"Come on your Highness. It's time to get up."
Serena painfully opened her eyes into the morning sunlight at the sound of the familiar voice. She winced as she touched her bandaged shoulder. The blond stranger from the Mystic Moon was standing over her and he almost looked quite cute but then he opened his mouth and she remembered why she couldn't stand him in the first place.
"How ya doin?"
Serena groaned. "How come whatever I do I just cannot get rid of you?"
The brunette stranger came up to her and jerked his thumb in the blond's direction. "Because Wheeler's like a germ. However hard you scrub he's still there just to annoy you. I on the other hand am here to help you."
Oh great, mister smooth here is about as bad as Allen Schezar.
"You are so full of crap Kaiba," the blond complained as he rolled his eyes.
Serena sighed, "I've just about had enough of you two."
"Sorry Princess," they both said in the same tone. For a moment they looked almost identical, hair and eyes excepting.
Serena glanced from one to the other curiously. "Are you two twins? You sure look like it."
The brunette looked about to have a heart attack and the blond started coughing.
"I guess not." Serena got out of the bed and both of them turned red as she slid on a wrap dress and tied a stripped cloth belt around it. But she didn't seem to care that they were there. "So who are you people?"
They looked shocked to be certain.
"I'm Seto Kaiba," the brunette said.
"Joseph Wheeler."
"Well, Seto, Joseph, welcome to Fanelia." Serena said as she pushed open the window and they could see the gardens of Fanelia down below. They stood silent in awe. Serena pulled on a pair of flat sandals and rose on her tiptoes to kiss both on the cheek. Both the duelists blushed hotly.
"My father wishes to speak with both of you."
"Father?" They echoed and it suddenly hit both of them and Joey was glad to see that Kaiba was as nervous as he was.
* * *
Merle crinkled her nose as she walked in circles around the kid with the multi-colored spiky hair. She puffed up her tail as she hissed and saw his weird look.
"You're weird!" she complained.
"Merle, quit torturing the poor kid."
"Yes Hitomi," she said snidely.
Van was looking around, looking bored.
"So, did you meet them?"
"Yes," he said abruptly. "I don't like this."
"You worried?"
"Oh, not about that. Neither is Serena's type but I suspect the enemy forces to return. They dared attack openly this time."
"Yes, they did," Hitomi mused. She looked up to see Varie jumping on Serena. Hitomi couldn't help but smile as she watched them but the presence of the strangers from the Mystic Moon bothered her as well.
"Serena," Van said forcefully.
"Yes father?"
"You will be leading the army as commander once again. There is no one else to since the deaths of both Sakuyo and Allen."
Serena bowed her head gracefully. "I humbly accept this honor, father."
"Escaflowne will be put at your disposal once you have completed your coronation. Now prepare."
Serena bit her lip lightly as she watched her parents leave. She slid her sword back into the sheathe as they left the gardens. She felt almost sick as she sat down on the grass. The time had finally come for her to become Queen of all of Fanelia.
"Princess Serena!" Varie laid her head down on Serena's lap. "What's wrong Princess Serena?"
"My coronation will be this afternoon Varie. I'm worried."
"Why Princess Serena?" Serena smiled at her old friend then got back to her feet.
"Varie, I'm visiting the house."
"Say hi for me!"
* * *
Kalina Bakura brushed her hair out of the face as she set the two tiny cat girls down on the mattresses. She had taken care of the children for years now and she wouldn't trade it for anything. Or at least anything but maybe seeing her twin brother, Ryou, one more time. She had no idea how she had ended up on the strange planet but she missed him. They had been ten when they had last seen each other and even then they had still looked exactly alike. She wore her layered white hair slightly longer but it was still rather short.
"Hey Kali."
"Hi Serena, having fun?"
Serena sat down next to her. "Oh, sure, absolutely wonderful. Got beaten up by Dilandau while dealing with these blasted strangers from the Mystic Moon and their wonderful Duel Monsters," Serena muttered sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
"Duel Monsters?" Kalina echoed. She knew of Duel Monsters. Ryou had played the game often and both her and Ryou had items to do with the game. "Do any of these strangers have white hair?" she asked with a questioning look.
