Swords of Revolution

Disclaimer: don't own anything you recognize... do own everything else

Chapter Sixteen (Part II)

Miki

That duel left me slightly tired; I do't know what alarmed the others so that the absolutely had to assign a sort of a bodyguard. Well, lately, hospital wing confinement became a sort of a joke among us, either one or another poor bugger of ours is in there. But this is the second time around that I'm in there.

Finally, after getting my hand in a sling, I managed to convince the staff of our infirmary that I'll be fine, and they released me. As if was not enough, one of my fellow SC members always stuck to me like some sort of a glue - they were worried, I'd guess...

A few hours ago, Amy - whose turn it was to watch me today - put her foot down. She's usually a sweet girl, but she also possesses a stubborness steak. I simply had to give in as she pulled me into the glass garden and ordered me to take a deep breath after I have read her a rather long and winded lecture about the finer terms of fencing.

'I've just made a complete idiot out of myself, didn't I?' I ask her quietly after I've completed what she told me to do. She gives me a slightly relieved smile, pushing a strand of her long hair behind her ear.

'Yeah, you did,' She finally answers. 'But that's okay with me. We all make idiots out of ourselves from time to time.'

I had to smile back. She has no idea just how relieved I really am to finally be alone. It seems that I really need to spend some extra quality time alone before completely being pulled back into the student society. Oh well, I can always start with my friends...

'I just hate being inside,' I confess, trying to sound as light as I can. 'Plus this...' I helplessly gesture with my right hand, right now still in a sling - which I learned to hate for that short time I wore it. How the hell did Touga manage with his bandages back then?

Amy gives a small noise of condolescence and pushes me slightly farther into the glass house. The familiar scent of roses is owerwhelming, and I can see that Amy also feels it, shaking her head slightly.

'Quite a difference from what it was a few years ago,' I comment lightly. 'Makes your head spin, doesn't it?'

Amy nods in agreement, but already my eyes are attracted to a familiar-shaped object, that seemingly hangs in the sky above the forest which I used to frequent...

'Miki?' Amy's light hand on mine and her soft voice bring me back to reality. 'What is it?'

'I just thought I saw...' I trail off, as the mists briefly conceal the all-too-familiar, ominous-looking object, oval-shaped with stem-like tower supporting it. The object reappears again, and against my will, my eyes narrow. 'Yes, there it is again. Look.'

'Where?' For a few minutes, Amy is disoriented, but then her gasp of astonishment tells me that she can finally see the shape.

'What is it?' Her voice is shaky, as she slowly takes in the familiar to me shape of the Arena - another ghost I hoped I won't have to confront.

'It seems familiar' The low voice is unfamiliar but then I realise that it's me talking. My eyes narrow at the sight and I draw in another deep breath. 'I want to take a closer look at it. Come with me?'

The request comes automatically. If I have to face it, I better be with someone than by myself.

My heart is beating frantically, as I swing over the familiar 'DO NOT ENTER' sign and stride towards the tower. When I realise there is no movement behind me, I slightly turn to see that Amy is standing still, her eyes wide and frightened. Then I remember the favourite rumour about this place - a haunted palace in the middle of the forest.

'Don't worry, the forest is not haunted.' I tell her, hoping she would follow. 'There is completely different secret, thought. Come ON.'

I know that I must sound like an impatient kid who have finally found his favourite shiny thing, but at the moment I don't care. As the familiar scenery darkens just before the rose gate, I realise that I'm almost running, and slow down to allow Amy to catch up with me.

'Miki, what is it?' Her voice is small and scared, and I know she is scared, but doesn't want to admit it. 'What was here?'

'You'll see,' I answer. 'We're almost there anyways.'

Trying to get there, I push through the few bushes that have blocked the path for the last few years. Behind me, Amy stops for a moment to admire a few roses that bloom here and there, then gasps and dashes after me. Arriving at the clearing on the full-pelt run, I gasp. Something I waited for and feared of is still standing there, as if nothing touched it...

The marble base of the Dueling Arena is standing as it was five years ago, unchanged and barely scratched.

What in blazes is going on here?

I ignore the elevator - only SHE could use it, anyways - and dash up the familiar marble steps. Hearing a startled exclamation behind me, I slow down reluctantly, along the way apologizing to Amy for temporarily forgetting about her.

