Felidae: Baka Akio ...

Himeko: I am not his "rose"

Hogosha: Damn straight, which I'm not.

Felidae: Anyway, I don't own Akio or anyone else ... 'cept Himeko.

Himeko: Once again ... you don't own me!

Felidae: Shut up, you're giving me a headache.

Chapter Seven

Hogosha was wide eyed as she stepped out of the limousine that had carried her, Himeko, Yamato, Takeru, and Hikari to the Ishida's mansion. "Ara . . ."

"Like it?" Yamato asked. "The Ohtori's gave it to us when I became chairman."

"You should see the inside," Himeko said, taking Hogosha's hand.

"What you should see is Himeko's room," Takeru said. "It's the most extravagant of all the rooms."

"Is it really?" Hogosha asked.

Himeko blushed. "Hai. Ohtori-kun said it was for me especially. We have no idea why."

"Welcome home, Ishida's," said a tanned man with light purple hair.

"Is that -"Hikari started.

"Ohtori Akio," Takeru confirmed.

"Akio-kun," Yamato greeted. "Where's my Otou-san?"

"He stepped out for a moment, but said he'd be back for dinner," Akio replied. His eyes drifted to Himeko, who shrunk back behind Hogosha. "Ah, Himeko-san, my rose."

"If she's anyone's rose, she's mine," Hogosha said loudly, squeezing Himeko's hand.

Akio raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"Shiyama Hogosha, Himeko's best friend."

"I see." Akio then turned and went back into the house, followed by everyone but Himeko and Hogosha.

"What was that all about?" Hogosha asked Himeko.

Himeko shivered. "He calls me his rose, because I'm the Rose Bride and he knows it. He had a nick-name for Utena Ouji-sama as well."

". . . My shining star. . . My Venus . . ."

"He called her Venus?" Hogosha asked.

"You heard it?"

"Everything is connected in one way or another to Ohtori," Hogosha replied. "Akio is one of those things. It was his voice I heard."

"We can't let him know what we're trying to do," Himeko told her. "He'd try to stop us."

"Why would he do that? I thought Anshi was his sister."

Himeko glanced around suddenly. "Come on, we can't talk about it here." She turned and started away from the house.

"Where are we going?" Hogosha asked.

"To me secret place," Himeko returned, dragging her prince along after her.

A waterfall slid down a cliff that over looked a peaceful clearing. The water splashed into a pond that was as clear as tap water but otherwise frozen. Himeko stood on one of the ice-covered boulders jutting out from the pond and looked into the waterfall. Hogosha leaned against a tree, watching the girl with a smile on her face.

"So, can we continue that conversation or what?" Hogosha asked softly, really not wanting to destroy the peacefulness of the clearing.

Himeko nodded, carefully climbing down from her perch. "About Anshi and Akio's relationship . . . Anshi was his sister, but . . ."

"But they were also lovers?" Hogosha guessed, not really serious.

"Hai, they were."

"That's crazy!" Hogosha exclaimed. "How could he -"

"Remember what Utena Ouji-sama told us?"

"Anou . . ." "Don't let Akio trip you up." "Yeah."

"Akio is the evil one. He is not what everyone thinks."

I guess. You know, 'The Morning Star' . . . It's also called Lucifer."

"Lucifer?"

"The one who used to be an Angel . . . But chose the path of the devil, was cast down from the heavens . . ."

"Let me guess, his name means Lucifer?" Hogosha asked.

Himeko went over to her and rested her head against Hogosha's chest. "Something like that. Hogosha-chan, I'm scared of Akio. I always have been, even before I became the Rose Bride. I was afraid of what he might do."

Hogosha hugged Himeko tightly. "You don't have to be afraid anymore, Himeko-chan. I'm here to protect you, my Hime-sama."

Himeko looked up into Hogosha's crimson eyes. "That's what your name means, protection."

Hogosha smiled gently. "Hai. And I'll live up to my name. I'll protect you always." Hogosha gently kissed Himeko's lips as the other girl pressed her body closer. The kiss deepened as Himeko wrapped her arms around Hogosha's neck. Their tongues warred back and forth, fighting for dominance.

"You told me you'd protect me . . ."

"Protect you. Hai . . . That's what I'm trying to do . . . To guard you against the World's End . . . Against Ohtori Akio."

Hogosha reluctantly broke the kiss and looked at Himeko. "I will gladly welcome the day when this is all over and I can kiss you without having voices in my head," she whispered to her girlfriend.

A smile graced Himeko's lips. "We should get back before someone comes looking for us, or we freeze to death."

Hogosha nodded and offered an arm to Himeko. Himeko grinned and took it, leading both of them back to the house.

"Wouldn't you prefer a guest room?" Yamato asked as Hogosha set her things in Himeko's room.

"Iie," Hogosha replied simply.

"It is fitting that they should be together, you know," Akio said, surprising the girls and Yamato.

"Akio-kun, I didn't notice you there," Yamato said.

"Daijoubu, Yamato-kun. Could you . . . leave us alone for a moment?" Akio's eyes strayed over to Himeko and Hogosha.

"Ah, of course," Yamato replied, turning and walking away.

Akio stepped inside the room and shut the door behind him. "My rose . . ." he began, before Hogosha cut him off.

"Leave her alone, Akio," she spat, hugging Himeko to her.

Akio chuckled. "Fair Ouji-sama, you really think you can stand between me and Himeko? I would think again if I were you."

Himeko shivered and buried her face in Hogosha's chest. Hogosha glanced at her and then glared at Akio. "I will do whatever it takes to protect her from you, Lucifer."

Akio swept forward and slapped Hogosha. "How dare you, you little bitch."

"And I do dare," Hogosha retorted. "In fact, if you want to call Himeko your 'rose' I suggest you duel for that right." She watched Akio's face, which betrayed exactly what she'd been looking for. "Oh, that's right, the 'World's End' does not duel."

Akio's face reddened with anger. "I don't know how you found out about that, but you will pay, little Ouji-sama."

"I don't think so," said another male's voice from behind her.

Hogosha looked around and saw that all of the duelists ghosts, save Utena's, were gathered around them. Each held out a sword, which were all pointing at Akio.

"You make one more move toward the Ouji-sama, and you will be the one to pay, Akio," said Touga's ghost.

"The dead cannot harm me," Akio stated, but Hogosha saw that he was panicking.

"We'll see about that," growled Juri's ghost. She lunged at the man and her sword grazed his arm.

Hogosha saw red blood stain his sleeve. Akio glared at the ghosts and then stormed out of the room.

"Arigatou," Hogosha said, nodding to each of the ghosts.

"It is our pleasure," said Touga, bowing to her. "Utena has charged us with guarding you."

"We will do our best," Miki told her.

Himeko looked up and then at all the ghosts. "Okay, I'm officially freaked out now."

Juri's rich laugh filled the room. "Do not be afraid, Rose Bride, we mean you no harm."

"If Akio ever tries anything like that again," Saionji mimed a sword going across Akio's throat.

"We must leave you for now," Touga explained, bowing to both girls again before he and the others dissolved into nothing.

"That was weird," Himeko said.

Hogosha smiled and gently kissed her. "I'm glad that they're on our side."

Felidae: One word! Otou-san means father! Told you they'd decrease ...