The Dark One Cometh

The royals weren't the only ones off to Kul Elna. Against her master's orders, Shinku left the palace to justify her assumptions. The bird she saw in the sky was Mei-Mei and Suiguintoh was commanding the dogs. Shinku pursued her eldest sister to the outskirts and asked her what was going on. Suiguintoh revealed to her younger sister that she was working for the heir of Cobalt and helping him to attack the royals.

Shinku wasn't surprised that Suiguintoh would choose the path of darkness. She always had a dark vibe and was a rebel. But she felt sorry for her sister because she was driven by anger and jealousy. Growing up, Suiguintoh craved her father's affection and approval. Though she was the eldest, she was never really recognized. Not until her father's death did he finally see everything in her. He knew she had talent and potential despite her weaknesses and being born frail. That was why he asked her on his deathbed to love and protect her sisters.

But working for Bakura and swearing fealty to the Dark Lord meant going back on her promise. But she felt no sense of remorse about it. Her father was gone and her word was meaningless. She had nothing against the royals, but a lot against her sisters for being mostly noticed by their father; especially Shinku. She was the favorite daughter and he had spent more time with her than he did with the others.

This encounter and fight was something Suiguintoh had been looking forward to. True, the two sisters were close and always helped each other. Suiguintoh was constantly challenging Shinku so they could make their father proud and Shinku helped Suiguintoh in the same way to help make her strong and healthy. Born frail, Suiguintoh had weak legs and a weak stomach. She had to be careful with her appetite and she didn't learn to walk until her second year when the twins were born. Their mother hadn't given up on her oldest girl and would do everything to help her. But when she died, it was like Suiguingtoh had lost the only parent she knew and actually had. But Shinku was like their mother in so many ways. She even had her eyes. Suiguintoh often wondered if this was why their father had loved her so much.

But this all fueled her jealousy. Shinku was even too proud of herself and often took the credit, leaving her eldest sister in her shadow. Though she helped her sister with all she was learning, she still acted like she was superior and Suiguintoh was a weakling; a failure as a child. But now Suiguintoh was stronger and she could prove it.

The sisters had their Magical Creatures fight on their behalf. Being a flying-type, Mei-Mei had the advantage against Hollier. As the battle raged, the sisters kept spouting jeers and foul comments at each other. Shinku knew there would be no point in trying to reason with Suiguintoh and Suiguintoh wouldn't let anyone stand in the way of her master's destiny. Shinku even found out about the fate that befell the twins and hoped that the same fate wouldn't befall her.

Soon the fight started to get physical with the girls. They had no special powers, but were good fighters. Getting caught in the battle with their monsters, they ended up taking some serious blows. Hollier's leafs and flower petals cut and scraped Suiguintoh and Mei-Mei's Steel Wing attack ended up breaking Shinku's arm. No longer in any condition to fight, Shinku withdrew from the fight. Suiguintoh decided to let her go. Soon all of her sisters would be in the Shadow Realm.

Finally making it to the outskirts, Atem, Seto, and Jospeh get off of Salamence and Flygon and walk the rest of the way. They remembered that Bakura said he wanted the queen to come alone. If the three friends went to the village detected, Bakura would know. But this would actually work out in Bakura's favor. He was going to get everyone and everything he wanted all in one place. It would come to no surprise that Mystery's husband and friends would come to her rescue.

They reached the village streets and kept hidden as they passed through the houses. Without the Millennium Items, neither Bakura nor Max could sense their presence. Joseph wanted to find and retrieve the Millennium Items, but there were bigger problems at hand. Watching from behind a house, they listen to Bakura and Mystery's conversation.

"I am not in the mood for any more games, Bakura. Tell me why you want the Millennium Star."

Bakura knew why the queen would want to know. He wanted her and her friends to think that he wanted to corrupt the Millennium Star's powers to carry out the Dark Lord's will, but now he would explain his true reason. "Well, I would use the Cobalt Star myself, but I can't. Though I am the Dark Lord's true heir, I cannot use his powers because the Cobalt Star does not rest inside my heart." Then he turns his attention to Max. "It resides in her heart."

Mystery growls and releases the tears in her eyes. "I do not believe you."

