"How could you be so mean!" Téa yelled at Varie but the cat girl
continued to ignore her.
"I have my orders," she said. She didn't want to do it but it was orders. Varie was finding it increasingly harder each day to follow the orders. "Sacrifices must be made."
Yugi looked over at Varie in shock. "She seems to be torn Yugi."
"I know that Yami. But how can we help her?"
"I don't know. She isn't like anyone we've faced before. She isn't evil."
Varie suddenly ran off and then tripped and Serenity helped her up. Bakura snorted in disgust at the sight of Varie and it was obvious his evil spirit had taken over again.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm worried about Serena. She's all alone out there," Varie sniffed as she wiped her tears. "I know she's always alone but she doesn't have to be."
Yugi sat down next to her as she sniffed. It all suddenly made sense. Varie was loyal to only Serena but the problem was that Serena was cold and could be ruthless. "If she isn't going to respect you why try?"
"Oh no Yugi. Deep inside she's a very caring person. She just needs to hide it."
"Hide it?"
Her eyes widened. "If she was weak do you know what the enemies could do to her?" Yugi didn't quite understand this but he was sure that this girl needed help.
* * *
Serena urged Escaflowne forward but then on the ground she saw a glint of golden color and white cloth whipping in the air. She knelt down and saw that it was one of the strangers from the Mystic Moon. She gingerly brought down the Guymelef's hand when he woke up and started to panic and then calmed as her faceplate separated.
"Oh, it's you," he said in a dry tone.
"I suggest you watch it. I could just leave you here to die."
"Uh no thanks."
"Alright, do you mind heights?"
"Heights?" Joey said as he looked confused. He didn't mind being up high as long as it didn't include flying. He thought back to the blimp and how sick he had gotten.
"Okay, let me put you down for a minute." Joey jumped off the huge robot's hand as he watched the robot change form into a white dragon. Serena was standing in a small box on top of it as she reached a hand out to him. Joey noticed several cuts on her arms and face but didn't mention anything about it. She seemed not to even had noticed them.
He took her hand as she pulled him up. "I'll see what I can do about those burns when we get into the forest. We're in the middle of a war zone at the moment."
"Oh really, I never noticed," he glared a bit numbly as he said it with full sarcasm.
"Sarcasm does not make you any more attractive. Neither does that glare you're trying to give me."
"Well, I can take care of myself." Joey suddenly felt his stomach lurch as Escaflowne spread its wings and surged upwards.
It felt like forever to Joey by the time they landed. He was sitting there not feeling the best when Serena came back with a handful of plants. She crushed them in her hands until they formed a paste.
"Come here."
"Huh?"
Serena raised an eyebrow. "I suggest you listen."
"Uh, yeah."
"Then come here and take off your shirt." Joey sat there in shock while Serena waited sat on the ground.
"I don't care who ya think ya are, yer highness. I ain't takin off my shirt fer no girl!"
She stood up and shoved the paste into his hands. "Then you put it on you jerk!"
"Listen up yer highness, I ain't one of yer subjects so quit actin all high and mighty."
"I was trying to help." Serena turned away, her mind running back to all the battles she had fought. The reason she always got away unharmed is because they had always kept her out of the real fight. She could never help anyone while being herself. She was expected to be a lady but she had been trained to fight.
"What's dis stuff?"
"It's a type of plant that heals skin and soothes pain. All our medicines here are natural." Serena turned away from him as she gathered up the plants she had put down. She wondered if dealing with her mother had been this infuriating.
"It smells."
"I never said it would smell good."
"A'righ," Joey blushed in sudden embarrassment. "Think ya could help me?"
"Sure," Serena gave the first genuine smile Joey had ever seen on her face as she helped him out then offered him some roots. "You weren't looking all that well but we have more flying to do."
"Uh, yeah."
"You should have told me you get airsick."
'Why is this girl suddenly being so nice to me? She is kinda cute.' Joey shook his head as he realized he couldn't keep his eyes off the Queen. 'No! She ain't from where I am. Besides, I still gotta go back and there are others.'
"Here," Serena handed him some roots. "Chew on these, the juices will help quell your nausea. Don't swallow them though, just the juices. The actual plant is poisonous but the juices are not."
Joey paled as he heard this. 'Great! Now she's trying to poison me!'
"No I'm not," she said as she jumped back onto Escaflowne. She didn't answer to Joey's weird look.
'Did she just read my mind?' Joey nervously chewed on the root and then stuck his tongue out with a disgusted look on his face.
"Dese taste awful!"
"I didn't promise Pisanos," Serena said flippantly as Escaflowne took off again and Joey leaned back and wished the ride would end soon.
"Pisanos?" Joey asked as his curiosity piqued.
"Yes, they're a very sweet fruit originally from Atlantis. My grandmother and her people carried several plants back and one was planted in the gardens of Fanelia. They blossomed there. They made excellent wine when done the right way but my mother wouldn't tell anyone how she made the wine. No one could ever get enough of her wine. We even had Duke Chid and Duchess Merle dancing on the tables once." Serena let a smile escape in reminisce. Then she grew serious again. "But even if it hasn't been destroyed yet it will be."
"Ya don't really mean that do ya, yer highness." Joey said between the root in his mouth. He was surprised that it was actually working.
"Yes, I do. They will leave nothing standing. The land of Fanelia will never recover but its people are still alive. We'll live on."
