Special thanks to MikoGalatea, the beta reader of my story and who really help me and my basics English.

Chapter 9

Kaido was somewhat terrified of Chigusa, whereas that wasn't the case for the girls, who at least weren't showing it.

''Kozue, is she the witch?'' Shiori asked.

''Yes!'' Kozue said.

Chigusa was irritated that they weren't leaving. ''I said get out!'' she yelled.

Shiori then heard something from the girl in the coffin. She knew what to do.

''You're making her sad,'' she said.

''What are you talking about?'' Chigusa frowned.

''The girl.'' Shiori pointed at the girl in the coffin. ''She told me this.''

''WHAT!'' Chigusa shouted. ''You're a liar!''

Chigusa was about to slap Shiori, but she stopped when Shiori continued to talk.

''I'm not lying. She told me many things... how she passed her time with you in the gardens... how you protected her against the bullies... how you showed her fencing... the pleasant moment you had with her during a full moon...''

Chigusa started to cry. She knelt and put her hands on her face.

''S... Stop that...''

Chigusa crawled to the coffin, put her arms around it, and then started talking to the girl.

''Why do you talk with her and not me?! I told you I'm sorry... that wasn't my fault! Akio decided you were the one to sacrifice! And his horrible sister is more powerful than me. But she's gone now, and I make sure his ghost will never return here. He's suffering a lot! Now Ohtori is a place for someone like you! Please come back!'' Chigusa said all of this in tears.

It was a strange spectacle. They thought they would face a dangerous witch, but instead, they'd found a woman who looked pathetic.

''Why won't you say anything to me? Just one word, please... why do you prefer that crazy bitch?''

''Hey, I'm not a bitch!'' Shiori frowned.

''Do you understand any of this?'' Kaido asked Kozue.

''A bit,'' Kozue answered.

Kozue would have liked to explain what little she knew of Anthy and Akio, but instead she chose to ask Chigusa a question.

''Is it true that you made that boy attack Shiori?''

Chigusa was still too upset to care about Kozue.

''Could you answer my question?'' Kozue asked again, coldly.

Chigusa stopped crying. She rose up and looked at the teenagers.

''Yes,'' she said with a smile.

''Why?!'' Shiori said. ''I don't even know you!''

''It's simple. You can see ghosts. You talk to them. You like them. Maybe you don't understand, but when you feel very lonely, ghosts of dead people appear. So I had to make you suffer enough to make them all return.''

''That's horrible!"' Shiori cried. ''How can you manipulate someone else's feelings!?''

Chigusa smiled. ''I'm not that bad. I let you have your girlfriend back afterwards.''

Kozue realized why she didn't remember what she did after leaving Shiori. Furious, she pointed the sword towards Chigusa.

Chigusa smiled again, then moved her hand. The sword appeared in her hand, and Kaido and Kozue were ejected out of the room. Then the door closed. Shiori was alone with the witch.

''I need you again,'' Chigusa explained to Shiori. ''I want her to come back to me. I want to be with her forever.''

''Okay, but under one condition.''

''What?''

''I want my friend Kozue to be able to see ghosts too. It's sad that she can't see those formidable people.''

''No problem.'' Chigusa then pointed at the coffin. ''Now communicate with her.''

Shiori moved closer to the coffin and looked at the girl.

''I don't know the whole story between you...'' Shiori said to the girl. ''But if you loved her and then she returned your feelings, maybe you can forgive her for what she did.''

xx

Meanwhile, Kozue was using all her strength to try and force the door open, while Kaido walked all around the room.

''Could you help me?'' Kozue yelled at Kaido while giving the door some kicks.

''I'm trying to find something that can open or destroy the door,'' Kaido said.

''Do you really think if she had an object like that, she'd leave it here?'' Kozue asked.

''I'm doing my best!'' Kaido said.

''It's hopeless,'' Kozue cried.

She then got an idea.

''I should turn into a big car! ...No, this place isn't big enough, and maybe I'd destroy the foundation of the academy by accident.''

''Turn... into a car?'' Kaido asked.

