Ni-hao! AkaneKitty here. This is "For the Rose Smiles."
It's only the second day, and Feral is confronted with the Rules of the rose seal. Not only does he learn that he has to live with Callie, but she is now his fiancée! Also, Steele wants a return Duel to finally settle the score. Will he accept?
Author's notes and warning: Same warning as before.
Buu and Buubuu are the sound a pig makes in Japanese. Like our 'oink'. Why is that important? You'll see!
Thanks to all that read. I appreciate it.
As always, send any comments or questions to AkaneKitty@aol.com. Or, drop me a line in my review section at Fanfiction.net. Enjoy!
Ja ne,
AkaneKitty
"Buubuu"
**********************
Epsilon:
For the Rose Smiles
**********************
It was the day after Feral entered the world of the Duels.
Apparently, word that Feral 'humiliated' Steele had trickled down to the masses of Epsilon, making Feral more popular.
Just how Feral humiliated Steele, however, was hidden by the Council.
****************************************************
"Morning."
"Morning, sir!"
Feral walks into his office, still not believing what he went through last night. He takes a seat at his desk.
"Morning, Ulysses." Renee walks up to his desk.
"Morning, Renee." Feral watches as she places some reports on his desk. "Anything needing my immediate attention?"
"No..." Renee places the last report on his desk. "But, I hear that you are getting a personal assistant today."
"I'm getting a what?!"
"Good morning, everyone!"
Feral looks up to Callie standing beside his desk. She smiles at him.
"Good morning, Uly-sama."
***************************************************
"If it cannon break its shell, the chick will die without being born."
"We are the chick."
"The world is our egg."
"If we don't break the World's shell, we will die without truly being born."
"Smash the World's Shell!"
"For the revolution of the world!"
*****************************************
"Have the both of you received your letters from World's End?"
"Yes."
"I have."
Alisa, Jake, and Chance meet atop the south tower, sitting around a table. The forest serves as a background as the three of them play cards.
Alisa is currently winning.
Chance Furlong was in second place. The kat was wearing a uniform that resembled Jake's: High collared jacket composed of red and blue colors, and straight black pants. What made Chance's uniform unique is the fact that his jacket had no sleeves, showing off his tan strips.
Jake was in third place, but he didn't care...too much. He was busy taking notes of the meeting...and designing new missile.
"So...we've all received them." Alisa tosses a letter on top of the pile of discarded cards that were in the center of the table.
"As it is written in this letter, Steele failed yesterday." Alisa continues. "And, the Rose Bride was engaged to the kat who won the Duel. Now we proceed according to the instructions within."
"Is that kat who doesn't even belong to the Executive Council receiving these letters also?" Chance asks, not too pleased with his cards.
"Who knows?" Alisa shrugs, taking a card from Chance's paw. She matches it with another card and places the pair of matching cards onto the pile. "But, he wears the rose seal. I saw it myself."
"So, who is this kat?"
"Ulysses Feral. Commander of the Enforcers." Jake says, staring at his cards as while Chance has a mild reaction. "Very popular now."
Alisa smiles. "Such a handsome and noble kat..."
"Now, hold on a minute!" Chance breaks into Alisa thoughts. "Someone who we've never even heard of just joins the Duels? If this happens again, I'll-"
"If it happens again, what will you do?" Alisa asks. "Drop of the game?"
Chance blinks. "Well..."
"These letters are messages from World's End. And, we are to follow them as we see fit."
"When we open the path to the Duel arena with our rose seals, the Castle appeared." Jake says, dropping out of the card game in order to take more notes. "Which is what the letters said it would."
"I know." Chance places another pair of cards onto the table, leaving him with one. "Just seeing that convinced me I can't drop out of this now."
"Exactly. The letters are quite specific." Alisa nods, taking Chance's last card. "The one who wins the Rose Bride in the Duels and is engaged to her will finally enter the castle...and bring revolution to the world."
"That is why we must fight."
Alisa places her pair down onto the pile. Two Jokers.
Jake clicks his pen.
****************************************************
It is now noon.
By decree of the Executive Council, everyone was to move into their permanent residence for the year.
To Renee's dismay, she was placed in the north dorms, where most of the high ranking officers where placed. Feral was placed in one of the south dorms, where the Executive Council resided. Renee couldn't believe it.
