A Mirror's Reflection
Chapter 5: Too Whom Do I Protect?
By: JurisAnnarielle

Disclaimer: I do not own the Utena or Ah My Goddess characters. I do own the original characters that appear in this story. All but one... I'm not telling you which character because it might give the story away. But this character belongs to FantasyTrepie Thanks for letting me borrow her.

Chapter 5: To Whom Do I Protect?

A slender woman sat at her vanity, brushing the snarls out of her long albino hair. Her violet eyes gazed into the mirror image of herself. "I hope she is her."

The raven-haired woman looked up from her spot on the bed. "Hmm?" She seemed to be so entranced at polishing her sword that she missed the Queen's words.

"I hope she's my daughter. I don't know if I can handle it if she turns out not to be." Amalthea paused and sniffled a little. "Jaz..... I just want to be able to hold my baby in my arms again."

Jasmine put her sword away, stood up and walked over to Amalthea at her vanity table. She enveloped the smaller woman into her arms. As soon as Jasmine's arms wrapped around her frail body, Amalthea burst out into tears. Jasmine's strong manly arms pull Amalthea closer, cooing to her like she did every night since the Princess left.

"Shh... honey, we'll find her. Everything will be okay. Stop crying, darling."

Amalthea choked on her sobs as she clung to Jasmine, burying herself deeper into the warmth offered by the dark haired woman.

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Nanami paced her room thinking of a way out of her recent predicament. She gasped at her reflection in the mirror, her face bruised from Touga's brutality.

"What do I do...?" she asked her battered reflection, "I need an answer to this. I don't want to help that bastard and his fake princess; but if I don't..."

Nanami shivered, as she thought of the consequences, unbeknownst to a pair of cobalt blue eyes staring at her.

"Poor beautiful creature. What a bastard! How dare he mar her beauty. Wait until I see his ass. I blast him straight to hell!"

Nanami gasped as she heard the voice. "Who's there..?"

Smooth... You couldn't be quieter.. Well I guess it's now or never. The woman hiding on the balcony straightened and floated into the bedchamber. She hovered just high enough where her feet barely touched the floor.

Realizing she was in the presence of a Celestial being, Nanami gasped loudly and fell to her knees, bowing over humbly.

The Goddess hovered over to Nanami, reached down and placed a tanned hand on her pretty blonde head. "You don't have to bow to me, Nanami. If anything, I should be bowing to you."

Nanami looked up at the goddess with her eyes full of questions. "Umm... excuse me... please, tell me who you are."

The olive skinned Goddess held out her hand and helped Nanami to her feet; a charming smile taking over her lips "I'm the one who created this Kingdom you reside in."

Nanami's eyes widened at the news. "The Queen Goddess, Urd?"

"Mm-hmm!" Urd nodded, sending her head of white wavy hair in all directions.

"But you haven't... been seen in centuries."

"I took a LONG nap." She said with a giggle and a wink.

"The legend... but how are you..-" Urd cut Nanami off before she could finish.

"Don't you know the full story?"

Nanami shook her head. "No. All I know is that you disappeared. Rumors spread about that someone cursed you."

"Well... no one cursed me. I did it to myself. I was sick and tired of roaming the earth for love, and so I put a spell on myself. A spell, which would keep me asleep until a cry came from a fallen maiden. And to reassure that I would find said' maiden, I enchanted my mirror to show me who the cry came from."

Nanami's eyes widened once again as Urd's words took their effect on her.

"And well... I heard your cry... and saw your reflection in my mirror... so... here I am!" Urd finished her little tale with a big grin.

Nanami turned her back to the goddess and stared at the floor, deep in thought.

"Something wrong?... Well, other than that dick you have for a brother?"

"...It's just I... never considered myself a 'gine lover'."

Urd blinks and stares at Nanami's back confused. 'Gine lover?'"

Nanami sighed to herself. "You don't know what a 'gine lover' is?"

"I think it's obvious I don't."

"A 'gine lover' is a term we use for women who love other women."

"OH!!! Munchers!!!!!" Urd exclaimed with a huge grin.

"Yeah, but we don't use that term anymore. The Queen feels it's Ill-suited."

"Ill-suited? How so? What's so ill suited about "munchers"? It's true. You have to munch a bit to get the cream," She laughed to herself.

Nanami turns an embarrassed shade of red, thinking of how to explain this to the 'slow' Goddess. "She doesn't think lesbians should be called "munchers?"

"Oh? Why?"

"Because... According to her... men well... men munch too. So it's not a fair term."

"Ohhhhhh! Riiight. Men are Munchers! Duh, I should have known." She paused as everything became clearer to her. "But wait. If that's the case, that 'gine lover' term is ill suited too. Men love that too! If not, we call them fudge packers."

Nanami groaned in defeat. "I give up. If you have a problem with the term... take it to the Queen. My point is, I am not a 'gine lover.'"

"That's not much of a problem. I'm here to service you, not for you to jump in my bed. Unless you want to, that is." Urd winked at Nanami.

Nanami ignored her latter comment. "Service me?"

"Ah-huh. Just think of it as a Genie in a bottle, but instead of three wishes and the genie goes bye-bye', you have your whole lifetime to use my celestial powers at your will."

"A lifetime of servitude?"

"Voluntary!" Urd announced.

"Riiight..." again she looks around her room thinking this whole deal over.

"Aww... Come on..." Urd pouted and floated over to Nanami, resting her head on her shoulder. "Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee!" She begged the blonde.

