"I'm hungry Seto."
"So am I Joey."
Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler turned around to see Mokuba Kaiba and Yugi Mutou sitting the ground. They had obviously given up on walking.
"Wait!" Serenity called out towards the Princess.
"Keep up or get lost," she snarled. That was enough for Joey as he ran ahead and grabbed her collar.
"I don't know who you think you are but the only reason we're following you is because you supposedly know your way so if you don't listen up we'll get rid of you. You couldn't possibly fight us." Joey hadn't even realized that he had lifted her off the ground so that she was eye-level to him even though normally a good foot separated their heights.
"Don't make me mad. You have no idea who you're dealing with."
Joey threw her down. "Yeah I do! A snot nosed little rich girl with no idea how to survive out of her penthouse."
Serena brought a kick to the back of his knee and as she heard the cartilage tear she grabbed his arm and flipped him over onto his back and returned with a strike to the nerves in his face. Joey bit his tongue as she halted the next strike and jammed her heel down between his legs.
Everyone was speechless as Tristan and Serenity helped him back up. "Dat girl," he snarled.
"I'll take you as far as the capital of the country of Zaiboc. All refugees stay there. I suggest you don't follow me after that unless you want to know real pain. I know your idiot friend there saw me slay a dragon and that was no illusion." Serena turned towards them, a dangerous light in her eyes. "I'll kill you myself if you get in my way again."
"Great going Wheeler."
"Watch it Kaiba."
* * *
It was a few hours before they stopped and it was completely dark but Serena managed to start a fire even after that. Or at least she had done it after Joey had failed utterly and kept bringing it up just to wipe his face with it.
"Show off." Joey suddenly perked up. "Food? I smell food!"
Serena passed out the long sticks that she had just pulled out of the fire and Yugi hungrily ate.
"This is great your Highness!" Yugi said with a grin. "Even better than hamburgers!"
Joey and Kaiba looked down at their sticks. They were covered in roasted insects and lizards.
"No thank you, your Highness. I would not like to insult you but I think I'll pass."
Joey rolled his eyes at Kaiba. "Kaiba, you are pathetic."
"Well, we'll see who wins this girl. The dweeb or the good guy."
"Don't make me laugh."
Duke was looking down at his own stick as he heard Mokuba's voice saying. 'Seto! Can I have yours?'
Duke looked bravely at it and then threw it down but it never hit the ground as Yugi snatched it out of the air and Duke ran for the bushes. Téa and Serenity looked sick as Tristan was bravely chomping down on it.
"I don't think I quite got your name," Serenity asked as she tried to start conversation.
"Serena," she answered quickly.
"I'm sorry your highness, I didn't hear you."
"You don't need to know my name," Serena answered coldly as she got up. "Put the fire out then get some sleep once you're done. We leave early tomorrow morning."
"You think her leaving is safe?"
"I just dare you to try and stop her."
* * *
"There was a fight here." Allen said as he touched the ground still wet with dragon blood.
"Do you think Princess Serena's okay?" Varie pleaded with him.
"There's no other blood besides the dragon blood. I'm sure she's alright."
Varie stuck her nose in the air and sniffed then ran off. "Varie!"
"I smell something! This way!" Allen and Merle finally caught up to Varie. Merle looked down and sniffed at the lumps on the ground. One small one turned over and grabbed her. It grabbed onto her tail and wouldn't let go of it.
Seto Kaiba was watching from the shadow as he saw Yugi. "Yugi," he snorted. "That kid still sucks his thumb in his sleep. It's pitiful."
Merle felt him bite down on her tail as she hissed and meowed.
"No! My hamburger!" Merle broke free out of his grasp and began nursing her throbbing tail then her eyes lit up as she saw the Millennium puzzle. She grabbed the chain in her mouth and ran off with it.
* * *
Serena waded far into the lake and pulled off her shirt to wash up. She was filthy and covered with dragon blood and she had no idea when she was getting home. But she had to be careful not to go in too deep, she had never swum in her life. Once she was clean she made her way to her bag and pulled on the long open necked, vest like dress. She tied the long stripped belt around her as she took a bone comb and began combing her hair. As she sat down on the ground she slid her long wings out of her spine and stretched them. It had been so long.
Serena tied her sword to the cloth belt and slid the dagger under her dress. It felt good to have her wings out again but she was regretting it as she heard the snap of a twig. Serena's eyes scanned the area cautiously. She knew something was out there.