"To think the two of us were assigned different dorms!" Renee laments as she and Feral walk to gather their belongings from their temporary residences. "It's not fair! I don't want to be with those stuffed shirts!"
Feral laughs. "Can't help that. The Executive Council decides all assignments. Besides, being a Commander means I finally get a single."
"But, I hear that the dorm you're going into hasn't been used in ten years!" Renee skips ahead of Feral. "I'll bet you'll have a time cleaning it up!"
"Ten years?"
"Yeah! I bet cleaning it up will be perfect work for the ultra cool Commander Feral." Renee faces him. "Anyway, my room is on the second floor of north dorm B. Stop by if you get tires of your haunted house. See ya!"
Renee walks off before Feral could say anything. He sighs.
"A haunted house?"
***************************************************
"What's the big deal? It's a nice building."
Feral stands before his assigned dorm, a modest two story building. It looked a little lonely though, since the other buildings where near the forest. But, he could live with that.
"Hello!"
Feral enters the building, and takes a look around. "Anybody home?"
It was nicely furnished, but it didn't look like anyone was there...or even lived there. "Don't tell me I'm the only one in this place!"
Feral looks around a bit more, and sighs. "Might as well go upstairs..."
"Let's see...my room is the second room." Feral stops in front of the door, sitting some of his belongings on the floor. He goes to open the door, but pauses. "10 years...I bet it's dusty in there..."
"Well, here goes."
Feral opens the door. The room looked neat and clean, surprisingly. But, also in the room, was...
"I'm sorry, Uly-sama. I'll be finished soon." Callie bows to him a little, smiling. She was wearing an apron, and she had a towel in her paws.
"Calico...what are you doing here?"
"We're going to be living together from now on." Callie says. "How do you do?"
"How do you do...but, this is supposed to be a single..." Feral looks at the outside name plate.
Callie's name was under his.
"...isn't it?"
************************************************
An hour later, Feral was just about finished putting up his things. Callie was cleaning the windows.
"Amazing coincidence, us being roommates." Feral says, putting books into his desk. "You really did a good job in cleaning up. Sorry you had to do it by yourself, Calico."
Callie, who moved on to a mirror, pauses. "Well...I did do most of it last night."
"But, they just announced the assignments, right?" Feral says, trying to force a closet to close.
"Our getting the same room is not a coincidence."
Feral pauses for a moment.
"It is the Rules of the Rose Seal." Callie says, moving to clean a table.
"What?" Feral releases his grip on the closet. The closet doors don't hold and some items begin to spill out.
"For I am the Rose Bride."
"Bride, huh."
"I must be engaged to whomever wins the Duels."
Feral looks at her.
"...Are you sure about that?"
***********************************************
"All right. First question."
"Yes?"
Callie finishes stirring her tea. Feral just looks into his coffee cup. Another weird day.
"What is up with the mirage castle and the trick sword?" Feral asks.
Callie doesn't answer right away. "Mysteries."
"Mysteries? You mean you don't know?" Feral asks. "If you don't know, then why do you do it?"
Callie drinks from her cup and then places it on her saucer. "Why did you come to this campus, Uly-sama?"
"Me? Well...career advancement...searching...It's complicated."
"That is my answer." Callie looks at him. "Is our being here a problem?"
"Well, I can't really say...What a minute! 'Our'?"
Feral hears some chewing coming from behind Callie's kettle. He moves it. There, eating a cookie, was a small, black pot bellied pig. It looks back at him, and finishes off the cookie. "Buubuu!"
"Umm..."
"Let me introduce you." Callie says, smiling. "This is my friend, P-chan."
"Your pet?"
"My friend."
"Buu." P-chan says.
Feral chuckles. "How do you do, P-chan. My name is Ulysses Feral. Will you be my friend, too?"
"Buubuu!" P-chan obviously agrees, and bounds into Feral's paws.
Callie clasps her paws together. "P-chan seems quite taken to you, Uly-sama! I've never seen him do that before."
"Umm... Look, could you cut it out with that 'Uly-sama' business?"
"But, I am engaged to you, Uly-sama."
Feral sighs. "...That again..."
