A/N: I don't own YGO. Thanks for the reviews! Very much appreciated and they give me incentive to start writing right away! Not that I wouldn't... '...thoughts...'
The Kingdom was in an uproar.
Clearly they hadn't expected an attack for awhile. Tea dressed quickly with the help of Mai and Serenity and then dismissed them. She rushed down the halls passing all the servants and maids and guards expertly as if she'd been trained for it. Screams and wails were amidst the chaos what with everyone fearing for their very lives. Tea didn't blame them; she feared for her life too. At a young age and already trying to rule a Kingdom, who wouldn't? "And now we're going to go to war..." The Princess muttered, making her way to the War Room where she guessed her father and his advisors and generals would be. The War Room, so aptly named, was a room for discussion of strategies and moves during a battle. Currently they were deciding whether this was a ploy to divert their attention from something else, or if it was for real.
"I'm sorry your highness, but you cannot go in there." One guard made a motion to stop her but Tea gave him an angry glare.
"What do you mean I can't go in there! I'm the Princess! The King's Daughter!" Tea fired at him and pushed pass the guard and swung open the door, causing the room's current inhabitants to look up in surprise. "Father!" Tea hurried to the King's side. "Daddy, is it true? Has the Delyan army really set fire to one of our beautiful forests?" Tea demanded, eyes shining with fury.
"I'm afraid so, my child." The King answered sadly. "We suspect that it is them. Already we have sent scouts on horseback to check."
"What of the people who live outside the city? Has someone warned them yet?" Tea asked.
"Not yet, your highness." One of the advisors spoke for the King.
"Well, why doesn't someone go tell them?!" Tea shrieked. "Daddy, if there's one thing I've learned from you, it is to make sure all people of this Kingdom are protected at all costs!" She took a deep breath. "Sorry..."
A heavy sigh escaped the King's lips. "Tea, please return to your room. There's nothing you can do in this situation. Do not fret; everything will be all right."
"Argh!" Tea huffed and turned around, grudgingly obeying her father's will. There really was nothing she could do at the moment. Besides, women weren't permitted to fight and that was what she thought she could do. She had some practice with a sword and could defend herself but surely not against the skilled and perfected. 'Wait! There is something I can do...' She thought as she reached her room where Serenity and Mai awaited her orders. 'I can go and warn the people myself! The fire is northward so that's where they'll be coming from. I'll just start at the East and go around to the South, then to the West, and then I'll be back at the castle.'
"Milady, what are you going to do?" Serenity asked, and Tea could see that she had been crying.
"Serenity? Are you all right?" She asked, walking over to the young girl.
"My brother is going to have to go to battle, isn't he?" Serenity asked, tears threatening to fall again. She loved her brother so much and he hadn't gone to war in all his nineteen years.
Tea was sympathetic. "Serenity...listen. Joey may be a goofball at times but he has proved himself brave and worthy to be a Knight. He is exceptionally skilled in dueling with swords and can handle himself pretty well. That goes for all the Knights. He will be all right. If I know him, he's not going to let some dull-witted ignoramus of a Delyan solider get the best of him!" Tea finished with a smile. "Come on now. I need your help and you too, Mai. I'm going to go warn the people outside the city of the coming war. Nobody is doing their job here in this castle." She frowned thinking back to the confrontation with her father and his advisors.
"You want us...to go with you...outside the city...outside safety!" Mai squeaked. "But I don't even know how to ride a horse!" She pulled at one of her blonde locks.
"You can go with Serenity. She and Joey grew up on a farm and they both can ride well." Tea grinned. "It shouldn't take us longer than a day. The Delyan army will have to go through a lot more forest and mountain, rock and hill, to reach here in time before our army heads out! They'll take 'em head on and win! And Relor will be safe once again!" She grinned.
"Hmm...you sure have a lot of faith in our military." Mai remarked crossing her arms.
"Of course! Especially since Yami will be fighting!" She clasped her hands together. "My Knight in shining armor..."
Mai chuckled. "He may be a Knight but his armor sure isn't shiny!"
"So what do you say, girls?" Tea put her hands on her hips. "Ready to go on an adventure?"
"Cavalrymen!" The King bellowed catching the five Knights' attention. "As you probably know by now, Relor is going to go to war." He said and watched as their heads bobbed in agreement. "Now, I know how much you want to fight-"
"Oh yeah!" Joey piped up. "I'm going to this to them and that to them..." He made bizarre gestures in the air and everyone present in the Main Hall sweatdropped.
"Joey!" Tristan cleared his throat and kind of nodded his head towards the Monarch. "Ahem..."
