(Note: I've put up the original story on my DeviantArt account if you're interested in reading/rereading it)

Link: And so it...restarts.
Scout: Yeah, I don't get that at all.
Mars: Isn't it obvious? I wanted to rewrite the story because I think it could be better, and I like to think that's I've made some improvements in this chapter.
Jenny: That pretty much means read this chapter, stuff has changed.
Mars: I've added more details and I think I'm gonna be much happier with this version of the story.
Link: ...
Scout: ...
Jenny: ...
Link: You have something else to say, don't you?
Mars: Yes, I just saw my first live production of Rent! It was amazing! And you haven't seen Rent until you've seen it live, believe me! It was my College's Production and it was SO GOOD! The actors were amazing, and it nearly made me cry! I've never been more touched by anything else in my entire life!
Scout: That it?
Mars: Oh and one more thing...
Angel: Hi.
Link: Cut to the disclaimer, we'll never get a move on if we don't do it now.

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own anything having to do with Rent besides the merchandise.

Journey to Bohemia
Chapter 1: The Princess

Bohemia, a prosperous country founded on the belief that no one should be judged based on their beliefs, the color of their skin or even their sexual preference. At first many doubted it would thrive and were afraid of its revolutionary ideals. So the neighboring countries waged war on them, hoping to crush its philosophies. However, with each war, triumph followed and the country was integrated into Bohemia itself. This had gone on for years until Yorkland and Phidella, the neighboring countries to the North and South respectively, formed an alliance with it. It was declared that if any country were to attack Bohemia for its ideals, that Yorkland and Phidella would join the fight. Thus, for several hundred years, Bohemia and its neighbors sustained peace and prosperity.

Until the Plague had struck.

Doctors running around, people being carried throughout the palace, solemn faces.

This was the sight the ten-year-old Bohemian princess had gotten used to for the past three years. She sat on the stairs in the main entrance hall, unable to help in the ensuing chaos. Silent tears stained her caramel skin as she thought watched helplessly as the people around her were panicked and dying.

"Princess Marita," she looked over her shoulder to see her mother's advisor, standing at the top of the stairs, "Your parents want to speak to you." She stood up, smoothed her dress out and wiped the tears away before going with the woman.

The advisor brought her into the throne room, where her parents, the king and queen of Bohemia sat in their thrones. Beside her father was an older man she recognized as the general of the army and a friend from her childhood, Thomas Collins, clad in knight's armor. She was overjoyed to see him for the first time in years, having been in training to become a knight, but she restrained herself, as a princess should.

"My dear Princess," The King began, "Although you're still a child, you've become a polite, respectful and compassionate Princess."

The Princess respectfully bowed, "Thank you fath…"

"No formalities mi niña pequeña," Her mother spoke up, "Please."

Her eyes darted between both of her parents in a slight panic, "What's going on?"

"Mimi," her father called her by her nickname, "You know about the Plague, right?" She nodded cautiously, "Do you want to help stop the deaths it's causing?"

Mimi nodded frantically, "Yes! Is there a way I can help?"

"There is," The General confirmed, "We have decided to send you, and the newly knighted Sir Collins away to Phidella to search for a cure."

She was taken aback by this, "You're sending me away? But can't we find a cure in Bohemia?"

"If there was a cure in the country, we would have found it already," he informed her solemnly.

"Perhaps if we send you…" The King began.

"I don't wanna leave Bohemia!" Mimi protested.

"This isn't up for discussion Mimi!" Her father quickly stood up from his seat to shout, but coughed violently before sitting back down.

"It is better if you leave Bohemia," The Queen informed her, "Antes de su muerte." Mimi's eyes widened when she heard this, she turned to her father and noticed that he looked much thinner, much paler and very much frailer than he had been in years. "Do you understand Mimi?"

She fought hard to stop herself from breaking down in tears, "Yes Mamá, Papá. I will do as you say."

"Very good Princess," The General bowed, "You should leave at once. I have already taken the liberty of getting some horses ready for you."

Collins began to leave but before Mimi joined him, she ran up to both of her parents and gave them as big a hug as she could muster.

"Mi niña pequeña, my darling Mimi," Her mother mused while hugging her, "Vive tu vida al más lleno."

"Goodbye," she told them when she finally pulled away to go with Collins.

