Greetings everyone and welcome to another episode of Legacy of the Star Princess! I always love reviews so keep them coming! I don't think I've done a three-part before, I hope nobody gets too bored…

Sidney was dropped into a cage as Sayer and Akiza entered the warehouse. The dragon disappeared into its card in a flash of pink rays. The warehouse was bare for the most part, with the exception of the cage, a big table and a few chairs, but the Arcadia Movement came here for secret meetings. The steel walls creaked as only a few shreds of light flooded in from the outside to illuminate the stripped metal walls. The cage was fairly spacious, but there was no way out, it was locked tight.

The frightened young woman looked at Akiza to see her mark still glowing. Akiza looked at her mark with disgust. Sidney cocked her head curiously. Akiza peered sideways at Sidney with contempt. Sayer shooed Akiza away.

"Go stand watch for a while. You'll have your chance for justice." She nodded and went outside, slamming the big rusting doors behind her. The man did not look any friendlier than Akiza. Sidney felt a pain on her side and pulled up her shirt a little to reveal a bruise on her waist the dragon left from holding her so tightly. There were also a couple minor abrasions within the same area as the bruise. Sayer pulled out a cloth from his coat and reached into the cage to wipe to blood and tears from Sidney's face.

"Don't think of it as capturing you, Sidney. We were trying to liberate you." He spoke smoothly like chocolate. This guy was obviously skilled with persuasion, she thought. Sidney's eyes wandered to the door where she could see Akiza standing silently through a crack.

"If this is your idea of liberation, I'm afraid to find out what your idea of enslavement is." Sidney scoffed. Sayer appreciated her wit, but found all so annoying.

"It's for your own good. At least it's me and not Goodwin who has you prisoner." Was she Goodwin's prisoner? Not yet, she thought. Maybe there could be another way, she thought. He rested his hand on her head, she grabbed onto it and tried to yank it off, he was much stronger than she was. She didn't stand a chance.

"I figured a spoiled, sheltered American-born girl like yourself wouldn't see the wool being pulled over your eyes." He taunted her.

"Spoiled? Sheltered? Such…stereotypes." She couldn't think of a quick and witty comeback that time. Sayer started massaging her head, which she found extremely unpleasant.

"Tell me, Sidney…have you ever felt that society rejected you because you were different?" The obvious answer was yes, but she wasn't going to answer him.

"So, how do you know my name, who are you? Who is that woman?"

"You can call me Sayer. My friend out there is Akiza. We've learned quite a bit about you since Goodwin got his hands on you. Let's just say we have friends in high places. Now, are you going to answer me?" His hand moved down caress her neck where one of the marks was still glowing and cupped her cheek. She remained silent.

"I'll take your silence as a yes, then. So, it seems we share that much in common." He smiled at her, she grimaced.

"It's a shame. Here you have so much potential. Why don't you join us? We can make you happy." He pulled her in closer to him with his other hand. There were now just an inch or two apart. She found it difficult to face him, but it was the same with a lot of people. Then, she remembered something very important, something that she had been reminded of ever since she was old enough to understand what it meant.

"My dad always told that nobody can MAKE anyone happy. Happiness is something you find in yourself. That's what kept him going…" Her mind wandered to her dad. Sayer pulled her attention back by resting his head on the bars, the only thing that was now separating them. Thank god for the bars, she thought.

"Do you want to know about Akiza? You see she is a signer." Sidney nodded. So he told about how her mark had caused her nothing but pain and misery. She had the ability to manifest card effects as real monsters, spells, and traps. She had caused serious damage to her family at a young age and was sent away. She had attended Duel Academy, and had done tremendous damage to school property and her fellow students. Everyone has called her a witch and a freak. Sayer found her and made her apart of his 'family', the Arcadia Movement. And, it was the people's jeering that caused her to lash out, to enjoy other people's pain. She often hid her face behind a mask because it was a shield against the tormenting onlookers. She had been dubbed the Black Rose for her terrifying monster, the Black Rose Dragon. With them, she was learning to control her power and use it to her advantage.

Sidney found the last part hard to believe. But, she said nothing. Then, something came to her mind that didn't occur to her before.

"Akiza doesn't have any friends. I had Laura…but when she graduated I was alone and then my father died…it was only until recently I found her again. She doesn't have anyone…"

"She has us." Sayer corrected her.

"Does she? Or are you just using her for your own means?" She didn't know he would react so strongly, and felt shocked when Sayer smacked her.

"Don't you dare say that!"

Her marks still glimmered. He observed them curiously. Sidney growled at him.

