Noir
By spheeris1
Pairings: Utena/Anthy [others implied]
Warnings/notes: See 'Teaser' & 'Ichi'
~~~
How long have I walked, looking for you? How long have I searched every cavern and every cave for a trace of you? How long have I been running after your back, watching it disappear time and time and time again?
My feet are bleeding, but I love you that much…
~
Utena was the only one awake on the train.
Miki slept awkwardly in the seat across from her, his head shoved against the window and his arms crossed, jacket still on him and scarf loose around his neck.
Three hours earlier, the both of them went to Kiryuu Nanami's office building.
Utena kneeled before the blonde haired girl she found sitting outside of the room, leaning against the closed door and drawing invisible patterns on the cold floor.
'Nanami?' Utena questioned, not liking the feeling that surrounded her nerves, the feeling of death and loss.
Nanami looked up and slowly, very slowly, reached out to tug on a lock of Utena's hair. Then the girl chuckled softly, letting the pink strands go from her fingers.
'You're back.' Nanami stated. Utena sat back on her heels and grinned.
'How'd you know?'
'Touga told me.'
Utena visibly paled and she placed her palms onto the floor just to steady herself.
'Touga is dead…'
But Nanami just shook her head 'no' and sighed.
'And now Juri has gone with him, for my sake…all for me…' Nanami drifted off and that shook Utena back to reality.
'What do you mean 'gone with him'? Nanami, what are you saying?' Utena asked, her heartbeat racing faster and faster. She could hear Miki's footsteps draw closer, the halting sound they made as Nanami spoke.
'She is going back to fight for me.' Nanami whispered, tears rolling down her face and she crumbled forward, clinging to Utena's unresponsive body.
Now, Nanami slept beside Utena, tucked into the right side of the bench-seat and knees drawn up--a bizarre replica of the fetal position.
Nanami did not beg to come along or pout or yell--she just came. And Utena realized that no one could stop her. Or Miki. Or Juri. None of them could stop from going back to Ohtori…to their pasts…to Akio and his nightmare realities…
They had all tried to avoid it and they had all failed.
Utena looked at her gun, still strapped to her hip. She ran her fingers over the cold black metal, the polished wooden handle…could such a weapon work in Akio's world? Or would each bullet merely go through the intended victim as if they were water? Would it have to be swords once more? Would Utena have to step that far back into time and pull that blade from Anthy's chest?
Anthy…
Utena leaned her head back and watched the darkened scenery fly by. And, for a brief moment, she swore she saw a tower in the distance.
And maybe…just maybe…Utena saw Anthy standing at the top, wind whipping around her in a torrent, tangling her beautiful hair and tearing at her Rose Bride dress--and those emerald eyes locked onto Utena's blue eyes, letting Utena know that the fight had just begun…and it will never end the way either one of them want it to…
~
How long have you fought for me? How long have you battled and killed and maimed for me? How many times must you suffer for my sins? How many lives must you sacrifice for this lost soul?
My number has finally come up, but you love me that much…
~
The car idled at the gate. Akio's car.
But rusted and the leather torn and grime on the windshield…it had seen better days.
'How did you get this?' Juri asked when they first got into it. It made her sick to sit in it, her stomach was twisting into knots and threatened to rise up in her throat.
'I stole it.' Touga smiled, bringing the engine to life and a puff of black smoke emitted from the tailpipe.
Then they tore off, speeding much too fast--the wind was like glass, slicing into Juri's skin.
But she did not close her eyes, not once in the whole ride--all past dorms, streetlights, concrete fountains, forests--every inch of this make-believe world was visible and Juri did not look away.
To look away meant it scared you and that gave Akio power.
And Juri would rather die than give that man power of her ever again.
Now, they sat at the gate, its imposing figure guarding the interior of Ohtori.
'Arisugawa, are you ready? Once you are inside, I can no longer help you.' Touga said quietly.
The sun was just now cresting over the horizon, a new day was dawning…Juri ran her palms over her gray slacks, thinking how odd her clothes seemed here--her business suit, her lawyer's attire--when all she wanted was that ancient school uniform. Touga chuckled beside her.
'You can find it in the fencing gym, right where you left it.'
Juri glanced over at the man who used to head the Student Council and consorted with the devil…the ghost in a prince's outfit, the boy smelling of death but still with the smile of seduction…
'If I don't make it, let Nanami know.' Juri said before getting out of the car and walking up to the gate. Her hands trembled as she pushed against it, listening to it groan with movement and swing open.
She stepped through silently, a feeling of warmth flooding over her…a deceptive feeling, a familiar feeling…
…and the gate slammed behind her, the rusted-red convertible no longer there.
~
'I've missed you' you say and walk a bit closer.
'I know…' she replies and walks to meet you.
'Do we have to do this? Can't we just run away and…and…' You start but she covers your mouth with her warm fingers.
'You know the answer to that.' She answers softly, pulling you close and enclosing you in her arms.
And you hold on like your life depends on her embrace.
You savor her hands on your back, her form pressed against you so tight, her hot breath trickling over your neck.
'I'm willing to do it all over again…if I can be with you…I love you that much…' You whisper.
'I love you that much, too…so this time, I won't let you do the same thing…' She tells you.
~
Utena woke up and she was standing outside.
And she could see intricate wrought iron in front of her, turning and winding, forming thousands of roses.
She looked to the left, seeing Miki walk forward and reach for a blue rose--snapping it from the stem and placing the bud in his palm, staring at its unnatural coloring before crushing it, letting the demented petals fall to the ground.
She looked to the right, seeing Nanami's eyes dart around--looking for Touga, looking for Juri, looking for a sign that all this would turn out okay…and she avoided the yellow roses like the plague, their shapely forms only adding to her anxiety.
Utena forced herself to ignore the white rose, its beacon of prince-hood pushing past a bed of pink--she took her gun out of the holster and shoved the gate open with the toe of her boot.
'It's now or never…' She whispered, knowing full well that everyone inside Ohtori's walls could hear her.
~
Akio sipped his wine.
Shiori played the same record over and over.
Kozue watched the cards she dealt and then would watch Anthy standing by the window.
Anthy looked out and down below, her pulse aching in her neck and her skin pulling too tight…
Utena…
Akio smiled to himself and Shiori wrapped her arms about herself, feeling suddenly cold and alone.
Kozue got up from her table, walking to stand beside Anthy.
'This is it.' Kozue said with a faint and distant smile.
'You don't even know, Kozue…you don't even know…' Anthy replied before pulling the ring off of her finger--the ring Dios once wore, the ring that now was Utena's--and tossed it out the window, knowing that the owner would soon find it and the damn game would begin…
~~~
TBC
