Disclaimer- I do not own Code Lyoko, and this was inspired in part by the Enchanted Forest Chronicles written by one of my favorite authors, Patricia C. Wrede (but it's not a carbon copy, I'm actually quite pleased with myself for this rather unique plot.)
Dedication- This story is for all of my readers, reviewers, and everyone in-between. Without your support, encouragement, patience, and constant influx of ideas I would not still be writing. I wish I could put down all of your usernames, but you know who you are. Also, this is for Critic, because he or she is the one who suggested the title for this.
Not Your Average Fairy Tale By Ransomed Heart
Chapter One: In which Yumi sneaks out and is captured by a dragon
Yumi glanced quickly around the corner, ears alert for any telltale noise that might indicate someone approaching. Absolute silence. Yumi smiled, it was all too perfect.
Today was the yearly festival in the village to celebrate the coming of spring. In lieu of that, all of the servants except for the necessary castle staff had been given the day off. "Stupid spoiled brat princess," Yumi muttered under her breath. "She doesn't need me to stay, she just doesn't want to have to amuse herself. Well, I'm not playing her stupid games. I'm getting out of here!"
Yumi sprinted down the hall and out into the courtyard. The gate was in sight. "How stupid," she observed. "They just left it wide open." The drawbridge was down, and the maidservant could see out into the sunlit fields of the village beyond. She fingered her necklace gently. It was a pendant of a dragon, given to her by her father as a good luck charm before he had died.
Yumi crept forward cautiously, looking for the guards. She gave a disdainful snort upon realizing that they were nowhere to be found. "Even the guards have left their posts," she said to herself wryly. "Well, that makes it easier for me, in any case."
Slipping out into the sunlight, Yumi ran swiftly down the packed dirt road towards the village, holding her skirt up slightly to avoid tripping and to try to keep it at least partially dust-free.
The village was packed with happy citizens, with maidens dancing and laughing and weaving flowers into each other's hair, and everything was decorated with pale greens and blues and yellows, the colors of spring. Yumi had always loved the spring festival, but wasn't supposed to attend this year because she had moved up in the pecking order to the princess's personal maid. It was a nice job with a substantial amount of perks, but she was supposed to stay with the princess at all times. But endless rounds of embroidery, dancing lessons, and the company of the spoiled brat princess nullified the affects of the perks.
So today Yumi had freed herself for the afternoon to enjoy the festival. She had worn some of her older clothes to appear more like a village maiden, but she still feared that she would look out of place among the rest of the village maidens.
Three children ran by, squealing with laughter at some game and chasing a ball. Yumi smiled at them, and one smiled back shyly. She had reached the town now, and began to be jostled around, lost in the crowd of joyous people. Yumi felt content here, it was much nicer than being cooped up in that stuffy old palace all the time.
Through the crowed she spotted the tavern. It was so full that men were standing outside, and she recognized some of them to be palace guards. "Hmph. No wonder nobody is guarding the gates. They're all out here getting drunk" Still, she hurried past them for fear of being recognized. Under normal circumstances she would have reported them, but nothing badcould possiblyhappen during the festival.
Yumi broke free of the oppressive crowd, catching her breath between two houses. Her hair was tousled from the fight to get through the masses, and Yumi was grateful for the chance to collect herself. Looking out from where she was standing, Yumi wasn't too eager to head back out into the crowd. She spent all day in the castle getting jostled around by nobles and other servants, the last thing she wanted was to put herself back into that mob.
The maidservant looked around, trying to see what was behind the houses. In the distance she could make out a river, the same one where the village got its water supply. Making her decision quickly, Yumi cut through the peasant's properties and raced towards the river, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing through her hair.
The river was making small rippling noises as Yumi approached and plopped herself down in the grass on the small slope leading down to the river. From where she sat she could see the mountains in the distance, dark against the blue of the sky. The sun was warm on her skin, which was unusually pale from all that time in the palace. Yumi yawned, allowing herself to lay back on the soft earth and letting the sun warm her. It felt so good that Yumi soon felt herself drifting off to sleep.
Yumi awoke suddenly, her dark eyes roving around for the source of her alarm. She didn't have to wait long to figure out what had awoken her, for another scream soon shattered the peaceful silence, followed by one of the most fearsome sounds Yumi had ever heard; a deep-throated roar that seemed to shake the very earth around her.
Yumi's gaze settled back on the village, the source of the screams. A dark green dragon, scales glistening in the now-setting sun, was hovering over the streets, glaring down at the helpless citizens. Yumi leapt up, one thought ringing clear in her mind: She had to get back to the palace.
Taking off at a dead run, blind with fear, Yumi ran as hard as she could towards the spiral towers of the castle.
The sound of beating wings revealed that the dragon had spotted her and was giving chase like a dog running after a tennis ball. It's shadow fell over her and dust blew up all around, forcing Yumi to shut her eyes and fall to her knees coughing as the dirt penetrating into her lungs. Instinct screamed at her to run, but Yumi knew that it was a pointless effort at this stage in the game.
"Princess," the dragon crowed deeply, sounding satisfied with itself and sniffing Yumi expertly as though it did this all the time. She threw her arms over her head to try to block it, but the dragon scooped her up in it's claws and rose up into the air, soaring off towards the mountains with it's prize clutched.
Yumi screamed long and hard, more for her own personal comfort than for hope that anyone would save her. Even if the village men were sober enough to fetch their bows and arrows, she highly doubted that the sharpened sticks would penetrate the dragon's thick scales. She was certainly in for it this time, the dragon was no doubt swiping her away to be its dinner or lunch or snack, or something equally as horrible.
The maidservant tried to ignore the sharp claw digging into her side. It hadn't broken the skin, but it was rather uncomfortable. She did find herself grateful that she was still alive to feel anything though. "Please, just let me live through the night," she whispered softly, her voice carried away on the wind as they sped towards the ever-looming mountains.
So, what does everyone think? You like, dislike? Feedback is always encouraged! (hint hint)