"I just don't know."

"Aww." Urd cuddled up to her, trying anything to convince the younger woman. "Come on. Having a Goddess around has its perks..."

"Like what?"

"I could help you out of your recent situation with your brother."

Nanami turned around without warning, causing Urd's head to flop. "You think so?"

Urd straightens and smiles at the girl. "I know so."

"All right." She says as her lips curve into a smile. "I'll keep you."

"YES!!!!!!"

"On one condition..."

"Eh?"

"You get my brother...... and you get him GOOD."

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The Unicorn pouted by her lake. She wouldn't admit it, but she was lonely for company. Not anyone's company, but Juri's. The vermilion haired guardian hadn't come in 2 nights, leaving Annarielle feeling extremely bitter.

Her ears perked up as she heard a feminine giggle. Her violet eyes glared over the lake and watched as the mermaid flaunted herself at the blue haired knight. He had come by everyday since he met her, begging for more songs. She, of course, gave into his every whim. And why wouldn't she? The Mermaid was very vain and she loved to hear someone give her compliments.

The boy sat beside her on the rock, a look of total awe on his face as her songs rang past his ears and through the deep forest.

The Unicorn snorted at his behavior. Stupid boy, taken in by a Siren's song. You think he would know better. Her violet eyes bore into their backs, glaring at them sharply for a moment before her expression softened to one of sadness. Juri Where are you? She continued to watch them, wishing it were her and Juri sitting on that rock, her and Juri talking about things of little significance. But those nonsense chats were so fulfilling in a way. They always managed to fill an empty void in the girl's heart.

Wakaba laughed as Miki complimented her again. The laughter flew through the forest, filling the darkness with it's nauseating sound.

Annarielle turned her face away in disgust. Stupid fools. The bitterness slowly began filling her heart again. She glared at the loving couple before dragging her hooves to a spot far away from the couple.

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Juri bowed down in front of the newly found princess, placing her hand over her heart. "Princess I am Arisugawa Juri. I have been assigned by the royal advisor to serve and protect you."

The girl sat on a bed with frilly pink coverings. " " Her sad green eyes bore down into Juri, curious as to what was going on. Then the kneeling woman spoke again in a low deep voice.

"Even though, I don't believe who you claim to be. So are you really Touga's paid whore?"

The girl squeaked rather loudly, her big green eyes widened at the accusations of the woman. "I I don't know what you mean," she spoke in a soft meek voice.

"Sure you don't. Just admit to everyone you aren't the princess and save everyone from a whole lot more grief." Juri said harshly as she rose to her feet, glaring down at the girl.

The girl burst into tears her whole body shaking from her sobs. " don't know"

Juri glared at the girl. Either she was a damn good actress or she was telling the truth. Juri didn't believe it was the latter.

"I-I don't know who I am"

"What do you mean?"

The girl looked up her tear filled green eyes, crawled up Juri's form until they met with the taller girl's blazing emerald orbs. "I I was foundby these nice people who own an inn, in town. They took me in. I didn't know who I was or where I came from. The lady who owned the inn gave me a name and I became an older sister to her daughter."

"What name did they give you?"

"Aleria."

"Who are they?"

"The Tenjous. They're respectable people."

"And before you went there?"

"I told you! I don't know!" Aleria snapped at Juri, pausing in her tale. "All I know is the family I was staying with." She muttered as she played with a chain with a rose crest ring on it.

"What is that?"

Aleria looked down at the ring. "I'm not sure. I had it when they found me so I guess it has something to do with my past."

Juri leans over to inspect the ring closer, her eyes widened as she noticed the rose crest. "That symbol... it's the mark of the kingdom."

"That's why I figured I should come here. Maybe I could find some clues to who I am."

Juri nodded and continued with her interrogation. "How do you know Touga?"

"Touga?" she pauses to think. "Well Their daughter and I worked as waitresses in the bar. The men were frequent customers. I served them ale plenty of times." Aleria paused again and fiddled with the ring on its chain. "Touga offered me this chance to be able to come here and to find the truth. I want to find out if I'm 'Moon's Hope'. I'm not faking anything."

"I still don't think you're the princess."

"Obviously. But please help me find out."

"Why were you so filthy when they brought you?"

"Why?" Aleria smiled weakly. "That I admit was an act. Touga thought it would look better if I were dirty. 'It would be more dramatic,' he said."

Juri frowned. "Figures he would say that. Idiot."

"I don't want to deceive anyone. I want to know that I'm not the princess. I want to return to the inn."

Juri raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Did I hear correctly? You WANT to return to the inn?"

Aleria nodded. "Yes. I enjoy my new family and..." She paused in mid-sentence, a heavy blush appearing on her face. The.... person I love... is there. I want to know that I'm not Moon's Hope' so I can be with them.

Seems somewhat understandable. I'll help you prove you aren't the Princess, so you can return to...



Who's he?

SHE is Tenjou's daughter.

You're a gine lover'. Juri said with a small smile.

Got a problem with it?

No... Not at all. After all, nearly everyone woman in this castle is one.

Does that include you?

Of course. I'm the biggest gine lover', besides the queen that is.

Aleria shook her head and reminded herself to not ask anymore questions about the orange haired woman's personal life ever again.

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Author Note: In Nanami's and Urd's discussion I used some words that might offend people. They aren't meant to offend you so please don't be angry with me for using them. Thank you. Read and Review please!