************************************************
"That Steele guy was wearing a ring like the one I have. Do you know what it is?"
"All of the Executive Council wears them. It's a rose seal. Whoever wears that ring, is marked as a Duelist."
"Huh?"
"So, now that you're the current Dueling champion, the others who wear the rose seal will come to challenge you to Duels."
Feral slams his paw down onto the table. "You've got to be kidding! I don't intend to keep fight these Duels!"
Callie says nothing, finishing her tea.
***************************************************
"Oh...It's you, Madame President."
"Am I disturbing you, Mr. Vice-President?"
"No. You're generally allowed into my domain."
Steele continues his practice of his swordplay, while Alisa watches. The Executive Council had their own practice facilities. Jake and Chance would also practice in these facilities.
"Is our PsychOps officer going to fight the Commander again?" Alisa asks innocently.
"Of course." Steele pauses. "The power to bring revolution to world is my right. That kat's engagement to Calico is a mistake."
"That's too bad...since Calico belongs to the Commander. It's his right now."
"You're wrong! She belongs to me!" Steele snaps at Alisa. "She is to do what I command forever! That's what's written in our exchange diary."
Alisa blinks. "You keep...an exchange diary?"
*********************************************************
It was now night. Which meant it was dinner time, to which Callie had prepared a feast...literally. A full course meal.
Feral sits in the dining area, which was set up formal. Feral just looks at his food.
"Great. It looks like only me and Calico are the only ones in this dorm." Feral sits back in his chair, clasping his paws behind his head. "Is this another rule of the rose seal?"
Feral looks around. Callie was gone for the moment. She said she would be back. "I wonder if I'll punished if I use the wrong fork...Oh well."
A couple of minutes later, when Feral was really getting into his meal, P-chan comes running into the dining room. Somehow, he climbs onto the table.
"Buubuu!"
Feral places his fork down. "P-chan! Could you tell Calico to hurry up? I could use the company."
"Buubuu!" P-chan, highly agitated for some reason, grabs onto Feral's sleeve with his snout, pulling it.
"Hmm?"
************************************************************
"Why, Calico? Why won't you do as I say?"
"I'm sorry, Steele-san. I am engaged to Uly-sama now."
Steele still couldn't believe his ears. The both of the were standing in the courtyard that was before Feral's dorm.
"I don't understand." Steele grabs Callie by the shoulders. "Didn't you devote yourself completely to me when we were engaged?"
"Yes...but, that's in the past now."
"Eh?"
"Our engagement is over." Callie says. "Please, forget about me."
Steele releases her...but not before slapping her. Calico falls to the ground. She clutches her cheek. "You're shameless..."
"No... You are!"
Steele looks up to see Feral appearing the doorway to the dorms. He smiles. "Oh... You again."
Feral walks over to Callie and begins to help her up. He holds her in his arms for a moment.
"Perfect timing." Steele says. "I want another Duel with you...to determine once and for all who will possess the Rose Bride. I was off my game in the first Duel."
"You've got to be kidding!" Feral glares at him. "First off all, I don't possess anyone! Second, I will not fight another Duel with you!"
"Too bad...for those who do not comply with the wishes of the Executive Council vanish from this campus." Steele smirks. "By being engaged to the Rose Bride, you agree to fight in the Duels. The campus regulations are quite specific."
"..." Feral continues to glare at Steele, but then he looks at Callie. Those eyes of hers...
Feral looks back at Feral. "Fine. I accept your challenge. I'll Duel with you after the shift."
"Very well." Steele smiles, and walks off.
Both Callie and Feral watch him go. Finally, Callie speaks up. "Didn't you say you didn't want to Duel again?"
"I don't have a choice." Feral sighs. "If I don't Duel, I'll get kicked out of here."
Callie looks at him. Feral smiles at her and rubs her check with his paw. "Don't worry."
Feral turns to walk back into the dorms, and all Callie can do is look after him in wonder.
"My Knight..."
*****************************************************
The next day...
Feral sits in his room he shares with Callie, trying to prepare mentally for the Duels. He still didn't know what to expect tonight.
His peace didn't last long. Callie bounds into the room.
"Uly-sama! It's finally finished!"
"What's finished?"
"Your uniform jacket."
"Huh? I already have one."
