Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
CHAPTER 16: Was it a Dream?
"I've got to do something! Fast!" Serenity cried, frantically scanning her brain. It was midnight and the first chime had rung. The second one rang now. Serenity panicked.
She turned back to Seto.
"I guess that was…" Seto began, but trailed off. "What's happening to your veil?" Serenity looked down and panicked yet again.
"Oh my!" Rowen cried, looking at the lowest edge of the veil slowly disappearing. "And look! Your gown!" Serenity gasped and twirled around. Her pink gown was starting to fade into a dull yellow color. Highly noticeable.
"What do I do?" Serenity queried. The fourth bell rung and veil inched up her shoulders, exposing some of her red hair. In her final brain-wracking moment, she came up with one solution.
The next second, Serenity picked up her skirts and fled the scene, literally. Miraculously, the crowds parted without question. She tore across the ballroom floor to the main exit. The Duel Monsters didn't have much time to react; almost no one did. Of course, Seto was an exception. As soon as he saw her turn, he knew what she was going to do, and he obviously didn't really care because he didn't want to marry her anyway, right?
That was why, one split-second later, he was running after her full speed. Serenity noticed and tried to pick up her pace. She had a head start, practically skipping over half of the palaces long step. When she got to the bottom, she turned and found Seto just appearing at the top. Not knowing what to do, Serenity dived into the nearest bush.
"Shizuka!" Seto called at the top of the steps. "Shizuka?" Serenity shuffled to a position as comfortable as could be in a thorny bush. As she felt her hair, she realized the veil had completely gone by this time. Her gown had shortened a few inches to its regular color and the sleeves had disappeared. If Seto saw her, she would be recognized immediately – not as Shizuka – but as Serenity.
"Your Highness?" Serenity craned her neck to look back up at the top of the steps. Two guards had approached Seto.
"Search the grounds and report to me if you find her!" Serenity yelped slightly and ducked back down into the bush. Her cheeks and arms stung from the thorns. Still, she could not risk being seen.
Five guards clambered down the steps. Among their chattering and armor clashes, Serenity heard distance voices belonging to the Royals that had joined their son.
"Where did she go?"
"She actually beat you!"
"I don't know!"
"Seto, are you going to marry her now?"
"Shush! Mokuba, she's not even here. I don't know why she fled."
"We better find her!"
"And I thought you didn't like her…"
"I-I-I don't! I just want to see that card of hers!" Serenity smiled and snuggled down into the bushes, wincing as a small branch caught her hair. Suddenly, she noticed that she had on the Duelist glove and the Disk. Of course, the Disk was made by no magical means, but the Glove was. She wondered why it didn't disappear.
"We cannot find her, your Majesty!"
"Search the back! We can't let her escape!"
"Yes, sir!" Serenity peeked slightly over the bushes as the clamor of guards slowly disappeared. Making sure the coast was cleared, she got up and climbed out into the pale moonlight. As she checked over herself, she saw that almost all traces of "Shizuka" were gone. Her veil had gone and her auburn hair was falling loosely around her head. She was left in a pale yellow, sleeveless hand-me-down gown that trailed two inches off the gown, exposing her bare feet. The only small evidence of the whole evening was the Duelist Glove on her right hand.
"If it wasn't for this, I would think I was dreaming," Serenity said to no one in particular. Turning her hand over, she took out the brown and green stones. I'll keep this as a reminder that tonight really did happen, and that I beat Téa and Mai. After looking at the glove one last time, she threw it over her shoulder onto the palace steps.
Still, I am a fool! I am not a Duelist! I just won by sheer luck! Okay, maybe I defeated Seto, but it's useless. I can't mention this to anybody, and no one can give credit to me. I'll never be able to share this. I'm not Shizuka, I'm Serenity. With those thoughts, Serenity left for home.
………
"That was plain weird!" Téa cried, pulling Mai over. The ballroom was in a blaze of whispers of excitement and confusing murmurs. Mai seemed very excited.
"It's perfect!" she cried. "If Shizuka ran away from Seto, I can have him!" Téa gave her an exasperated sigh.
"Okay, Mai! But right now, let's focus on what we think happened to Shizuka! She just… ran! Have we met any girl in our life that actually did not want to marry Seto?" Mai opened the mouth as if she had ten answers ready, but she quickly closed her mouth. After five seconds, she slowly opened it again.
"Lumina…" Mai offered. "You…"
"I did! I just don't any more! As for Lumina… okay… but still, that's one out of a million."
"Still, why are you so ballistic over Shizuka."
"All I'm saying is that she's weird, really weird. I wonder who she really is. Whenever I'm around her, I always have a feeling I know her. Mai, I don't really think she's Shizuka!"