"Nope, but we've got about every other color in the spectrum. Even a kid with black, red, and blonde hair."
"Smaller than you?" Kalina asked as she tossed Serena a drink.
"You're pushing it Kali."
"So other than that?"
Serena sighed, "you know my coronation is today."
"Yes, I do. Are you worried?"
"Yes."
"Your mother hasn't been by recently," Kalina said quietly.
"Quit trying to change the subject."
"Of, course, I wouldn't dare undermine you, your highness."
Serena narrowed her eyes at Kalina with her innocent smile. "You're mocking me!"
"I would never!"
"Yeah," she snorted, "as soon as I'm Empress of Zaiboc."
"For a princess you can be awfully snide. So do you have your sights set on anyone? After all, your mother came from there."
Serena sat down and a small cat girl came up and started playing with her hair. "I just don't know anymore Kalina. There was once I thought that love was possible but now I'm not so sure. With Allen of the Duchy of Freid missing and Sakuyo dead my parents have been having meetings with a rich merchant from Asturia. He has a son that they may want me to be wed to. Of course Millerna and Dryden have a say since it will be deciding the new king of Asturia. But I've met this guy. His ego is this big," Serena held her hands apart as far as they could go.
"Well, you are the only heir to the throne of Asturia since your child died."
"I couldn't condemn a child to a life like this. Besides, it was a girl!"
Kalina smiled as she began tucking the little cat children into bed and she looked at her dear friend. "I'll be there tonight Serena. Take care of yourself, and no more playing with Zaiboc guymelefs."
Serena flopped down on the ground. "Has anyone not heard of that?"
"Well, it isn't everyday that the High Princess Serena Diana Kanzaki de Fanel takes on the guymelef of Dilandau Albatau single-handedly and lives to tell the tale."
"I just sure hope this hasn't inspired some of those kids to go on their own suicide missions. Sometimes being a public figure sucks. Scratch that, all the time it does."
Serena painfully opened her eyes into the morning sunlight at the sound of the familiar voice. She winced as she touched her bandaged shoulder. The blond stranger from the Mystic Moon was standing over her and he almost looked quite cute but then he opened his mouth and she remembered why she couldn't stand him in the first place.
"How ya doin?"
Serena groaned. "How come whatever I do I just cannot get rid of you?"
The brunette stranger came up to her and jerked his thumb in the blond's direction. "Because Wheeler's like a germ. However hard you scrub he's still there just to annoy you. I on the other hand am here to help you."
Oh great, mister smooth here is about as bad as Allen Schezar.
"You are so full of crap Kaiba," the blond complained as he rolled his eyes.
Serena sighed, "I've just about had enough of you two."
"Sorry Princess," they both said in the same tone. For a moment they looked almost identical, hair and eyes excepting.
Serena glanced from one to the other curiously. "Are you two twins? You sure look like it."
The brunette looked about to have a heart attack and the blond started coughing.
"I guess not." Serena got out of the bed and both of them turned red as she slid on a wrap dress and tied a stripped cloth belt around it. But she didn't seem to care that they were there. "So who are you people?"
They looked shocked to be certain.
"I'm Seto Kaiba," the brunette said.
"Joseph Wheeler."
"Well, Seto, Joseph, welcome to Fanelia." Serena said as she pushed open the window and they could see the gardens of Fanelia down below. They stood silent in awe. Serena pulled on a pair of flat sandals and rose on her tiptoes to kiss both on the cheek. Both the duelists blushed hotly.
"My father wishes to speak with both of you."
"Father?" They echoed and it suddenly hit both of them and Joey was glad to see that Kaiba was as nervous as he was.
* * *
Merle crinkled her nose as she walked in circles around the kid with the multi-colored spiky hair. She puffed up her tail as she hissed and saw his weird look.
"You're weird!" she complained.
"Merle, quit torturing the poor kid."
"Yes Hitomi," she said snidely.
Van was looking around, looking bored.
