Author's Note: Can this be? Two updates in the same month? It's a miracle!

Everyone's been clamouring for this chapter, and I hope it meets your expectations. I certainly had fun writing it.

Quick note to guest reviewers: I shall reply to your reviews after my ending notes. Feel free to skip down to that section if you so desire.

Note to all readers: In this chapter, everything in italics that isn't also in quotations or otherwise specified by me is mental dialogue. Keep that in mind.

Chapter 9.

Reunion

It had been a very long ten years for Raphael. He had seen and experienced much during that time, and despite the curse, he had many happy memories to look back on. He had watched as those of his brothers with magical potential learned to harness their abilities. He had witnessed Valon's often rigorous training under various Darthanian warriors, and despite his own lack of magic, the determined brunette had surpassed many of his teachers in skill, and had become famous for it among the warrior clans. Because of the curse, the princes could only hone their skills at night, but this did not mean their days had been uneventful. Once they had become accustomed to their enchanted forms, flying became something to revel in, and they had made the most of their wings while they had them. There was much to see on the continent where they had settled, and they had even traveled beyond its shores to the western isles, and thanks to the Guardians, had been allowed to enter and explore Darthania, which was as interesting as it was perilous.

No, the years had not been dull at all, but still they had not always been easy for Raphael. There had been danger, and not just in Darthania, where their fame quickly spread and they found friends in the most unlikely places and even more unusual forms. The first time they had returned to Domino, they had foolishly stayed longer than the eleven days Ishizu had stipulated, and one of Gozaburo's lesser minions had succeeded in shooting Alister with a poisoned arrow. The wound had been near-fatal, and it was only thanks to the Guardians that he had survived and been fully healed, though you could still see a small scar on his left arm where the arrow had pierced him. Since then, none of the princes had traveled alone while in their enchanted forms, but his brother's brush with death had badly shaken Raphael, and the thought of how close they had come to losing him and their chance to be free of the curse chilled him to the core even now.

The turmoil his homeland was in only added to his worries. The princes gathered as much information as they could about the current state of affairs during their annual visits, but their most reliable source had not been available this year, and they had resorted to waiting until after sunset and entering towns in disguise. They had learned how much innkeepers knew about what went on in the kingdom in the early years of their enchantment.

It was during a visit to a particularly prosperous inn that Alister and Noa had learned that Serenity had passed that way, traveling toward the palace barely a week before. They dared not approach the royal city for obvious reasons, and their bonded partners would not either, fearing discovery if they came too close to the power-crazed sorcerer. Joey had become more restless since they received the news, and that morning, Raphael had finally permitted him to stay behind while they flew to one of the ports further down the coast. The twins had volunteered to stay with him, and together they had stationed themselves at the river-mouth, or more accurately, above it.

The crown prince was therefore surprised when Joey's mental voice broke through his thoughts, his excitement plain.

Raphael! You won't believe this!

The mental shout caused several of the swans to start violently, and all eight turned in the air, scanning their surroundings until they located their brother, who was flying toward them, though not in a straight line as he had at first. He seemed unable to travel more than a yard without performing some complicated aerial maneuver. The twins had managed to catch up to him since the three had left the river-mouth, and now flew to either side of him.

You don't have to scream, you know, Seto told his brother coldly. We can all hear you just fine.

There might be a few Darthanians who didn't, though, Alister added drily.

Joey didn't pay any attention to his brothers' words. He was too excited to care what anyone said right now.

Serenity's on the beach by the river!

Joey, Duke began in a gentle tone, are you sure you weren't just seeing things? I know you've dreamed about her a couple of times recently, but—

He wasn't seeing things, Yami said before his elder brother could finish. We all saw her come out of the forest about an hour ago. She looks the right age, she has auburn hair, and she's wearing a star-pendant we could not fail to recognise. Her identity cannot be denied.

There was a moment's stunned silence.

How did she find us? Ryou asked at length. No one could have told her, and why else would she be there of all places?

That, Raphael said, is a really good question. We'll have to ask her after sunset.