"Huh? Oops! Sorry. Hee hee." Joey scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Guess I got a little caught up in the thought of battle!"
"Hn, yes." The King raised an eyebrow. 'This is one of my Knights?' "Anyway, I'm sorry to say you all won't be coming with us."
"Huh? Say what?" Joey gaped.
"Sire, you cannot be serious!" Duke exclaimed.
"What?!" Tristan nearly fell off of his feet.
Only Yami and Ryou remained silent but their expressions clearly showed they were shocked and crestfallen.
"I need someone to stay behind and guard my daughter. If I fall, she is my only heir and hope of ruling this Kingdom." The King explained. "I trust you five to do a good job." He said in a lower voice, frowning at them all. "There will be soldiers left here in the city standing guard but the rest of the Relorian army will leave for the North because that is where we will meet the Enemy."
Ryou shifted uncomfortably and felt his face go red. "Um, sire? I have a confession to make." He stated.
The King faced him. "A confession?"
"Yes." Ryou sighed. "I don't think I can go on much longer hiding this! But the Delyan King is...my older twin brother." He finished with a hopeless look. "But I can assure you, I am very much loyal to Relor." He added quickly.
Everyone stared at him. Finally, the King spoke, "Well Ryou...this is quite a surprise. I never actually seen the King of Delyan but..." He shrugged his shoulders. "I can't risk anything at this time. I'm going to have to have you locked up in the dungeons. Do you understand?"
Ryou opened his mouth and then closed it. He nodded numbly. "I understand, your majesty." He said quietly. The King motioned for two guards and quietly gave them orders. The guards cast suspicious looks at Ryou and removed his weapons and escorted him in the direction of the dungeons.
The King turned towards the rest of them. "I think I have had enough surprises for one day. Please return to your posts. My daughter is in her room so two of you will have to guard her door. You are dismissed." He turned around and called to his assistants and disappeared to his chambers to put his armor on.
Ryou shamefully kept his head down, not wanting to look at back at his fellow comrades. In all truth, he felt relieved he no longer had to hide it. But inside, he was miserable about not being able to fight, much less guard the castle. He was loyal to Relor and the Knights and the King knew that. Still, they couldn't take any chances. All knew the Relor military was not quite as large as the Delyan armed forces, but they carried the hope of victory because they had lived in peace for many years with other lands, had they not? But the reason for their times of peace was the Dragons.
Two hours passed and Tea was still upstairs in her room, waiting for Mai and Serenity to return with proper clothing to ride a horse. She stepped outside onto the balcony and gazed in the direction of where smoke was still rising. The army had already left. She hoped Relor would be triumphant. All of a sudden, a horrific roar filled her ears and she covered them, wincing at the high volume of the roar. She glanced around wildly looking for the source and looked skyward. What she saw made her mouth drop open so wide... "D-dr-dragons!" She cried out and from the looks of the city, people had also spotted them. Flying overhead was about thirty Dragons of every color, mostly greens, golds, and blacks, heading South. Like birds that flee southward to escape the coming cold. Leading them was the largest and most powerful of all, the legendary, the mysterious Blue Eyes White Dragon. "It's true! The old wives' tale! Seto was right!" She shouted. Behind her, the door swung open and Mai and Serenity joined her at the balcony.
"So...they were protecting us all these years..." Serenity breathed.
"Oh no! I-I feel so..." Tea's shoulders sank. "Seto...he tried to tell us! He-"
He was gone.
Below in the gardens, Mokuba watched in awe as the mighty beasts passed by. The leader, the Blue Eyes, turned its long neck and seemingly stared at Mokuba, right in the eyes. The child opened his mouth but didn't say anything. His eyes were so huge, they almost bulged out. The White Dragon roared softly and then faced frontward. "They're leaving..." He whispered and tears began to stream down his cheekbones. "Seto's leaving..."
In the dungeons, Ryou propped up a bench and stepped on it to see outside through the bars. He too saw the fierce predators disappear into the Southside Mountains. "They're real..." Ryou stated and grimaced. "And we're doomed."
"Good Grief!" Joey swore and muttered several other curses. "This is not real. This is not happening. This is-"
"Snap out of it, Joey!" Tristan said brusquely. "I wonder if the Dragons started the fire."
"What are we going to do?!" Duke moaned. "The stories were true! Seto was telling the truth!"
"And we drove him away." Yami said and a low voice and the others faced him. "It is all our fault and now we pay the consequences."
"...I remember what Seto said before he left!" Tristan shuddered.
"Mark my words! You're making a very big mistake. You will pay...not by me...but you will pay."