………
Seto came out onto the palace steps again after going back in seven times. Every time, he was drawn back outside. It was peaceful, with a full moon and a light breeze. Still, Seto was mad. He wasn't mad that a girl had beaten him, at least, not mainly. He was mad that she had gotten away. He couldn't admit he wanted to marry her, but he could admit he was at least interested in her ability to Duel. It seemed like she was an amateur, but a good one.
As he bit his lip and thought about her, a small glimmer of a jewel caught his eye. His gaze traveled to the lower corner of the steps where a Duelist glove lay. Instantly, a name flashed through his mind: Shizuka. Hurrying, he ran down the steps and down to the glove. Four of the six slots glimmered with multicolored stones. It was definitely hers all right. The black color gave it away so easily. Plus, it was tiny, like her hands, but with long fingers.
"Funny," he thought. "How did she ever drop this?" Seto shrugged and slipped it in his coat pocket. At least he had something to remember her by.
………
Serenity ran all the way back to her house, not even pausing to rest once. It was a miracle she did not lose the way. Somehow, just thinking of Seto made her feet know just where to go.
It was almost near the half hour when Serenity made it home. Only the kitchen light was on. Hurriedly, she turned on every light switch in the main floor. Then, she went upstairs and changed into her nightgown, putting an over-used blue bathrobe over it. Combing her hair neatly, she slipped the two stones she had kept inside a drawer. Then, she went downstairs.
Téa and Mai came home three minutes later, just as Serenity was pretending to organize some things on the counter. She turned and smiled at them.
"So, how was it?" she asked. Téa came in with a smile on her lips.
"Wonderful!" she cried. "Even though I never actually dueled Seto, but Yami likes me! I got kissed twice!" Serenity gave her a thumbs up through a small smirk. Yep, she had seen that.
"Not so great," Mai muttered, unhappy about being dragged home so early. Unlike she had hoped, Seto had not even given her a second glance. He was too worried about his poor "Shizuka".
"Anyways," Téa interrupted, "hope you had something to eat. I know we nearly cleared out the fridge!" Serenity smiled weakly. That's right! I nearly forgot! All I had were four cookies! Hardly enough for a stomach like mine. I better fish out something now! Serenity rushed to the fridge and opened it.
"Anything left?" Mai asked. Serenity looked through. Mostly, only bowls and uncovered dishes lay empty on the shelves. Luckily, one apple lay at the very top shelf. Serenity grabbed it and looked at it thankfully.
"Thank you, dear," Mai cried. Serenity gasped as she plucked the apple out of her hand. Serenity's stomach growled angrily.
"Okay, about the ball…" Mai started, leaning against the counter and rolling the apple in her hand over and over. "It was okay, actually. I did get to see the prince and that is good enough. He even talked to us in the beginning. And he knew us!"
I remember that too! That was when he first saw me…I'm glad he didn't recognize me. Serenity eyed the apple. Her stomach wanted her to get it and she would get it. Slowly, Serenity approached Mai. She stood by the corner, eyeing the apple as Mai held it in her hand. Slowly, the hand lowered and the apple with it. Now, both rested on the counter.
"Anyways, there was something mysterious, though," Mai added. Serenity raised her eyebrows, inching her hand closer. She was an inch away from the unguarded apple.
"Really?" she queried, though there was no need to. That's probably me she's talking about.
"Yeah!" Mai suddenly took the apple and started walking again, Serenity glaring after her. "There was this girl, and she had on this veil and so we didn't know who she was."
"Some person from a different part of Domino, probably," Téa suggested. "Though, no part of Domino has people specifically wearing veils."
"Interesting," Serenity muttered nonchalantly, focusing on the apple. Yep, small comments are the way to go. Focus on the apple. Don't say anything that could give you away. Mai had stopped at the kitchen table now, fingering the apple in her right hand. She set it down on the table beside her and crossed her arms.
"The thing is," she continued. "She beat everyone at Duel Monsters! All six people she faced. I think she's been Dueling for five years at least!" Ha! Make that five hours! Serenity finally positioned herself near the apple and sneakily tried to weed her hand behind Mai's back to reach it.
"No! She's serious!" Téa suddenly exclaimed. "Of course, I lost on purpose to her, but she beat Mai!"
"That's got to be one good Duelist," Serenity remarked, struggling to find the apple. She groped around without trying to make it seem obvious. Her sisters couldn't know she hadn't eaten anything. They wouldn't have believed her. I can't believe it! They think I'm a good Duelist! Ha! They don't know the half of it. They might, someday, maybe when we're all old grandmothers and I choose to tell them. Serenity noticed that Mai had moved, taking the apple with her. Serenity sighed and started the chase over.
"Anyway, that girl, Shizuka, beat all six people so easily! Of course, three of them were forfeits but still… the other three were good Duelists!" Serenity watched as Mai brought the apple close to her mouth.
"She also beat Seto," Téa added, just as Mai bit into the apple.
"NO!" Serenity cried.