Privately, however, the eldest prince suspected he already knew. Roland had not appeared at the edge of the forest that year, and despite the danger, the older man had met them every summer for the last eight years. Other than Gozaburo, the eleven cursed princes were the only people he could safely discuss the truth with. If he had told anyone else, his absence would be completely understandable. A statue could not travel anywhere unless it was carried.

I wish we didn't have to wait until night, Joey said now.

You've waited ten years, Alister said, not unkindly. You can wait a few more hours. In the meantime, let's see how plentiful the fish really are in the River Takahashi. He tilted his head toward the broad waterway below them, which flowed through the coastal town they had been bound for.

I'm not going down there, Seto said flatly. People empty their waste into that water.

Honestly, Seto, that's the least of your worries, Alister said in mild exasperation.

We can always go further upstream if you're so concerned, Duke suggested before things could escalate. I'd rather not be surrounded by fishing boats anyway.

Fair enough, Raphael conceded, remembering a mishap from six years ago involving Duke, a fishing net, and an unexpected discovery. The occurrence had been more amusing than anything; his brother had not been in any real danger, although he had lost some of his dignity.

The brothers spent a couple of hours swimming on a tranquil stretch of the Takahashi, feasting on the fish they found there. The tales of plenty had not been exaggerations in this case at least. Whatever happened in the rest of the kingdom, the people who relied on this river would prosper.

Serenity spent the rest of the day on the beach. She had come as far as she could unaided, and she would not even consider turning back now. Her quest had led her here, and she felt sure that all she had to do now was wait for a time. There was plenty to occupy her while she did so. The sea fascinated her, and she spent the hottest part of the day in the shade of a high dune, watching the waves as they rolled endlessly. The rhythmic sound they made gave the impression that the very ocean was breathing. Serenity grew more restless as the sun began its slow descent, and after eating the strawberries she had brought with her, she moved closer to the water, where enumerable shells and smooth, rounded pebbles lay spread out on the sand like a mermaid's discarded treasures. The princess took more pleasure from examining these simple items than any fine jewels, and the afternoon passed swiftly as she gathered shells of every shape and size, holding them up to the sunlight and admiring their beauty. She also found a handful of white swan-feathers just above the tideline, and the find made her feel strangely excited. She stowed the feathers away in one of the pockets of her gown so as not to lose them before she went back to collecting interesting shells and oddly shaped pebbles.

As evening approached, Serenity decided she had gathered enough treasures for today. Leaving the mounds of shells and stones where she knew she could find them, she retreated a little distance, seated herself at the base of one of the dunes, and faced the ocean, eager to see how the sunset would look when reflected off the water. As the sun sank lower in the western sky, however, her attention was caught by something white high in the air beyond the breakers. Raising her eyes, she drew a sharp breath. A flock of white birds were flying steadily toward the shore in single file. As they drew nearer, she recognised them as swans, and her heart leapt as she perceived that they wore fine chains around their necks, each with a bright pendant hanging from it. She rubbed her eyes fiercely to make sure she wasn't seeing things, and looked again. The pendants were still there, and the swans were closer now. She counted them rapidly. There were eleven. No more, no less. Transfixed, she continued to watch their approach.

The birds began to descend in wide, graceful circles as they reached the shore, all but one, which hovered high above its fellows until they had all alighted gently on the sand, forming a wide arc in front of Serenity, their eyes trained on her. The girl did not notice this at first, however, for she was too busy watching the one remaining airborne swan, who now dived so steeply that she sprang up and ran forward in fear, expecting it to crash headlong into the sand. She had no need to worry, however, for the bird pulled out of the dive at the last possible moment, rose a few feet into the air, and then landed lightly in front of her. Bright blue eyes looked up into her face, twinkling merrily. Her own gaze was drawn to the pendant resting on the swan's snowy breast, and her breath caught as she recognised it. She looked down at the fireball-shaped trinket for a moment, then back at the cerulean eyes, still sparkling up at her like tiny gems.

"V-Valon?" She whispered.

Another of the swans crossed the short distance between them and nudged the blue-eyed daredevil aside. Serenity noticed the obsidian pendant the newcomer was wearing, and suddenly found it very hard to breathe. She made herself look into the bird's eyes, and saw that they were a soft and achingly familiar shade of brown.

