A Princess, A bride, and a sister
A rose bud soul
By: Eternal_Ukyou


"Here is how it will work." Utena sneered at Touga. "We fight one at a time, one point per win, who ever has the most points at the end wins. Simple as that."
"And who will draw the sword of Deio's?"
"You of course. I could think of no reason for you not to take it, thought I sorely regret saying it." She turned away and looked at the Thorn bride who seemed in a dazed, the basket of roses on her arm, tears in her eyes.
"I will pull when it is my turn. Who will you call first Duelists of Eternality?"

Battle For The Thorn Bride
Round 1
Andrew vs. Miki

The two fighters stepped out swords still at their sides.
"I hold no grudge against you Miki Kaoru, this is strictly business. I mean nothing by it." Andrew smiled trying to be as friendly as one could be in a situation like this.
"Agreed." He returned the smiled and turned to the bride who looked utterly lost as she pinned the white rose to Miki's chest.
"When the rose is knocked from you chest." And looked At Andrew as she moved toward him. "You lose the duel." Her eyes seemed hallow and empty as she pinned the crimson rose to the breast of his trench coat.
"Then shall we begin?" And so they did. It became a swift whirl of steel. Both swift and agile to a point where one would go the other would already be.
"An even match." Lyrako smiled as she crossed her arms across her chest. "He wasn't lying about his skills." She watched for a good five minutes before her eyes drifted upward to the castle in the air. "The Castle in the air... the home of Rhyme and Reason... God it's been ages since I read that book." She muttered under her breath. (Yes, yes I know! It came from The Phantom Tollbooth, that was the point!) Then she heard Utena gasp and her eyes darted back to the battle. All motion had stopped except for a flutter of crimson rose petals. They both stood frozen until the last petal of red fell to the ground. Miki was the first to rise and dust himself off.
"I believe that is one point for us." He smiled. "Thank you Andrew."

Battle for The One She Loves
Round 2
Lyrako vs. Juri

"One down..." Lyrako sighed as she grasp her sword hilt and advance into the in to the arena. Juri smiled at her and stepped forward looking quite smug and sure of herself.
"There is still time for you to back down, it's not as if you'll win anyway." Juri brought her sword to a ready position.
"I would not be so sure of yourself Juri. But, I can only save her if I have faith in our friendship..."
"When the rose is knocked from you chest..." The Thorn bride pinned the yellow rose to Juri's shirt. "You lose the duel." And a white on to Lyrako's chest.
"Don't worry Kenji, I will win." Lyrako hugged The Thorn bride and was prepared to fight. Juri made the first slash but miscalculated Lyrako's speed as she stepped back just barely out of Juri's reach, then just as swiftly as she went back came forward again and with one swift slash cut the rose from Juri's chest, and sliced a small slit in her shirt.
"YATTA!" Lyrako jumped up before any one knew what happened! "The Hammer of Justice is sure and swift!!"
"That is the fastest duel I have ever seen." Miki shook his head.
"Why did that strangely look like the first Kata?" Saijaionji sighed.
"Good job Lyrako!" Utena smiled. "But now is when things are going to start to heat up."

Battle for A Fellow Bride
Round 2
Anthy vs. Saijaionji.

"Out of the oven and into the frying pan." Lyrako winced as Anthy stepped out to meet Saijaionji.
"It seems to me this will be a very interesting duel, Anthy." Saijaionji grinned at her.
"I will not lose to you Saijaionji." Her voice was hard, determined. The very opposite of what it should have been.
"Eh?"
"I will not bow to you anymore." Anthy gripped her sword tightly.
"When the rose is knocked from your chest." Kenji pinned the first rose on Saijaioni. "You lose the duel." And the second on Anthy.
"We know that," Anthy sighed and rose her sword to a starting position.
"Chinese sword fighting, good choice!" Saijionji jumped foreword, springing at her with sharp thrusts of his Katana. Anthy may not have been skilled but she was agile and easily avoided most of his sloppy attaches. The more she moved out of the way the angrier he got, and hence the sloppy his attaches where. Anthy giggled as she ducked just in time for Saijaionji sword to go over her head and go crashing into the stone wall. She did no laugh when the tip broke off, came flying back and embedded it self into her shoulder.
"Ah!" She grabbed her shoulder, and she knew as soon as her blood hit the floor the duel was over. She took a slim chance and swung wildly at his chest, he, still leaning over in shock did not see the sword come up and slice the rose form his chest. But Anthy, not caring about trouble, jumped and knocked him over with her shoulder
"Anthy!" He yelled "What are you- eg." Her blade was at his throat.
"Speak not good sir or you will have to find your vocal cords on the other side of the arena." She grinned, ear to ear, evilly.
"Anthy! What are you doing?" Utena yelled.
"Oh nothing." She stepped forward hard and drove her sword into the ground, just nicking Saijaoinji's ears. She smiled as his blood hit the floor. "I told you I would not bow to you."

Battle For My Sister
Round 4
Utena Vs. Touga.

