Swords of Revolution

Disclaimer: don't own anything you recognise, do own everything else

A/N: Well, well, well, looks like I'm back for now. So sorry for not updating for so long, the chapters seemed to become harder to write and I still have to look over the last bunch - the idea seems to be a bit ridiculous... anyways, this is Alex's duel, we're still dueling the shadows, as well as building in characters

Thirteen: First Lost

Miki

'Alex, watch out!'

A startled shout of pain from the circle of fire is echoing throughout the cave, and we barely manage to stand still. Our youngest member falls to the ground, clutching his side with surprise on his face, while the glass shadow of my twin sister Kozue stands tall, without obvious scratches or wounds, smirking slightly from her place. She carelessly tears the black rose from her chest and throws ot beside the one covered in blood at her feet.

'You can always have a match-revanche,' she says calmly. Too calmly. The Kozue I know would never be so calm, even when she won. She'd probably go crazy and jump, like earlier. But this copy is void of emotions comletely, and I cannot see what she will do next.

Much to our astonishment, as the flames raise high in the air, the glass copy of Kozue disappears along with them, leaving a seriously injured Alex lying on the floor in a small pool of blood.

This time, we rush to him, finally allowing ourselves to show worry we feel. By 'we' I mean myself, Telian, and Michael. The three of us were watching the whole Duel, although we were late as usual.

I stood stunned the whole Duel until the very end. I did not expect this move, the copy of my twin sister, Kozue, to show up in this Arena. Although I should have known. Kozue was among the first group of the Black Roses, after all, so it should not have been surprising when I saw her. But I noticed that Alex was immediately confused when confronted with my twin and since his confusion and relaxed guard began his losing.

But it was unimportant now. As that shadow said, Alex did have a rematch. This time, he simply would know what to wait for and won't be as surprised as he was the first time around. Although it would depend on whether he would pull through this first...

'That's a serious scratch, Kaoru-san,' the nurse says as we deposit Alex in the hospital wing. 'Just how do you Student Council members manage to gather them those scratches? I honestly am surprised at you lot. Every time there is a SC member coming into here it's almost as if they were speared by the sword, but honestly! What teenagers these days won't invent...'

I smile wryly, glancing at Telian and Michael.

'She'd be shocked if she knew it was indeed a sword wound,' Michael murmurs quietly, as the two of us stifle laughter. 'Poor woman...'

'Yeah, I wouldn't want to be in her place,' Telian agrees with Michael softly. 'Not especially with strangely injured members of the Student Council regularly coming here for light or serious patching up...'

I allow myself a light grin.

'Come on,' I say quietly. 'You two go on ahead to the others. They need to know what happened during this one. I'll stay with Alex in case he'll come to while you're not here.'

The other two nodded in agreement and I lightly sat down in the chair next to Alex's bed.

This was going to be a long night...

Alex

I don't remember how I winded up in a hospital wing. But when I came back to my senses that was the place I was in. Then I realised that Miki and the others, who were watching the Duel, must have brought me here.

Well, those Black Roses are certainly something... I blame my first time loss in a Duel on a serious confusion I was nflicted with. Through it was obviously an illusion of a girl, it constantly was flickering between that girl and Miki, and that was quite enough to make me fall right into the trap. I was waiting for the illusion to return to its original form when the 'Miki'-mode scored a long dash aloong my side, and that was when I began to lose. I was too ditracted to notice the real Kaoru Miki standng on the sidelines watching the whole thing.

That was almost a week ago. I have since recovered and swore to myself that I'm not going to fall for such trick next time.

'You don't have to be afraid to hurt me when you'll be Dueling her,' Miki explained a few days earlier when we had a small practice match. 'Just don't wait. I'll be far from that place when you'll be dueling, so all that you'll see will be a shadow, not the real person. Understood?'

I nodded in agreement, and only now understood the difference between the 'Miki-clone' and the real Miki. The clone was dressed exactly like the girl-illusion, while Miki wore his usual SCD uniform, which was hard to miss in the crowd. But the rest of the clone was good enough, all the way down to the blank expression of his eyes.

