Ni-hao! This is "Thorns of Love."

Major Chance Furlong thought he was coping with old hurts. Those that he buries beneath that
flyboy demeanor of his. But, when Felina arrives on campus, speaking of old times, all those old wounds
are reopened. How will Chance react to Felina, who wants nothing more than their friendship again?

Author's note: Look for a funny wink to the readers from Jake.

I would also like your feedback. I value it, so let me know what you think. See my e-mail below.

Like I said, the series gets dark. If you think this series need as rating change, let me know.

Special thanks to: Renee Twist(with Timmy!), Alegna, and KS Claw for being sounding boards
and who can put up with my question torture.

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!
AkaneKitty

**********************
Epsilon: Death Rose Saga
Thorns of Love
**********************

"*Believe in wishes...*"

"*...So that they will know your feelings.*"

Chance stands in Callie's greenhouse, looking longingly at his locket. He grips it tightly.

"*You're so cruel...*" Chance thinks, closing his eyes. "*Even though there are no such things as
wishes...*"

"*You must hate me for what I've done...*"

A red rose in the greenhouse loses one of its petals. Chance sighs.

"Yes, I hate you..."

Callie stands silently at the door.

****************************************************************

Later...In the fencing room...

"Next!"

A group gathers as kat effortlessly parries his opponent's foil. He then touches his own foil to the
opponent's chest.

"Wow! That's just like our Captain!" A she-kat exclaims.

"That was a splendid move for touche!" Another one adds.

Chance ignores them, readying himself for his next opponent. "Next!"

Feral, Callie, and P-chan watch from the floor above the fencing room. Feral watches as Chance
takes on another opponent and wins.

"*That move...his sword has reached another level.*" Feral thinks. "Furlong has improved his
skill again. *"

"Next!"

A she-kat joins Feral and the others as Chance faces another kat. This time, his opponent's foil
goes flying, landing at Callie's feet.

The gathered group claps as Chance takes his mask off. "You left yourself wide open! That's not
like you at all!"

The other kat takes his mask off, revealing the face of Jake. "Sorry!"

"Is it okay to drop it now?"

Both Jake and Chance look up to see Callie holding Jake's foil over the railing. A kat on the
lower level waves.

"Okay!"

Callie drops the foil. "Here."

"Thank you!"

Chance starts to look away, but a movement besides Callie and Feral catches his eye.

There...standing besides them, was...

"Felina..." Chance gulps, staring at the she-kat. She had cut her hair to go above the shoulder, but
she was the same she-kat. Felina wore a pleated skirt to go with her Enforcer uniform, slightly modified
for a helicopter pilot. She smiles at him.

Chance tears his eyes away from her and turns away.

"Oh, no..." Felina starts, but looks down.

"For the rest of the time, you'll each practice according to the schedule." Chance says, walking
out of the room.

"Yes, sir!" The fencing group starts its practice.

Feral notices Chance's reaction and then notices Felina. "Felina! You made it back!"

Felina smiles at him...a sad smile. "Yes, uncle."

*******************************************************************

Later...

Both Callie and Feral, along with P-chan, who was resting on Callie's head, sit in Felina's room
in the East Dorms. She had barely moved in, as sheets still covered most of the furniture.

"You're Furlong's friend...right, Felina?" Feral asks, sitting in one of the desk chairs.

"Yes. I trained here with him until circumstances moved me elsewhere." Felina says, siting on
her suitcase. "I just transferred back here, and I start living in the dorms today. But, I am glad to see you
again, Uncle."

She then turns to Callie. "And, I'm pleased to meet you."

Callie bows a little. "This little one is pleased to meet you."

"Buu." P-chan snorts happily.

Felina laughs. "Pleased to meet you!"

Feral takes P-chan off of Callie's head. "Have you known Major Furlong for a long time?"

"Well, I'm not just an old friend, but someone who has basically grown up with him." Felina puts
her arm on the window still. "Chance has always been wonderful...So strong and cool..."

"I can just picture that!" Feral laughs.

"Chance has always protected me...he was my only friend. The only one I could trust
completely." Felina looks out the window to see a couple sitting beneath the trees outside the dorm.
"But, I no longer deserve that..."

Feral looks at her. "Felina..."

Felina snaps back into reality. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to go on like that."

"It's okay." Both Feral and Callie stand up. "But, we should leave now."

"Since I don't have a roommate, I would love for you to stop by again." Felina escorts them to the
door. "Goodbye!"