"Are you saying we're all going to die?" Duke questioned the tri-colored hair Knight.
Yami looked at him with a serious gaze. "No. Whether the Dragons are gone forever or if they return, we will fight and stand our ground for this beautiful land and for the Princess. To the death if necessary but I trust you all are going to do your best to stay alive..."
"You bet!" Joey punched the air. "We're going trash those Delyan dummies!"
"I hope so." Yami concluded. "I hope so."
A rider was sent to warn the King and he had to ride for a long time. The Relor army had covered a lot of ground and were soon deep in the mountains, the smell of smoke becoming stronger. Soon the rider reached the army, shouting for the King. Apparently the entire Kingdom thought the Dragons were responsible for the fire, not the Delyan army. The two met at the front. "Your majesty!" The rider said breathlessly. "The Dragons! They exist! The whole city saw them. They must've started the forest fire!" He explained.
"What? Dragons don't exist!" The King snapped. "Are you delirious?" After all, it had been a long trip and maybe the rider hadn't had anything to drink or eat to keep his strength up. He could have been hallucinating.
"No, sire!" The rider insisted. "I'm telling the truth. Everyone saw them!" There was a look of panic on his youthful face.
The King considered this for a moment. What was he to do? Continue on and make sure it wasn't the enemy? Or head back? It was a tough decision but in the end the King decided to keep going, just to be sure. Plus they'd have to put out the fire anyway.
Tea sat on her bed, dressed in a forest green tunic with white trousers and knee-high brown boots. Mai and Serenity wore similar clothing only they were both in red. Still trying to get over the shock, Tea looked up and spoke to her maids. "Are you ready? Where is my sword?" She was handed one of her father's old swords, which was still quite usable. "I'm sure the Dragons started the fire. I can't believe Seto said they would protect us." She sighed. "Well, we'd better go and warn the countryside people anyway, just so they know to keep an eye out." She stood up and the two females followed her to the stables. The Knights hadn't returned yet to their posts so everything was clear.
When they reached the stable, Tea selected a brown horse while Serenity chose a black one and helped Mai up once she was on herself. Mai made a face. "This animal stinks!" She held one hand over her nose.
Serenity laughed and assured her, "You'll get used to it soon."
"All right, girls, ready to go?" Tea asked, gripping the reins of the majestic horse.
"Yes milady." Came the chorus of replies. Mai looked uncomfortable as she held on to Serenity's shoulders.
"Off we go!" The trio left the stables, passed through the castle gates into the east...
The Delyan army had finally reached the base of the Eastern Mountains. They would officially be in the Relorian Kingdom (not in the city) by nightfall. If all went according to plan, the Relor King and his men would be at the edge of the Northern Mountains where the fire was raging and where they would soon realize they had been tricked. Bakura planned to give his men one last break when they reached the forest on the other side of the mountains, and then he would break them out into groups and order them where to go. They would reach the city itself by 0300hrs.
Marik kept his head down against the blazing sun. It would cool down around the evening but right now, it was almost unbearable. With the fire going, smoke and ashes would soon make their way into the Kingdom and rest of the mountains, lakes, and forests. It would be like a desert and he was not looking forward to that. Lately he'd been going over plans in his head for his sister and himself to make their escape. If they went back north, they would have a run-in with the Delyan Land. If they went east, they would find themselves in more Delyan territory. The west led out to the sea and he certainly did not want to risk running into a storm in the deep. So the only other logical and convenient choice was to go south where new lands roamed untouched by the Delyan King and that would mean new faces, new problems. But it was better than staying where he was. 'I guess it's settled. Ishizhu and I will escape tonight!' He silently declared. 'Now to convince her...'
Bakura wondered if he would see his long lost twin brother. Ryou had been given up for adoption and somehow ended up in Relor. Bakura, being the oldest, had been kept and raised strictly by his parents so that one day he might take the Throne. Not wanting to wait any longer, Bakura, when he was sixteen, had his father killed and disowned his mother. He had matured greatly since then and would be a great ruler if he wasn't so cruel and totalitarian.
He narrowed his eyes and stared into the trees, which were often filled with songbirds and the forest itself looked inviting to onlookers. But in this case, they were quiet and unnerving as if they somehow sensed a sinister plan... 'What complete and utter nonsense.' He thought and kicked his horse a bit to get it to move faster. The horse whined and obeyed its master.
Marik meanwhile raised his head and looked for his sister. She was on the left side of the troops, staring straight ahead with a stony expression. He had to figure out someway to tell her about his plan to escape without the soldiers hearing.
Southward...
