~~I hate having writer's block. But, here's the next chapter!
~~I do not own Utena
~************************~
Touga carried the unresponsive Utena back to his mansion in his arms, knowing that to move her too much would only worsen her condition. She didn't move, or speak, or hardly breathe the entire way, and Touga grew more and more fearful with every step that she had indeed been killed.
But as he stepped over the threshold of the mansion, she began to breathe with deep, even breaths. He smiled softly and carried her up to his own bed, laying her gently on the silk covers. Her red blood immediately began to soak into the sheets, and he hurried outside to grab his cell phone to call for medical attention.
He was surprised to see that his other guest was already on the phone, calling the local medical chapter to come quickly. The man turned and smiled at Touga softly before beginning to walk away towards Utena's room.
"How did you know?" Touga called after him. "How did you know that your sword would stop the swords?"
The stranger turned and looked Touga straight in the eye. "Because only a true prince can save another prince," he answered before disappearing into the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utena awakened a few days later to the smell of fresh coffee being brewed. She groaned and tried to sit up, but a heavy hand restrained her. In anger she tried to open her eyes to glare at the person, but the bright lights of the lamps in her room proved too fierce for her eyes. She let out a soft cry of pain, turning her head away from the light.
"Calm down, Miss Tenjou," a soft voice beside her said. "You've been unconscious for five days."
"M-Miki?" she croaked, her throat dry and cracking. "The lights. . ."
The red burning behind her eyelids dimmed quickly, and her dark lashes fluttered open slowly. Miki Kaoru was standing beside her bed, his usually immaculate uniform rumpled from sitting too long. He smiled at her, gripping her hand tightly. "I'm so glad you're awake!" he said, squeezing her hand. "We were all so worried about you!"
He ran to the door before she could reply, calling out, "She's awake! She's awake!"
Before she could even blink, Utena was surrounded by people all gripping her hands or hugging her gently. Everyone was talking at once. Juri gripped her hand tightly, clearly claiming that hand as her own and not letting anyone else touch it. Kozue set a box of chocolates on the bed stand and smiled at Utena. Even Saionji was there, pumping her other hand and then moving aside for Touga to come through and hug her gently.
When the overall shock of seeing everyone wore off, she managed to get a few words out. "What happened?"
Everyone died down almost instantly as everyone looked to Touga. He sighed and stepped forward, gripping her hand again.
"You won, Utena," he began softly as everyone settled in for the story that they had already heard many times. "Himemiya is free from her torment, and has already left the school to search for her destiny. Akio is still chairman, for he escaped the destruction of the Dueling Arena, but he thinks that you are dead. You are not even registered as a student anymore. I was waiting outside the Arena with Saionji when all this was happening, and we both knew that you would win. However, someone came to us and handed me a sword, saying that you were in grave danger. He then ordered me to go inside and save you, using his sword."
"Someone else?" she asked. "Who? No one else knew about the duels, or even about me except the people in this school. If there was another duelist, we would know about him, wouldn't we?"
Touga shook his head. "We thought the same thing. But then he said something to us that we could not ignore, and knew that he was telling the truth."
"What did he say?"
Saionji spoke up softly from his place against the far wall, by the window. "He said that your Prince was false, and that he would kill you."
"My Prince?" she repeated, staring at the vice-president. "No one but the duelists knew about my Prince. And Wakaba, of course."
Touga shrugged. "I'm not sure how he knew, but he told me that I had to save you. The sword he gave me was able to fend off the Swords of Hatred that were coming for your blood, Utena. It broke the swords, and made them lose their power, allowing me to get you out of there."
"Only a sword made out of someone's pure heart, like the Sword of Dios, could stop those swords, Utena. Only your sword could stop them, or someone who was given the power like you were as a child."
Utena stared at him. "Another person like me, with the same strength?"
Touga nodded. "That is what we believe."
"But who could have such a power that is not a Duelist?"
"The only person who can receive the power to stop the swords is someone who was gifted by you, Utena," a soft masculine voice from the doorway said.
The entire room turned to look at the young man in the doorway. His hair slightly resembled Miki's, soft and tangled, but cropped short and close to his head. He stood just a little taller than Touga, and his uniform was unfamiliar to everyone except Utena. Her eyes widened and she sat up, heedless of the pain in her stomach as she stared in shock at the man.
"Kaido," she whispered softly.
~************************~
~~For those that have read the manga, you know who Kaido is. If you have not read them, don't worry, the next chapter will explain who he is. He is not an original character created by me; he was created by the author of the original Utena story.
~~Next time, on "To Love a Prince": One who holds the same power of heart? Utena's lost love.
