Love Will Find A Way
By: Felidae Silvestris
Disclaimer: I own neither Shoujo Kakumei Utena or Dejimon ... if I did ... well ... let's not go there ... I also don't own Hogosha, but I might as well ... I use her all the time without the creator's permission ...
Felidae: This is going to be very messed up ... trust me, I wrote it.
Hogosha: Damn straight it's messed up! Anyone who dares to try to win Himeko-chan from me (except Nick) will die a very slow and painful death. But hey ... I have a sword!
Felidae: You call a bamboo stick a sword?
Hogosha: I have one after Himeko-chan does the Rose Bride thing ...
Felidae: But it's technically Dios', not yours.
Hogosha: Isn't he dead at this point anyways?
Felidae: Yeah, so? It's still his sword. Anyways ... this is after the Shoujo Kakumei Utena/Revolutionary Girl Utena series ended and puts Dejimon/Digimon characters in place of the Utena ones ... sorta.
Himeko: There are ghosts ...
Felidae: Nice of you to join us, Himeko.
Himeko: ..::grins::.. My pleasure. Anyway ... on to the freaking story already!
Chapter One
"Why do I have to go to this stupid school?" Shiyama Hogosha asked her guardian.
"This is the only school that has classes that are up to your standards and children your own age who attend them," replied the woman. "Now, be a good girl and do well in your studies."
Hogosha watched as the woman walked away and walked out — like others before her — of her life. Hogosha gazed around at the walls, her mind working to find a way out. She noticed that the walls were bordered with blood-red roses. In each corner was the school's crest, a rose seal.
"You puzzle me. I wonder, are there many others who've been given the Rose Signet, besides the Student Council members, of course? Are there others, Like you . . .?"
Hogosha stood suddenly, looking around. "W-who said that?" But there was no one there. She sat down again and looked at the lonely chair next to her. In the center of the cushion was a white ring. "Hmm, I wonder who's this is?" She picked up the ring and inspected it.
'The ring with the rose seal . . . it resembles the Ohtori Academy school emblem.'
Hogosha started, looking around again. "Still no one here." Am I hearing things? She looked once more at the ring.
". . . Rose Signet . . ."
I am hearing things, Hogosha thought. Looking up, she noticed that a door was ajar. Hogosha got up and peered around the door.
A set of stairs seemed to loom past her behind the artifices and tapestries, and she could do nothing but climb them. She felt drawn to them and did follow the strange compulsion, stepping through the broken stone gate at the top, and gasping at the sight the greeted her.
"Roses."
She trekked gingerly through them to the edge of the platform, peering down on the magnificent school. Roses gave softly under her feet and she felt like she was standing on a giant cushion.
"Are you not afraid?"
Startled, Hogosha spun around and saw a sight more lovely then the whole world of roses. An angel — no, a princess — standing with her feet submerged in a puddle of rose petals. Long, brown hair flowed gracefully past her shoulders to her waist. Crystal blue eyes smiled out of a tan face with a pink dot on the forehead. In her hands was a white rose.
"Are you not afraid, standing on the edge like that?" she asked again.
Hogosha could not answer. The princess moved to stand beside her by the edge, observing the expanse of blue sky. But somehow, she seemed so helpless and fragile that she could be lifted into it and carried away among the clouds.
Hogosha finally found her voice. "S-so many roses."
"Oh, this is my rose garden."
A wind picked up with sudden ferocity and showered them with rose petals. The princess's brown hair was lifted and it blew past her face, hiding it from view. She pulled her hair away and her smile was still there. "So, what did you come to this school to do?"
Hogosha frowned and fingered her Rose Signet. "Boku wa . . ."
The princess's face was unnerving; the smiled never wavered. Her eyes were as blue as endless as the sky.
"Boku wa . . ." Hogosha lifted the ring as the wind died. "Bo -"
A hand latched onto her wrist as the princess reached for the ring. "Oi!" Hogosha grabbed her and pulled her into a body-lock, holding the princess against her body. She thrust out the ring. "It's mine! It's the Rose Signet!"
"Where did you hear that name?"
"What are you doing?"
There was a crunch of roses under an impervious foot. Hogosha looked up as a young man with spiky brown hair, wearing a strange uniform and carrying a sword in its sheath, stepped before them.
"What are you doing to the Rose Bride?"
The princess broke out of Hogosha's grip and skipped over to the young man.
"The Rose...Bride?"
"Only authorized persons are allowed here," the man declared. "How did you -"
He saw the Rose Signet still Hogosha's left hand and smiled. "Oh ho," he chuckled. "So, you are a duelist as well. I don't recognize you, but you're obviously qualified."
". . . are there many others who've been given the Rose Signet . . ."
She peered at the Signet and raised her right hand.
The young man grinned as the ring slipped onto her finger.
It hit the base and the gate to the stairs slammed shut with a bang, trapping them there. "Very well. Himeko, prepare the duel."
Himeko! Hime-sama, thought Hogosha.
Himeko bent down and picked a rose from its fellows, arranging it on the man's uniform. That done, Himeko placed the white rose in the front pocket of Hogosha's shirt. "The one who loses his bosom rose first loses the duel." She glanced away. "Where is your sword?"
"Sword? I . . . have a sword." Hogosha swept past a surprised Himeko to a pile of bamboo and brought a foot crashing down. A single firm shoot — a staff — shot into her hand. "Any complaints?"
Her opponent lowered his head. "Very well."
A chorus of bells tolled in the distance. Himeko threw herself in between the Duelists. "Ryou-sama, could it be that this person is —"
She cried out as he knocked her to the ground, dropping limply like a rag doll. "The bells toll to start the duel. Stay out of my way, Himeko!"