"Not that jacket. Your Dueling jacket." Callie unveils a high collared uniform jacked, composed of white with black highlights. "I worked on it all day."
"Wow...my family colors." Feral looks at it. "Thanks...but why?"
"So you'll look like the other Duelists." Callie smiles him. "You don't want to look out of place."
"You mean I don't already?"
****************************************************************
It was now night. Time to climb the stairs that led to the Dueling Arena above the Forest...and to the Castle.
Just thinking of it made Feral tired. But, he begins to climb the stairs.
*****************************************************************
"Oh... A new uniform. Aren't we looking nice."
"Shut up."
Steele laughs as Callie, outfitted in her regal gown, pins a green rose to his chest. She goes to Feral and pins a white and black rose to his chest. She then stays put.
"You do know the rules." Steele says after a moment.
"If you knock the rose of my chest, I lose." Feral says.
"Be careful." Callie says to him.
"I will."
"Let's begin." Steele withdraws his personal blade. Callie takes her position.
"O Rose of the noble castle..." Callie closes her eyes. A sphere of light appears in front of her chest.
" Spirit of Dios that slumbers within..." Callie continues to chant, the sphere of light growing bigger.
" Harken unto thy Master, and reveal to us now..."
Callie falls backwards, where Feral catches her. Within the sphere of light an elaborate hilt of a sword appears. Feral grabs it and begins to extract the sword.
"...the power to Revolutionize the world!"
The clock tower's bell begins to ring, signaling the start of the Duel.
Steele charges forward, beginning to attack. Feral now has better luck parrying Steele's attacks, but he still drives Feral backward. Callie looks on.
"I've got you!" Steele sensing an opening, slices at Feral's rose. Feral moves just in time, shielding his rose with his free paw.
"Impressive." Steele says. "You guarded your rose with your one life."
Feral really couldn't himself. A part of him was glad his rose was okay.
"You understand." Steele smiles. "You lose when your rose is cut...not at death."
Feral this time charges Steele. The continue back and forth with the clashing of the swords until they become locked against each other, neither one of them yielding.
"The Sword of Dios doesn't have any special powers by itself." Steele tries to gain leverage. "It is to be wielded by a superior swordskat."
"Shut up." Feral also tries to gain leverage.
"I was careless before...but now I won't be!" Steele breaks the lock and kicks Feral in the stomach, which sends him flying.
"Oh, no!" Callie gasps.
Feral gets back to his knees, but couldn't stand up. Steele towers over him.
"Both the sword, and Calico belong to me." Steele points his sword at Feral. "They are mine to own alone!"
Feral grits his teeth. Steele grabs the hilt of his sword with both paws.
"Prepare yourself!"
Steele couldn't do much of anything after that, since a light beams down from the floating castle. Steele takes an involuntary step back.
The light focuses on Feral who slowly gets up. "I...feel...strange..."
The light becomes intense, blinding Steele. Feral feels a power take over his body and make him slice the air the air with his sword.
But, it wasn't air. Green petals fill the air...and Steele's sword was cut in half.
The light subsides, and Feral has control of himself, not believing what happened. Callie, again, can only look at him.
"The Power of Dios..."
********************************************************
"What was that just now?"
The clock tower's bells begin to ring, and Alisa takes the opera glasses from her eyes.
"Was that the power to bring revolution to the world?"
"The Power of Dios?"
********************************************************
It was late at night.
Feral retires to his room, still a little sore from Steele's kick. Callie had made a snack for him, a strawberry shortcake, that he was now trying to prevent P-chan from getting.
"Buubuu!" P-chan snorts. Feral holds the pig off with one claw. He couldn't help but smile.
A giggle from the doorway distracts Feral, and P-chan goes head first into the shortcake. Feral gives Callie a little wave.
Callie claps her paws together in front of her. "You didn't want to do anymore Duels."
Feral smiles. "I didn't do it for you."
Callie just stands there.
"I did it for P-chan." Feral points to P-chan, who made a mess of the shortcake.
Callie blinks. "Oh?"
"If you had went back to Steele, he'll just be mean to P-chan, right?"
"Buu." P-chan snorts, and offers Feral the strawberry that had fell off the top of the shortcake.
Feral takes the strawberry and begins to laugh.
