Mint ran into the field to find Johnny Wolf running up to her. She leaned down to pet the dog, to find a shadow standing over her.

"I hope all that pampering didn't destroy your good heart!" Rod stared down at the Princess.

Mint stomped her foot. "Of course not." She jumped up. "I can beat you in a fight any day, you got that!"

"Still as stubborn as ever, I see."

Mint ignored his comment and looked over at the water. "Heyyyyyyy. You brought the PINTO!"

Rod shook a fist in Mint's face. "Damnit. How many times do I have to tell you? It's not the PINTO it's the…"

Mint waved an arm, "Yeah, yeah. Who cares?"

Rod shook his head. The girl would never change. Not that he wanted her too, of course. She was perfect just the way she was. Wait, perfect?

Mint jump kicked a thinking Rod and sent him spiraling down to the ground. "That'll show you what a pampered princess I am!"

Rod scratched his head and stood up. "HUH? What? Did I miss something?"

Mint stomped her foot again. "Geez. Pay attention will you?" She raised a ring bearing hand. "When I send you to the ground to eat dirt, you don't even realize it? And you said I HAD NO heart?"

The red haired man glared at her. "Excuse me, are you insulting Rod, THE Blade Star?"

Mint snickered before replying, "Yeah."

Rod shook a fist again. "That's it!" He whipped out the Silver Breeze. "Nobody questions the heart of THE Blade Star."

Mint grinned. "All right." She jumped up and down. "I've been waiting for a good fight for the longest time!"

"What, they give you everything, but a good fight up in that castle of yours?" Rod sent Mint a grin of his own. "I've looked forward to the day that I got to fight you again!"

Mint took her position across from him. "You've been looking forward to your butt kicking?"

"Butt kicking? THAT'S IT!"

Mint sent another high kick at Rod to find herself being knocked in the direction of the cave that Rod usually kept his "pinto" in. She rubbed her head and stood up. "Owwwww. Watch the head, will you?"

Rod snorted. "Wow. Your really lost your spirit! You used to be tough to beat!"

After his last comment he was sent flying into the air and almost landed on Johnny Wolf.

A hand pulled Rod off the ground. "You can't let a WOMAN throw you around like that. Go show her what your made of!"

Belle shoved Duke off of his feet. "What do you mean WOMAN?" Belle poked at her companion. "What do I look like to you?"

Duke stood up. "Ummmmmm. A beautiful much more MATURE woman." He dusted himself off.

Belle stomped her foot doing a perfect impression of Mint. "Mature? ARE YOU CALLING ME OLD?"

Mint interrupted the pair. "No interference with the fight." She looked at Duke. "And that means NO helping, by the way." She walked off in the direction where Rod was.

Mint raised her rings to sends some "Triple Blade" magic in Rod's direction. But, was intercepted by one of Rod's Silver Breezes. She then found herself in a situation where both Silver Breezes were on either side of her and was backed up against the wall.

Mint raised a ring. "Hey, THIS isn't fair." She squirmed in discomfort. "I can't move!"

Rod grinned. "Exactly and until you say that I win. You won't be moving for a while."

Mint back up even further against the mossy surroundings. "But, But. That's not fair."

"It's as fair as the rules you and your sister make."

Duke looked over from his conversation with Belle. "Whew! Go Rod! That's teaching her!" He noticed the glare that he was receiving from Mint. "Er, I mean. Yeah Mint. You can um, beat him!"

The blue haired woman screeched at him again. "WHAT! Your rooting for my enemy? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!"

Duke lowered his head to the ground as if he was bowing. "S-Sorry Milady."

The pink haired girl that was held captive sighed. "C'mon Rod, let me go now."

"Uh uh. This is a fight and until you have given up you won't be leaving. How many times do I have to tell you?"

Mint slapped a hand down on her forehead. "Heck no." There must be another way out of this. "How about if I get Mira to cook more food for you this summer. You know, you'll probably be broke any day now."

Rod seemed to look as if he was thinking. "No. Nice try Mint, but I made sure I had enough money AND supplies to last me a life time, no matter how tempting and good Madam's food is."

Mint stomped even in the small area. She looked at him closely. Dang, there must be something that Rod wanted.

"Mint a simple. You win, will do."

"There has to be something else that I can do for you."

Rod smiled at her. "Weeeeeeellllll."

Mint clapped her hands. "C'mon out with it!" Thank God, there was something else.

"You could say, Rod is the best weapons maker in the world and will become the best fighter as well."

"Whhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"

"Oh and, Rod is the handsomest guy that ever walked the planet."

"Nooooooooooo way!" Mint gave him a look. "There is no chance that you'll ever make me say that!"

Belle laughed at Mint's situation. "Oh come off of it Mint. I know that the one thing in the world that you hate the most is admitting that you lost. All you have to do is give him a couple of compliments and you won't even have to admit it!"

Mint shook a fist in Belle's direction. "Oh shut up! Did I ask for your help old woman?"

"OLLLLLLLLLLD? Why I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

Duke held back his "Mistress." "Now, now Milady. No need to get angry."

Belle backed off. "Your right." She responded almost making Duke faint with surprise. "She's already in enough trouble already. She's already plenty humiliated."

Mint sent the two another death glare. "I SAID shut up!"

Belle snickered. "You know, I thin I'll sit here until I see Mint give up. Yep, that's it. It'll all be worth it to see the "Princess" cower."

"No wayyyyyyyyyy!" Mint shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not giving up!"

Rod sighed. "Huh. Well, I got all day."

~5 Hours Later~

"Tired yet?" Rod asked the yawning girl.

Mint shook a ring in his face. "NO WAY! Didn't I tell you, I'm not giving up!"

~7 Hours Later~

""Ready to give up Princess?" Belle snickered.

"Heck no!"

~10 Hours Later~

Duke's snoring rang through the field. Belle slapped him. "M-Milady. What did I miss? Did she give up yet?"

"I DIIIIIIIIIIIIID NOT!"

~12 Hours Later~

The stars shone down on the four in the field.

Mint sighed. It was getting really late and Maya would arrive in the morning. She shrugged. "Alright, alright."

Rod breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God, I was begging to wonder if I would ever be able to scratch my back again. Ready to admit defeat?"

Mint scratched her own head. "No. Rod is the best weapons maker in the world and the best fighter as well."

"Huh?" Rod shook his head, as if he was not believing what he was hearing. He then grinned. "Gooooooooo onnnnnnnn."

"And-and. I-Is the m-m-most handsome guy that walked the planet."

"Actually it was the handsomest guy that walked the planet."

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"

"OK, ok. Most handsome will have to do."

Rod removed the Silver Breezes from either side of Mint. "Well, at least you didn't have to admit defeat."

He didn't get a reply. There was a sleeping Mint laid out on the ground.

A/N: YAY! A longer chapter. Anyway, you may be wondering where Duke and Belle have gone, but don't worry. I didn't forget about them. I guess there may be a slight Belle/Duke romance too.