"I won't allow the Crimson Dragon to destroy the world." He said.

"I was told the Crimson Dragon would…"

He grabbed her by the neck. "Don't believe anything they tell you…"

"I can bet you that my friends are coming here to rescue me right now."

Sayer perked up. "Oh really?"

He then proposed a wager. "If your friends arrive within the next hour I will let you out of the cage, no questions asked. If they don't, I get to keep you."

"You're on." She couldn't help but laugh. He didn't get what was so funny, but decided it wasn't worth it to ask. He released his grip on her to go sit in a nearby chair and drink a cup of coffee, awaiting the bet to be decided.

…

The crowd of people had dispersed to only a few willing participants who were being questioned by the police. Laura made her way back to her car to claim it, when Shinju came riding up in an old black Harley-Davidson motorcycle (with gray lightening stickers) he had modified into a custom Duel Runner. Shinju was also wearing an old style leather jacket and a simple black helmet, along with biker gloves. He jumped off to attend to his distressed girlfriend.

"I came riding after Yusei not to long after he left. Are you ok?" He held her hand. Laura was ready to spit fire, but eased herself.

"If you mean physically, then yeah, I'm ok. But I'm so worried that Sidney is somewhere dark and scary and being tortured by a group of psychos… You know the Arcadia Movement CAN be a scary bunch. Even more so than the modern mobsters…" Laura felt herself tearing a bit when Shinju leaned against the car and held her in his arms.

"It's ok. If you want, we can try to join them and lend some help. After all, Sidney's your best friend. What do you say?"

"I like the idea, but what about if they have that girl and the dragon with them?"

"We could always Duel them you know…I've always wanted to Tag Team with you." He grinned. Laura wiped the Tears from her eyes.

"It may be dangerous. But, if it means we can bring her home safely…then I'm in." She got in her car and swung on her seatbelt while Shinju climb back onto his cycle.

Laura peered over to see Goodwin and Lazar get back in their Limo and drive away toward the Science Building. Obviously, they had another agenda. As long as they stayed out of their way, she'd let them go, for now, she thought.

"Heck, I've seen your Rebellion deck do wonders, with my Machine deck and the help of Yusei and Jack, I think we've covered all our bases."

So, with the scream of the engine, Shinju and Laura rode side by side around the street and down the road, ready to face the enemy ahead.

…

Yusei was racing down the road until he caught up with Jack at a stoplight. Jack leered at Yusei. The two of them didn't have time to waist.

"Say Yusei, you seem really hot and bothered to go rescue Sidney! Well…you can forget about it. I saw her first. So lay off."

"Are you really that self-centered, Jack? She could be hurt!"

"Perhaps…or we can make a little fast bet. If I win, I tell Goodwin about my suspicions…that you've found a way to meet Sidney in secret. Don't tell me it isn't true…I know how excited Sidney was to get out of the house this morning, and I suspect it wasn't just going to see her friend; what is so exciting about some auto repair shop to a girl, anyway…I'm not stupid. I'll make sure you never see her again. But, if you win, I will keep my mouth shut."

"Jack!"

"The first one to get to the warehouses wins." Yusei sighed. He didn't want to get involved in a stupid bet, especially since Sidney could be being tortured right that very minute. He didn't respond, but only sped ahead when the light turned green. Jack snickered as he roared up behind and passed him.

Yusei and Jack were neck and neck for fifteen minutes before Yusei finally passed him and turned around the corner.

"Don't think you've won just yet, Yusei!" Jack kicked up his engine and rocketed in front of him. It went back and forth like this for almost an hour before they finally reached the docks. They were neck and neck again, until Yusei saw Akiza guarding a warehouse at the far end. Yusei finally surpassed Jack as he came to a full stop in front of the warehouse. Jack braked just seconds after him. He breathed heavily.

"You beat me…Again!" Yusei didn't answer him, but turned his attention to Akiza, who was staring straight at them.

"So, you've decided to join the party." She drew a card from her deck and played it on her disk. A giant pink rose emerged, with big, whip-like tentacles, and the face of an octopus.

"Akiza! You have to listen to me. You and Sayer need to let the girl go." He try to persuade, but she returned by having her monster slap him with one of its tentacles. He hit the ground hard. Jack was then smacked on the back and fell on his stomach.

"Sorry, Yusei. I can't do that." Akiza's mark shimmered quietly as Jack and Yusei's marks also brightened up and began to glow. Jack winced from the pain. It wasn't much different for Akiza or Yusei.

"She's an innocent… for now. That's why you should have let her go." He pleaded with her. Akiza smirked.

