Scene (V)III
Billy staggered through the door to Emilia's bedroom, blood dripping down his face. "Emmy? Bertha? My nose is broken again."
Bertha sighed. "Take a seat, young man. Let me patch you up."
Emilia sighed. "I really hate that scumbag Shingetsu. This palace is more of a living nightmare than usual!"
To make a long story shorter: when Anna, Brume, Shingetsu, Emilia, Billy, and Cordelia had returned to the palace, pandemonium had basically come out of the woodwork and beat their hides right off their bones.
Shingetsu had quickly risen to take control of all domestic castle productions. He was in charge of all discipline, and took an almost criminal amount of pleasure in punishing people for so much as sneezing.
He had also destroyed the infirmary and executed all but Bertha and her young apprentice Leslie. Emilia had graciously lent the two her room as a temporary clinic, since without a clinic, every servant in this kingdom was royally screwed. King Yu's words, not hers.
Emilia sat back, nursing a bandaged arm. "This is ridiculous. Why can't they launch the invasion so we can kick their butts?"
Bertha sighed. "Now, dear. We mustn't be impatient for our emancipation. It's just bad for the soul."
Emilia and Billy stared at her.
"Leslie!" Bertha called. "Can you fetch me some ice? Billy's nose has broken again."
Leslie ran into the room carrying a bucket of ice. She was a small, bubbly girl only a year younger than Emilia and Billy. She had lilac hair held up in pigtails and light grey eyes. Her usual green dress was stained with water. Leslie was also quite clumsy.
"Sorry, Bertha." Leslie said. "Here's the ice." She set it by Billy.
"Oh thank you!" Billy sighed, scooping up a handful of ice. "This is the third time this week!"
Emilia stood up. "I wonder how the war council is going? Do you think Cordelia will find anything useful for us to use?"
Leslie smiled. "I'm sure she will this time!"
Billy looked at the bubbly healer. "I hope so."
Mattias sighed and looked out the window. "Are we there yet?"
Ronan groaned. "Mattias, that's the seventeenth time the past hour that you've asked that! I told you, we're almost there!"
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're pining for Emilia." Tron snipped.
The King of the Deserts choked on air. "Whaaa-?"
"It is rather obvious." Ronan rolled his eyes. "While we were gathering our armies and we sent letters, Emilia was mentioned in everyone of yours."
"When we met for one last war meeting before sailing to Yu's kingdom, every sentence you said had Emmy in it." Tron smirked.
"Ever since we've been on the boat, you've been asking for any letters from her." Rosie added.
"And don't even get any of us started about the drawings of her we've found all around the ship." Ronan grinned.
"Okay, okay, maybe I do miss her a bit." Mattias muttered.
"You think?" Everyone yelled.
"Oh, come on, like you haven't been missing Billy!" Mattias shot at Rosie. Rosie looked slightly abashed.
"Well-" She started.
"And just the other day I heard you yelling about how there was no one good to fight with. You're missing Cordelia, even if you're too stubborn to admit it." Mattias tossed at Ronan, who grimaced.
"I do not-" He began.
"And you-" Mattias turned to Tron.
Tron grinned. "Face it. I'm the only one here not emotionally attached to anyone in the rebelling country."
"I - okay, fine." Mattias grumbled.
Rosie sighed and turned to Ronan. "If we don't get off this ship soon, I fear we shall all go mad."
Ronan gave her an odd look. "I'm sorry, go mad?"
"Okay, good point." Rosie grinned.
Cordelia paced back and forth in front of the door to Anna's room.
"Why are you still here?" Anna's voice sounded. "I told you, I don't need protection. If anyone tries to break in, they'll just get lost in here. Although, I don't quite know why everyone gets lost in here. It's quite simple."
Cordelia sighed. "Okay, my lady, I will leave. And, if you find a guy named Theseus running around in there, run, cause he brought the Minotaur with him."
"Oh, ha, ha!" Anna snorted.
Cordelia turned and stormed off.
Billy flopped next to Emmy on her blanket pile. "I want to kill Shingetsu right about now. Why do we need to clean the dung pits? No one EVER needs to clean them!"
"Don't question our guest, Billy." Emilia groaned. "He's insane, and you have to accept that. Everyone else has accepted it; now it's time you accepted it too."