"Well, you should," said Max. She places her hand closes to her chest and releases the Cobalt Star. "This is how I became all that I am. This is how I became strong when I was weak."

Even the rest of the royals were shocked and couldn't believe what they were seeing. "Hold on, so Max wields the powers of the Cobalt Star?"

Irritated with Joseph's not paying attention, Seto just wanted to hit him in the head. But as annoyed as he was, there was no time to be. "Then all this time, Bakura wasn't tapping into the Dark Lord's power. All those displays he set up for us were illusions produced by Zoroark."

"Now everything makes sense," whispered Atem.

Outraged, Joseph raises his voice and cries, "I can't believe they had us fooled!"

Hearing their voices, Bakura tells Atem and the others to come out so they can hear the rest of the story. When they step out of the shadows and approach Mystery, Max decides to explain. "But while I hold the powers of the Cobalt Star, not even I can use it to finish the deed. I tried, but Cobalt refuses to give us his strength to summon the Dark One." She smiles and says, "But that doesn't mean I can't use his powers to fight."

"I will not fight you, Max," Mystery said again. "I will not let you use the Millennium Star either."

But Seto remembered what Cobalt said when he spoke directly to him and Joseph. Bakura had to use the Millennium Star and the Great Goddess herself would let him. But not even he would let that happen. Seto knew he had to protect the princess and the Millennium Star.

"Don't tell me you still think you can reason with me without hurting me," Max said coyly. "I told you, your friend Luna is gone and can't be saved."

But Mystery kept telling herself that Max was wrong and her friend could be saved. But she didn't take time to think of a solution. Without thinking, she seized the Cobalt Star before Max could secure it back inside her heart.

Sensing fire in her glare, Bakura finally stops grinning. "What are you doing?" Mystery doesn't answer. She keeps a tight grip on the Star and raises her hand. Bakura realized what she was about to do. "Stop! No!" he cried. But he was too late. Mystery shattered the Cobalt Star against the ground. Its five outer pieces scattered, leaving the light blue center in her hand. She shattered it again, dividing it into five pieces.

Both of the thieves get down and place their hands against their chests. Although the Cobalt Star never resided in Bakura's heart, he still had a connection to the Dark Lord because he was his true heir. As for Max, due to her bond with Cobalt, her heart felt like it was being crushed. "What were you thinking," Max asked, taking a Cobalt Star shard. "You could have killed me!"

Mystery didn't know what she was thinking. She knew destroying the Cobalt Star would kill its host, but she had hoped it would also free her friend from its dark influences. But that hope would never be so. Max was still around and Luna wouldn't be coming back any time soon. But this was also a terrible mistake. Now Bakura was reduced to using the Millennium Star.

As if on cue, Darkrai and Zoroark and the dogs arrived and came to their masters. Zoroark approached Bakura and presented him with a basket bearing the infant princess. "Good work, my pets," Bakura groaned. He ignores his pain and takes the child.

Mystery runs up to him to stop him, but Max uses her dark magic to stop her. "Not so fast, Mystery. If you want to save her, you're going to have to go through me."

The queen didn't want to fight, but she had to save her child. She also knew there would be no way of doing so without guaranteeing everyone else's safety.

"Take her, Queen Mystery," cheered Joseph. "We'll deal with Bakura and rescue the princess."

The queen saw that she had no choice. If she wanted to save her friends and her family, then she had to face off against her rival. She also knew that there had to be a way to save Max without hurting her. But if defeating Max meant condemning her to the Shadow Realm, then Mystery hoped that she would be able to rescue her and Luna would be back to normal. Ready to fight, they both unfold their wings, get higher above the village and into the sky.

Atem, Seto, and Joseph race to rescue their princess, but see Diabound surrounding Bakura to protect him. They would summon their own Shadow Creatures, but couldn't risk attacking without hurting the princess.

"The time has come," said Bakura. "The full moon is high and the process can begin. Once the princess opens her heart and releases the Millennium Star, I will harness its power and use it to bring forth the Dark One!"

Atem tightened his eyes and growled. "You're mad."

