Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction ❯ Memory of the Rose ❯ Interlude to the Third ( Chapter 18 )

INTERLUDE III

The slamming doors vibrated and echoed hollowly.

With a soft sigh, Sari hugged herself and struggled internally with her good intentions. Oh, how she wanted to go after him! She would have done anything to run out that door, throw herself at his feet, and beg his forgiveness. In no way had she acted like a proper Rose Bride should just then. She'd yelled and kicked, fought with her Victor, and kicked him out of their room.

She was damned.

"Yes, little flower bride, you are bad, Sari. You were a very bad little girl," whispered that voice in the empty stillness of the room. The raspy tone and vibrating quality of it told Sari everything she needed to know.

The swords had returned. Utena had vanished once more.

Sari's heart still thudded painfully in her chest. She hadn't wanted to throw Adam out; she'd wanted his solid strength beside her in the coming days, months, years of eternity she would be forced to spend as acting Rose Bride. She hadn't wanted to dismiss him as she had, but she just had to for his own safety. If the Swords had wanted him dead the last time they'd encountered him, who knew how their capricious natures would respond to him now?

"He wasn't ready for you," she said sweetly, embracing the vapid numbness that was her salvation when dealing with her mother's shell and the demons that lived under that porcelain skin. She didn't even bother trying to pretend she didn't know to what the Swords referred. "Too tough yet. We shall tender him up together."

The Swords snorted. "You lie, child. Your mother can even sense it, and she's nothing inside us. Do you take us for a fool? YOU LOVE THE BOY!"

Sari shook her head, the numbness within- her safety zone- fleeing at the accusation. "No! No, I just hold him in high esteem. We were friends for many years before I came here. He is a childhood acquaintance, nothing more."

"Then why did you not tell us of this before?" hissed the slim woman, her grating voice vibrating higher. A crystal vase on the bedside table shivered and shattered spraying Sari's hands with bits of glass and crimson rose petals. She did not cry out in pain though it hurt immensely. To do so just would not be prudent.

The Swords stepped forward and took Sari's hands in their own. They brought her fingers up to their lips and pressed hard on the tips. Sari welcomed the numbing tide of horror as the blood began to flow and Utena's pink tongue lapped each drop. The buzzing slowed, dropping in register, until it seemed as if a hive of drunken wasps filled the room. The blood was drugging them, slowing their reflexes, and calming their fury. Though disgusted, Sari filed the information away for further notice. Absently she wondered if any blood would do the trick or if it had to be human. Maybe she could get some pig's blood from the butcher shop.

A soft sound, almost like metallic purring, drew Sari away from her inner musing. The Swords moved away from her, settling Utena's lanky form down on the chaise and crossing her long legs in an almost obscene manner. It was enough for Sari to note that they had not only dressed her mother improperly that morning but that they had apparently disregarded any pretense of attending to Utena's female hygienic needs while in control of her body. Sari politely averted her eyes.

"We shall forgive this lapse in judgement this time," the Swords allowed. "The next time, however, we shall not be so lenient. Your mother has a very pretty face, doesn't she?" Utena's hand rose of it's own violation and her slim fingers curved into claws hovering an inch or so away from her left eye. "It would be a shame to blind her, but we do only need ONE eye to see, yes?"

Keeping her face purposefully impassive, Sari nodded her agreement. The Swords, however, felt that she needed further tutoring apparently for they continued on. "And of course there's your father." The voice had an almost teasing, lilting quality now, despite the rasping undertones. "We can harm him all we want and he'll heal up just fine. If we scar him enough do you suppose his skin tone will change?" The Swords mused. "It would take many cuts I think. He regenerates quickly enough though."

"I understand," Sari broke in, barely disguising the fear in her voice. Fear for her father, fear for her mother… even fear for herself. Fear for them all, the damned of Ohtori. "I will follow your rules to the letter this time."