"Joey," she whispered.

There was a moment of tense silence, as if the world was waiting for something. Then the sun vanished below the horizon, and light flared around the princess as the swans shed their feathers and began changing. Before all of the snowy plumes had drifted to the ground, the bodies they had been covering had reformed into human beings. Serenity found herself looking up into her brother's beaming face, brown eyes framed by a tumbled mass of blonde hair.

"Hey, Ren," he said in the same voice from her dream. "Long time, no see."

He opened his arms, and Serenity threw herself into them, wrapping her own tightly around him as tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. She buried her face in Joey's chest and sobbed, while he stroked her hair, too overwhelmed by emotion to say more than he already had.

"You're here," Serenity choked out between sobs as she clung to him. "You're really here!"

They stood like that for a minute or so, until Duke's voice broke the silence.

"Well, aren't you going to share her? She's our sister too, remember?"

Joey laughed shakily and let go of Serenity, who turned and flung herself at Valon, embracing him fiercely. The princes all converged on their siblings in a group hug that even Seto reluctantly participated in. Some shed tears, while others merely smiled. Seto's expression revealed nothing of his emotions, save for the suspicious shine his eyes had gained, something he would later deny fervently. Serenity managed to exchange hugs with all of her brothers—catching Joey twice, not counting their initial embrace—before they all stepped back, and she was able to look at them properly.

She first noticed their extreme pallor. Ryou had always been pale, but the rest had all been lightly tanned the last time she had seen them. Now, their skin had been drained of all colour, leaving them as white as the feathers they had so recently shed. She next observed how much they had changed over the years. Seto was now nearly as tall as Raphael, and Mokuba and Noa were within inches of him in height. The twins, on the other hand, seemed to now be the shortest among the princes; even Serenity was slightly taller than them, and she hadn't finished growing yet! But the most notable change time had wrought in her brothers was their demeanour. Even Valon and Joey, who had been the most playful by far and had almost never been seen without broad grins on their faces, seemed more solemn.

"It's so good to see all of you," she said at last, her voice steadier now that she had stopped crying, but still a little shaky.

"You're a welcome sight yourself, Serenity," Duke said, beaming at her, "not to mention beautiful."

Joey shot him a stunned look.

"Duke, she's your sister!"

"That doesn't mean I can't state a fact we can all plainly see," Duke said with a grin.

Valon smothered a laugh behind his hands. Joey rounded on him.

"And what got into you? You could have crashed!"

"But I didn't."

"You came close," Joey said, glaring at the brunette. "And what would have happened if you'd dived a few seconds too late and turned human before you hit the ground? That is the craziest stunt you've ever pulled!"

"Serenity was there to catch me," Valon reminded him with a cheeky grin.

"She might not have been!"

"Joey, calm down," Alister said, surprising the blonde. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but Valon actually knew what he was doing for once. He wouldn't have crashed. He was just showing off for Serenity's benefit."

"I'm surprised you didn't do something similar, especially in light of your earlier performance," Seto commented drily. "After all of those loops and summersaults, it was a miracle you could fly straight."

Joey glared at him. "Shut up," he muttered.

"I'm glad some things haven't changed," Serenity said with an indulgent smile.

Joey shifted guiltily. "Sorry, sis, I just…"

"You don't have to apologise for acting like yourself," Serenity told him gently. "I've missed it."

Joey smiled at her words, but there was a sadness in his eyes as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you grow up," he said quietly. "I'd have come and found you as soon as I could—we all would have—but…things got complicated."

Serenity nodded in understanding.

"I guess you were turned into swans when Gozaburo said you'd been banished for treason," she said. "I knew he was lying." A memory of something Roland had said flashed through her mind. Gozaburo is … a very dangerous man. "Was it Gozaburo who turned you into swans?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Nothing else fit.

"Yes," Raphael replied, speaking for all of them. "We were forbidden to tell you by the curse, and you were safe as long as you didn't know, so we had to keep our distance."

"Did the spell break when I found you, or are you human now for some other reason?" Serenity asked.