"Princess Serena! Princess Serena!"
Serena looked up to see Varie racing towards her in absolute joy. "Princess Serena!" she yelled as she jumped on her and unabashedly began licking her.
"Varie! Get down!" Serena was laughing as she pushed the cat girl down then she saw something in the shadows. "Stay here Varie."
"Okay Princess Serena!"
"And quit calling me Princess." Serena went over to the bushes and smacked them with the flat of her blade and something jumped from them. Varie screamed and climbed up the tree.
"It's alright Varie. It's just him."
Joey was glaring at the princess as he rubbed his soar arm. "Ya didn't have to hit me so hard."
"You deserved it," Serena angrily snarled at him as she put her sword away again and Joey felt some thing drop on his back. He turned around trying to see it.
"Look Princess Serena! It's chasing its tail!" Varie looked down and patted his hair as she looked curiously and then started chewing on it.
"Git off!"
Serena showed a very small smile as she looked down.
"Huh?"
"Yipee! Princess Serena smiled!" Varie jumped off him as she began licking Serena.
"Yer name's Serena?"
"Yes," she said coldly as she headed towards the camp.
"Listen Princess."
"Unless you want to apologize I suggest you shut your mouth."
"I guess yer a little burned. Listen, I didn't know you were taking a bath. But if it means anything you're in real good shape and quite pretty. I shouldn't have been watching, I'm sorry."
"It isn't about you watching me take a bath!" Serena yelled as she took off and Joey hurried after her.
"Then what is it about Princess?"
She shook her head. "You saw, you saw," tears were streaming down her face as 0she tried again. "You saw what I was!"
"And what is dat? An Angel? Really, I think dere pretty."
Serena grabbed his shirt as she turned towards him. "Don't tell anyone, please."
"Why not?"
"If anyone found out they would be so terrified of me. It wouldn't do for my people to be terrified of me."
"I smell love," Varie muttered to herself.
Joey turned as he heard a yell, sounding like Yugi. "Yuge! I'm commin!"
Serena tore down the pathway with Varie on all fours running on her heels. Joey came just behind her and she saw the tri-colored haired kid screaming with a Guymelef bearing a sword pointed at him. There were two Zaiboc Guymelefs, one that was threatening Yugi and a red one. Also surrounding them were several Ispano Guymelefs and many other types. Two were caught in a fight with a blue-cloaked Asturian Guymelef.
"Allen! It's Scherezade!"
"Hand over Serena Kanzaki de Fanel and we'll let you go peacefully," the Guymelef ordered Yugi. Yugi was of course too scared to do anything except start crying.
"My puzzle's gone!"
"Should we be worried Princess Serena?"
"No Varie, Allen is here with Scherezade." Suddenly the sword of the red Guymelef went through Scherezade as it fell. The red Guymelef, the same one that had murdered Sakuyo. Serena felt her anger building.
"I am Serena Kanzaki de Fanel! Come out and face me!"
The red Guymelef turned towards her and she saw the Crimson Claw coming her way but stood bravely as she held her sword up. I hope this gives everyone enough time. Take care of yourself Varie. I will be joining Sakuyo today.
"NO!" Serena heard the yell from two separate places as one Zaiboc Guymelef fought off the red one.
"Wheeler! You're crazy!" Joey jumped on Serena and pulled her out of the way but she got back up.
"Idiot! Get out of here!"
"I'm not gonna leave ya."
Serena shoved him away. "I said leave! Take Varie and your friends and leave. Some one needs to alert my father. Varie will take you to Fanelia."
"Princess Serena!"
"Go Varie! Take the strangers from the Mystic Moon and tell my father."
"I'm not leaving you Princess Serena!"
The ground cracked under their feet and threw both Joey and Varie back.
"Princess Serena! Don't do this!"
Serena used the psychic abilities that she had honed as a Draconian and sent Varie back. But she didn't notice the Crimson Claw that drove through her shoulder. The pain was like nothing she had felt before. She barely saw a new Ispano Guymelef merging forward as the Crimson Claw was sliced off and slowly pulled out of her shoulder. A second Fanelian Guymelef joined them and attacked the red Guymelef. It fell and the white haired man inside stepped out.
"Hitomi Kanzaki! You are finished!"
"Guess again Dilandau."
"Please Hitomi, don't kill my sister."
Van raced after Dilandau on foot and managed to slice his cheek before he escaped along with the others.
Joey looked confused. "That was a girl?"
