Mars: Hey guys look, Rent fanfiction.
Yuna: That's interesting.
Scout: Aw, I hate musicals!
Mars: But Scout, it's a Rock Opera.
Scout: It still has the word "opera" in it.
Mars: But it's a Rock Opera.
Scout: But...
Mars: A ROCK Opera.
Yuna: I think what Mars is trying to say is watch the movie or play before the Rentheads come and kill you
Scout: I ain't afraid.
Yuna: They attack in numbers.
Scout: ...guess I'm goin' to YouTube.

Disclaimer: If I had the genius that Jonathan Larson had, I wouldn't be sitting here, writing fanfiction.

Journey to Bohemia
Chapter 1: The Princess

Bohemia, a prosperous country founded on the belief that no one should be judged based on their beliefs, the color of their skin or even their sexual preference. At first many doubted it would thrive and were afraid of its revolutionary ideals. So the neighboring countries waged war on them, hoping to crush its philosophies. However, with each war, triumph followed and the country was integrated into Bohemia itself. This went on for years until Yorkland and Phidella, the neighboring countries to the North and South respectively, formed an alliance with it. It was declared that if any country were to attack Bohemia for its ideals, that Yorkland and Phidella would join the fight. Thus, for several hundred years, Bohemia and its neighbors sustained peace and prosperity.

Until the Plague had struck.

Doctors running around, people being carried throughout the palace, solemn faces.

This was the sight the ten-year-old Bohemian Princess had gotten used to for the past few years. She sat on the stairs in the main entrance hall, unable to help in the ensuing chaos. Silent tears stained her caramel skin as she thought watched helplessly as the people around her were panicked and dying.

"Princess Marita," she looked over her shoulder to see her mother's advisor, standing at the top of the stairs, "Your parents want to speak to you." She stood up, smoothed her dress out and wiped the tears away before going with the woman.

The advisor brought her into the throne room, where her parents, the King and Queen of Bohemia sat in their thrones. Beside her father was a man she recognized as the General of the Army and a friend from her childhood, Thomas Collins, clad in Knight's armor. She was overjoyed to see him for the first time in years, having been in training to become a Knight, but she restrained herself, as a Princess should.

"My dear Princess," The King began, "Although you're still a child, you've become a polite, respectful and compassionate Princess."

The Princess respectfully bowed, "Thank you fath…"

"No formalities mi niña pequeña," Her mother spoke up, "Please."

Her eyes darted between both of her parents, "What's going on?"

"Mimi," he father called her by her nickname, "You know about the Plague, right?" She nodded cautiously, "Do you want to help stop the deaths it's causing?"

Mimi nodded frantically, "Yes! Is there a way I can help?"

"There is," The General confirmed, "We have decided to send you, and the newly Knighted Sir Collins away to Phidella to search for a cure."

She was taken aback by this, "You're sending me away? But can't we find a cure in Bohemia?"

"If there was a cure in the country, we would have found it already," he informed her solemnly.

"Perhaps if we send you…" The King began.

"I don't wanna leave Bohemia!" Mimi protested.

"This isn't up for discussion Mimi!" Her father quickly stood up from his seat to shout, but coughed violently before sitting back down.

"It is better if you leave Bohemia," The Queen informed her, "Antes de su muerte." Mimi's eyes widened when she heard this, she turned to her father and noticed that he looked much thinner, much paler and very much frailer than he had been in years. "Do you understand Mimi?"

She fought hard to stop herself from breaking down in tears, "Yes Mamá, Papá. I will do as you say."

"Very good Princess," The general bowed, "You should leave at once, your horses are ready."

Collins began to leave but before Mimi joined him, she ran up to both of her parents and gave them as big a hug as she could muster.

"Mi niña pequeña, my darling Mimi," Her mother mused while hugging her, "Vive tu vida al más lleno."

"Goodbye," she told them when she finally pulled away to go with Collins.

The first few hours of Mimi and Collins' trip were in silence until the Knight decided to speak up, "I know this must be hard Mimi…"

"How could you?" She spat.

This confused the dark-skinned knight, "What?"

"You've always been someone who spoke out for what you believe in, how could you let them do this to us?"

He pulled his horse in front of hers to stop for a moment, "You think I took this lying down?" She did not respond, "I didn't, I fought as hard as I could to keep us in Bohemia."

"Then why aren't we staying?"

He stared her straight in the eyes, "People are dying Mimi, even if we don't find a cure, at least the Royal bloodline will live on."

"Do you really agree with that?"

"Of course I don't, and I honestly think we're the last people that should be sent out of Bohemia."

"Why?"

"It's because we're different, most people in countries like Phidella and Yorkland have pale skin and are quick to judge us just based on that, let alone the fact that I'm…" Collins stopped before he completely lost his temper, "But we don't have any choice. We need to find the cure to the Plague." With that, he pressed on.

Mimi, however, held back, "But what if we can't find it?"

"We have to," he called back.

"Mimi, get up, it's after dawn."

The teenaged Bohemian Princess groaned before getting up and seeing her now-adult guardian couched at the entrance of her personal tent, "How long?"

Collins shrugged, "An hour, maybe two. I was going to let you sleep, but it didn't look like you were getting up anytime soon."

Mimi drew her knees close to her body, "I was dreaming about the day we left Bohemia seven years ago."

"Oh," he was slightly taken aback, "I made breakfast, come out and eat."

When he closed the tent, she pulled off her nightgown and dressed herself in her traveling clothes, a long lavender tunic and a grey pair of tights. She pulled on a pair of long bluish-silver boots before setting foot outside the tent.

Collins was sitting at a campfire, wearing a blue shirt under gold chainmail as well a black beanie that he had grown accustomed to wearing in the years he and Mimi had spent traveling. He handed her a dish with a modest amount of food on it before picking up his own dish and beginning to eat. As they were eating, Mimi noticed that her friend and protector was looking a bit paler than usual.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Collins raised an eyebrow at her, "Why'd you ask?"

"You've been looking just like my dad," she looked back at her breakfast, "Before we left."

He put his food down, "You haven't been looking too good either."

She merely nodded at this, "I haven't been feeling too good lately." She put her food down and turned to face him, "Collins I think…"

"Don't say it," his abrupt response confirmed her suspicions.

They had both contracted the Bohemian Plague.

"…we should go back to Bohemia," she finished.

"Yeah, we should," he agreed.

Mars: And that's the first chapter, first up, apologies.
Scout: For what? I'm halfway through the movie and it's pretty good, the only problem I have it with that Angel chick...guy.
Mars: Why? Are you homophobic?
Scout: No, seein' him makes me confused about my sexuality.
Yuna: I don't think you're not alone Scout.
Mars: So anyway, apologies, sorry if this seems OoC for some characters, and I'm sorry I didn't introduce everyone just yet. But don't worry, you'll see them in the next chapter for sure.
Scout: Seriously, is Angel a guy or a girl?
Yuna: You weren't paying attention, were you?
Scout: I was...kinda.