They ran through the night, not once daring to glimpse back at the castle.

Some of the villagers stepped out of their homes to view the castle, which burned like a gigantic torch, and terror struck their faces when they saw Princess Chichi fleeing with her guard.

"The Ox King has fallen! Leave if you want to live!" Yamcha warned. He tightened his grip around the princess' hand, and she got the sense that he wanted to stay and help defend her people. He wanted to fight the fire demon, but his first duty was to get her to safety. The most he could do for her people was warn them to leave before the fire demon decided to consume them.

. . .

"Slow down," The princess begged, wincing from the sharp stabbing pains in her feet. Her silk shoes weren't suitable for running on a dirt road littered with sharp rocks. The shoes had been a gift from her grandmother, and she feared the soles were being torn to shreds.

Yamcha slowed to match the princess' pace. He soon became frustrated with her slow pace and told her to ride on his back. She complied, resting her cheek against his shoulder, breathing in the smokey scent of his long hair as he ran. It wasn't quite the same as riding a horse with her father through the desert, but she was impressed with the guard's stamina.

It wasn't until they deserted the main road in favor of the dirt path that led through the forest that the Princess began to notice there was something wrong with Yamcha. The light from the castle was hidden by the trees, but morning was upon them, and it shouldn't have been hard to navigate through the forest depending on eyesight alone. Still, Yamcha lost his balance a few times, nearly plummeting down a rocky hill to their deaths.

Princess Chichi bit her tongue. ' Now isn't the time to question his reliability. He's brought me this far.'

She couldn't keep silent a second longer after Yamcha stumbled and collided into a tree trunk, injuring his shoulder and tearing the material of the Princess' sleeve.

"Stop! You're going to kill us if this continues!" Princess Chichi ordered, releasing her hold around the guard's neck and sliding down his back. He turned to face her, pressing his back against the tree trunk as he sank to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Princess. You must continue down the path without me."

The Princess brushed away dead leaves and some of the dirt before joining Yamcha on the ground.

" Nonsense. We'll rest and wait for the sun to come up, then we'll keep going." She wasn't sure where they were going exactly, and she wasn't ready to think about that. The most important thing they needed to think about was staying alive. " Besides, if I left without you I'd get taken by bandits." Her servants often told her stories about beautiful maidens being snatched by bandits. Some were taken as brides and others were raped and killed. The Princess did not wish to share the same fate as those unlucky maidens.

Yamcha threw back his head and laughed.

Princess Chichi gaped at him, shocked by his rude manners. A guard was always supposed to remain obedient and impassive in the presence of his princess, and he certainly wasn't allowed to laugh at her.

"Care to tell me what's so funny?" She asked through clenched teeth.

Yamcha stopped laughing . He lifted his chin and smirked." Heh, no bandit is stupid enough to come near Fire Mountain or Diablo Desert while I'm around. Trust me, Princess, bandits are the least of our worries."

Yamcha winced and clutched his leg, suddenly feeling the sting of his injury. He removed his boot and slowly rolled up his orange trousers, revealing the nasty purple bruise and the piece of bone poking against his skin.

Princess Chichi brought her hand to her mouth and gasped. His injury only could've happened after he jumped down the tower. It was a miracle he could run as far he did, but he certainly couldn't run no further, let alone walk. The thought of leaving her father's loyal guard behind was devastating. He'd done so much to help her, and she could do nothing for him.

"Don't cry," Yamcha said, leaning his head back against the tree trunk. He couldn't help but smile . He never thought he'd see the Princess shed tears for him. "Serving you has made me happier then you'll ever know. Hurry, go now. The demon is getting closer. You don't have much time."

"Thank you," The Princess sobbed, wiping away her tears as quickly as they came. She could sense the demons, too. They were getting closer. Yamcha probably wouldn't live long enough to see his last sunrise, and she wouldn't either if she didn't start running." I'll never forget you."

. . .

Yamcha watched the princess until she vanished. He felt sorry for her, for she wasn't aware of how much she truly lost overnight. Without a castle or a village to rule over, she was no longer a princess. The Ox King never formed allies with neighboring kingdoms, so the princess had no one to help her.

Yamcha unrolled his trousers and put on his boot.

" Hurting my leg was never part of the plan. Oh well. I guess she and I weren't meant to be." Since there was nowhere for them to go, Yamcha had planned on returning to the desert and becoming a bandit once again, taking the Princess as his bride.

He stretched his leg, pushing a small pebble over the hill with his boot. He wasn't looking forward to what he was about to do next, but he needed to escape the demons somehow. A loyal guard would stay and sacrifice his life, but Yamcha wasn't willing to do that much for his princess. She angered the fire prince, not him.

He took a deep breath and threw himself off the trail, tumbling down the jagged rocks and landing in the middle of two gigantic poisonous bushes. His skin stung from the thorns but it was the poison that was unbearable, and a rash quickly spread throughout his body.

Yamcha held in his screams and kept his body still. He listened to the sound of Prince Blaze ordering his demon servants to run faster, knowing that the princess was near.

None of them sensed Yamcha hiding in the poisonous bushes as they ran past.

. . .

Sooooo that happened ^_^.

I was actually going to make Yamcha more noble, but then I thought, Nah. I need him alive :)

Thanks evelara39, foxsqueen ,Starfire Grace ,1, Isha, & other guest reviewer for reviewing!

In the next chapter, Chichi finds a special shrine and finally meets the Monkey God! Plus other bad things, yay!