Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction ❯ Captain of the Guard! ❯ The Capital Saga! Nine ( Chapter 31 )

The Capital Saga: Part Nine

The sun rose over the royal city, light shining through the windows of a room over in the guard's quarters. The soft glow swept over everything in the room, especially on the two laying there in the small bed. Nanami let her arms tighten a bit around the gently slumbering Keiko, gazing down at the woman cradled there.

'I should get up soon,' Nanami thought, her golden hair falling around her, 'but I don't want to.' Last night had been wonderful, the two spending hours talking, then... she blushed.

"Good morning," Keiko smiled dreamily, her brown hair falling into her eyes. She snuggled closer, "It's been,.. a long time."

"Me, too," Nanami agreed. She hesitated, considering what she was going to say, "I haven't been entirely chaste, though."

"I wouldn't expect you to be," Keiko agreed. Her voice became mildly dangerous, "You aren't seeing anyone else now, are you?"

Nanami chuckled, reaching out to toy with Keiko's hair, "Not for a long time. I've known desire, but without love... it's just not enough."

"For me, as well," Keiko agreed, relaxing a bit. She reached out to stroke the cheek, looking into those expressive eyes, "I never stopped loving you, even when I left here."

"I love you, too," Nanami agreed. She reached out, gently stroking along a tanned cheek, "So what do we do now?"

Keiko kissed that hand gently, cradling it in her own. She held that hand, squeezing gently as she looked over at Nanami, mouth open to speak...

... when a loud disturbance came from the hall just outside. Nanami cursed both fluently and creatively as someone hammered on her door, then the woman slipped out of bed. "Sorry, love," her eyes glittered angrily as she pulled on a shirt, "I have to go kill whomever interrupted us."

"Ma'am," the guard was frantic, then went bone pale as he saw the look on his commander's face. "Ma'am?" he took a half step backwards.

Keiko took pity on the poor boy and as she was getting dressed behind the relative safety of the door asked, "What's happening?"

"Another black rose," the man stammered out greatfully.

"Damn," Nanami scowled, "I'll be there in a moment." She slammed the door shut then ran to grab the rest of her clothes.

"Wonder who was entranced this time?" Keiko asked, sitting on the bed as she roughly pulled her leather boots on, matching the plain brown pants she wore.

Nanami yanked her own uniform pants up, then pulled the matching overcoast on over her white shirt. "If he follows his existing pattern," Nanami belted her sword around her waist, "he'll strike through one of my guards or the Princess' companions."

"Probably," Keiko got to her feet as the two headed out into the hallway and hurried to the princess' rooms. The sounds of a duel rang out, and her eyes widened, "The battle continues?"

"Oh, no," Nanami managed once they saw the combatants.

Blood ran down Utena's cheek, a sword strike having slipped by her guard. Her pink hair was stuck to her head with sweat, and her breath came faster than normal. Standing across from her Kaoru Miki raised his blade thoughtfully, his eyes oddly glazed. The blue haired man wore a black rose in his pocket, just like all the others.

Utena raised her sword, meeting those dark eyes as she said, "Miki, don't do this. You don't want to hurt Anthy, I know it."

"Everyone around you is hurt," Miki murmured, "innocents like Wakaba." His eyes flashed, "You have to pay!"

The swords flashed, the blades ringing as they came together, Back and forth they fought, two different styles from very different fighters. Miki fought with skill, finesse, a technical fighter, while Utena applied all the skills she had won on a battlefield.

"They're too evenly matched," Nanami murmured, watching them intently.

"Miki's a quiet man, so he got challenged for duels when he first arrived at the princess' court," Keiko said softly, "he never lost, and the challenges stopped pretty quickly."

"Damn," Nanami muttered again. She stepped forward, watching the fight continue as the two swordsmen fought on. She drew her sword, waited for the right moment and slammed the hilt of her sword into the back of Miki's head.

"Oog?" Miki staggered, his expression dazed.

Utena moved instantly, taking advantage of the moment of distraction to slice across the black rose, sending the petals scattering to the wind. Miki wavered, his eyes rolled up in his head and he dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Utena sheathed her sword, looking up at Nanami to say, "That wasn't very honorable."

Nanami slid her own sword away and shrugged slightly. "I'm not feeling particularly honorable right now," she sighed. She looked around, frowning when she didn't see Anthy in the chamber, "Is the princess all right?"

"I had Juri and Shiori get her out when I saw who it was," Utena knelt down beside Miki. The blue haired boy seemed fine, other than being out cold. She got up and walked over to open up the other door, "Anthy, he's down."

Anthy strode in, gazing with gentle concern where Miki lay so still. "Will he be all right?" she asked Utena worriedly.

"Excuse me," Shiori pushed past Anthy, kneeling down at Miki's side. She began to chant, energy flowing around her hands as she worked.

"What is...?" Keiko looked over at Juri in surprise.

"Shiori studied the scrolls on Mikage's history and magics last night," Juri said as she watched her violet haired lover worriedly, "she thinks she made a break through."

"Let's hope," Utena said softly, feeling an odd electricity in the air, "I'm getting very tired of having an enemy that we can't even find."

"I've got it," Shiori exclaimed, then trailed off weakly, "I... oh, no."

Nanami drew her sword and thrust Keiko behind her as she gazed at the flickering image of the magician Mikage. His attention was focused on Shiori, and dark power seemed to swirl around him. Juri ran forward only to freeze under a single glance.

"You are more than I expected, little one," Mikage mused.

"Get out of here," Anthy drew herself up, summoning her most royal manner. She could feel her blood run cold as Mikage looked at her, but she made herself meet his gaze.

"You are brave, little princess," Mikage smiled coldly, "but I have not come for you today." With that he turned back to Shiori...

"No!" Utena cried out, charging forward. The signet ring she still wore, the gift of the Sword of Dios shone, and unconsciously she called out for aide.

And was answered.

The Sword of Dios, still glowing red-hot from the forge appeared in mid-air and dropped down into her open hands. Utena cried out in pain as her flesh was burned, but still she swung, the mystical sword passing through Mikage's image and banishing him in a flare of light.

"UTENA!" Anthy ran to Utena's side as the sword clattered to the ground, cradling her love's badly burned hands in her own.

"Get the healers," Juri cried as she helped Shiori up to her feet.

"Not alone," Nanami growled as Keiko was about to leave, both of them running from the room together.

Utena shuddered, her eyes firmly shut, the smell of burning flesh still hanging in the air. With a gasp she asked, "Can you find him?"

Shiori nodded as she firmly answered, "Yes."

"Good," and with that Utena fainted.

To be continued...