"Not mad," said Bakura. "Just a little angry and perhaps a bit impatient to finally get on with the show." With the help of Diabound, Bakura is taken to the tallest building in the village and placed on its roof. Gently, he sets the princess down on a pedastel and begins praying, wishing for the Millennium Star.

The royals couldn't stand by any longer. With Mystery fighting Max and the princess being forced to grant Bakura's wish, they had to stop this. They called for the help of their friends and summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dark Magician, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Their bodies had not fully recovered from today's battles, but this was a small price to pay to enlist the help of their friends.

By the time they meet Bakura on the roof, they see the Millennium Star in Bakura's hands. "Bakura, you must stop this," Atem cried, fearful of his daughter's life.

Bakura gives him his attention and refuses. "I won't," he said. "Not when I still need the Millennium Star."

Atem cried out again. "Stop it! Can't you see what you're doing to Emily isn't safe?"

"Stop it or the princess will die!" hollered Joseph.

But there was no point in telling Bakura that considering that he would kill her anyway once he was finished. But it was true. This process was harmful and dangerous to the infant princess. She couldn't feel anything because she was asleep thanks to Darkrai's sleep inducing powers. His Dark Void would give his victims nightmares, but being an infant, the princess didn't know fear. Because of that matter, she was asleep like she was unconscious. But still, using her to carry out his will and putting so much magic on her would slowly kill her.

Even the Shadow Creatures were helpless. How would they be able to rescue their princess without bringing any more harm upon her? They also had Diabound to contend with. One hasty and careless move would surely kill the child. But they also had to retrieve the Millennium Star from Bakura. He could touch it and control it, but once he would be finished with it, he would crush it the same way the queen crushed the Cobalt Star.

But Bakura wanted to do things the other way. He heard a voice in his head saying, "Bakura, the Dark One is about to awaken now that you have offered Millennia's power to him. You've had your way, now do the rest my way so that we will both get what we want. Kill the princess and destroy Millennia."

"Spare me the commands," Bakura growled, taking a dagger from his sleeve. "I plan on it." Bakura had a feeling he would enjoy this. The royals took everything dear to him and now he was going to return the favor by taking their most precious possession. "You see, Pharaoh, it was because of your family that I lost mine. Now I'm going to make you lose yours. Max can do what she wants with Mystery, but your daughter is mine. Ah, revenge is so sweet."

Joseph had enough. He jumped off of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and lept on Bakura. "Get the baby!" he told his friends. The Dragons grabbed Diabound and kept him still while the Dark Magician came to the princess' rescue. He recovered the child and gave her to her father. But getting back the Millennium Star was another thing. Being a pure force, it had the power to purify any monster that touched it. And even though Atem and his friends were Millennia's sons as well as her followers, they didn't want to take the same risk.

Thankfully, the Millennium Star was alive in its own way because the Great Goddess herself lived within it. The Star found its way back to its rightful guardian and sank back inside her heart before it closed up.

Atem was still worried as any parent would be to a child. He held his daughter close to his chest whispering his apologies and assurings. "I'm here, Emily," he whispered. "I'm here. It's over."

Finally, the princess started waking up. After getting a clear vision of her father, she smiled and squealed at him.

"She's all right," Atem said, sounding relieved.

Seto sighed in relief. "I guess she didn't feel anything after all." Then they felt the ground below their feet shaking. "It's Zorc. He's almost here. We must leave now."

Joseph finally gets off of Bakura and back on the Black Dragon. "What about Queen Mystery?" he asks, focusing his attention on the fight in the sky. "We can't just leave her. She needs our help."

Bakura gets up as well and jeers, "Not a chance. Your queen is as good as dead. I know because I've seen Max kill a woman just by pulling her hair. She didn't even need to use a spell." Besides, Mystery's spirit is broken after learning the truth. She won't fight because she still thinks she can reason with Luna and save her friend. But that will lead her to her downfall.

But Atem and the others believed in their queen and knew she would win this and save not only herself, but her friend. There was nothing they could do, however, but pray for her victory. Seto was right. They had to leave the ruins of Kul Elna and alert everyone else at the palace as well as save their kingdom. They didn't know how long Mystery would be able to hold on, but hopefully long enough until they would come back for her.