"So, did you meet them?"
"Yes," he said abruptly. "I don't like this."
"You worried?"
"Oh, not about that. Neither is Serena's type but I suspect the enemy forces to return. They dared attack openly this time."
"Yes, they did," Hitomi mused. She looked up to see Varie jumping on Serena. Hitomi couldn't help but smile as she watched them but the presence of the strangers from the Mystic Moon bothered her as well.
"Serena," Van said forcefully.
"Yes father?"
"You will be leading the army as commander once again. There is no one else to since the deaths of both Sakuyo and Allen."
Serena bowed her head gracefully. "I humbly accept this honor, father."
"Escaflowne will be put at your disposal once you have completed your coronation. Now prepare."
Serena bit her lip lightly as she watched her parents leave. She slid her sword back into the sheathe as they left the gardens. She felt almost sick as she sat down on the grass. The time had finally come for her to become Queen of all of Fanelia.
"Princess Serena!" Varie laid her head down on Serena's lap. "What's wrong Princess Serena?"
"My coronation will be this afternoon Varie. I'm worried."
"Why Princess Serena?" Serena smiled at her old friend then got back to her feet.
"Varie, I'm visiting the house."
"Say hi for me!"
* * *
Kalina Bakura brushed her hair out of the face as she set the two tiny cat girls down on the mattresses. She had taken care of the children for years now and she wouldn't trade it for anything. Or at least anything but maybe seeing her twin brother, Ryou, one more time. She had no idea how she had ended up on the strange planet but she missed him. They had been ten when they had last seen each other and even then they had still looked exactly alike. She wore her layered white hair slightly longer but it was still rather short.
"Hey Kali."
"Hi Serena, having fun?"
Serena sat down next to her. "Oh, sure, absolutely wonderful. Got beaten up by Dilandau while dealing with these blasted strangers from the Mystic Moon and their wonderful Duel Monsters," Serena muttered sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.
"Duel Monsters?" Kalina echoed. She knew of Duel Monsters. Ryou had played the game often and both her and Ryou had items to do with the game. "Do any of these strangers have white hair?" she asked with a questioning look.
"Nope, but we've got about every other color in the spectrum. Even a kid with black, red, and blonde hair."
"Smaller than you?" Kalina asked as she tossed Serena a drink.
"You're pushing it Kali."
"So other than that?"
Serena sighed, "you know my coronation is today."
"Yes, I do. Are you worried?"
"Yes."
"Your mother hasn't been by recently," Kalina said quietly.
"Quit trying to change the subject."
"Of, course, I wouldn't dare undermine you, your highness."
Serena narrowed her eyes at Kalina with her innocent smile. "You're mocking me!"
"I would never!"
"Yeah," she snorted, "as soon as I'm Empress of Zaiboc."
"For a princess you can be awfully snide. So do you have your sights set on anyone? After all, your mother came from there."
Serena sat down and a small cat girl came up and started playing with her hair. "I just don't know anymore Kalina. There was once I thought that love was possible but now I'm not so sure. With Allen of the Duchy of Freid missing and Sakuyo dead my parents have been having meetings with a rich merchant from Asturia. He has a son that they may want me to be wed to. Of course Millerna and Dryden have a say since it will be deciding the new king of Asturia. But I've met this guy. His ego is this big," Serena held her hands apart as far as they could go.
"Well, you are the only heir to the throne of Asturia since your child died."
"I couldn't condemn a child to a life like this. Besides, it was a girl!"
Kalina smiled as she began tucking the little cat children into bed and she looked at her dear friend. "I'll be there tonight Serena. Take care of yourself, and no more playing with Zaiboc guymelefs."
Serena flopped down on the ground. "Has anyone not heard of that?"
"Well, it isn't everyday that the High Princess Serena Diana Kanzaki de Fanel takes on the guymelef of Dilandau Albatau single-handedly and lives to tell the tale."
"I just sure hope this hasn't inspired some of those kids to go on their own suicide missions. Sometimes being a public figure sucks. Scratch that, all the time it does."