~~I do not own Utena
~************************~
Touga carried the unresponsive Utena back to his mansion in his arms, knowing that to move her too much would only worsen her condition. She didn't move, or speak, or hardly breathe the entire way, and Touga grew more and more fearful with every step that she had indeed been killed.
But as he stepped over the threshold of the mansion, she began to breathe with deep, even breaths. He smiled softly and carried her up to his own bed, laying her gently on the silk covers. Her red blood immediately began to soak into the sheets, and he hurried outside to grab his cell phone to call for medical attention.
He was surprised to see that his other guest was already on the phone, calling the local medical chapter to come quickly. The man turned and smiled at Touga softly before beginning to walk away towards Utena's room.
"How did you know?" Touga called after him. "How did you know that your sword would stop the swords?"
The stranger turned and looked Touga straight in the eye. "Because only a true prince can save another prince," he answered before disappearing into the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utena awakened a few days later to the smell of fresh coffee being brewed. She groaned and tried to sit up, but a heavy hand restrained her. In anger she tried to open her eyes to glare at the person, but the bright lights of the lamps in her room proved too fierce for her eyes. She let out a soft cry of pain, turning her head away from the light.
"Calm down, Miss Tenjou," a soft voice beside her said. "You've been unconscious for five days."
"M-Miki?" she croaked, her throat dry and cracking. "The lights. . ."
The red burning behind her eyelids dimmed quickly, and her dark lashes fluttered open slowly. Miki Kaoru was standing beside her bed, his usually immaculate uniform rumpled from sitting too long. He smiled at her, gripping her hand tightly. "I'm so glad you're awake!" he said, squeezing her hand. "We were all so worried about you!"
He ran to the door before she could reply, calling out, "She's awake! She's awake!"
Before she could even blink, Utena was surrounded by people all gripping her hands or hugging her gently. Everyone was talking at once. Juri gripped her hand tightly, clearly claiming that hand as her own and not letting anyone else touch it. Kozue set a box of chocolates on the bed stand and smiled at Utena. Even Saionji was there, pumping her other hand and then moving aside for Touga to come through and hug her gently.
When the overall shock of seeing everyone wore off, she managed to get a few words out. "What happened?"
Everyone died down almost instantly as everyone looked to Touga. He sighed and stepped forward, gripping her hand again.
"You won, Utena," he began softly as everyone settled in for the story that they had already heard many times. "Himemiya is free from her torment, and has already left the school to search for her destiny. Akio is still chairman, for he escaped the destruction of the Dueling Arena, but he thinks that you are dead. You are not even registered as a student anymore. I was waiting outside the Arena with Saionji when all this was happening, and we both knew that you would win. However, someone came to us and handed me a sword, saying that you were in grave danger. He then ordered me to go inside and save you, using his sword."
"Someone else?" she asked. "Who? No one else knew about the duels, or even about me except the people in this school. If there was another duelist, we would know about him, wouldn't we?"
Touga shook his head. "We thought the same thing. But then he said something to us that we could not ignore, and knew that he was telling the truth."
"What did he say?"
Saionji spoke up softly from his place against the far wall, by the window. "He said that your Prince was false, and that he would kill you."
"My Prince?" she repeated, staring at the vice-president. "No one but the duelists knew about my Prince. And Wakaba, of course."
Touga shrugged. "I'm not sure how he knew, but he told me that I had to save you. The sword he gave me was able to fend off the Swords of Hatred that were coming for your blood, Utena. It broke the swords, and made them lose their power, allowing me to get you out of there."
"Only a sword made out of someone's pure heart, like the Sword of Dios, could stop those swords, Utena. Only your sword could stop them, or someone who was given the power like you were as a child."
Utena stared at him. "Another person like me, with the same strength?"
Touga nodded. "That is what we believe."
"But who could have such a power that is not a Duelist?"
"The only person who can receive the power to stop the swords is someone who was gifted by you, Utena," a soft masculine voice from the doorway said.
The entire room turned to look at the young man in the doorway. His hair slightly resembled Miki's, soft and tangled, but cropped short and close to his head. He stood just a little taller than Touga, and his uniform was unfamiliar to everyone except Utena. Her eyes widened and she sat up, heedless of the pain in her stomach as she stared in shock at the man.
"Kaido," she whispered softly.
~************************~
~~For those that have read the manga, you know who Kaido is. If you have not read them, don't worry, the next chapter will explain who he is. He is not an original character created by me; he was created by the author of the original Utena story.
~~Next time, on "To Love a Prince": One who holds the same power of heart? Utena's lost love.