The door banged open and Cordelia stomped in.
"Well, Emmy, your eavesdropping idea was a bust." Cordelia growled, throwing her hands in the air.
The servant girl flinched. "Sorry, Delia."
Billy sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Cool off, Delia. We're all worn out here, and it won't do any good to go snapping at each othe-"
"Quiet!" Emilia yelled, shooting straight up. "I can hear Shingetsu!"
Billy nearly screamed.
Cordelia assumed fetal position.
All of them had learned to fear Anna's psychotic brother the hard and painful way.
And sure enough, they could hear Shingetsu through the walls.
"No way, sis." He was saying. "We need to launch the invasion now, while they're still preoccupied with your lousy army. It's the perfect distraction."
Cordelia growled under her breath.
"Oh, fine!" They heard Anna yell. "We'll launch the stupid invasion! Go round up the troops!"
They waited for a minute until they were sure that the maniacal twins were gone. Then they started to celebrate.
Emilia jumped up. "Yes! Finally! Finally!"
Billy yelled, triumph radiating from every pore in his body. "Oh, boo yah!"
Cordelia stomped her feet. "Oh yeah! Uh huh!"
The three friends laughed and danced for a few more minutes, reveling in their good fortune.
"Okay, enough." Emilia gasped. "We need to get a letter out to Yu and the other rulers about the invasion time."
Billy nodded. "Affirmitive!"
Cordelia gave a thumbs up.
"Alright, let's go!"
Yu paced by the dock, chewing on his fingernails.
Queen Victoria sighed. "Yu dear, you've been doing that for days. They'll be here any minute!"
The Duke of Sandwich nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes! Victoria is right, they should be here quite soon! Now please come inside, I don't think nearly two days of pacing will change anything. Nor is it completely healthy."
No response.
Victoria groaned. Her fiancé was wearing himself out with worry.
"Yu dearest, why are you so nervous?" She tried. "Everything is all set. Our troops and the Duke of Sandwich's army are all waiting by the United Diamond Land's border, and the troops from across the sea just arrived. Rosalinda's letters say they are perfectly on course, and should be here within the next hour! What could possibly be wrong?"
Yu sighed and ceased pacing. He turned to Victoria, and she could see the worry swirling around in his eyes.
"I'm worried about the United Diamond Lands." Yu murmured. His usually jovial face was grim. "Who shall rule over it once the Queen's spot is vacated? And who shall take the country at the end of the world?"
The Duke of Sandwich gasped. "They're here!"
Indeed, a giant ship was mere lengths away from the docks.
Victoria yelled in triumph. "Thank the gods!"
Yu sighed in relief. "Praise be."
The ship thumped against the docks. The crew moved to tie the great thing to the docks, but a pink and green blur raced past them and jumped onto the dock.
"Thank the forces that be!" Rosie yelled. "Seventeen days! On a ship! With NO OTHER INTELLEGENT PEOPLE!"
"Hey, what about us?" Mattias asked, jumping onto shore.
"NO OTHER INTELLEGENT PEOPLE!" Rosalinda repeated.
"Oh, Rosie! I've missed you!" Victoria cried, hugging her best friend. Rosie did the same.
"I've missed you too, Tori." Rosie said. "I needed someone to talk to."
"Hey, guys!" Tron and Ronan jumped ashore.
Yu did a double take. "Ronan? Wow, the world really is ending."
"Oh, shut up." Ronan grumbled.
"Hey Dukie-boy!" Tron greeted the Duke of Sandwich. "It's been a while."
The Duke nodded. "Yes. I would love to catch up, but we need to get to the battlements. Our armies need us."
"Right." Ronan nodded. "You'd better hope it's a long trip."
"Why?" Victoria asked.
"Because boy, do we have a lot to tell you." Mattias said.
"Cordelia, you got the letter?" Billy whispered.
"For the millionth time, YES." Cordelia growled, her eyes practically flaming in the dark.
Emilia resisted the urge to crack their heads together. "Quiet! This castle is crawling with spies; even the secret passages aren't safe anymore!"
The two bickering friends nodded.
Emilia turned and continued through the narrow passage.
"I can't wait until we can get out of here." Billy muttered. "I want to see Rosie again."