The Blue Eyed Legend gave another astounding roar and flew to the peak of the largest mountain. Able to breath at such high levels, Seto stood perched on it and watched as the rest of his kin flew by and descended into the Southern Forest below to await his command. On the outside, Seto was proud and full of pride as he flapped his mighty wings, beaming at his new body. The one thing he had been waiting for his whole life was here!
But deep inside, he was despondent and felt like his heart was going to break. As much as he did not want to believe it, Relor had always been and would always be his true home, not matter how much he loathed the city people and the five Knights who had been his friends. Yes, Joey, Tristan, and Duke had been friends with him, even after and before the teasing began. Ryou and Yami were the closest to him of the five, sharing in his ever-silent demeanor and seriousness.
Tea, the Princess, had become a friend as well. Seto saw her as the sister he never had. And he couldn't forget Mokuba, the boy he called "little brother", "kid". 'What have I done?' He thought sadly and decided to spend the rest of the day atop the mountain, contemplating over his decision. He had done the right thing, hadn't he? Seto looked to the north not surprised in the least by the fire. There was no doubt who had caused it. He wondered vaguely if the people thought it was the Dragons who started the fire because of their failure to believe. He hoped not. Then again, it would make it easier for him to leave if they blamed his kin. Then he could forget everything about the place and leave for good.
'Yes, I will go.' He declared but could not deny and ignore the unsure feelings swelling up inside of him. 'This is ridiculous. I shouldn't feel uneasy about my decision. I owe those people nothing. All these years my kindred have put their lives on the line just to keep ungrateful people safe.' He bared his fangs, a low growl emitting from his throat.
At the castle...
Yami and Tristan stood by Tea's door, guarding her room. No one had left or even come in since they were there and no noise had been heard from the inside to indicate life. "Yami?" Tristan whispered and the other Knight turned to him. "I've been wondering about this for the past hour: Is the Princess even in her room?"
"Hn." Yami nodded. "I've been wondering about that too. The castle is...too quiet. Perhaps she is sleeping." He hoped she was. The Princess had too much on her shoulders and deserved a good night's sleep.
"Yeah, maybe..." Tristan frowned. "But how do we know for sure? We are supposed to protect her from anything and everything so what if something's happened to her?" He himself would much rather fight than guard but still obeyed his orders to stay in front of her doors.
Yami was thoughtful. "We will wait until dinner is made. If she does not come out by then, then something is wrong and we will look into it." He responded.
The day passed by and Mokuba stayed in his room, Seto's old room, and lay under the covers, depressed. He ate very little and hardly talked to anyone. With war on the horizon, Relor's once sealed fate had been broken and there was no chance Relor would survive the attack.
Dinner would be served in an hour and Mokuba was not going to be attending. Now what would he do? Seto was basically his guardian and everyone was nice to him and allowing him to live in the castle because of Seto. Where could he go now? If the King of Delyan succeeded in controlling all of Relor, would his life be spared? Or would he become a slave which was worse than living by yourself.
A sigh was heard and Mokuba stared at the ceiling, wondering how long it would be before the Delyan army would arrive to stake their claim. All hope was lost; the peace Relor once knew would be gone. 'Maybe I should run away tonight.' Mokuba thought, mentally going over the possibilities. 'But where would I go? I don't know anything about things outside of Relor. Maybe I should just wait until I'm older. But then...I was able to live by myself for a month. If I go now, I can do the same and take some food and supplies from the castle and leave.' Mokuba smiled. It sounded like a good idea.
The young boy pushed back the soft covers and jumped out of bed. "I need a bag or something..." Mokuba muttered out loud, opening a large trunk that belonged to Seto. He dug through its contents, which were mostly clothes. "Seto didn't have a lot of stuff." He said aloud. "Ah, here's one!" He pulled out a large sack with a string at the top to tie shut. "This should be able to hold everything." He tossed it onto the bed and started gathering his clothes. The Princess had made sure he had some new ones that weren't ripped and dirty. Mokuba had been ecstatic with everything he had received.
All of a sudden, a frightened feeling overwhelmed him and Mokuba dropped all that he held in his hands. He had overlooked the fact that he was still a scared little boy and going to a new place far away from his home was indeed frightening. "I can't do this..." He whispered, wiping away a tear. "I just can't!" He wailed and dropped to his knees, sobbing. "Seto, I need you here!" He whispered between sobs. "Everyone needs you! Relor needs you!" He cried out, coming to the realization that he and everyone else could die if Seto didn't return with the Dragons. If not die, made into serfs.
