Chapter 1 – Nowhere Near

A/N: Hi everyone and welcome to this fic. It is a SM/YGO crossover I already posted as Come away with Me a while ago. However I decided to read through it again and repost it after doing so.

For those of you who already read Come away with Me: I am happy you found your way back. The thing with this story is that by now I already have like four different versions of this story and just couldn't decide which is best. I'm sorry for leaving you with the last version of this and hope that I'll be able to keep up with the story this time.

For those of you who didn't: Welcome to this crossover. Thank you for deciding to read my fic.

I hope you will all enjoy it.

The main focus of this story will be on Hotaru and sometimes Rini. Now maybe you should just read the first chapter and tell me what you think of it.

Have fun with reading!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Yu-Gi-Oh! And never will so I won't repeat this disclaimer every single chapter.

~ Castle of Amagera, Lunaria, 2 years before the fall of the Silver Millennium ~

"Come on, Syria. No one will ever find out, and you seriously need some fun, after that… argument with your parents yesterday!" Princess Serenity of Lunaria pleaded with her best friend, Princess Syria of Saturn.

"No. I have no intentions in visiting that inferior planet just because you say it is not inferior at all, Sere." Syria declined. Serenity pouted, and started using puppy eyes on Syria. The Saturnian Princess tried to ignore her, but failed miserably. How could she let Serenity get into trouble alone? She sighed.

"Fine. I'll come. But if anyone catches us, it's all your fault!" she said, and allowed herself to be dragged away in the direction of the Teleporter Chambers by Serenity. Before they teleported to Earth Serenity turned to Syria.

"We'd better not get caught with the planetary symbols on our foreheads." Syria touched the Saturnian Symbol with her fingertips.

"So what?" She questioned her friend.

"So we have to hide it. Just um... you have to relax first of all. Feel safe as if you wouldn't need your powers." Serenity's explanation was rather vague. Syria however didn't find the situation relaxing at all. However she wordlessly leaned her back against the wall and closed her eyes. Serenity was not the most talented one when it came to controlling her powers so she should be able to do it, too. Her mind drifting to a safe place, like the Lunarian Kingdom's gardens.

"Great job!" Syria's eyes fluttered open in surprise.

"Is it gone?" She questioned and received a nod as an answer. She smiled slightly proud at her success. The moon kingdom's princess grabbed her hand and pulled her towards one of the teleporters.

"Come on, we have to hurry," she said excitedly.

~ Terra Castle, Earth ~

They arrived in a small corridor of a castle that Syria assumed to be equal in size to that of Amagera. And, from the look of the corridors, it was also a similar maze. Serenity turned around, already halfway down the corridor.

"Syria! Come on and hurry up! I want you to meet Endymion!" she called, before continuing down the hall. Syria followed her friend, slightly astonished to see that the Terran architecture was not that different from the Lunarian or even the Saturnian. The similarities were obvious.

Serenity was leading them single-minded through the many different corridors, and Syria soon gave up remembering just which way they had come. When they came into the more crowded part of the castle Serenity walked up to one of the guards on duty. There were surprisingly few.

"Hello Michael, can you tell me where Endy is? I want him to meet my friend!" she said. The guard smiled slightly. He had long brown hair, slightly wavy. The way Serenity talked to him signalized, that they knew each other well.

"No problem, Lady Serenity. He's down in the arena room, with Yami. They are having one of their drag out duels again I think." He said. "But, if I may ask, my Lady, who is your lovely companion?" Syria blushed slightly at the hidden compliment though she knew it was probably his duty to question her who she was taking to meet the prince.

"This is Syria, my best friend. Syria, this is Michael, the one who saved me from some muggers when I first arrived in the city." Serenity introduced, putting some emphasis on the 'city' part. It seemed that no one at the castle knew about Serenity's heritage. At least that was a good thing Syria thought. Nobody was supposed to know who they were. They had to keep it that way.

Sere lead them down another set of halls and corridors and the smaller girl had problems keeping up with her. After a while, Syria heard loud noises coming from straight ahead. For a moment she was worried, but seeing that Serenity didn't seem to take any heed, she decided to ignore them as well. But when they stopped in front of a door, and an explosion could be heard clearly from inside, she wondered if it really was safe to go in there. Serenity pushed one of the large double doors open enough for them to fit through, and motioned for Syria to enter. Once inside, Syria gasped. They stood in the top row of a giant arena, and down in the dueling area, two young men were fighting what seemed to be a heated battle, each sending monsters to try and destroy their opponents.

"Shadow Games." She heard Serenity say from right beside her.

"I know what it is, Sere!" Syria snapped. "I just have never seen them before. Charon told me that it's extremely difficult to… play!" Serenity laughed. She was one of the very few people with whom Syria acted like that. When strangers were around she was so different one wouldn't recognize her. But the thought of Charon made her grimace.

"He did? Well, I disagree. I think it's rather easy, and I should know. Endymion teaches me." She said, causing Syria to stare at her. She even was a bit jealous but she covered it good. At least that was what she thought.

"You mean that you can do that, too?" she asked, pointing down to where the two young men where still battling it out. Serenity nodded.

"Yes, though I'm nowhere near as good as the two of them, of course." she replied. But Syria wasn't really listening anyway, being far more interested in the duel going on below. One of the two young men, with bright fuchsia colored hair that stuck up in all directions, had just summoned a monster that Syria remembered hearing Charon talking about quite often. Some 'Magician of Dark Illusions' or something, that was so far only controlled by one person.