Oh, well, what's past is past. At least, I haven't cost the SC a vital mistake, just a small scratch... Yeah, that's right... If those after me won't lose another Duel, we just might win this game they call Revolution...

Coming back to my room, I found a familiar card emblazoned with the black rose seal glaring at me from my table and standing out amidst the usual clatter.

Apparently, it was time for a rematch...

Telian

Miki seemed to be nervous as we moved back into the cave. It was understandable this time - the glass shadow of his twin sister was rather unnerving to watch. If only Alex could win this Duel, it will be just fine this time around. And maybe Miki won't be as skittish for the rest of these Duels...

The Duelists already were in place, with the ring of fire around them. This time, we could see that Alex was more confident. He was not waiting for the glass shadow to revert from form to form, seemingly adjusting to the style of fight that was similar to both twins. When the shadow abruptly changed its form to 'Miki', Alex flinched, but his attacks did not falter. That alone was a good sign.

The boy standing next to me and Michael winced as Alex scored a hit on the copy. With growing alarm, I noticed a small rivulet of blood coursing down the white sleeve of Miki's uniform, making him to bit his lip slightly to prevent himself from crying out loud.

In a few minutes to which that Duel stretched, Miki remained silent, although he was slightly grey from small but deep nicks that appeared on the uniform each time Alex scored a hit on the glass shadow.

'I got it,' Michael whispered quietly, slightly leaning towards me. 'Some sort of spell? It's connecting Miki to this shadow, hurting him while Alex tries to beat it.'

'Good thing Alex did not notice it yet,' I murmured quietly. 'But it's got to be a nightmare for Miki, though...'

'The bad thing is that distances don't matter for this one,' Michael replied quietly. 'He'll just has to toughten it out.'

I was watching the Duel with growing alarm, as Alex closed in for a final hit.

Thankfully, the figure remained in its 'Kozue' form, as it exploded. With a sharp cry, Miki fell to the ground, a red stain of blood running across the white of his tunic. As soon as the flames extinguished and it was obvious that the Duel was over, the arena left covered with blood and shards of the glass shadow, the three of us dashed over to Miki, who was lying unconcious on the ground of the cave. Alex was obviously fighting the fatigue he felt after the Duel, but concern for our Captain was written all over his face.

'Dammit...' Alex gulped nervously. 'He told me he'd be fine!'

'He is fine, Alex,' I replied. 'He's alive. If that glass shadow was in his form, he'd be dead as soon as you broke the shadow.'

Alex, already white, turned grey.

'Yeah... Yeah, I guess you're right,' he stammered softly.

'Come on,' Michael sighed. 'Let's get out of here. I hate this stench.'

Alex and I nodded in agreement and the three of us exited the Arena, gently carrying Miki with us.

'Hospital Wing?' Alex suggested wryly, his voice soft with fatigue.

I grinned tiredly.

'Yes, for the both of you. You're as tired as he is.'

'Uh-huh,' Alex said, unconvinced.

But the minute his head hit the pillow in the hospital wing a few minutes later, he fell deeply asleep. Miki was still unconcious.

'Well... It seems like we're back at the lead,' Michael commented quietly to me, as he glanced amusedly at the two sleepers.

'And we have both of them alive and recovering, if not well.'

'Yeah, I guess that's good news,' I agreed with him.'But now I'm afraid to think what's in store for us with this whole Dueling thing.'

Michael wiped sweat from his forehead before grinning lightly at me.

'We'll see soon enough,' He commented quietly.

I slightly pause in the hallway of the East Hall, as I push the heavy curtains at one end of it open. The stars begin to fade, signalling the end of the night, but I feel uneasy, as if there is more to the new day than it seems to be. Ria and Eric have recently gone to the hospital wing, to let Michael and Amy return here, and Miki have woken up a few minutes ago. Everything seems to be well, but as I watch the red line of the dawn, I recognise the danger sign.

It seems to me, as I stand and watch the red dawn, that our real troubles are only beginning.

A/N: chapter what... I kind of lost count... so this is a lose-win situation, kind of like Utena/Touga duels... thanks for the reading