Part 4: The Student Council of Ohtori

Ding-Dong!
"Goddammit, what is it now?!" Kyoko mumbled furiously as she turned under her covers. A second later, she remembered. Springing from her bed abruptly, she rushed to the door.
"Good day, miss! Here is a package for you, miss Kyoko Yamada, from the Ohtori Student Council." The Ohtori delivery boy beamed as he handed the still drowsy Kyoko a neat, crisp package. Flashing a pretty smile, Kyoko took the package from the ten-year-old, and slammed the door. First blushing, and then having a flat face after being whacked by the door, the poor boy just stood there for a few minutes. Then, he left.
"What kind of crazy person delivers at six o'clock in the morning? And these Student Council Members... What a bunch of nutty morning misers..." Kyoko grumbled as she yanked off the top of the firmly secured white cardboard box. However, her mutters were cut off as she saw her uniform.
"Holy cow, how much money does the school have, just to make uniforms like this for every Student Council member?" Kyoko gasped. It was a set of a pair of brisk white pants and a whitish pink shirt. The pants would have been tight for any average person, but Kyoko, being the thin but tall girl she was, found that they fit quite snugly and comfortably on her. Also, the shirt was long-sleeved and had medium-sized white cuffs. There was a white pocket on the right side of it, and there were silver epaulets on it, as well. The collar was like the collar of a Chinese cheongsam, without the little buttons at the top. A broad white stripe went down the center of the shirt, with the silver buttons of the garment smack in the middle. Finally, a silk cord of a deep shade of pink came down from the right epaulet, made a dip, came through a little loop just a little under the first button, and dangled down. Once Kyoko had cleaned herself, put the uniform on, and faced the mirror, she looked every bit like a prince. Except that she was a female.
Wandering around the main hallway of Ohtori Academy, Kyoko found that she still had half an hour left to discover the meeting place of the Ohtori Student Council. Her pondering was rudely broken by a familiar voice calling her name. Not you again, she thought.
"Kyoko!" Keisuke's voice echoed in the empty hallway. "Guess you don't know where the Student Council meets, huh? I was assigned to take you there."
"And how might you know where the-" Kyoko's annoyed remark broke off suddenly. "YOU'RE in the Student Council?!" She asked incredulously. "Ack!" She choked. What was an idiot like him doing in the elite Ohtori Student Council?
"C'mon, don't be so shocked to see me. Cheer up a bit. You should meet the other members. This way." Keisuke beckoned Kyoko as he walked up a flight of spiral stairs. Kyoko grudgingly followed. She STILL didn't see why he was in it.
After about five minutes of twists and turns, another three flights of stairs, and skillful maneuvering in strange hallways and rooms on Keisuke's part, the pair of Keisuke and Kyoko was led into a spacious, domed room. Pulling Kyoko along with him, Keisuke walked onto a balcony at other end of the room.
Sitting at a circular table of white marble with curving, elegant legs supporting it were the four other members of the Ohtori Student Council. Kyoko looked from the unsmiling figures to Keisuke. Each and every one of them was wearing a uniform exactly like hers; only theirs were of different colored schemes that matched the color of their hair. Keisuke's was red with silver epaulets.
"I am Megumi Kawashima, eleventh grader, captain of the Ohtori fencing team, and secretary of the Student Council," said a cold-looking girl with a long purple braid dangling down her back. Her voice was drawling and even cruel. Her reddish-purple eyes glared daggers at Kyoko. No need to be so pissy, Kyoko thought warily. She looked on to the boy next to Megumi.
"Welcome, miss Kyoko. I'm Ryunosuke Himura, eighth grader, member of the fencing team and treasurer of the Student Council. I hope that we'll be good friends," a boy with deep blue hair tied back in a short horsetail smiled. He had soft, pale blue eyes that appeared friendly and youthful. Kyoko smiled back, glad that there was one person who didn't show their hostility openly.
A boy with short pale green hair stood up from his chair and bowed low to Kyoko. "Glad that you could join us. I am Taketo Igarashi, tenth grader, captain of the Ohtori kendo team, and president of the Student Council," he introduced himself briskly. He got up from his bow and looked at Kyoko straight in the eyes. His dark purple eyes stared at her so intensely that it was unnerving. She flashed a nervous smile and moved on to the next person.
"Tomoko Nekoi, tenth grader, member of the kendo team, and member of the Student Council," a girl with wavy maroon hair replied shortly, while at the same time fiddling with her hair. She appeared bored until she looked at Kyoko. As her maroon eyes scanned Kyoko's body, she scowled. Kyoko raised her eyebrows. Was this girl jealous or what?
"And finally, me. Keisuke Itoh, eighth grader, vice-president of the Student Council, member of the fencing team. Miss Kyoko and I have already met. Why don't you introduce yourself to the others?" Keisuke added finally.
"I'm Kyoko Yamada, eighth grader. I'm a transfer student, so I haven't really joined any clubs yet," Kyoko told the others with a weak smile.
"Well, what CAN you do?" Megumi asked scornfully. "Can you fence? Do you do kendo? Knife-throwing? Staff fighting? Using a halberd or a saber?"
"I was the Captain of the archery team in my old school. I can also throw knives."
"That's it? You can't duel with arrows or knife throwing. Knives would kill us, miss Kyoko. There is a policy against that. Besides, let us see your skill. Yuriko! Bring us a set of stilettos or daggers and a bow and a set of arrows. Hurry." Megumi commanded to a person against the shadows. As if materializing out of thin air, the person in the darkness stepped out and replied with a curtsy, "As you wish, miss Megumi." Then, she walked into the tower to retrieve the items Megumi asked for. She treats her as if she were a possession, Kyoko thought angrily.
A few moments later, the girl named Yuriko stepped onto the balcony and handed the objects asked for to Megumi with another curtsy. She took a step back to witness the scene. Kyoko eyed her curiously. Yuriko had extremely pale skin, and her hair was black with a tint of red, tied back in an elaborate bun fastened by silver pins. Her eyes were a profound tone of green, with a tint of azure. Her outfit was similar to Kyoko's and the other members', but it lacked sleeves. Also, it was completely white, with a thin red line going down the middle of the shirt. The shirt split into two sharp flaps at the bottom that were hemmed in crimson, as well. Underneath the shirt was a huge, flowing shirt of platinum white. On Yuriko's head was a silver crown, and thin silver epaulets topped her shoulders. Large white cuffs hung about her wrists.
"We apologize, miss Kyoko, for not having introduced Yuriko Tsujitani earlier. She is the Rose Bride. Student Council members duel each other for possession of the Rose Bride," Ryunosuke answered Kyoko's questions without her saying anything. I wonder if the people at this school are all mind readers or something, Kyoko shook her head wonderingly. Then, another question was on her mind. "Why do you all fight for possession of Yuriko?" She asked.
Ryunosuke looked as if he was going to tell her, but Tomoko interrupted him. "It's really none of your business. You'll have to figure it out yourself, unless that creepy woman has already told you." Creepy woman? What creepy woman? A split second later, Kyoko realized that she was talking about Anthy. She sweat dropped and thought, Even though it wouldn't be faithful to call her that, I have to agree that she is rather weird...
"All right, newcomer. Show us your strength." Megumi's mocking voice sliced through the air. She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, Kyoko and the rest of the Student Council were speeding through a dimensional vortex...