Noir

By spheeris1

Pairing: Utena/Anthy [others implied]

Warnings/notes: See 'Teaser' & 'Ichi'

~~~

'He will die once more. I see it now…I led him to this fate, just as I have led myself to my own…he will die and…so…will…I…' Akio spoke, his voice monotone.

And Touga turned to him, the confusion set upon his face in tortured lines.

'Die? He is already dead!'

Akio just closed his eyes and buried his face away.

It was all crumbling.

Is this your punishment Dios? Is this how the world outside goes?

All these dreams, these images used to craft the walls and forge the swords…

All these hearts, this well of love and despair to make a whole other plane of existence…

…all for it to fall away and to fade…

…to have no hope answered…

And Dios came to him then, no longer sitting upon a lifeless gray world of stone.

He was resplendent in white and gold.

He was smiling with offered forgiveness…if Akio so wanted it…

…and Akio did…

Saionji did not see it, not this time.

He had trained his mind to fight without compassion yet not without honor.

Death before honor.

But Saionji was dead…wasn't he…?

He died in that hallway. His blood ran out of his body like a waterfall.

Bullets from Tenjou Utena's gun pierced the flesh and cracked the bones and punctured his lungs.

He was dead.

And this was his one chance to gain life once again…to seize his eternity…to finally gain never-ending peace…

And it was slipping past him, much like a breeze might or the snowflakes that are falling. Saionji saw his opportunity dying…much like he did before it…

Shiori was like a woman possessed.

Her eyes were like another weapon--sharp and vengeful, attacking in random patterns…and those movements found her blade, made it a willing dance partner.

Before he knew it, Shiori had back him against the wall and dismembered his rose of white.

Its petals matched the snow.

Saionji lowered his head, ready to admit another painful defeat…to retreat to his realm of the dead…

~

'You can't do this…' Anthy murmured. Mikage simply smiled and jerked her to his chest.

'This is the only way. He failed. You failed. She failed. We have all failed in our state of living and our state of limbo…but no more. Now it shall be finished.'

Anthy pulled away from him and rubbed at her arm.

Everything was going wrong now…everything was falling apart…

Mikage laughed.

'What? Your plan was useless…the only part that is in accordance with mine is the end…'

Anthy drew her sword and leveled it with his cold eyes.

'Then fight me. Leave the others and try to gain your precious eternity…try to best me…'

Anthy prayed to God, an entity that had long abandoned her, for this to work…to be able to salvage the last tendrils of her ideal…

'If the end is all that matters…then you should take it now…' Anthy said, her lips curling up of their own volition into a feral grin.

Mikage matched it with one of his own.

'I'll take my chances…' He whispered before fading away.

A part of Shiori's mind was locked away and watching.

That part was silent and staring and shell-shocked.

It was a little girl.

…what have you become…?

Shiori hated that girl.

No one could love her, no one wanted her, no one needed her.

And so Shiori shut her away.

Stuck her in a room and boarded up the windows and locked the doors…

…why can't you love me…?

As she cut the rose from Saionji's chest and saw his eyes wilt in resignation, Shiori heard that girl…that little slip of nothing inside of her…that curse she could not wash or cut or kill away…

…don't you want to be free…?

'This is freedom.' Shiori said aloud before driving the sword forward and into Saionji's stomach, pushing it until the hilt touched his clothes and she could feel the cloth on her fingers.

The little girl fell to the ground and cried…like she always did…

Shiori just stared out into the white of the storm.

Years and years ago, one day…summertime it seems…and they ran up the hill. A nice tree stood at the top. Apple blossoms covered the green grass.

And Saionji climbed to the top, his knees getting cut along the way.

Touga wanted to follow but also enjoyed watching the other boy move…it was graceful, yet not like Touga's type of graceful…more animal like, more wild…

'The view is perfect!' Saionji exclaimed, out of breath.

And Touga smiled at his friend, trying to remember that grin on his lips for all of time.

'Yes it is…' Touga whispered.

Touga felt nothing.

It was cold…he knew that.

The wind was bitter.

Touga saw nothing.

He knew Akio sat beside him, hiding his eyes.

He knew that a pink-haired man disappeared as if air.

But something was wrong…yes, something was wrong…

No more swords against each other.

No bells to ring, to signal beginning or end.

And red.

Out of the corner of his vision, Touga saw red. Like his hair--but not.

A rich and vibrant red.

A oasis of red.

Red, red, red, red.

Then…it hit him…a sudden jolt to his body, a tremor like vibration…

'he will die once more…'

'No…' Touga said quietly, moving down the stairs and out onto the arena.

But it was true.

Like Touga was gone. Like Shiori was motionless. Like Anthy was coming closer, with slow steps. Like Akio was pulling inward. Like Utena was the Rose Bride.

Touga knelt down beside Saionji's body, touching the still warm skin and watching the blood soak the snow, painting the ground with color.