Joey looked away from her as she sat there in silence.
"I have my orders," she said. She didn't want to do it but it was orders. Varie was finding it increasingly harder each day to follow the orders. "Sacrifices must be made."
Yugi looked over at Varie in shock. "She seems to be torn Yugi."
"I know that Yami. But how can we help her?"
"I don't know. She isn't like anyone we've faced before. She isn't evil."
Varie suddenly ran off and then tripped and Serenity helped her up. Bakura snorted in disgust at the sight of Varie and it was obvious his evil spirit had taken over again.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm worried about Serena. She's all alone out there," Varie sniffed as she wiped her tears. "I know she's always alone but she doesn't have to be."
Yugi sat down next to her as she sniffed. It all suddenly made sense. Varie was loyal to only Serena but the problem was that Serena was cold and could be ruthless. "If she isn't going to respect you why try?"
"Oh no Yugi. Deep inside she's a very caring person. She just needs to hide it."
"Hide it?"
Her eyes widened. "If she was weak do you know what the enemies could do to her?" Yugi didn't quite understand this but he was sure that this girl needed help.
* * *
Serena urged Escaflowne forward but then on the ground she saw a glint of golden color and white cloth whipping in the air. She knelt down and saw that it was one of the strangers from the Mystic Moon. She gingerly brought down the Guymelef's hand when he woke up and started to panic and then calmed as her faceplate separated.
"Oh, it's you," he said in a dry tone.
"I suggest you watch it. I could just leave you here to die."
"Uh no thanks."
"Alright, do you mind heights?"
"Heights?" Joey said as he looked confused. He didn't mind being up high as long as it didn't include flying. He thought back to the blimp and how sick he had gotten.
"Okay, let me put you down for a minute." Joey jumped off the huge robot's hand as he watched the robot change form into a white dragon. Serena was standing in a small box on top of it as she reached a hand out to him. Joey noticed several cuts on her arms and face but didn't mention anything about it. She seemed not to even had noticed them.
He took her hand as she pulled him up. "I'll see what I can do about those burns when we get into the forest. We're in the middle of a war zone at the moment."
"Oh really, I never noticed," he glared a bit numbly as he said it with full sarcasm.
"Sarcasm does not make you any more attractive. Neither does that glare you're trying to give me."
"Well, I can take care of myself." Joey suddenly felt his stomach lurch as Escaflowne spread its wings and surged upwards.
It felt like forever to Joey by the time they landed. He was sitting there not feeling the best when Serena came back with a handful of plants. She crushed them in her hands until they formed a paste.
"Come here."
"Huh?"
Serena raised an eyebrow. "I suggest you listen."
"Uh, yeah."
"Then come here and take off your shirt." Joey sat there in shock while Serena waited sat on the ground.
"I don't care who ya think ya are, yer highness. I ain't takin off my shirt fer no girl!"
She stood up and shoved the paste into his hands. "Then you put it on you jerk!"
"Listen up yer highness, I ain't one of yer subjects so quit actin all high and mighty."
"I was trying to help." Serena turned away, her mind running back to all the battles she had fought. The reason she always got away unharmed is because they had always kept her out of the real fight. She could never help anyone while being herself. She was expected to be a lady but she had been trained to fight.
"What's dis stuff?"
"It's a type of plant that heals skin and soothes pain. All our medicines here are natural." Serena turned away from him as she gathered up the plants she had put down. She wondered if dealing with her mother had been this infuriating.
"It smells."
"I never said it would smell good."
"A'righ," Joey blushed in sudden embarrassment. "Think ya could help me?"
"Sure," Serena gave the first genuine smile Joey had ever seen on her face as she helped him out then offered him some roots. "You weren't looking all that well but we have more flying to do."
"Uh, yeah."
"You should have told me you get airsick."
'Why is this girl suddenly being so nice to me? She is kinda cute.' Joey shook his head as he realized he couldn't keep his eyes off the Queen. 'No! She ain't from where I am. Besides, I still gotta go back and there are others.'
"Here," Serena handed him some roots. "Chew on these, the juices will help quell your nausea. Don't swallow them though, just the juices. The actual plant is poisonous but the juices are not."
Joey paled as he heard this. 'Great! Now she's trying to poison me!'
"No I'm not," she said as she jumped back onto Escaflowne. She didn't answer to Joey's weird look.
'Did she just read my mind?' Joey nervously chewed on the root and then stuck his tongue out with a disgusted look on his face.
"Dese taste awful!"
"I didn't promise Pisanos," Serena said flippantly as Escaflowne took off again and Joey leaned back and wished the ride would end soon.
"Pisanos?" Joey asked as his curiosity piqued.
"Yes, they're a very sweet fruit originally from Atlantis. My grandmother and her people carried several plants back and one was planted in the gardens of Fanelia. They blossomed there. They made excellent wine when done the right way but my mother wouldn't tell anyone how she made the wine. No one could ever get enough of her wine. We even had Duke Chid and Duchess Merle dancing on the tables once." Serena let a smile escape in reminisce. Then she grew serious again. "But even if it hasn't been destroyed yet it will be."
"Ya don't really mean that do ya, yer highness." Joey said between the root in his mouth. He was surprised that it was actually working.
"Yes, I do. They will leave nothing standing. The land of Fanelia will never recover but its people are still alive. We'll live on."
Joey looked away from her as she sat there in silence.