"So far the battles have been short and sweet. And this is it." Touga smiled at Utena stepping questionably close to her and running his hand through her hair. Utena pulled away from him.
"Back off Touga! I'm not here to play your mind games today. I'm here to save my sister from you. Now call the sword so I can win this and go home." She snarled at him, gripping her sword with a sweaty palm.
"Thorn bride." He commanded stepping over to her.
"Rose of the Nobel castle! Power of Deio's that sleeps with in me! Heed your master and come forth!" She leaned back, being cradled in Touga's arms and a sword of Deio's appeared between her chest. Touga gasped it surly and pulled it out.
"Grant me the power to bring the world Revaluation!" Touga wasted no time, and as soon as he knew the Thorn bride was out of the way he lunged at Utena, swiftly, surely. His attaches not lazy like Saijaion's. "I will not lose her, I will not let you rip apart our destiny Utena Tenjou! I will not let you save the girl I love." He pushed her, their bladed locked against each other.
"What do you know about love Touga? Your a shameless slut that would sleep with anything that moves!" She yelled. "You keep you filthy paws off my sister! She's not your doll!" She screamed, her adrenaline pumping wildly, casing her to strike with a proficiency she had other wise over looked in pervious battles. Her attaches where vicious. She struck hard, grunting with each attach.
"She was never my doll. When I took her heart she gave it feelingly!" He yelled. Utena didn't hear the small gasp Andrew left out.
"No!" She screamed. "She could never love you Touga. NEVER!"
"But she dose fair maiden! You just can not see with clouded eyes!" She struck her, hard, knocked in her to the ground and ripped the sword of Deios from her grasp. "When this is done I will show you what me and your sister share. She is right, she is no lady. She is to much like you. A Crude bitch... but that can be changed." He swung the sword back and forth above her chest, giving her time to scrambled for her sword. "Go and get it... I have to urge to take the duel when my opponent is unarmed." Utena ran for her sword, but had to turn her back to get it. And as she did Touga smiled deviously. The Thorn bride saw this. And for a split second nothing moved. Touga, caught in his lunge, Utena with her back turned, and The Thorn bride standing between Touga's blade and Utena's flesh. Then there where two screams, a rush of blood and then it happened. Touga stopped, The sword was pushed through Kenji's midriff out her back and through Utena, so both where on the same skewer. Touga pulled his sword away, stunned by what he had just done. He looked at the two girls.
"Kenji..." He knelt next to her. "Kenji..." He shook her like a delicate flower, cradling her head in his arm, watching the blood pump all over her snowy dress.
"Get away from her." Lyrako yelled. "You've caused her enough pain Touga" She pulled at his broad shoulder, but he didn't move.
"Revaluation is-... revelation is... is.... reality.... is... utopia" She whispered And then the arena shook violently.
"The only thing between revelation and utopia is... reality..." Juri whispered softly as she was shaken from her feet.
"Ah!" Lyrako was knocked to her knees.
"Ever one get away from them!" Touga yelled pushing Lyrako back. And just as her did the rose cradle took form. "I love you Kenji Tenjou." He wispered as he let the girl slip from his grasp.
"What's going on?" Lyrako yelled over the building rumble. Her eyes followed the slowly accessing rose, as it was caught in the beam of light. She could see Kenji's limp body laying in it, her foot hanging over the edge. "No..." She got to her feet. "KENJI!! NO!" She reached upward toward her, but it was to late. Then everything was silent. The players looked at each other, confused, bleeding, sobbing.
"Kenji..."Lyrako slammed her fist into the ground., "Kenji-Chan... no... come back god damn it. You promised to show me something eternal..." She looked up at Utena who laying sprawled and bleeding. "This is all your fault." Lyrako got to her feet. "It's all your fault!" She kicked Utena violently. She squeaked in pain. "You hurt Kenji! You made her come here and now she's up there again!" She was about to kick her again then she felt arms around her.
"Lyrako..." It was Andrew. "Don't..." She looked at him, tears in his dark eyes. "We lost Lyrako... let's just go home..."
"Andrew..." She bit her quivering lip. "No..." She ripped out of Andrew's arms and looked up at the castle.
"God damn you! If your going to take her! Take me with you!" And then a ghastly voice answered her from behind.
"As you wish Madame." She trued around only to get a small glimpse of the faceless escort. Lyrako felt herself rising. Quickly. Soon she would have caught up with Kenji.
"Lyrako!" Andrew yelled up at her. "Lyrako! Kenji!" Lyrako didn't hear him, she was suddenly engulfed in a new world as her old school uniform and she found herself in a dress, very similar to that of The Thorn bride, but in a blue, with creamy trim.
"What's happening?" She turned on her floating pallet of air. There stood the faceless escort.
"Your joining us... because you couldn't save the princess."
"Who are you?" She stepped closer to him, curious, baffled.
"I am everything and nothing at the same time." He sounded so smug. "Welcome to my world." Lyrako spun around, white marble cathedral, hundred of people, and Kenji, standing at the top of an isle, smiling beautifully. "Now, I must escort my princess." He bowed and when he rose his face where there, milky and soft, Lyrako barely had time to gasp before he was escorting The Thorn bride down the isle of her destiny. And at the moment she forgot everything she knew, and followed, doll like. Releasing the world and engulfing the Utopia of Revelation of Reality.

She was my sister, and I could not save her.

She was my best friend I and could not save her.

She was the one I could have loved forever and I could not save her.

She was everything... and I now we'll be together for the rest of eternity...

Owari


Bloopers:

A princess A bride and A sister
Take 3

"As you wish Madame." She turned around only to get a small glimpse of the faceless escort. Lyrako felt her self rising. Quickly, soon she would have caught up with Kenji.
"Lyrako!" Andrew yelled up at her. "Lyrako! -" His voice interrupted by hysterical laughter as he could see directly up Lyrako's skirt. "I DIDN'T THINK YOU HAD IT IN YOU!!" He yelled. Lyrako looked down highly agitated.
"What are you talking about?
"Crotch less panties?" His knees bucked with laughed.
"OH SHUT UP!"