And, Callie smiles.
To be continued...
It's only the second day, and Feral is confronted with the Rules of the rose seal. Not only does he learn that he has to live with Callie, but she is now his fiancée! Also, Steele wants a return Duel to finally settle the score. Will he accept?
Author's notes and warning: Same warning as before.
Buu and Buubuu are the sound a pig makes in Japanese. Like our 'oink'. Why is that important? You'll see!
Thanks to all that read. I appreciate it.
As always, send any comments or questions to AkaneKitty@aol.com. Or, drop me a line in my review section at Fanfiction.net. Enjoy!
Ja ne,
AkaneKitty
"Buubuu"
**********************
Epsilon:
For the Rose Smiles
**********************
It was the day after Feral entered the world of the Duels.
Apparently, word that Feral 'humiliated' Steele had trickled down to the masses of Epsilon, making Feral more popular.
Just how Feral humiliated Steele, however, was hidden by the Council.
****************************************************
"Morning."
"Morning, sir!"
Feral walks into his office, still not believing what he went through last night. He takes a seat at his desk.
"Morning, Ulysses." Renee walks up to his desk.
"Morning, Renee." Feral watches as she places some reports on his desk. "Anything needing my immediate attention?"
"No..." Renee places the last report on his desk. "But, I hear that you are getting a personal assistant today."
"I'm getting a what?!"
"Good morning, everyone!"
Feral looks up to Callie standing beside his desk. She smiles at him.
"Good morning, Uly-sama."
***************************************************
"If it cannon break its shell, the chick will die without being born."
"We are the chick."
"The world is our egg."
"If we don't break the World's shell, we will die without truly being born."
"Smash the World's Shell!"
"For the revolution of the world!"
*****************************************
"Have the both of you received your letters from World's End?"
"Yes."
"I have."
Alisa, Jake, and Chance meet atop the south tower, sitting around a table. The forest serves as a background as the three of them play cards.
Alisa is currently winning.
Chance Furlong was in second place. The kat was wearing a uniform that resembled Jake's: High collared jacket composed of red and blue colors, and straight black pants. What made Chance's uniform unique is the fact that his jacket had no sleeves, showing off his tan strips.
Jake was in third place, but he didn't care...too much. He was busy taking notes of the meeting...and designing new missile.
"So...we've all received them." Alisa tosses a letter on top of the pile of discarded cards that were in the center of the table.
"As it is written in this letter, Steele failed yesterday." Alisa continues. "And, the Rose Bride was engaged to the kat who won the Duel. Now we proceed according to the instructions within."
"Is that kat who doesn't even belong to the Executive Council receiving these letters also?" Chance asks, not too pleased with his cards.
"Who knows?" Alisa shrugs, taking a card from Chance's paw. She matches it with another card and places the pair of matching cards onto the pile. "But, he wears the rose seal. I saw it myself."
"So, who is this kat?"
"Ulysses Feral. Commander of the Enforcers." Jake says, staring at his cards as while Chance has a mild reaction. "Very popular now."
Alisa smiles. "Such a handsome and noble kat..."
"Now, hold on a minute!" Chance breaks into Alisa thoughts. "Someone who we've never even heard of just joins the Duels? If this happens again, I'll-"
"If it happens again, what will you do?" Alisa asks. "Drop of the game?"
Chance blinks. "Well..."
"These letters are messages from World's End. And, we are to follow them as we see fit."
"When we open the path to the Duel arena with our rose seals, the Castle appeared." Jake says, dropping out of the card game in order to take more notes. "Which is what the letters said it would."
"I know." Chance places another pair of cards onto the table, leaving him with one. "Just seeing that convinced me I can't drop out of this now."
"Exactly. The letters are quite specific." Alisa nods, taking Chance's last card. "The one who wins the Rose Bride in the Duels and is engaged to her will finally enter the castle...and bring revolution to the world."
"That is why we must fight."
Alisa places her pair down onto the pile. Two Jokers.
Jake clicks his pen.
****************************************************
It is now noon.
By decree of the Executive Council, everyone was to move into their permanent residence for the year.
To Renee's dismay, she was placed in the north dorms, where most of the high ranking officers where placed. Feral was placed in one of the south dorms, where the Executive Council resided. Renee couldn't believe it.