"So am I Joey."
Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler turned around to see Mokuba Kaiba and Yugi Mutou sitting the ground. They had obviously given up on walking.
"Wait!" Serenity called out towards the Princess.
"Keep up or get lost," she snarled. That was enough for Joey as he ran ahead and grabbed her collar.
"I don't know who you think you are but the only reason we're following you is because you supposedly know your way so if you don't listen up we'll get rid of you. You couldn't possibly fight us." Joey hadn't even realized that he had lifted her off the ground so that she was eye-level to him even though normally a good foot separated their heights.
"Don't make me mad. You have no idea who you're dealing with."
Joey threw her down. "Yeah I do! A snot nosed little rich girl with no idea how to survive out of her penthouse."
Serena brought a kick to the back of his knee and as she heard the cartilage tear she grabbed his arm and flipped him over onto his back and returned with a strike to the nerves in his face. Joey bit his tongue as she halted the next strike and jammed her heel down between his legs.
Everyone was speechless as Tristan and Serenity helped him back up. "Dat girl," he snarled.
"I'll take you as far as the capital of the country of Zaiboc. All refugees stay there. I suggest you don't follow me after that unless you want to know real pain. I know your idiot friend there saw me slay a dragon and that was no illusion." Serena turned towards them, a dangerous light in her eyes. "I'll kill you myself if you get in my way again."
"Great going Wheeler."
"Watch it Kaiba."
* * *
It was a few hours before they stopped and it was completely dark but Serena managed to start a fire even after that. Or at least she had done it after Joey had failed utterly and kept bringing it up just to wipe his face with it.
"Show off." Joey suddenly perked up. "Food? I smell food!"
Serena passed out the long sticks that she had just pulled out of the fire and Yugi hungrily ate.
"This is great your Highness!" Yugi said with a grin. "Even better than hamburgers!"
Joey and Kaiba looked down at their sticks. They were covered in roasted insects and lizards.
"No thank you, your Highness. I would not like to insult you but I think I'll pass."
Joey rolled his eyes at Kaiba. "Kaiba, you are pathetic."
"Well, we'll see who wins this girl. The dweeb or the good guy."
"Don't make me laugh."
Duke was looking down at his own stick as he heard Mokuba's voice saying. 'Seto! Can I have yours?'
Duke looked bravely at it and then threw it down but it never hit the ground as Yugi snatched it out of the air and Duke ran for the bushes. Téa and Serenity looked sick as Tristan was bravely chomping down on it.
"I don't think I quite got your name," Serenity asked as she tried to start conversation.
"Serena," she answered quickly.
"I'm sorry your highness, I didn't hear you."
"You don't need to know my name," Serena answered coldly as she got up. "Put the fire out then get some sleep once you're done. We leave early tomorrow morning."
"You think her leaving is safe?"
"I just dare you to try and stop her."
* * *
"There was a fight here." Allen said as he touched the ground still wet with dragon blood.
"Do you think Princess Serena's okay?" Varie pleaded with him.
"There's no other blood besides the dragon blood. I'm sure she's alright."
Varie stuck her nose in the air and sniffed then ran off. "Varie!"
"I smell something! This way!" Allen and Merle finally caught up to Varie. Merle looked down and sniffed at the lumps on the ground. One small one turned over and grabbed her. It grabbed onto her tail and wouldn't let go of it.
Seto Kaiba was watching from the shadow as he saw Yugi. "Yugi," he snorted. "That kid still sucks his thumb in his sleep. It's pitiful."
Merle felt him bite down on her tail as she hissed and meowed.
"No! My hamburger!" Merle broke free out of his grasp and began nursing her throbbing tail then her eyes lit up as she saw the Millennium puzzle. She grabbed the chain in her mouth and ran off with it.
* * *
Serena waded far into the lake and pulled off her shirt to wash up. She was filthy and covered with dragon blood and she had no idea when she was getting home. But she had to be careful not to go in too deep, she had never swum in her life. Once she was clean she made her way to her bag and pulled on the long open necked, vest like dress. She tied the long stripped belt around her as she took a bone comb and began combing her hair. As she sat down on the ground she slid her long wings out of her spine and stretched them. It had been so long.
Serena tied her sword to the cloth belt and slid the dagger under her dress. It felt good to have her wings out again but she was regretting it as she heard the snap of a twig. Serena's eyes scanned the area cautiously. She knew something was out there.