Feral walks out of the dorms, but Callie pauses to look back.

***********************************************************

That night...Deep in the bowels of Yozen Hall.

Kagami looks over a red rose. She touches it.

"Ouch!" Kagami jerks her paw back. She had pricked her claw.

"I told you to be careful." Suimin says, appearing besides the aquarium. "The more beautiful the
rose, the more dangerous are its thorns."

Suimin takes Kagami's paw into hers.

"Commander..."

"...You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Kagami smiles, turning back to the rose. "We need this rose's thorns, right?"

"That's right."

"With the thorns of the rose which is more beautiful and dangerous than any others, we can then
defeat Ulysses Feral."

"But, how do we go about removing the thorns?" Suimin strokes Kagami's paw. "A careless
touch, and this is what you get."

"That's easy." Kagami says. "There are harmful insects...natural enemies of the rose."

"The venom of an insect, hmm?" Suimin thinks aloud. "I wonder if it will work on this rose?"

"The trap has been set."

********************************************************************

The next day...

Jake, Kei and Chance are in their usual meeting place. Jake sits in a chair, Kei reads Jake's
report, and Chance stands quite a bit away, looking over the forest. He feels the lump of his locket under
his uniform.

"...So, your sister drew a sword from within you, correct?" Kei asks, still reading the report.

"Correct. And, my sister was wearing a Black Rose Signet on her claw at the time." Jake says.

"I see." Kei mulls. "Your report suggests there is some power besides the Executive Council
seeking the Rose Bride."

"That's right."

"Unbelievable."

"It's a reality. And a formidable opponent besides."

"Still, of all the Executive Council members, you were that far off your guard?"

"That..." Jake looks down. "I didn't expect it..."

Kei clicks Jake's pen.

"Say, this thing you're always doing..." Kei holds out Jake's pen. "What does it mean?"

"It's a plot device alerting the reader to important dialogue." Jake looks at Kei. "Are you through
with your interrogation?"

"By the way..." Kei walks over to him, leaning in a little. "How did it feel?"

"How did what feel?"

"You know what I mean!" Kei blushes a little. "Did you and Lt. Commander Hunter..."

Jake's face turns red. "Th-That aside, the problem is what countermeasure to take now! What do
you think, Chance?"

Chance continues to stare at the forest.

Kei and Jake look at him. "...Chance?"

"Well, let's see." Chance turns to face them. "Sorry, I'll have to excuse myself for today."

****************************************************************

"Felina...the wounds are still raw..."

Chance enters the elevator, holding his briefcase in one paw and looking at Felina's picture with
the other.

Memories come back to him...of those days. Just the three of them.

"*But, I think you were first in her thoughts, Chance.*"

"*That's why I took her from you. And, I have no regrets about it.*"

"*You must hate me for what I've done...*"

The elevator reaches the bottom, and Chance steps out. He hastily puts his locket away.

"Chance?"

Chance turns to see Felina standing behind him.

"There's something I want to tell you." Felina says, looking down.

Chance starts to walk away.

"Wait! Please, Chance!" Felina calls after him, almost crying. "Please!"

****************************************************************

A little later, Chance and Felina stand on the balcony of the East Dorms. Chance looks out over
the landscape.

"I eventually lost contact her." Felina was saying, holding her own briefcase. "But, it doesn't
erase the fact that I forcibly took her away from you."

Chance says nothing.

"It's not something that can be forgiven, is it? Still, I wish we could go back to those days."

Chance looks sad. Felina joins him at the balcony.

"When I got back, I felt that every place in the Academy was full of memories." Felina says. "We
had such happy times, you, she, and I. The three of us..."

"Was that all you wanted to tell me?" Chance interrupts.

Felina looks at him.

"Then, I'll be going now." Chance turns to leave.

"Huh?" Felina starts towards him, but a bird flies into the balcony window. It falls to the ground,
with both Felina and Chance looking at it.

"I'll tell you just one thing." Chance says, looking at Felina. "I was never in love with her. Not
now, not ever."

"What?"

"I never had feelings for her." Chance turns toward the door. "So there's nothing for you to fret
over."

"Then, who's picture is that in your locket?" Felina asks him. "You have it hidden under your
uniform even now!"

Chance leaves the room, and Felina stares at the bird.

*******************************************************************

Chance is walking down the stairs, and sees Feral at the bottom of them.

"It's you." Chance says, continuing down the stairs.

"That was Felina you were talking to, wasn't it?" Feral asks.