'I…don't…understand…' Touga whispered.

But he was talking to no one…no one but himself…

~

Anthy pulled Shiori along, not that the girl was fighting her.

It was like she was in a trance.

And perhaps she was in one…a state of blindness that Mikage created…

Anthy pushed her against the wall and said her name.

She said it over and over…but got no response.

'Fine. We'll do this the hard way.' Anthy spoke before shutting her eyes.

And she went inside, shadowed corridors and mazes that made up Shiori's mind…Anthy dived deep into her darkness and found her there, weeping like a child.

'What happened?' Anthy asked her.

'He told me that I could leave…he said I could be free…I heard him, he said so…but I'm still here…I'm still here…' Shiori cried out.

'If you killed Saionji?' Anthy questioned.

'If I could open the door, I could walk away…that's what he said…' Shiori continued.

Anthy sighed and grabbed the girl, twisting her arm painfully. Shiori screamed out in pain.

'He is using you. He is using your mind. He cannot help you out…but I can.'

And Shiori stared at her, wide-eyed.

'Trust me.' Anthy said, trying to sound strong…but she feared it came off more of a plea instead…

'I just want out.' Shiori whispered.

'Then let's get you out…' Anthy whispered back.

'But…this is the gate…?' Akio questioned. Dios smiled at him.

That was his way of talking, of guiding…Akio smiled back.

'I don't think I should leave. This is my home.' Akio said wistfully, looking out past the bars of iron, to infinity on the other-side…

Dios took his hand and kissed the palm, then marked a star onto the lines there.

'A star………' Akio mumbled softly.

Dios pointed to the sky.

'Like me, a star…like you…is that what you mean? That I will go with you now?' Akio asked, his heartbeat accelerating.

Dios nodded.

And Akio felt like maybe his prayers had been answered, somehow…he had found the way out and did not need to use his tricks, his machines, his games…not now, not with Dios taking him back…

'But…what of Anthy? Can she come with us?'

Dios just watched him silently until Akio looked away.

'Then I want to see her once more…if my sin is to be parted from her, I want to speak to her and see her again.'

Dios nodded again and motioned for Akio to follow.

It was quiet.

For once…

No wind rustling. No music. No idle chatter.

And Touga could barely see.

His eyes kept darting over to the seat beside him, to the lifeless body beside him, to his only true friend, to his……his……

Touga slammed the brakes and screamed out loud, bringing his fists down onto the steering wheel.

Once Touga calmed down, his voice sounded foreign to his own ears.

'I wanted to help you…I wanted to save you this time, like the others…I was the Prince this time…what went wrong? What went wrong?'

'Akio brought me back to life without telling me. That's what went wrong.'

Touga looked up quickly to find Saionji sitting on the hood of the car…then he looked to the side, to the passenger seat. The body was still there. Still dead.

'You're not the only one who gets to do this…'

Touga smiled but it was not happy or relieved. It was tired.

'I wanted you to live.'

'I know you did…but it was not meant to be. I am free though. Free from my reckless desires and deadly ambitions…Touga, I am free.'

And for the first time in a very long time, Touga felt hot tears fall from his eyes. They trailed down his face like a river, a silent and grief-filled river.

'How odd that the dead can cry…don't you think?'

And Saionji's hand raised his chin, wiping some of the tears away with a smile.

'It's over, Touga…we can leave now…and it can be together if you want.'

Touga cleared his throat and tried to compose himself.

Pride never truly died. Nor did habits…though some could be reworked…

'Lead the way.' Touga half-smiled.

~

Utena woke up suddenly.

And her eyes found a chair opposite her…but it was not empty.

A man watched her closely.

Too closely.

'Where am I?' She asked.

'With me.' He answered.

'But what is going on…?"

Her head hurt still…in fact her whole body ached…

'A game is going on, Tenjou Utena. And we all play in it…we've been Princes and Princesses, we've been human and non-human, we've fought and we've given up…but I have figured out the way to win.'

Utena could barely follow his voice. Everything was out of proportion or blurred.

The room would be spinning one moment, then very still the next.

'Death is the answer. Yours. Theirs. Once that final blow comes, this place will cease to exist…like a black hole, the outside world will devour this realm. But what we are--this electrical system beyond our flesh…it will live on. And I can harness it, I can use it to recreate and reshape destiny…time…everything…'

Utena tried to stand up but fell down, her face smacking the floor painfully.

This man picked her up and glared into her eyes, gripping her shoulders tight.

'Don't you want to be free? To leave that coffin, to leave your pain…to find happiness…to find your Prince? Isn't that what you have always wanted?'

And Utena knew that there were many answers to that question, but only one could surface in her mind and fall off her tongue.

'Yes…I want to be free…I want my Prince…'

And the man smiled at her, a slow and creeping smile.

'I will show you the way.'

~~~

TBC