The first few hours of Mimi and Collins' trip were in a grim silence. It was the first time they were together since he had gone into training seven years prior, but the princess found herself at a loss for words. Collins himself did not have anything to say either. It was just as hard for him to leave his home country as it was for Mimi. He was an orphan, raised in the Alphabet City until he was six, when he met his best friend, Angel Dumott Schunard and was taken in by his family. The two boys were also close to the royal family and had known Mimi practically since she was born. However, as the Plague struck, many of the adults they had known died, and Angel's family felt the need to leave Bohemia the previous year. Now, they were leaving everyone and everything they had ever known.

Finally, the knight decided to speak up, "I know this must be hard Mimi…"

"How could you?" She spat.

This confused the dark-skinned knight, "What?"

"You've always been someone who spoke out for what you believe in, how could you let them do this to us?"

He pulled his horse in front of hers to stop for a moment, "You think I took this lying down?" She did not respond, "I didn't, I fought as hard as I could to keep us in Bohemia."

"Then why aren't we staying?"

He stared her straight in the eyes, "People are dying Mimi, even if we don't find a cure…" He turned away, "At least the royal bloodline will live on."

"You don't really think that."

He turned back toward her, "Of course I don't, and I honestly think we're the last people that should be sent out of Bohemia."

"Why?"

"It's because we're different, most people in Phidella and Yorkland have pale skin and are quick to judge us just based on that, let alone the fact that I'm…" Collins stopped before he completely lost his temper. "But we don't have any choice. We need to find the cure to the Plague." With that, he pressed on.

Mimi, however, held back, "But what if we can't find it?"

"We have to," he called back.

"Mimi, get up, it's after dawn."

The teenaged princess groaned before opening her eyes. She slowly sat up from the uncomfortable ground, which she had gotten used to in her travels in the past seven years. She groggily blinked at her now-adult guardian, who was couched at the entrance of her personal tent, "How long?"

Collins shrugged, "An hour, maybe two. I was going to let you sleep, but it didn't look like you were getting up anytime soon."

Mimi drew her knees close to her body, "I was dreaming about the day we left Bohemia."

"Oh," he was slightly taken aback, "I made breakfast, come out and eat."

When he closed the tent, she pulled off her nightgown and dressed herself in her traveling clothes, a long lavender tunic, a grey pair of tights and a pair of long bluish-silver boots before crawling out of the tent. Her eyes squinted in the morning light as she looked around to remind herself of the surrounding area. They had made camp by the river, approximately seven miles away from the main road. The river was flowing steady at the moment, it would be perfect for crossing if they had horses, but they lost their horses in a skirmish with Gypsy bandits two weeks before.

Collins was sitting at a campfire, wearing a blue tunic under gold chainmail as well a black beanie that he had grown accustomed to wearing in the years he and Mimi had spent traveling. As she sat down beside him, he handed her a dish with a modest amount of food on it before picking up his own dish and beginning to eat.

As they were eating, Mimi noticed that he friend did not look well, "Are you okay?"

Collins raised an eyebrow at her, "Why'd you ask?"

"You look kinda…" she looked back at her breakfast, "…sick."

He put his food down, "You haven't been looking too good either."

She merely nodded at this, "I haven't been feeling too good lately." She put her food down and turned to face him, "Collins I think…"

"Don't say it," his abrupt response confirmed her suspicions.

They had both contracted the Bohemian Plague.

"…we should go back to Bohemia," she finished.

"Yeah, we should," he agreed.

Jenny: Alright so why'd we have to end so abruptly?
Link: Because we have an addition to the Author's Note Club.
Angel: Hi.
Jenny: Oh yeah, we have Angel now! (stares at her lovingly)
Link: He's in drag right now.
Jenny: I know.
Scout: So Mars why'd you this...
Link: Scout, watch what you say about one of Mars' favorite characters.
Scout: I know who he is you pixie!
Link: ...pixie?
Scout: So what's twinkle-toes doing here?
Mars: Let's see, favorite character, OC enamored with him...
Angel: Should I be worried about this?
Mars: Don't worry, she's only fourteen, the worst she can do is glomp you.
Angel: Oh...what's a...?
Jenny: (Attacks Angel with a hug)
Link: That.
Mars: So anyway, next chapter's gonna be completely different than the original so keep an eye out.
Angel: How do I get her off me?
Link: You can squirm out and be lucky that it wasn't Mars.