A few minutes later, he found himself wandering the halls, passing each servant, maid, and guard in silence. Mokuba decided to just stay in the castle and hide if the army entered the city. 'Maybe a slave won't be too bad.' He thought as he walked slowly down some stairs. He had never explored that part of the castle. 'Maybe there's a good hiding place down here.' He cautiously approached the door that was at the bottom of the stairs. It was wide and made of wood with a small window lined with thin metal bars. The boy was too short to see inside so he hesitantly reached for the round ring that served as a doorknob. Just then, voices were heard and it seemed they were coming closer. Filled with worry, Mokuba ran back up the stairs and reached the top just as the door down there opened. He saw an old Knight's armor standing on display. Without another thought, he dove for cover behind it. A few moments later, two guards appeared in that same doorway Mokuba had been only seconds before. They were talking to each other, unaware of watching eyes.
"He won't escape. The man is too loyal." One was saying. "Besides, I'm hungry."
"I hope the cook has something good to eat." The second agreed and soon they disappeared down the hall.
Mokuba frowned, wondering what the two watchmen were discussing. Being the curious child he was, Mokuba descended down the stairs once more, certain there were no more guards. He reached the same door again and grabbed the ring and slowly pulled the door towards him. He poked his head inside as the door revealed to show a dungeon. The air smelled of mildew felt cold and damp. It was dark as the dungeon windows faced the east so torches were lit. Relor was a peaceful Kingdom so there were often no prisoners. But Mokuba could sense he was not alone in the room.
"Mokuba?"
The boy gasped and spun around. There in the far cell was none other than Sir Ryou.
The three young women ventured farther and farther into the forest. They were following an old road and Tea had suspected someone must have been living out this far. "Milady, we really should return to the castle!" Serenity said after awhile. "It's getting dark and I'm sure everyone is worried about you."
"Yes." Mai concurred. "We aren't even supposed to be out here!" She nervously clutched on to Serenity's shoulders, worried she might fall off of the mighty horse.
"Oh we'll be back this evening." Tea dismissed their comments. "Besides, if the Delyan army really is here, they'd be coming from the north where the fire is. For now, we keep going until I'm sure there is no one living out this far." She said with a tone of finality. "Just enjoy the ride." She said in a softer tone.
"How can I when I can barely breathe?" Mai coughed, noticing the effects of the fire. "Obviously that fire has not been put out yet." She remarked sullenly.
Tea sniffed the air. "No it hasn't." She silently urged the horse forward and her thoughts drifted to those of Dragons. She still felt guilty about her lack of faith in her friend. The Princess wondered if she would ever see him again. 'Probably not.' She sighed.
Meanwhile, Serenity squinted her eyes and strained her ears. 'I thought I heard something.' She mused. "Your highness...I think we should head back now." She said anxiously.
Tea looked back at her and frowned. "Why?" She slowed the horse down slightly.
"I-I heard something...or someone." Serenity explained, biting her lip. Tea followed her gaze and saw the darkened forest. She listened carefully and then she heard it. The sound of horses and the steps they took, pounding on the dry earth.
"You're right." Tea breathed and briefly wondered if she should investigate. She really didn't want to get into any trouble if that was her father returning. But why would be returning from that direction? 'Maybe I should make an inspection.' She thought and slipped off her horse quietly.
"Your highness!" Serenity called out softly. "Where are you going?"
"To find out what's going on!" She replied. "It's my duty to."
"Yes, but you usually are supposed to do so when guards or soldiers, even Knights, are present." Mai reminded her, looking very worried herself.
"Don't worry about me, girls." Tea smiled reassuringly at them. "Why do you think I brought my father's sword? I have had some training you know."
Mai and Serenity still looked unconvinced. Then Mai spoke again. "Well your highness, you are not going anywhere without me! I may be a maid but that doesn't mean I know self-defense!" A Mai-like smirk crossed her face.
Serenity helped Mai down from the horse. "If it is all right milady, I'll stay here with the horses." She took the reins from Tea who nodded her approval.
"Thank you. You two are good friends." Tea grinned at them gratefully. "Now, let's go and try to be quiet." She warned Mai as they entered the woods. Mai nodded and followed her Princess. The two girls carefully stepped over loose branches and twigs and their eyes darted about, looking for unfamiliar faces. They continued on for a few more steps when Tea held her hand up, indicating to stop. The two girls froze, hearing voices. Tea narrowed her eyes and saw...horses with soldiers on top, bearing the symbol of Delyan. She gasped and Mai stifled a cry. Suddenly a scream cut through the air and without warning, a hand grabbed Mai and covered her mouth, holding a knife to her throat.
Tea stood up and spun around only to find herself face to face with Bakura. Her mouth dropped open.
Bakura smirked. "Well, what do we have here?"