"Believe me, I wish it was that simple," Yami said with a sigh. "We become human again every night, and even that would not have been possible without the help of some friends we made, but perhaps we should start at the beginning. It's quite a long story."

This could take a while, Alister observed mentally. Would you mind if I set everything up while you told her, Raphael? This event calls for a decent feast and that will take time to conjure up.

Take Seto with you, Raphael responded. Two mages will get the job done much faster.

I'm standing right here, you know. Seto's mental voice sounded irritated.

Yes, and now you're going with Alister, Raphael told him firmly.

Seto scowled, but knew better than to argue. He followed Alister wordlessly as the redhead walked away from the main group and disappeared from view behind a high dune.

Serenity, who had not been privy to the mental discussion, watched the two leave with a bemused expression on her face.

"Where are they going?" she asked.

Raphael smiled reassuringly.

"They're just taking care of a few things while we talk," he told her. "I'll explain exactly how I know that soon, but Yami's right. We need to start at the beginning."

An hour later, Serenity and her brothers were seated around a low table laden with enough food to feed twice their number. Beside them, a shimmering silver fire burned, the flames shot through with threads of copper and lavender. All of this had been created by Seto and Alister, and their siblings had only just come to join them. Serenity had by now been filled in on the events surrounding her brothers' exile, and had been given a brief outline of the past ten years. She was determined to press them for more details later, but she was as hungry as the others, and this magical banquet seemed infinitely more appetising to her than the welcoming feast she had attended back at the palace. Besides, she was still processing everything she had just been told. Her brothers seemed to understand this, for they did not try to force her to join in any conversation. In fact, nobody spoke at all for a while, though judging from their shifting expressions, Serenity guessed her brothers were communicating telepathically. The twins had said they could join her mind to the link they all shared, but it would take some time, and Alister had insisted they eat before they attempted it. Serenity and Joey were both equally excited at the prospect.

More of the conjured food had disappeared than Serenity had believed possible, and almost everyone had left the table, when Alister and the twins approached her, the latter with eager expressions on their faces.

"Do you want us to integrate you into the link now, or should we wait a few more minutes?" Yugi asked her.

Serenity smiled. It was almost impossible to say 'no' to those adorable eyes.

"I'm ready when you are," she said. "What do I have to do?"

"You don't need to do anything but sit still," Yami told her, coming to stand at her right shoulder. Yugi took his position on her other side. Alister stayed close by to watch, in case his help was required.

The twins each placed a hand against one of Serenity's temples and closed their eyes. Without any Sennen items to aid them, the process took longer for them to perform, and for several minutes, Serenity felt nothing. At length, however, she became aware of a gentle tug on her mind. The sensation was strange, to say the least, but as it strengthened, she allowed the process to run its course. Within a few more minutes, she began to hear thoughts that were not her own, muddled and incomprehensible at first, but gaining clarity with every passing second. It wasn't long before the mental voices fell silent—her brothers had sensed her presence in the link and were allowing her to adjust to the new experience. Duke was the first to address her.

Serenity, am I coming in clear?

Crystal, she responded in the same manner. This is…interesting.

The novelty wears off after the first year or so, Duke told her.

A year? I was tired of it after the first month, Seto said flatly.

Why does that not surprise me? Alister's mental voice was laced with sarcasm.

Serenity's attention turned to the twins, both of whom looked drained, Yugi more so than Yami.

"Will you two be alright?" she asked them aloud.

"We'll be fine," Yami assured her. "Marik warned us it would be taxing. We knew what to expect."

Alister dismissed the table with a gesture, and the four rejoined their brothers on the far side of the fire. It was only when they were all sitting together that Noa spoke up.

"Serenity, we were wondering how you managed to track us down," he said, getting straight to the point. "I mean, you know we're happy to see you, but the last we heard, you were at the palace. You mustn't have stayed there for very long if you're all the way down here now. What happened?"

"Nothing as extraordinary as what happened to you, unless you count the dreams I had," Serenity told him, "but I can understand why you want to know. Gozaburo has no idea where I am, if you're worried about that."