"To think the two of us were assigned different dorms!" Renee laments as she and Feral walk to gather their belongings from their temporary residences. "It's not fair! I don't want to be with those stuffed shirts!"
Feral laughs. "Can't help that. The Executive Council decides all assignments. Besides, being a Commander means I finally get a single."
"But, I hear that the dorm you're going into hasn't been used in ten years!" Renee skips ahead of Feral. "I'll bet you'll have a time cleaning it up!"
"Ten years?"
"Yeah! I bet cleaning it up will be perfect work for the ultra cool Commander Feral." Renee faces him. "Anyway, my room is on the second floor of north dorm B. Stop by if you get tires of your haunted house. See ya!"
Renee walks off before Feral could say anything. He sighs.
"A haunted house?"
***************************************************
"What's the big deal? It's a nice building."
Feral stands before his assigned dorm, a modest two story building. It looked a little lonely though, since the other buildings where near the forest. But, he could live with that.
"Hello!"
Feral enters the building, and takes a look around. "Anybody home?"
It was nicely furnished, but it didn't look like anyone was there...or even lived there. "Don't tell me I'm the only one in this place!"
Feral looks around a bit more, and sighs. "Might as well go upstairs..."
"Let's see...my room is the second room." Feral stops in front of the door, sitting some of his belongings on the floor. He goes to open the door, but pauses. "10 years...I bet it's dusty in there..."
"Well, here goes."
Feral opens the door. The room looked neat and clean, surprisingly. But, also in the room, was...
"I'm sorry, Uly-sama. I'll be finished soon." Callie bows to him a little, smiling. She was wearing an apron, and she had a towel in her paws.
"Calico...what are you doing here?"
"We're going to be living together from now on." Callie says. "How do you do?"
"How do you do...but, this is supposed to be a single..." Feral looks at the outside name plate.
Callie's name was under his.
"...isn't it?"
************************************************
An hour later, Feral was just about finished putting up his things. Callie was cleaning the windows.
"Amazing coincidence, us being roommates." Feral says, putting books into his desk. "You really did a good job in cleaning up. Sorry you had to do it by yourself, Calico."
Callie, who moved on to a mirror, pauses. "Well...I did do most of it last night."
"But, they just announced the assignments, right?" Feral says, trying to force a closet to close.
"Our getting the same room is not a coincidence."
Feral pauses for a moment.
"It is the Rules of the Rose Seal." Callie says, moving to clean a table.
"What?" Feral releases his grip on the closet. The closet doors don't hold and some items begin to spill out.
"For I am the Rose Bride."
"Bride, huh."
"I must be engaged to whomever wins the Duels."
Feral looks at her.
"...Are you sure about that?"
***********************************************
"All right. First question."
"Yes?"
Callie finishes stirring her tea. Feral just looks into his coffee cup. Another weird day.
"What is up with the mirage castle and the trick sword?" Feral asks.
Callie doesn't answer right away. "Mysteries."
"Mysteries? You mean you don't know?" Feral asks. "If you don't know, then why do you do it?"
Callie drinks from her cup and then places it on her saucer. "Why did you come to this campus, Uly-sama?"
"Me? Well...career advancement...searching...It's complicated."
"That is my answer." Callie looks at him. "Is our being here a problem?"
"Well, I can't really say...What a minute! 'Our'?"
Feral hears some chewing coming from behind Callie's kettle. He moves it. There, eating a cookie, was a small, black pot bellied pig. It looks back at him, and finishes off the cookie. "Buubuu!"
"Umm..."
"Let me introduce you." Callie says, smiling. "This is my friend, P-chan."
"Your pet?"
"My friend."
"Buu." P-chan says.
Feral chuckles. "How do you do, P-chan. My name is Ulysses Feral. Will you be my friend, too?"
"Buubuu!" P-chan obviously agrees, and bounds into Feral's paws.
Callie clasps her paws together. "P-chan seems quite taken to you, Uly-sama! I've never seen him do that before."
"Umm... Look, could you cut it out with that 'Uly-sama' business?"
"But, I am engaged to you, Uly-sama."
Feral sighs. "...That again..."
************************************************
"That Steele guy was wearing a ring like the one I have. Do you know what it is?"
