. "But I suppose I just care too much. Anyway, you said you wanted to talk to me. About what?"

Bakura knew that if he said it was a trick to get her to come here, he would be lying. He really did want to talk to Mystery, but he thought it would be fun to test her. "Is that the only reason you came here?"

But Mystery had been paying close attention to Bakura's deceptive ways. After learning all there was she could from Luna, the queen decided to match wits with her nemesis. "I think we both know the answer to that, prince of darkness."

"Bakura, if you please," he told her. "There's no need to be so regal if we're just going to engage in conversation. But I suppose I need to mind my manners in the presence of the queen of Egypt. Oh, I know my hometown isn't exactly fit for a queen, but I find it suitable to my comfort. But perhaps I should consider the comfort of my guest. Shall we go inside?"

Mystery shakes her head. "I am fine where I am, thank you."

"Well, can I at least offer you anything? You must be tired and thirsty after coming all the way out here."

Again, she answered 'no'. "I really would just like to do what I came here to. My ears are open to what you have to say. But be warned, should you try anything, I will fight."

Bakura growled, wondering if perhaps he had been underestimating Mystery all along. True, the queen was soft, but he had a feeling that beneath her soft exterior was a temper and warrior. He had seen it during the times they played their Shadow Games. But he still decided to take his chances. At the same time, he agreed that the two should get down to business. "Queen Mystery, have you often wondered why I have been attacking you? To carry out the Dark Lord's will, yes. But also, I have my own personal reasons."

"Would you care to tell me those reasons," Mystery asked, not by means of interrogation, but by curiosity.

"Look around you," he told her. "This village wasn't always in ruin and I wasn't always the only one living here. Like you, Queen Mystery, I had a home and a family; almost everything you had."

"What happened?"

Bakura puts his eyes back on her and asks, "Do you remember what I told you the day we met?"

Thinking back, Mystery did remember what Bakura said. He claimed that Atem's father destroyed the village of Kul Elna in a selfish attempt to use the power of the Gods. But she always heard from her subjects that the village was caught in the wars.

Bakura speaks up and explains, "Your in-laws came to my village, burned down every house, and captured every one of its inhabitants. Guardian beasts were taken from their compainions and humans were taken to the underground shrine to be offered in a ritual. Men, women, children, it mattered not. My people were sacrificed and served to the Great Goddess so their powers could be harnessed. How I escaped and survived is of little importance. The point is I saw what happened and vowed revenge."

Listening to Bakura's story, Mystery was in shock. Although she learned what happened from Atem back at the temple, she couldn't help but find Bakura's story to be true. After all, he was there when it all happened and he suffered. But she was still confused. Would the Great Goddess really use Cobalt's power against him to carry out her will? Millennia herself couldn't have possibly been pleased with the ritual either.

But Bakura continued to go further into detail. "Maybe a lot of us deserved the fate we faced for our crimes against Egypt, but the Dark Lord would never do anything to help Millennia; not even let his children be sacrificed to her. It was then that I realized that evil does not come from my kind alone, but from everybody. There is darkness inside all of us; including you and your people."

"But there is also light inside everybody as well," Mystery countered, realizing that she is agreeing with Bakura. She had to admit, as much as she was a good person, she did have a spark of bitterness and anger inside of her.

"Be that as it may," Bakura was saying. "But whatever we choose to be, we will always have enemies. And whoever makes the first move for whatever reason is responsible for the fights."

"But still, how can you blame mankind for what happened to you?"

"I told you," Bakura replied, "everyone is evil and must pay for their sins. That is why I fight; to settle my scores and even things." He looks away and continues on. "After losing everything and everyone, I've had to survive on my own. With my family gone, who would watch over me?" His memories start coming into mind as he explains his story. He sees himself as a frightened and lonely child reeling in on his losses. "All I had were the clothes on my back, my Magical Creatures, and my Cobalt Star. The Dark Lord Cobalt was my only friend and guardian. He promised me that I would one day have my revenge and destroy Millennia and her followers. I had two choices that day: sit and feel sorry for myself or toughen up and move ahead. And if I wanted to survive, the decision was simple. There was no time to let my emotions get in my way."

Mystery continued to feel sorry for Bakura now that she realized the pain he was caused and how much he had suffered. And despite all the pain he caused her, she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there was something she could do to help him. Still, she had to be careful. As honest as Bakura was being with her, she had to stay on her toes in case he would pull any surprises. But she couldn't help how she felt. "How tragic," the queen says, looking the other way.

Bakura frowns and asks, "You find that pitiful?"