Several of the princes looked relieved at these words.

Using a combination of the spoken word and memories transmitted over the mental link, Serenity told her brothers everything of note that had happened since she was summoned back to the palace by Gozaburo. She had to stop halfway through and wait for Joey to calm down after hearing that their stepfather had planned to marry her off to Nezbitt.

"How dare he?! I should send Jet over there to fry him!" The furious prince continued in this vein for several minutes before he ran out of steam and his sister could resume her tale.

"I wonder who that woman was," Ryou murmured when she had finished.

"So do I," Mokuba said, his voice now a soft tenor. "How did she manage to tell you about us? No-one's supposed to be able to."

"It was in the phrasing," Alister explained. "She never said we were the swans she saw. If she'd tried to, the words wouldn't have come. Still," he added in a more contemplative tone, "there was definitely something strange about her."

"It was the dreams that intrigued me," Duke said. "Who could have sent them? Someone must have, but I doubt it was Ishizu. She can only share visions the Tauk shows her. Those dreams were tailored specifically for Serenity."

"We may never know who sent them, but I'm personally glad they did," said Raphael. "If not for them, Serenity might not have guessed the truth."

Alister heard his brothers' words, but kept his thoughts to himself. He suspected he knew the identity of the dream-sender, but it was not his place to tell anyone.

After Serenity's story, the conversation turned to lighter matters. The princess's life had been simple and mostly uneventful, but her brothers had many stories to tell, and hours passed as they reminisced. It had been a long day for all of them, however, and eventually weariness overcame their desire to make up for lost time. One by one, the princes lay back on the sand and drifted off to sleep. Only Alister and Seto were still awake when Serenity finally succumbed to exhaustion. The redhead retrieved his sister's bundle and gently laid her blanket over her sleeping form before turning his attention to the fire, which was starting to die down. He did not see Seto lean over and lay a light kiss on Serenity's brow, but even if he had been looking he would not have believed it had happened.

Serenity? The gentle voice in her mind roused the princess from a dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes to find that dawn had broken, and her brothers were all around her, once more in their swan forms. If not for the pendants, she would not have been able to tell them apart. She searched the flock until she located Raphael, the silver eagle identifying him clearly. She knew it was her eldest brother who had woken her.

Good morning, she said via the link—it seemed wrong to her to speak aloud while her brothers could not.

How did you sleep? Raphael asked.

Well enough. Was there a reason you decided to wake me now?

We have to go, Raphael explained, his mental voice tinged with regret. It's our last day in Domino and we need to make the most of it. There are a couple of things we want to investigate before we leave for the year.

Serenity sighed and nodded in understanding.

Alright. I'll wait here for you.

We don't all have to go, do we? Joey asked. Serenity's been on her own for over a week now. Someone should stay with her.

Raphael laughed mentally.

Of course you can stay here, Joey, he said good-naturedly. I'm not in any position to force you to come. He flared his wings to emphasise the point.

Can I stay too? Noa asked eagerly.

Raphael hesitated for a moment.

Alright, but I'll have to draw the line there. We can do well enough without you two, but any more and we'll be spread too thin.

Yes! Noa cheered, practically bouncing in excitement.

I don't know why you're so happy, Seto told him. Not much happens here that I would consider worth staying for.

That's because you have no sense of fun, Noa responded. We'll work something out.

We really should get going, Raphael reminded them. Serenity, Alister left some food for you to make things easier. Just don't share it with Noa and Joey. Most of it wouldn't agree with them right now. And as for you two, he added, addressing his younger brothers, stay out of trouble.

Yes Your Majesty, Joey and Noa responded in unison.

I mean it, Raphael said sternly.

We know.

The nine swans then took off, circling above their siblings a few times before separating into three smaller groups and flying inland.

So, what were you planning on doing today apart from keeping me company? Serenity asked shrewdly, eying her two remaining brothers.

I don't know about Noa, but I have no hidden motives, Joey said. I've just missed you.

Serenity smiled, and reached out to stroke his back. The feathers were softer than they looked, and Joey seemed to enjoy the attention. Serenity then turned to Noa.

And why were you so eager to stay?