"All of the Executive Council wears them. It's a rose seal. Whoever wears that ring, is marked as a Duelist."
"Huh?"
"So, now that you're the current Dueling champion, the others who wear the rose seal will come to challenge you to Duels."
Feral slams his paw down onto the table. "You've got to be kidding! I don't intend to keep fight these Duels!"
Callie says nothing, finishing her tea.
***************************************************
"Oh...It's you, Madame President."
"Am I disturbing you, Mr. Vice-President?"
"No. You're generally allowed into my domain."
Steele continues his practice of his swordplay, while Alisa watches. The Executive Council had their own practice facilities. Jake and Chance would also practice in these facilities.
"Is our PsychOps officer going to fight the Commander again?" Alisa asks innocently.
"Of course." Steele pauses. "The power to bring revolution to world is my right. That kat's engagement to Calico is a mistake."
"That's too bad...since Calico belongs to the Commander. It's his right now."
"You're wrong! She belongs to me!" Steele snaps at Alisa. "She is to do what I command forever! That's what's written in our exchange diary."
Alisa blinks. "You keep...an exchange diary?"
*********************************************************
It was now night. Which meant it was dinner time, to which Callie had prepared a feast...literally. A full course meal.
Feral sits in the dining area, which was set up formal. Feral just looks at his food.
"Great. It looks like only me and Calico are the only ones in this dorm." Feral sits back in his chair, clasping his paws behind his head. "Is this another rule of the rose seal?"
Feral looks around. Callie was gone for the moment. She said she would be back. "I wonder if I'll punished if I use the wrong fork...Oh well."
A couple of minutes later, when Feral was really getting into his meal, P-chan comes running into the dining room. Somehow, he climbs onto the table.
"Buubuu!"
Feral places his fork down. "P-chan! Could you tell Calico to hurry up? I could use the company."
"Buubuu!" P-chan, highly agitated for some reason, grabs onto Feral's sleeve with his snout, pulling it.
"Hmm?"
************************************************************
"Why, Calico? Why won't you do as I say?"
"I'm sorry, Steele-san. I am engaged to Uly-sama now."
Steele still couldn't believe his ears. The both of the were standing in the courtyard that was before Feral's dorm.
"I don't understand." Steele grabs Callie by the shoulders. "Didn't you devote yourself completely to me when we were engaged?"
"Yes...but, that's in the past now."
"Eh?"
"Our engagement is over." Callie says. "Please, forget about me."
Steele releases her...but not before slapping her. Calico falls to the ground. She clutches her cheek. "You're shameless..."
"No... You are!"
Steele looks up to see Feral appearing the doorway to the dorms. He smiles. "Oh... You again."
Feral walks over to Callie and begins to help her up. He holds her in his arms for a moment.
"Perfect timing." Steele says. "I want another Duel with you...to determine once and for all who will possess the Rose Bride. I was off my game in the first Duel."
"You've got to be kidding!" Feral glares at him. "First off all, I don't possess anyone! Second, I will not fight another Duel with you!"
"Too bad...for those who do not comply with the wishes of the Executive Council vanish from this campus." Steele smirks. "By being engaged to the Rose Bride, you agree to fight in the Duels. The campus regulations are quite specific."
"..." Feral continues to glare at Steele, but then he looks at Callie. Those eyes of hers...
Feral looks back at Feral. "Fine. I accept your challenge. I'll Duel with you after the shift."
"Very well." Steele smiles, and walks off.
Both Callie and Feral watch him go. Finally, Callie speaks up. "Didn't you say you didn't want to Duel again?"
"I don't have a choice." Feral sighs. "If I don't Duel, I'll get kicked out of here."
Callie looks at him. Feral smiles at her and rubs her check with his paw. "Don't worry."
Feral turns to walk back into the dorms, and all Callie can do is look after him in wonder.
"My Knight..."
*****************************************************
The next day...
Feral sits in his room he shares with Callie, trying to prepare mentally for the Duels. He still didn't know what to expect tonight.
His peace didn't last long. Callie bounds into the room.
"Uly-sama! It's finally finished!"
"What's finished?"
"Your uniform jacket."
"Huh? I already have one."