"It is you I feel sorry for," she answered. "The truth is you have not moved ahead at all. If you had, you would have left this place long ago and tried to live a better life. Then again, how could you? You have no other living family members and you could never live in the city because you are an exile."

It was true that Bakura came from a family of thieves and murderers and most of his fellow villagers were exiles, but that wasn't the reason he remained in Kul Elna. "The reason I am here is because this place gives me power," he argued. "And I chose this path just as you chose to give yourself to Millennia."

Hearing that, Mystery remembers something she thought about long ago. She possessed the powers of the Millennium Star not because it was her destiny to, but because she chose to. She still could have been able to fulfill Millennia's wishes without making a contract. And although she didn't want to have anything to do with the Battle of the Gods, she still chose to take on her rights and responsibilities as heiress of Millennia.

But then, that made her wonder, "Bakura, out of curiosity, what did you choose to do when you found out you were the heir of Cobalt?"

Bakura figured there would be no harm in explaining the whole truth to the queen since the ultimate battle would begin shortly and she wouldn't be around much longer. "Well, Queen Mystery, since you asked nicely, I'll be honest with you. The truth is, like you, I wanted nothing to do with the Battle of the Gods either. But I still remained loyal to the Dark Lord and fought to fulfill his wishes." He smiles for one moment as he looks away, then turns his gaze back at Mystery and continues, "But I never thought that my rival, the heiress of Millennia, would become the wife of the son of the brother of the man who took everything for me. That was when I knew that things had to be taken seriously and done right."

Mystery's eyes widened. "I see," she said slowly, finally understanding everything. "That was when you decided you would exact your revenge and carry out Cobalt's wishes at the same time."

"And what better way to do so than by focusing my intention on the next generation? Going after your little daughter was the perfect plan. It would make my vengeance all the sweeter. I would make you and your husband suffer the same pain I was caused by losing everything dear to you just as I did."

Mystery's anger started to return. She also knew there would be no point in trying to reason with the heir of Cobalt, but she had to tell him, "Bakura, I understand your anger and thirst for revenge, but do you not see that nothing good will come of it? Also, why not take it on me when I am your true enemy? Why take it upon an innocent little baby? Take pity on her!"

Bakura was amused to see the queen's frustration return. "Because I need the Millennium Star itself," he told her. "And to get to it, I need a weaker opponent; one who can't fight or defend herself."

"Is that another reason you waited for my baby to be born?" the queen asked.

Bakura nods. "I would have attacked and killed you while you were still with child, but then my anger and hatred towards you and your family would not subside. I would have felt like I hadn't really accomplished anything."

"Wait a minute," Mystery was saying, "why do you need the Millennium Star when you already have the Cobalt Star?"

Again, Bakura grins and looks the other way. "Well, you see, that's part two of my story. True, I have the Cobalt Star, but rather than use its powers, I intend to use Millennia's powers against her to carry out his deed just as Cobalt's powers were used against him to carry out hers. Consider it a way to even the odds."

That made sense to Mystery. After what happened eighteen years ago, there was a disturbance in the balance between light and darkness and the border between the human world and the Shadow Realm opened. It would explain why Bakura and Max had sought the powers of the Great Goddess. But she still wouldn't let them seize the Millennium Star. Queen Mystery knew that once they were finished with it, they would destroy it, thus killing the princess. In the end, that would be Bakura's intention all along. But she had to admit, Bakura's scheme was wicked, but at the same time, brilliant.

Bakura couldn't use the Cobalt Star even if he wanted to and he was just about to explain that. "But I knew my task wouldn't be an easy one to carry out. After all, I had you and your family to contend with and I needed help."

The queen's eyes widen. "So you found Luna," she said, as if knowing where he was going.

Impressed with the queen's guess, he explains, "I found out I needed the help of someone who had the power to help me dominate the world; one born in the shadow of Cobalt and raised in the light of Millennia. After hearing Luna's tragic and pitiful story about her life in the palace, I knew she was the one. She was brought up to be a follower of Millennia and therefore knew all the strengths and weaknesses of the Great Goddess."

"Just as I feared," said Mystery, "You took advantage of my poor friend; used her to further your own ideals."

"You're wrong, Mystery," Bakura told her, "She chose to help me fulfill Cobalt's wishes and take down you and your family. All I did was help her get stronger so we could both get our revenge for all the pain we were caused. You see, Luna was weak and needed help so I gave her a little bit of my strength and unlocked her true self."