"What about it?"

"I don't know the circumstances, but can't you forgive her?" Feral asks. "You two were close,
and I know she's nice. Besides, she trusts you a lot."

Chance smiles a little. "You're just like her..."

"Huh?"

Chance turns away. "...Cruelly innocent."

"Which means?"

Chance faces him. "Look. It isn't any of your business, sir."

Feral looks at Chance as he walks away. "What's his problem?"

****************************************************************

Later...

"I never thought the Furlong was such a narrow-minded kat."

Feral was having one of his weekly teas with Camilla. He sits back in the chair.

"He didn't have to put it *that* way."

"You're just like Ganymede: innocent and pure." Camilla looks up at the ceiling. She had her
projector on. "But, that very innocence could hurt kats. You should be careful."

"Furlong said something similar to that." Feral says. "But, I don't consider myself innocent."

Camilla smiles. "We are experienced in some areas and innocent in others."

"Huh?"

"Everyone has something they don't want anyone to touch, Ulysses. Remember that."

Feral stares at the ceiling as well.

"Is that the way things are?"

***********************************************************

"*Believe in wishes...*"

Felina's words haunt Chance. He heads for the shower.

"We can never have things the way they were, Felina.... Never!"

"*Believe...*"

"No! I will never believe in wishes!"

**********************************************************

The red rose in the aquarium starts to turn black and white. Suimin looks at it.

"The venom of the insect has begun to take effect on the noble rose."

"Soon, the rose will hand its thorns to us." Kagami touches the rose.

**********************************************************

The next day...

Chance sits by the side of a large pond that was just off campus. Suddenly he takes his locket off
and hurls it into the pond.

"It was because of my weakness that I couldn't discard your picture." Chance thinks aloud.

"However, I don't believe in wishes."

**********************************************************

Felina is walking to her room in her dorm when the door opens.

"Huh?"

Felina looks around, but no one was there. She enters her room and closes the door. The windows
were open as well.

"That's odd..." Felina looks around. "I wonder if someone was in here."

Suddenly, the wind coming in from the window knocks over a vase with some red roses in it.

"Sheesh..." Felina hurries to up right the vase. As she does so, she spots a locket. She picks it up.

"This...This is Chance's!" Felina stares at it.

*************************************************************

Later...at Yozen Hall...

Felina enters the Hall, fills out an application, and enters the interview chamber.

"So, please begin."

The room begins its decent.

"I have loved and hated Chance ever since kittenhood." Felina says. "He is talented, handsome,
and loved by everyone. I was jealous of him because of it."

The room continues its decent.

"That's it. I hated him so much that I had to take something dear to him...That's all...But, I loved
him! I wanted to be that special she-kat in his heart!"

"So...So.."

The room stops its decent.

A voice is heard. "Go...deeper..."

"That's *not* it!"

The room starts its decent again.

"Chance was always so kind to me. But, I thought he was kind because he looked down on me!
That I would never reach his level! That I would only be a helicopter pilot! He only had pity on me for being
so plain and useless!"

"That's pathetic!"

"I wanted to change my relationship with him...because I loved him. But I knew he loved that
other she-kat, and she loved him! So, I pledged to break up our friendship on my terms."

"But, now..."

"Now, I'm on equal terms with him...No, I've won!" Felina takes out Chance's locket. "I've
always had a place in Chance's heart, but never where I wanted it to be. I'm the winner now!"

Felina opens the locket. Water trickles out of it as she is confronted with her own picture.

"What shall I do?" Felina laughs. "I'm so delighted to know my friend's secret that I can hardly
stand it!"

"He suffered alone, looking at my picture in secret." She places the locket close to her face. "That
was Chance, huh? Poor thing..."

Suddenly, Felina's eyes widen in shock.

"It's no good!" Felina tosses the locket to the ground. "It's no good at all!"

The room's decent picks up speed.

"You mean you looked at me in *that* way all along!" Felina cries. "Why couldn't you just tell
me?!"

"Why?!"

"Everything I've done was for nothing!"

The room shudders to a stop, and Suimin stands behind Felina, who had huddled in a corner.

"I understand." Suimin says. "I suppose you have no choice but to Revolutionize the world."

"The path before you has been prepared."

Suimin exits the elevator and walks toward the tombs. Felina stands up.

"Where am I?"

*****************************************************************

Chance is putting away some fencing equipment in the fencing room when Felina enters, her
paws clasped behind her.