"That's why we took her. If she knew anymore…if she was able to control her powers and use them against us, Sayer and I would have to kill her. At least we can spare her life this way."

"It doesn't have to be this way…" He grumbled. Jack tried to get up before he was smacked by the monster again.

"I can take you down in a duel, easy…"

"Shut up, Jack." Yusei snarled. Akiza nodded and motioned to her monster. The creature wrapped a tentacle around Jack and Yusei and they were completely bound from shoulder to foot. It raised the two tentacles until they were high in the air, watching helplessly.

Jack twisted and turned trying to free himself, but wound up with several tears in his clothes instead. Yusei stayed perfectly still, knowing it wouldn't do him any good.

Akiza commanded her monster to take them inside as she opened the creeking doors. Sayer sat calmly in his chair while Sidney firmly grasped the bars of her cage, and looked up at Jack and Yusei, speechless from fear.

"Well, I guess Sidney was right about one thing. She did have someone to come rescue her after all." Sayer took a sip of his coffee. Akiza followed her monster and took an empty seat across from Sayer.

"Let her go, Sayer. She's not a threat to you." Yusei demanded. Jack was still struggling. Sayer allowed himself to laugh at the ridiculous scene. Yusei got a glimpse of the bruise on Sidney's waist the he could see just barely from where he was in the air. Jack finally looked down and was infuriated when he also saw the mark.

"What did you do to her!" Yusei yelled.

"I haven't DONE anything, the dragon simply held her to firmly on our way back. A small amount of damage is a small price to pay."

"I'll make sure you pay ten fold for that when I get out of here!"

Sayer's expression was smug. "Such a threat for you is empty. You don't have any power like myself or Akiza. You're worthless. However, Akiza could easily tear you to ribbons with her monster…"

Rose tentacles squeezed tighter on Jack and Yusei. Yusei also started getting tears in his clothes, and he even got scratches with blood trickling down like raindrops off a window.

"Stop! Leave them alone…"

Sayer ignored Sidney's plea. Akiza looked back at her understandingly, but couldn't help but smile a little and the two grinding their teeth and wincing from the pain.

She remembered again that Yusei was kind to her during her duel with him.

"She's right. We don't need to cause any injuries. It's not like they can escape."

Sayer sighed. Akiza motioned to her monster who loosened its grip on the two duelists. Sidney sighed thankfully, but after looking back at Akiza, an idea popped into her head. She recounted what Sayer told her about Akiza just before Yusei and Jack showed up. She felt terrible for Akiza, and maybe she could use what empathy she could muster to her advantage.

"Akiza, do you think causing other people pain will make them understand the hurt they have caused you?"

Akiza perked up, a little puzzled. "What did you say?"

"Sayer told me about what you've been through, and how you like seeing other people suffer…I may not be Miss Intuition or the world's greatest people expert… But I think I get it…" Sidney explained thoughtfully.

"You don't know me." Akiza argued. Sayer put his hand over Akiza's.

"You're right, I don't …By all means, correct me if I am wrong! But, I don't think you're a freak…I think it would be cool to be able to use cards like they were real…I mean, sure you use a lot of destructive cards that cause a lot of damage, but what if you tried using a healing spell? Or maybe you could play a bunch Mooyan Curries and end world hunger…I'm not saying you should do that. I like that you want to control your powers…but do you think that working for guys like Sayer is going to help you? Will unleashing all that hate and anger and bitterness as a force that brings suffering really help you to find happiness?

…You do want to be happy, right?" Sidney took a deep breath and rested her head on the bars. Sayer glared at Sidney. Akiza thought for a moment, and got a sort of strange feeling inside of her. The girl…she talked a little like the woman she dreamt about not to long ago, the one with the Crimson Dragon floating above her head. But she was obviously less mature, more naïve. It couldn't be the same person, could it?

Yusei could see what Sidney was doing and tried to conceal the faint smile on his face. Jack was just confused, staring at Sidney, almost as if he was in a trance.

What the hell is she trying to do? Get herself killed?

…

You may think you know what is coming, but it isn't over yet! See the end of Darkest Thorns in Episode eleven. Be there or be square, and remember to #R&R#!

I love reviews. Anyways, I want to thank my loyal fans for reading up to this point. The next major plot point isn't for two episode after the next, so if anyone has any suggestions for a filler episode or two, you're welcome to make your statement. Ummm…I noticed I have added a pinch of vulgarity every now and then ever since Laura showed up. Should I change the rating? I'm just wondering…

Anyways…Have a nice day.