The queen wasn't convinced. "A man like you would never help someone in need. I stand by what I said about you using and betraying Luna. You have brought upon her great pain and agony. I know. I saw it in your heart." She walks closer to Bakura and tells him, "Bakura, your Cobalt Star allows you to look inside people's minds and see their ideals. My Millennium Star allows me to look inside their hearts and see their truths." Getting a closer look at her rival, Mystery saw a boy surrounded by darkness and filled with evil; gaining pleasure in hurting others, but still somewhat dissatisfied. The queen knew that even Bakura would know that killing and fulfilling revenge never brings peace, but peace was never something the heir of Cobalt hoped to achieve. But she could also see that Bakura wanted to make his own destiny and live his life however he wished without it being under the influence of Cobalt. Bakura was loyal to the Dark Lord, but he still wanted to be his own person. Seeing that, Mystery finds that she was the same way. She was loyal to Millennia and would do anything to fulfill her wishes, but she still wanted to be her own person.

Seeing that in the queen, Bakura speaks up and tells her, "You also had ambitions of your own and had other things you wanted to do in your life." He chuckles briefly for a moment. Bakura remembered that day at the river when he heard Mystery confess to Luna that she wanted to be like everyone else. "You could have chosen not to claim the powers of the Millennium Star and still be loyal to Millennia. You could have even lived like an ordinary person."

"Perhaps," said Mystery, "but I realized something long ago. All people are different in shape, race, and personality. I found out that it is all right to be different and stand out because that makes us all unique. I liked being different because that was what made me who I was. I never thought I was more special than anyone else, but just like everyone else." She tries to smile, but instead softens her voice. "Despite our differences, Bakura, you and I may actually be more alike than we may think. I find that in so many ways, I'm just like you and you are just like me. But even so, will you and I ever put our differences aside and end this fight once and for all? Together, we can find a solution that does not involve fighting."

Sensing forgiveness and mercy in her tone, Bakura finds Mystery to be pathetically predictable. This was exactly what he expected her to say. "You would like that, wouldn't you?" he grins. "Mystery, I agree that we are both different and yet alike in so many ways, but we have our own methods and cannot always agree."

"But, Bakura," Mystery was arguing, "there is light as well as darkness inside of you. If you wanted to, you could change your ways and become a good person. I know there is good inside of you because you once fell in love."

Bakura growls once again. "Well, that's just it, isn't it? I could if I wanted to, but I don't. This is who I am and I like it. True, nothing good can come from it, but peace and happiness was never something I wanted. As for falling in love, that wasn't even supposed to happen." But it wasn't that Bakura couldn't fall in love. Rather, he didn't want to. To him, love was weakness and a waste of time. That was why he explained to the queen that he was feeling tortured by his emotions and the only way to stop that torture was by doing what he did best. "I couldn't stand it any longer. I found that if I wanted it to end my suffering, I had to hurt the one person I cared about: Luna."

Mystery was shocked to hear that. He fell in love with Luna? And after hearing his explanation, she wondered, "So then-, do you mean-? Don't tell me, you killed Luna's parents?"

Bakura's grin returns. "Impressive, yet scary for a six-year-old, right?"

The queen's voice started to break. "But... but why?"

Bakura explains that it wasn't just about ending his torture, but to help his friend. As he mentioned before, she was weak and needed strength. "It really was for her own good, Mystery. I'm not saying that because I thought she didn't deserve to be with her parents and they were better off dead or because I thought they deserved it for their crime of abandoning a child. You see, there was something I didn't forsee, let alone think would ever happen."

"Your village's destruction," Mystery guessed.

"Think about it. If I didn't kill Luna's parents and let them live in the village together, they would have met the same fate as the rest of my fellow villagers." That was true. Bakura also revealed that no matter how much he loved Luna, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to rescue her. That would just bring about greater torture in his heart; whether or not he would regret saving her. "It's ironic, isn't it," Bakura asked. "I caused Luna so much pain, yet at the same time, I saved her life."

The queen's anger started to return. "Ironic?" she repeated, trying to hold back her tears. "That's sick."

Bakura's grin disappears. "Oh, I'm sick? What could you have possibly done for that poor girl?"

"I have done more for her than you ever could have," she argued. "Pain hurts, Bakura, it does not give strength. Sharing what you have and not taking what your friend has does more good than harm. That is where true strength comes from. True, Luna has made it clear to me that she wanted to be alone. I repsected her word, but I still promised her I would be there for her if she needed me. Still, I made a mistake. I admit I should not have waited for her to come to me. I should have gone to her when I knew she needed me. But I am here now and I can help her."

Bakura merely chuckles for a moment, then raises his head back in laughter. He finally pulls himself together. "Save her? You can't even save yourself!" he laughs again. "Don't even bother anyway. It's too late to save Luna."

"What do you mean?"

"Because the poor girl you once thought to be your friend doesn't exist anymore," he answered. He turns to his left and snaps his fingers. "Here, see for yourself."