"Felina?" Chance looks at her. "What is it this time?"

Felina holds up Chance's locket. "This is yours, isn't it?"

"How did you...?" Chance goes for it, but Felina steps back. "Did you look...inside?"

"If you had told me, I would have given you a better picture."

Chance looks away. Felina walks over him and places a paw to his face.

"So handsome...I liked the look in your eyes when you were hurt."

"Felina, don't tease me..."

"You're supposed to be stronger than everyone," Felina paw travels from Chance's face to his
chest, "but, now you're like this."

"Huh?" Chance notices the Black Rose Signet.

Felina smiles.

Suddenly, pain comes over Chance. He clutches his chest. He looks at Felina. "Felina..."

"I hated you...and loved you, Chance."

Chance bends over backwards, and a black version of his sword emerges from his chest.

Felina grabs the sword, and Chance falls to the ground.

****************************************************************

Later...

Feral goes to his locker and opens it. Inside was a note:

To the Engaged One: I await your presence at the Dueling Arena

*****************************************************************

At the Dueling Arena...

Of course, Callie was there, and on the desks this time there were birds sitting on little perches.
Feral looks at the figure standing before him.

"I shall win this Duel, and bring death to the Rose Bride!" Felina, dressing in a Dueling uniform
composed of black and white holds her sword aloft. "This I swear by this Death Rose."

"Why are you..." Feral starts, but Felina laughs.

"This is me...the *real* me!" Felina says. "And not some underdog that was living a miserable
life in the shadow of the bright and shining Juri."

"This is the real me that surpasses the light." Felina continues, smirking. "Yes, it is I who
controls Chance!"

"Because of that Death Rose..." Feral says.

"So, Ulysses Feral, draw your sword!" Felina shouts. "Otherwise, the Rose Bride will be mine!"

"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 towers bells begin to ring.

Felina charges at Feral, who barely had time to get out of the way. They clash swords for awhile
before Feral decides to gain better leverage by running between a row of desks. Felina does the same.

"Why?" Feral asks. "I thought you admired him so much!"

"Because I know!" Felina yells.

"Know what?"

Feral comes out of the row of desks and Felina is right on top of him. The two lock swords.

"That Chance is not as everyone thinks he is!" Felina says.

The two finally disengage, and Felina goes back into a fighting stance.

"And, I am the stronger one!"

"What does that mean?"

Felina charges at Feral again, using quick jabs like Chance. Feral quickly gets out of the way,
grabbing onto a desk.

"*That move...it's just like Furlong's.*" Feral thinks.

Felina laughs. "Looks like you finally understand. But, this will finish you off!"

Felina charges at Feral, and he does the same to Felina. Something takes over his body and makes
him slice at Felina's rose, scattering the petals.

The clock tower's bells begin to ring, and the birds on the desk take flight.

They all leave the Dueling Arena, and Felina collapses to the ground.

***********************************************************************

At Yozen Hall....

A tomb dumps itself into the incinerator. Suimin leans against the wall.

"Another failure." Suimin puts her paws behind her back. "Still, the insect's venom is still potent.
We can make use of it..."

Plums of smoke rise from Yozen Hall.

**********************************************************************

In the fencing room, Chance finally wakes up. He starts to get up, but a glint catches his eye.

The glint of his locket...right besides him.

************************************************************************

A week later...

Felina is walking with some friends to morning exercises at West Tower.

"Really, Felina!"

"Why did you leave Epsilon all those years ago?"

Felina laughs, adjusting her bazooka on her shoulder. "You wanna hear?"

"We do! We do!"

Felina laughs. "I wonder if I should?"

Feral and Callie watch the action from his usual spot above the commons.

"Looks like something's changed about Felina." Feral says.

"Has it?" Callie asks.

"But..."

Callie turns to Feral. "She hasn't changed at all, Uly-sama."

Meanwhile, Felina and her group continue to walk to the West Tower.

"Well, that's no good!"

"I talk from experience!" Felina says as the group comes upon Chance.

"Hello, Chance!" Felina says.

"Hi." Chance walks past them.

Felina looks at him for a while, but another group member asks a question.

"So, what happened then?"

"Okay, I told her..."

"Really?"

"Am I a brute?"

"No, well put!"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

The group disappears, and Chance stops.

"In the end, it was back in my paw again." Chance talks to himself. "And, though I was once able
to throw it away..."

Chance places a paw to the lump under his uniform.

"Why can't I be strong?"

To be continued....