"I hear you, man." Cordelia murmured. "I'm missing Ronan right about now myself. Although I never thought I'd say that. Aside from our first meeting, he was a pain up my-"
"I think we get it." Emilia threw back.
Truth be told, she was missing Mattias herself. He was always very sweet and he was handsome, and whenever he spoke to her, he was always so respectful.
If she was honest with herself, she really liked him.
"I do not have a crush on Ronan!" Cordelia wailed. "He is an annoying pain!"
"Oh, you really, really like him!" Billy crowed.
"You two need to shut up!" Emilia hissed.
"Yes, you two are entirely too loud."
Emilia froze. Cordelia squeaked. Billy whimpered.
They all turned around.
"I mean, really." Shingetsu growled.
"Even an idiot could have found you people."
He chuckled mirthlessly.
"Now, would any of you care to tell me . . ."
Everyone cringed.
". . . what's in that pretty little letter of yours?"
Yu whistled as the horses trotted to the war tent.
"That is quite the story." Victoria whispered.
"Aye." Murmured the Duke of Sandwich.
The horses trundled to a stop at the war tent.
"Those poor dears." Victoria shuddered.
"I never really knew." Yu whispered, aghast.
"They've been through a lot." Mattias agreed.
"Well, at least they'll be free soon." The Duke said.
"Right." Everyone else sighed.
They dismounted and entered the plush war tent.
"So, what now?" Tron asked.
"Good question. Ronan?" Rosie asked.
"Now," Ronan sighed. He hated this part.
"Now, we wait." Mattias whispered.
Leslie shivered as she tiptoed down the dungeon stairs. It was so creepy down there! And so dirty . . . wait, WAS THAT A RAT?
The clumsy girl squeaked and held her food tray closer to her as she approached cell number three.
Why had Shingetsu summoned her in the middle of the night to deliver food to a cell with no one in it? It made no sense at all!
Leslie sighed. His requests were getting stranger and stranger these days.
A moan sounded from the cell.
If it was physically possible, the hair on Leslie's head would have stood straight up in fear. That wasn't possible! There was no one in that cell! Unless-
Leslie screamed. "A ghost!"
Nothing. There was only silence.
Leslie cautiously stepped close enough that she could peer into the cell.
She screamed again.
Emilia, Billy, and Cordelia were all lying facedown in the cell. There backs were scraped, raw, and bleeding from whip lashes, and she could see the bruises stretching up to their necks.
"You guys!" Leslie yelped. "What happened to you?"
She squatted down by the iron bars that served as a door, setting the food tray aside.
Emilia raised her head. Her face was cut and literally red.
"Leslie, we haven't got much time." The pale servant girl rasped. "You must listen to me."
Cordelia shifted. She sported lines of bruises along her face. "Shingetsu found out that we were trying to smuggle out information to the rest of the world's nations. He punished us, but he didn't get the letter."
Billy sat up slightly. He sported two black eyes. "We need you to get that letter to the rest of the world."
Leslie was confused. "But, why me? And why not you?"
Emilia held out her hand through the bars. A letter was face up against her palm.
"We cannot escape." Emilia hissed. "It will only draw Shingetsu and Anna's attentions. You have to go. There is an army stationed not fifteen leagues from here. Find them, and find the kings and queens. They will know what to do. Tell them to hurry!"
Leslie stared at them for a moment more. Then she took the letter. "You can count on me."
She slid the food tray into the cell. "Rest easy. Get better. Fear not, I will not fail you!"
Then Leslie ran, bounding up the despicable dungeon stairs and tearing through the castle until she reached the stables.
Leslie bolted through the doors, mounting one of the Queen's fastest thoroughbred horses. She quickly urged it forward, and the horse took off into the night, galloping down the mountain and through the forests so fast, it was as if they were flying.
Leslie would not fail Billy, Cordelia, and Emilia. She would find the army and deliver the news her friends had worked so hard to hide.
And then she would set them free.
Tron yawned as her stepped out of the war tent. It had been a long night of discussing war tactics and otherwise worrying about their friends. It was exhausting.
A messenger suddenly approached the king. "Sir, I have a lady here who is quite insistent on an audience with you and the other rulers."