'I guess I grew over-exited.' I explain. She nods in understanding before her face is once again confused

'What is this place?' She asks me again, as I allow a short stop at the very entrance to the Arena.

'It was our Arena,' I reply, struggling to keep my words even. Nothing surprising, my words come out short and clipped.

The rest of the stairs pass in a blur for me, and I barrel onto a familiar-looking Arena, surrounded by void around it, the skies being its border and the magical castle which I believed to be real still hanging over our heads - intact.

I must have stiffened up and my eyes probably darkened with anger and suspicion - these are the primary emotions I feel as I take an involuntary step back.

'Why is it still there?' I mutter, hoping Amy doesn't hear me. 'By the stars, this must be some mistake... it's an illusion - it must be an illusion! It was an illusion all the time...'

'Miki?' Amy's voice is worried, but I ignore it, slowly retreating.

'Run... This isn't real... It's not REAL!"

'Miki, get away from there!' The girl's voice sounds very dim in my ears, as I am plunged into the lights of the castle

Somebody tries to drag me away from the castle, and I gasp, seeing a familiar duels unfolding...

/...Utena and Saionji charge at each other, with Himemiya as a calm spectator on the background... a flash of light... Dios coming from the sky... petals of the green rose flying.../

/...Utena and myself... we circle each other, testing strenghts... exchange of blows... I stumble... andther short exchange... clash... Dios again... blue petals circling in the air before falling to the ground.../

/...Utena and Juri... furious attacks... Utena falls... Himemya scared... orange rose on the floor of the Arena, with the sword of Dios in its centre.../

/...Utena losing to Touga... walking miserable over the grounds... challenging Touga to a second Duel... winning Anthy back... my own astonishment.../

/...The sharp pain as Kozue draws a foil from my chest... discovering Kozue on the ground on the Dueling Arena along with Anthy and Utena.../

/...Utena and Mikage... rows and rows of desks as the black rose duels draw to a close... black rose petals drifting on the wind... the Nemuro Memorial Hall with black roses growing inside.../

/...the second round of duels spinning by... rose petals - blue, red, orange, and green - flying in the air, stifling aroma of roses... Anthy's apologetic smile.../

/...Akio's telescope... its lights create a perfect illusion of the castle we see on the Arena... the walkway towards the thorn-locked door... Anthy half-lying, half sitting on the stairs... Duel between Utena and Akio... Anthy stabbing Utena in the back and hanging the Sword of Dios to Akio...Utena, injured, clawing at the stone door.../

/...sharp pain... swarm of swords hitting Utena in the back... my vision going black... sensation of falling.../

With a gasp, I sharply sit up, only now realising that I was, in fact, lying in the middle of the Arena with my hand clasping Amy's, who is lying next to me, twitching in her sleep.

'Amy?' I call quietly. The girl softly cries out in her sleep, her palm clutching at mine. I wince, and give a girl a sharp shake.

'Amy, wake up.'

Like myself earlier, Amy sits up with a cry on her lips and begins to shake uncontrollably. I hold her until she is able to pull herself together then give her a small smile.

'Let's get out of here,' I suggest, my own voice sounding shaky even to my ears. 'We had enough exitement for today, I think.'

She doesn't protest, and remains silent on or slow trek back.

I myself am deep in my thoughts. I remember... most of what happened during my seventh year, and it scares and disgust me. Right now, we are in the same game, only the players have changed. My face darkens with thoughts, as I remember that damned ritual phrase.

The chick in the egg is dead for a long time now, Dios has broken free when Utena faced the Swords of Hate, and our game is ten times as dangerous as it was back then. I don't know if we're still able to move on - and win.

I stay silent for the rest of our treck back to the East Hall, and beside me, Amy is also deep in thoughts. She doesn't say anything, however, for which I am grateful.

But as she slips into the Hall, I stop for a moment to look back into the forest, where an all-too-familiar Arena still rises up majestically, as if it was not broken at all, as if Utena did not destroy it... and I can't help it but wonder.

Akio, what game are you playing now?

All that I know for certain, as I meet the worried eyes of each of my fellow Duelists when they meet us inside, is the fact that the game they call Revolution had just become darker.

A/N: Miki's pov on previous chapter - kind of makes sense to do that little bit; in here, I kind of mixed manga with the anime, so this is what turns out to be, an extremely confused explanation to some things