Max comes out from behind a house and walks towards Bakura. She stops and turns to Mystery. To help the queen understand what Bakura means, Max closes her eyes, removes her cap and veil, and opens her eyes again.

Mystery's eyes widen. "No! How can this be!?" She didn't want to accept it, but it was clear that Max and Luna were one and the same. Still, she tried to see them as two separate people. Luna was Mystery's friend and would never betray her like this; not after the promise they made all those years ago. Max was a whole other person who was just as despicable as Bakura. How could Bakura do this to my friend? The queen wondered. How could he cause her so much suffering and still use her?

"Tell me, Mystery," Max was saying, "Would you still rather be killed by an enemy than kill a friend?"

How could she stand by that decision now that her friend and enemy were one and the same? Luna was her friend, but Max wasn't. But now, Luna was Max. Mystery still kept believing that the girl she knew and loved was still somewhere inside Bakura's ally. But what good would come from surrendering herself to the shadows? Mystery also knew she would never break through to her friend and save her if she allowed Bakura to kill her. "Luna, why?"

"Just as Bakura said, I'm no longer the girl you once knew. I was weak and needed help. Bakura may have used and betrayed me, but he still made me everything I am now. And although I heard everything that went on between you two, I still choose to serve the Dark Lord."

"You don't have to live like this," Mystery persuaded, the tears now flowing from her eyes. "Come back with me to the palace."

"I want to end this as much as you do, Mystery," said Max, "But going with you is not an option this time. I know you want to help me, and for that, I am glad. But I can't be helped. Not this way, at least."

Listening to what Max was saying, the queen had a bad feeling she knew where she was going with this. She was afraid this was going to turn out to be like the fight between Seto and Atem. But Mystery would never fight a friend when so much was on the line. Other than that, they never had fierce battles between each other before. But how else would Mystery hope to save her friend from the darkness that had been tormenting her? There would also be no hope in thinking of this as a trick to weaken Mystery's spirit and bring her down. The queen also knew that Bakura knew she would never hurt a friend, but this wasn't a trick to ensure victory over her. No, she saw that Max was serious.

Bakura continued to find Mystery's reaction amusing. "What will you do now, Mystery? You can't save your friend. All you can do is fight your rival."

"Why should Max fight me on your behalf?" the queen asked. "You are my adversary. You are the one I should be fighting."

"True, but Max isn't about to fight you on my behalf. She's doing it of her own will. She wants to face you."

Again, Mystery was confused. What could possibly come from pitting the two women against each other in battle? If Bakura was talking about a Shadow Game, Mystery would understand, but the queen had a bad feeling he meant something else. But still, what sort of grudge did Max have against the queen?

But Mystery didn't spent a lot of time thinking about that. She felt that her instinct was right. This was all a trap laid out for her to get her to fight. And since Bakura knew Mystery would never hurt a friend, let alone fight one, she would fall in defeat.

As if Max could read the queen's mind and sense her thoughts, she said, "It's nothing personal, Mystery. Let's just say I have my reasons."

"And I would fight you myself," said Bakura, "but I have other matters to attend to. I still seek the Millennium Star. It should be on its way here as we speak."

Mystery gasps hearing that. Was this the real reason why he drew her out here? The queen was the only one who actually still had Millennia's power and could use it. Her leaving the palace meant that her friends and family would be unprotected. The princess would be easy to get to. There would be no point in going back now because if the Millennium Star was being brought here, she had to stay to save it and her child.

And it was so. Max and Bakura's Magical Creatures didn't come to the palace to simply convey Bakura's message. They didn't leave either after being driven out of the courtyard. They waited until things settled down again before they could make their real move.

Atem, Seto, and Joseph couldn't stand it anymore. They believed in their queen, but for her to be gone this long meant that something was up. They knew that Bakura loved toying with his opponents and victims, and they agreed that Mystery needed help. They didn't want to endanger the princess by bringing her along, but they couldn't leave her unprotected.

The three friends approached the royal cradle, but were in shock to see that it was empty and the blankets were scattered. The answer was simple and their assumptions were right. "Bakura!" They all gasped in unison. This was a trap to get to the princess and the queen.

"He's taken her to Kul Elna," said Atem.

Joseph gasped once again. "But we can't - we can't go there!" He was aware of the village's stories and the dangers his friends faced there. And although Seto and Atem just left, they knew they had to go back.

"We can," debated Seto, "and we must!" There was no time to argue over the matter. Two lives were at stake and soon the fate of the world would also be. So they climbed on the backs of Salamence and Flygon and headed to the ruins of Kul Elna.