Tron rolled his eyes. "What, does she demand to be wed to one of us? Or better yet, does she demand a kingdom of her own?"
A timid voice sounded. "No, your majesty. I have news regarding three of your allies in the United Diamond Land. Do you remember a Cordelia, Emilia, and Billy?"
If Tron were a betting man, he would have bet that if he had a drink, he would have spit it out right about now.
"Come here!" He bellowed.
A little girl stepped into his line of sight. She had pretty lilac hair and grey eyes, and looked more than a little terrified of him.
Tron thought she was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen.
"Come with me, please." He said, more tender than his former command.
The girl nodded.
Tron strode into the war tent where his fellow rulers were all fast asleep at the meeting table.
"Wake up!" He roared, slamming his hands on the table. Everyone was wide awake and out of their seats, yelling and shrieking like monkeys.
"Augh! Tron, what the heck?" Mattias yowled.
"Quiet, all of you!" Tron snapped. "I have a girl here who has information from Emilia, Cordelia, and Billy!"
Everyone shrieked. "WHAT?"
The girl cautiously stepped inside the tent, terror on her face.
"Easy. We will not harm you." Tron said. "What is your name?"
"Leslie." The girl squeaked.
"A beautiful name." Tron said gently, trying to calm the clearly terrified girl. "What is your news?"
Leslie gulped. "Well, they found out that Shingetsu's army plans to launch this evening for King Yu's kingdom. They were going to come themselves, but there was a . . . complication, of sorts."
Tron felt his heart freeze over. "What kind of a complication?"
Leslie ducked her head, tears rolling down their cheeks. "Shingetsu caught them on their way to the stables, and he had them beaten for trying to smuggle out information. Luckily, he does not know of your involvement. They sent me here to warn you."
"Where are they now?" Mattias' voice was deadly calm.
"In the dungeons." Was the response.
The only thing Tron could think of to even remotely describe what happened next was complete and utter rage.
Mattias, Rosie, and Ronan tore out of the command tent and started screeching orders at the army generals to move their lazy butts out of bed and prepare the troops for war. Yu, Victoria, and the Duke just kind of sat there.
Tron turned to Leslie. "Listen. Please, you must go back to the castle. As of now, with the three incapacitated, you are our acting eyes and ears. If you see anything, come and find us. Got it?"
Leslie nodded and ran off.
Tron smiled after her. "I like that girl. She's sweet."
Yu gave a small smirk. "So, does this mean you do have a rebel you like?"
"Oh, shut up!"
Emilia strained to sit up in the tiny cell. "They're coming for us."
Billy and Cordelia shifted to look at her.
"I can almost feel them. They're a day's ride away."
Cordelia looked up at the ceiling. "Do you think they'll get here in time?"
Billy snorted, then groaned from the pain. "Of course they will. This is Ronan and Rosie and Mattias. They'll come."
Emilia looked at the floor. 'Mattias . . . everyone. Please hurry.'
Alit stared at the stage. "My gosh."
Yuma was shocked. "What happened to Tetsuo? I've never seen him act like that!"
"Vector did a nice job keeping everyone in character, that's for sure." Chris murmured.
"Yeah." Thomas grumbled. "Except Kaito. I was way better than him."
"WE GET IT." Everyone yelled.
Disclaimer: YuGiOh! and YuGiOh! Zexal belong to Kazuki Takahashi and Shin Yoshida respectively. This is the work of a crazed fan.
Tali: Please officially welcome the Duke of Sandwich, played by Spencer, and Leslie, played by Suzue. For those of you who don't know, Suzue is NOT an OC. She is actually a recurring minor character in YuGiOh! Zexal. In Rei's debut episode, she is the sole female battling the visiting champion duelist, as well as a WDC spectator.
Vector: (groans) Tali just gave her a (whimpers) name.
Tali: . . .what's wrong with you?
Vector: I'm still limping from what happened when you found out about the party!
Tali: For the millionth time, how was I supposed to know that there was a banana peel at the top of the stairs?
Vector: I wouldn't have even slipped on it if you weren't so busy nagging me!
Tali: You had a party and nearly blew up my house! How is that my fault?!
Vector: Hey, you're the one who fell asleep!
Zexal: And thus continues the argument. I do not know why Vector bothers.