"Princess Serena! Princess Serena!"
Serena looked up to see Varie racing towards her in absolute joy. "Princess Serena!" she yelled as she jumped on her and unabashedly began licking her.
"Varie! Get down!" Serena was laughing as she pushed the cat girl down then she saw something in the shadows. "Stay here Varie."
"Okay Princess Serena!"
"And quit calling me Princess." Serena went over to the bushes and smacked them with the flat of her blade and something jumped from them. Varie screamed and climbed up the tree.
"It's alright Varie. It's just him."
Joey was glaring at the princess as he rubbed his soar arm. "Ya didn't have to hit me so hard."
"You deserved it," Serena angrily snarled at him as she put her sword away again and Joey felt some thing drop on his back. He turned around trying to see it.
"Look Princess Serena! It's chasing its tail!" Varie looked down and patted his hair as she looked curiously and then started chewing on it.
"Git off!"
Serena showed a very small smile as she looked down.
"Huh?"
"Yipee! Princess Serena smiled!" Varie jumped off him as she began licking Serena.
"Yer name's Serena?"
"Yes," she said coldly as she headed towards the camp.
"Listen Princess."
"Unless you want to apologize I suggest you shut your mouth."
"I guess yer a little burned. Listen, I didn't know you were taking a bath. But if it means anything you're in real good shape and quite pretty. I shouldn't have been watching, I'm sorry."
"It isn't about you watching me take a bath!" Serena yelled as she took off and Joey hurried after her.
"Then what is it about Princess?"
She shook her head. "You saw, you saw," tears were streaming down her face as 0she tried again. "You saw what I was!"
"And what is dat? An Angel? Really, I think dere pretty."
Serena grabbed his shirt as she turned towards him. "Don't tell anyone, please."
"Why not?"
"If anyone found out they would be so terrified of me. It wouldn't do for my people to be terrified of me."
"I smell love," Varie muttered to herself.
Joey turned as he heard a yell, sounding like Yugi. "Yuge! I'm commin!"
Serena tore down the pathway with Varie on all fours running on her heels. Joey came just behind her and she saw the tri-colored haired kid screaming with a Guymelef bearing a sword pointed at him. There were two Zaiboc Guymelefs, one that was threatening Yugi and a red one. Also surrounding them were several Ispano Guymelefs and many other types. Two were caught in a fight with a blue-cloaked Asturian Guymelef.
"Allen! It's Scherezade!"
"Hand over Serena Kanzaki de Fanel and we'll let you go peacefully," the Guymelef ordered Yugi. Yugi was of course too scared to do anything except start crying.
"My puzzle's gone!"
"Should we be worried Princess Serena?"
"No Varie, Allen is here with Scherezade." Suddenly the sword of the red Guymelef went through Scherezade as it fell. The red Guymelef, the same one that had murdered Sakuyo. Serena felt her anger building.
"I am Serena Kanzaki de Fanel! Come out and face me!"
The red Guymelef turned towards her and she saw the Crimson Claw coming her way but stood bravely as she held her sword up. I hope this gives everyone enough time. Take care of yourself Varie. I will be joining Sakuyo today.
"NO!" Serena heard the yell from two separate places as one Zaiboc Guymelef fought off the red one.
"Wheeler! You're crazy!" Joey jumped on Serena and pulled her out of the way but she got back up.
"Idiot! Get out of here!"
"I'm not gonna leave ya."
Serena shoved him away. "I said leave! Take Varie and your friends and leave. Some one needs to alert my father. Varie will take you to Fanelia."
"Princess Serena!"
"Go Varie! Take the strangers from the Mystic Moon and tell my father."
"I'm not leaving you Princess Serena!"
The ground cracked under their feet and threw both Joey and Varie back.
"Princess Serena! Don't do this!"
Serena used the psychic abilities that she had honed as a Draconian and sent Varie back. But she didn't notice the Crimson Claw that drove through her shoulder. The pain was like nothing she had felt before. She barely saw a new Ispano Guymelef merging forward as the Crimson Claw was sliced off and slowly pulled out of her shoulder. A second Fanelian Guymelef joined them and attacked the red Guymelef. It fell and the white haired man inside stepped out.
"Hitomi Kanzaki! You are finished!"
"Guess again Dilandau."
"Please Hitomi, don't kill my sister."
Van raced after Dilandau on foot and managed to slice his cheek before he escaped along with the others.
Joey looked confused. "That was a girl?"