Same as Joey, Noa responded a little too quickly. I wanted to spend some time with you.

And…? Serenity prompted, knowing there was more to it.

Noa sighed mentally.

And I wanted a break from flying for a day before we went home. There's practically nowhere to rest on the way. We're lucky we have an island to land on at sunset on the first day, or we'd never make it. I love flying, don't get me wrong, but it's exhausting if you do it constantly.

I see, Serenity said. Well, since you're here, do you have any ideas for what we could do to pass the time?

One or two, Noa admitted. You know those shells and things you were collecting yesterday?

Yes, Serenity said, intrigued by this sudden shift in topic. What of them?

You've never built a sand-castle, have you?

Noa, that is brilliant! Joey exclaimed enthusiastically. Ren, you haven't lived until you've built at least one sand-castle.

How can you build anything out of sand? Serenity asked. Wouldn't it just fall apart?

You use wet sand, and reinforce it with pebbles and anything else you can find. Then you can decorate it. You'll have to do all the actual building, but we can give you directions. Noa seemed as enthusiastic as Joey.

Sounds interesting, Serenity said. We can start after I've had some breakfast.

Alright then! Noa said brightly. In the meantime, he added in a tone that suggested he would be grinning mischievously if he were human, I could tell you about Seto's secret passion for a certain dragon-keeper.

He'll kill you! Joey sounded half-shocked and half-awed at Noa's apparent audacity.

He won't find out if nobody tells him.

Seto's in love? Serenity asked, mildly surprised by this revelation.

In love? He's completely besotted. Her name's Kisara and I have to admit, he has excellent taste. She's beautiful.

Oh? Serenity gained a wicked grin. Do go on.

They're everywhere.

Well, now we know he's searching for her.

It's only a matter of time before they reach the forest. He'll make them scower every corner of Domino until they find her. She's not safe here.

I don't see what we can do about it. We can't exactly take her with us.

Oh, Seto, how little faith you have.

What is that supposed to mean, Alister?

We can take her with us if we have something to carry her in.

But we don't.

We will if all goes to plan.

And what plan would that be?

Wait and see, little brother.

Will you stop calling me that?

End Notes: OOOOH, what's Alister's plan? You'll have to wait until next chapter to find out. :D

To be honest, apart from replies to guest reviewers, I don't have anything to say here pertaining to the story. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to lots of reviews. Criticism is welcome. Flames are not. Thank you.

Review replies:

Guest 1: Thank you for your compliment! It made me smile. :D

Guest 2: Here is Chapter 9, as requested. Hope you liked it!

Violet: Honey, when I saw those six reviews last week, they made my day. Thank you for all of them and the ones you've posted since then. I'm highly flattered that I have such a loyal fan, and I must say you write very well for an eleven-year-old. I did notice a pattern of impatience though. You're new to the fic, so you haven't yet become accustomed to my somewhat sporadic update schedule. I dived into this fic without planning ahead, so I've basically been posting the chapters as I write them. My faithful followers had to wait six weeks for Chapter 6, two and a half months for Chapter 7 and four months for chapter 8! In light of those figures, a few weeks doesn't seem so long, does it? All I ask of my readers is that they bear with me. I don't intend to give up on this story, however long it takes me to update, so don't worry about this becoming a permanently unfinished edifice to mar the landscape of Fanfiction Net. I give you permission to send me a kick-in-the-pants review if I don't update for a month without telling you I'll be otherwise engaged. I also recommend you follow my Live Journal. There's a link on my profile, and I will keep people posted on how far along I am with each WSoD chapter on there so you know where I'm at. With regards to your questions, I will not explain everything here, as doing so will involve minor spoilers and that wouldn't do at all. I will say, however, that one of the reasons I decided to write this fic was because Yu-Gi-Oh! Is one of my favourite fandoms, and "The Wild Swans" is one of my favourite fairytales. I 'mixed some things up', as you put it, because if I didn't add in elements of the fandom as well as the characters, then it wouldn't be a very interesting fic for fans to read, and it would be much less fun to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it didn't get posted on your birthday. Thank you again for all of your lovely comments.