"Not that jacket. Your Dueling jacket." Callie unveils a high collared uniform jacked, composed of white with black highlights. "I worked on it all day."
"Wow...my family colors." Feral looks at it. "Thanks...but why?"
"So you'll look like the other Duelists." Callie smiles him. "You don't want to look out of place."
"You mean I don't already?"
****************************************************************
It was now night. Time to climb the stairs that led to the Dueling Arena above the Forest...and to the Castle.
Just thinking of it made Feral tired. But, he begins to climb the stairs.
*****************************************************************
"Oh... A new uniform. Aren't we looking nice."
"Shut up."
Steele laughs as Callie, outfitted in her regal gown, pins a green rose to his chest. She goes to Feral and pins a white and black rose to his chest. She then stays put.
"You do know the rules." Steele says after a moment.
"If you knock the rose of my chest, I lose." Feral says.
"Be careful." Callie says to him.
"I will."
"Let's begin." Steele withdraws his personal blade. Callie takes her position.
"O Rose of the noble castle..." Callie closes her eyes. A sphere of light appears in front of her chest.
" Spirit of Dios that slumbers within..." Callie continues to chant, the sphere of light growing bigger.
" Harken unto thy Master, and reveal to us now..."
Callie falls backwards, where Feral catches her. Within the sphere of light an elaborate hilt of a sword appears. Feral grabs it and begins to extract the sword.
"...the power to Revolutionize the world!"
The clock tower's bell begins to ring, signaling the start of the Duel.
Steele charges forward, beginning to attack. Feral now has better luck parrying Steele's attacks, but he still drives Feral backward. Callie looks on.
"I've got you!" Steele sensing an opening, slices at Feral's rose. Feral moves just in time, shielding his rose with his free paw.
"Impressive." Steele says. "You guarded your rose with your one life."
Feral really couldn't himself. A part of him was glad his rose was okay.
"You understand." Steele smiles. "You lose when your rose is cut...not at death."
Feral this time charges Steele. The continue back and forth with the clashing of the swords until they become locked against each other, neither one of them yielding.
"The Sword of Dios doesn't have any special powers by itself." Steele tries to gain leverage. "It is to be wielded by a superior swordskat."
"Shut up." Feral also tries to gain leverage.
"I was careless before...but now I won't be!" Steele breaks the lock and kicks Feral in the stomach, which sends him flying.
"Oh, no!" Callie gasps.
Feral gets back to his knees, but couldn't stand up. Steele towers over him.
"Both the sword, and Calico belong to me." Steele points his sword at Feral. "They are mine to own alone!"
Feral grits his teeth. Steele grabs the hilt of his sword with both paws.
"Prepare yourself!"
Steele couldn't do much of anything after that, since a light beams down from the floating castle. Steele takes an involuntary step back.
The light focuses on Feral who slowly gets up. "I...feel...strange..."
The light becomes intense, blinding Steele. Feral feels a power take over his body and make him slice the air the air with his sword.
But, it wasn't air. Green petals fill the air...and Steele's sword was cut in half.
The light subsides, and Feral has control of himself, not believing what happened. Callie, again, can only look at him.
"The Power of Dios..."
********************************************************
"What was that just now?"
The clock tower's bells begin to ring, and Alisa takes the opera glasses from her eyes.
"Was that the power to bring revolution to the world?"
"The Power of Dios?"
********************************************************
It was late at night.
Feral retires to his room, still a little sore from Steele's kick. Callie had made a snack for him, a strawberry shortcake, that he was now trying to prevent P-chan from getting.
"Buubuu!" P-chan snorts. Feral holds the pig off with one claw. He couldn't help but smile.
A giggle from the doorway distracts Feral, and P-chan goes head first into the shortcake. Feral gives Callie a little wave.
Callie claps her paws together in front of her. "You didn't want to do anymore Duels."
Feral smiles. "I didn't do it for you."
Callie just stands there.
"I did it for P-chan." Feral points to P-chan, who made a mess of the shortcake.
Callie blinks. "Oh?"
"If you had went back to Steele, he'll just be mean to P-chan, right?"
"Buu." P-chan snorts, and offers Feral the strawberry that had fell off the top of the shortcake.
Feral takes the strawberry and begins to laugh.
And, Callie smiles.
To be continued...