"Don't hit your girlfriend!" Hogosha screamed.
"My girlfriend? She is the Rose Bride! As the current winner of the duels, she's my . . . property!"
"Property?"
Ryou lunged at her. She threw he staff out, blocking his strikes. He was good, she realized. Very good. But insane. He swung his sword down, cutting the buttons off of Hogosha's shirt and most of the staff. He stared in shock at the open shirt of her uniform. "A girl?!"
Hogosha held her stump of bamboo out defiantly. "I never said I was a boy! And I'll never lose to someone who hits a girl!"
Ryou swung his sword out and it smacked her hand. She released her own "sword" in the moment of shocking pain as the blade dug into her flesh.
"It's over!" Ryou screamed, raising his sword once more.
A flash of brown struck between the two and hit Hogosha. "Himeko!" Ryou gasped.
"One isn't permitted to duel without a sword," Himeko whispered to Hogosha as they both went flying over the roses. She grasped Hogosha's shoulders and gently leaned in, closing the gap between them.
"O-oi!" Hogosha cried out before Himeko's lips closed over hers.
Himeko's clothes burst into a brilliant and intricate gown of sorts and a silver tiara topped her head. She and Hogosha hit the ground and Himeko arched her back as if in convulsions. Her chest burst into light and a sword hilt appeared in the center of her breast.
"Sword?" Hogosha whispered. She reached forward, took hold of the hilt, and pulled.
Dark green hair flowed over her back, and a spark shot over her body, altering the uniform she wore. Gold finishing ran all over it, and when she lifted her head and glared at Ryou, she looked rather like a prince.
Ryou let loose a furious roar and rushed at her. She flipped the sword and held it out, seeming to fly through the air, coming a Ryou —
And right past him.
For a minute, it seemed she had missed. Then the wind blew and a rose was lifted into the air, scattering petals. Ryou knelt in shock, the stem falling from his uniform and flying away.
Hogosha turned and gazed at Himeko, who smiled. Himeko swept past the fallen Ryou, to Hogosha. She looked into Hogosha's crimson eyes and slowly moved in. Her lips gently pressing against Hogosha's in a kiss.
"I am the Rose Bride," she said, laying her head on Hogosha's chest.
"Shiyama Hogosha," Hogosha whispered, breathing in the scent of roses from Himeko's hair. "Hajimemashite."
Ryou staggered to his feet. "Mark my words," he said, "this is not over."
Himeko suddenly spun, pushing away from Hogosha. "It is over, Ryou-kun," she said, angry. "And you'd better not try anything funny at the dance on Friday."
"All that matters is defeating you. Now is the time! Prepare yourself —"
"Hogosha-kun?" Himeko had turned her attention back to Hogosha. "Hogosha-kun, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, just fine," Hogosha said hurriedly, not wanting to admit hearing the voice. "Shall I walk you home?"
Himeko smiled. "I'd like that. Oh, and by the way, I'm Himeko. Sorano Himeko."
"Hime-sama of the sky," Hogosha murmured as Himeko slipped an arm around her's. "Fitting."
When Hogosha woke the next morning, the night's events were a blur. She remembered making Himeko explain the whole dueling business. She remembered telling Himeko that she could be herself and that she wanted to be Himeko's friend, and not her mistress — in any sense of the word. Hogosha also remembered, just before she'd left Himeko's dorm, Himeko kissing her goodnight. It had surprised her. Not the kiss itself, but the fact that she had enjoyed the kiss and hadn't wanted it to end. She'd wanted to keep Himeko's warmth with her all night . . . even longer maybe. But Hogosha pushed those thoughts away. Just because she might be bisexual, didn't mean she was going to fall in love with the first girl who accepted her sexuality.
There was a knock at the door, interrupting Hogosha's thoughts. "Who is it?"
"I have a message for Shiyama Hogosha," said whoever it was.
"Hang on a second." Hogosha threw back the blankets and went to the door. She opened it, took the message, and then sat at her desk to read it. "I have a package waiting for me? Hmm, wonder who from?"
"Hogosha-kun!" Himeko ran to Hogosha, her arms wrapping around Hogosha's neck.
"What's got you so happy?" Hogosha asked, returning Himeko's hug.
Himeko bounced back. "Nothing. You just gave me permission to be me. I'm usually bouncy, but every other duelist wants me to be quiet and reserved."
Hogosha nodded. "I see. So, what I saw yesterday wasn't really you?"
"Mmm . . . it was me, just . . . it was me with more self-control. Does that make sense?"
"I guess so. Look, will you help me with this box?" Hogosha pointed to the box at her feet.
"Oh, sure!" Himeko bent to pick up the box. "Ara, this is heavy. Who is it from?"
Hogosha shrugged. "No idea. Probably from some relative I didn't know I had."
"I didn't know you had any relatives," Himeko said with a grin, setting the box on a bench.
"I don't, at least, not that I know of. What about you?"
"I have two brothers. They're not around much."
". . . You have a big brother?"
"Yes . . . although I hardly ever get to see him . . ."
Hogosha heard the two voices, but kept her face from showing it. I'm going completely nuts, she thought. "I see. Life must be pretty lonely, huh?"
Himeko grinned. "Not really. I have you to keep me company!" She giggled and moved closer to Hogosha.
"Will you not do that?" Hogosha said, pushing Himeko away.
"But you like it," Himeko stuck her lower lip out.
Hogosha sighed. "Whatever."
Felidae: Okay, I know someone may have noticed the random Japanese I had throughout the story. Here's what they mean!
Boku wa: I am/I was/I did
Ara: Oh/gee/wow
Hajimemashite: Nice to meet you
Hime-sama: Princess