"Do you like Yami's monster? He has more than one pretty rare one." Serenity said, taking Syria's hand and pulling Syria towards the front row. As they sat down, the other young man, whom Syria now knew to be Endymion, acknowledged them, giving Serenity a short wink, before returning his attention to the duel. Which was over a few moments later, as Yami's Magician made short work of Endymion's last monster. Syria watched as Yami allowed his 'Magician of Dark Illusions' to disappear again, and the two duelists left the arena. Looking over to Serenity she saw that her best friend was pouting.

"No fair, that's the... I don't know how many duels Endy has lost to Yami, and Yami still doesn't show any effort." the blonde princess whined, and Syria giggled.

"So your great Endymion does have a weakness!" she established, laughing at her friend's indignant face.

"That might just be true, my Lady," a voice came from behind them, causing them both to jump. As Syria turned around and found the two young men standing behind them she felt pretty embarrassed but tried to cover it not sure how well she did.

"Endy!" Serenity all but jumped over the bench and into her lovers arms.

"Glad to see that you've missed me." Endymion said, and kissed her deeply.

"Get a room, you two. There are people watching, you know." Yami said. Syria nodded in agreement, laughing slightly as Serenity blushed. Endymion looked a bit embarrassed, but covered it up much better than Serenity did.

"Well, don't you want to introduce us, Endymion? I can't very well call this pretty Lady 'Lady' all the time." Yami said, and now it was Syria's turn to blush. For a short moment, a wicked gleam could be seen in Serenity's eyes, but it was gone a second later.

"I would, if I knew her…" the Terran prince answered and turned his attention to Serenity.

"Well, Syria, this is Endymion." She pointed at her boyfriend even though it was pretty obvious. Then to the other young man. "This is Yami. You already noticed you have to be careful. He has a talent in making others feel embarrassed, especially the girls." Sere grinned. "Hello Yami. This is my friend Syria." Serenity added. "You know, she was pretty impressed by your duel!"

"Really? It wasn't even one of the more spectacular ones." Yami said. "Do you play, yourself?" he asked Syria who shook her head immediately.

"No, I don't. I was told it's very hard to learn." she replied. Yami laughed.

"Well, who ever told you that is either not very good at it, or he doesn't want you to learn. For some people it is, for the normal ones but certainly not for someone like you." He explained and raised his index finger to tip against Syria's forehead. Syria backed away a little raised her hand to stop him. In the second of surprise and embarrassment she felt her symbol flash for a second and reflexively covered her forehead with the back of her hand but removed it immediately knowing it was already too late. She then shot Serenity a 'you told them' look. But the princess simply shook her head and shrugged. Syria wouldn't have wondered about that so much if she hadn't concentrated on hiding her aura the whole time. She gave Yami a puzzled look but he shrugged, too.

"How did you…?"

"Easy!" he said with a confident smile. "Disturb someone's concentration and you get almost everything out of them. You were distracted when I got you in embarrassment earlier." Syria bit her bottom lip just to find he was right. "If you want me to, I could teach you the Shadow Games." Yami offered.

Syria seemed hesitant. Little was she angry at herself for being so unprepared.

"Oh come on, don't be so shy. You told me once that if anyone would teach you, you would want to learn." Serenity said.

"That's not true." Syria said calm with a triumphing smile.

"Okay, you didn't say it but that's what you had on mind when you stood up there with me, wasn't it?" Serenity asked and pointed up to the main entrance through which they'd come in only minutes earlier.

"Are you training yourself in mind reading now?" Syria asked with a sigh and was almost proud of herself due to the amount of words she had gotten out in front of two completely strangers.

"Come over here a sec." Sere said and Syria followed her best friend over to one of the benches and sat down next to her already having a bad feeling.

"What's up, Sere? You know I won't come back here again..." the Moonprincess interrupted her.

"Shut up!" she said in a more or rather less friendly voice. "Don't you want to learn the Shadow Games?"

"I..."

"Don't you like Yami?"

"No, I don't even know him and he obviously is rather cunning when it comes to…"

"Okay," Serenity stood up and took Syria's wrist to drag her back to the two waiting boys but Syria pulled her hand away.

"Sere! I don't even know him!" She said a little bit too loud what she noticed a moment later. It was loud enough for Yami and Endymion to hear. Suddenly Serenity's face was as calm and serious as seldom. She took Syria's hand again and they went back to the other two. "Listen Syria, not every man is like Charon." Syria suddenly seemed to find the patterns on the floor very interesting.

"That's got nothing to do with him." She mumbled quietly. "Don't talk about my private life in front of people I don't know."

Yami more or less interrupted them. "Is it because of me?" He sounded a little offended.

Syria shook her hear. "No, nothing personal..." she said feeling a little guilty for her rude behavior. The Saturnian princess gave the two an excusing look. She usually wouldn't act that way. She couldn't tell them she was little afraid of people especially men she didn't know.

"The thing is she met a man she doesn't..." Sere started but was cut off by Syria.

"Well, I don't get along with him very well but that has nothing to do with you, I apologize for my earlier behavior!" Syria talked in an unnecessary formal way. However she then added quiet straight forward. "Why not give it a try."

Even Serenity seemed to be surprised by that sudden change of mind but smiled. Syria was not really looking very confident, more very unsure, but she didn't want Sere to think that she was afraid of other men just because she would have to marry Charon. She wasn't a coward.

A/N: Okay... how do you like it? Please review. To those of you who know the original version of Come away with Me there wasn't much new information given here if any.

In the next chapter you will learn a little about the 'present', the timeline where most of the story will take place.

Please excuse my grammatical mistakes. I'm trying really hard.

Yours

~ Mirai no Tenchi