"Good," the Swords said, finally letting the subject drop. "Now return to class, little one. And if your Victor returns, let him know we seek him out. I doubt very much he will be gone for long."

"What of the Council?" Sari couldn't help the shiver of fear. The Swords wouldn't give her to the Council again would they?

"Your Victor shall return," the Swords mused. "I don't think it shall be necessary to bring them back into this. At least… not yet."

She nodded curtly and left the room as quickly as she could. It would be indecorous for a Rose Bride to run, but her heart was begging her to sprint as fast as she could the hell out of that building. Run. Run away, quickly, before…

"SARI!"

Sari skidded to a stop and looked around. Who had just called her? The courtyard was empty of all life; nothing moved or stirred not even the leaves of the garden. A strange feeling overtook her and she began walking toward the garden, not caring that she was already disobeying the Swords direct order to attend class for once. A strange warm feeling bubbled inside her, urging her discretely toward her Rose Garden. With a soft sigh of relief she saw the bench. Peace. The Swords did not like to bring Utena into the Garden for some reason. She would be safe here for the time being. Still… who had called out her name?

"Is anyone here?" she queried aloud, letting herself, her thoughts and feelings remain open and unblocked. Always when she came to this place in such a mood, always something drastic and important happened.

This time was no exception.

"Do you know?" whispered a voice in her ear.

"Have you heard the news?" questioned another.

Sari smiled. She only vaguely remembered her dreams, but those voices seemed just SO familiar. She was no longer frightened, merely amused that they always took such an indirect route to contact her. Dreams, visions, phone calls. Never did they just walk up and say hello. Everyone else in her life was so straightforward. It was nice to know there was someone else on this campus that had the same innate sense of drama as she did.

"I haven't heard," she replied. "Tell me."

Silence.

A burble of sound, a sob in the dimly lit shadows of the garden, and an impression of movement- shadows on the wall. Sari sighed. They weren't going to tell her anything today. A stray lock of hair tickled her cheek and she grumbled inwardly. Yanking the elaborate jeweled pins out of her hair, she reached into her bag and pulled out a rubber band. Gathering her long tresses into a ponytail, she used the pins to secure the random strands that tried to escape. There. That felt much more natural.

"Aren't you ever lonely?" asked a voice suddenly in her ear.

Sari jumped in surprise. They hadn't left after all! Her ponytail whipped around before settling heavily between her shoulder blades once more.

"Do you ever feel like a one-woman show?" questioned the other.

Sari didn't answer. Something was niggling at the back of her mind. Those voices were just SO FAMILIAR. Who could they be?!

It was on the tip of her tongue, the answer to the question of who those girlish teasing voices could belong to, when she heard the roar of a crowd. Rising to her feet, she hurried toward the sound, leaving the garden empty save for two slim figures hidden in the obscurity and doubt of narrative.

"We can't guide her much more," murmured A-ko. "Children do grow up so quickly."

B-ko balanced a bicycle on her nose. "Look, I can do tricks!"

"She's going to need a lot of help, but I don't know how we can point her without the Antagonist finding out," continued A-ko as she began cleaning up the props.

B-ko juggled the bicycle, a pair of bowling pins, a jewelry box, and a cactus. "Once you've got the basics down you have to move on to bigger things!"

"I remember being that age," A-ko sighed, stuffing the last hat into her trunk. "I don't know how I stood it."

B-ko gasped and dropped her items. They spilled across the ground of the garden. The jewelry box was completely ruined; all the jewelry would be impossible to see in the darkness. "Oops! Oh well, you can't juggle everything forever."

A-ko paused and looked her partner in the face. "One more act to go. Are you ready?"

"For the grand finale?" B-ko laughed and grew two inches as she slipped on a pair of cowboy boots and slung a pair of dueling pistols across her hips. "Always partner. Now let's go rustle us up some grub. A gal can work up a mighty powerful thirst juggling."

A-ko chuckled at her partner's antics. "Let's go grab some lunch in the cafeteria. I hear they've got ramen today."