"I know, hard to believe isn't it?" Serenity tried not to try to hit Téa on the head, or Mai. It was better that the two of them misinterpret her sudden ejaculation than to figure out she had been at the Tournament.
"It is," Serenity forced out. Great! Guess I'll be going hungry tonight. Serves me right! I shouldn't have tried to fool 134 people and the Royal family tonight. As much as I hate to think about it, the king, queen, and younger prince had been so hopeful I – Shizuka, I mean – would marry Seto. I took their hopes up and crashed them.
"…Her method of Dueling was flawless…" Téa's voice droned in the background. "Even when Seto had out his Crush Card, she looked at it as smoothly as if it had been… a fuzzy, purple… cloud!" Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I know Seto didn't want to marry, but… what if he changed his mind?
"And then she was faced with three Blue-Eyes White Dragons…"
Did I really make the best choice to run?
"…she beat it with one card…"
Should I have stayed and revealed myself?
"…well, two actually…"
I know he was a jerk and all, but all guys are like that at some point. You have to give them some time… would Seto have wanted to marry me if I was only Serenity?
"…the whole crowd was so surprised…"
Would I have wanted to marry Seto? Would I mind? I mean, his family is really nice and it almost seems like I know them from somewhere…Queen Cecilia, King Pegasus… it almost seems like I've been with them in the castle…
"…the next thing you know, she does the worst thing… she runs!" Serenity shook out of her thoughts.
"The worst thing?" she questioned. "What do you mean?"
"Running from marrying Seto? Hello! Serenity, he's like the single hottest prince the land has ever known… and she ran!"
He is pretty good looking… really good looking… extremely good looking… but still, he is kinda nice if you think. He actually did eventually take me home that day with the market incident. Maybe he's nice… but we are talking about marriage here. Do I really want to marry him? I think I should have run… what do I mean should have? I did…that may have been a bad choice.
"Anyway," Mai said. "So, after that, Seto spends like the rest of the hour looking for her…"
So… he does like Shizuka…
"In fact," Téa added, "he goes out onto the steps seven times. Can you believe that? All the girls tried to get his attention, but his mind was fixed on Shizuka."
Never mind… he loves Shizuka…lucky girl…WAIT! That's me!
"His parents were all happy that he finally found a girl…"
What am I saying? Shizuka is not me! And did I say lucky? I don't think that's lucky, do I? Do I really want to marry him? I must be going crazy!
"So, we got bored and came home. That's the whole story, we'll tell you all about the Duels tomorrow…"
You know, this seems to weird to be reality. Did all those things really happen? I mean…who would have thought? I think it's all a dream…was it a dream?
"Are okay?" Mai inquired suddenly, shaking Serenity out of her thoughts.
"Oh…huh…what? I mean… sorry, I'm just…trying to imagine what the Tournament was like…" Téa and Mai smirked.
"Too bad you couldn't have gone!" they chuckled. "Anyway, we're tired so we're going to turn in…good night!" Serenity sighed with relief as her sisters left the kitchen. For a few minutes, she stood leaning against the counter, listening to her stomach growl. Finally, she decided to try the freezer.
Please let something be in there. Serenity opened the door and gaped. The freezer was packed! Ice creams to sherbets to banana splits sat side by side, jammed into every shelf. On one of the edges was a note. Serenity pulled it off and read it aloud, softly.
"Serenity, my sister Cy told me of the fact that you are going to the Tournament. By the time you read this, it might be long over. Congratulations if you won…anyways, Cy thought that your stepsisters might get angry if your house wasn't clean…why are you cleaning the mess, anyway? Don't you have servants…sorry, off the topic. Anyway, she told some of the fairies to help. Fairy Lily was one of them. The Harpies also helped, with their Feather Dusters…uh, that's not important. Anyway (sorry if I am being redundant) but I happen to come by your fridge and found that it was empty! Sorry I couldn't pack the refrigerator (funny that your kingdom has those, but it doesn't have microwaves! Your Realm is very strange! Ooops, digressed again!) Anyway, the point is, I felt sorry and I went to talk to Yantzeir, the Trap Master. He agreed to help me, but he would only give me desserts. Just Desserts! Can you believe him? I told him you couldn't survive on Just Desserts, but he wouldn't listen. Sorry, but that's Yantzeir for you, always selfish with his Traps. You would think he has enough. So, that's the explanation. Don't worry about your stepsisters; the food is charmed to be invisible to them. Happy eating! Signed, Clarrisa, Magician of Faith." Serenity smiled as she finished the note. So… DMG has a sister. Serenity finally realized why everything seemed so organized.
So…this settles it. It wasn't a dream… still, it just bugs me a little…should… would I have married…Seto? Serenity decided to leave her thoughts alone. After all, she would have the rest of her life to ponder the questions. For now, there was some major pigging out on desserts to be done!