''Yes,'' Kozue said. ''I was one for a few months, and Shiori told me she turned into one too!''

Kaido was speechless for a few seconds before talking again.

''Has anything normal ever happened here?!''

xx

Shiori had been talking with the nameless girl for a few minutes, using everything she could think of.

''I understand your pain... I lost the boy I loved... the boy I thought loved me... but I was just lying to myself... it's sad to feel betrayed, but now I'm happy! I found Kozue, and together we're going to have fun forever in Ohtori! Please, give her a second chance...''

The girl still refused. Shiori sighed.

''Are you afraid of meeting all those new people? Are you shy? Have you been here since so long ago that everything would look different for you?''

''I didn't think about that,'' thought Chigusa, feeling guilty that she hadn't really tried to understand the girl she loved.

''Maybe we can find an alternative together. What do you think?''

Shiori was silent for a moment before speaking again.

''Oh... yes... what a good idea! That could be the solution...''

''What is this idea?'' Chigusa asked.

Shiori turned her head and looked at the witch with a smile. ''She told me she could forgive you if you join her.''

Chigusa look first at Shiori, then at her love. She knew she didn't have a choice.

''Fine. I don't have a problem with suffering with her for all eternity.''

Chigusa let the door open again. Kaido walk into the room with no problem, while Kozue fell on the floor.

''Ouch!'' said the blue haired girl.

''You,'' Chigusa said. ''I choose you as the new witch of Ohtori.''

''New witch?'' Kozue was surprised by what Chigusa said.

''You and Shiori are going to be the new rulers of Ohtori,'' Chigusa explained. ''Even the dead need a leader, because without one, there would be chaos.''

''Can you give me at least one reason to accept that?'' Kozue said.

Chigusa knelt and whispered in Kozue's ear. Kozue's eyes widened.

''I... I could really do that with magic?''

''Yes.''

''So I accept!''

''Why do you accept?'' Kaido asked Kozue.

''It's a secret between ladies,'' Kozue teased.

Chigusa put her hand on Kozue's front. Light appear from her hand for a few seconds.

''It's finished,'' Chigusa said.

''I... feel different... '' Kozue commented.

''I have books in my library that would help you,'' said Chigusa. ''Now, can you do one thing for me?''

''What is it?'' asked both Kozue and Shiori.

''Can you close the coffin once I'm inside it?''

''No problem!'' Shiori said.

''What? Why do you want be in the coffin?'' Kaido asked Chigusa.

Chigusa looked at the boy as if she found it strange that he asked what should have been obvious.

''That's the only way I can be with the girl I love!''

Kaido didn't understand how that was really a solution, while the girls seemed to find it normal.

xx

A few minutes later, Chigusa was in the coffin. The trio had left the room and closed the door. Kozue looked at some books on magic, while Shiori was next to her and looked at Kozue with a smile. Kaido was behind them.

''You know, Kozue, I think I'm starting to forget the problems I had in the past. I'm looking forward to the good future we'll have at Ohtori!''

''Same for me.''

''Excuse me for interrupting,'' said Kaido, ''but now that the witch has gone, I have a question for you.''

''What is it?'' Asked Shiori, turning her head towards the boy.

''Well, you know I'm searching for a girl. Her name is Tenjou Utena. Do you know her?''

''Tenjou... Utena...'' Shiori said. ''Hmm... No... I've never seen or heard of that girl. Do you know her, Kozue?''

''No idea who she is!''

''Ah...'' Kaido said sadly. ''Well, since you're the last people I could ask... I guess I came here for nothing.''

''Sorry if I couldn't help you,'' said Shiori, her face looking very sad.

''That's okay...'' Kaido said, disappointed. ''Anyway, it's time we moved on now!''

''What?'' The girls spoke at the same time.

''Only dead people are here, right? Why should we waste our time with death? We should go see living people!''

''I don't see why,'' Shiori said.

''Y... You don't see why?!'' Kaido was confused. ''How could you think that?''

''Hey, don't force your thoughts on my friend!'' Kozue yelled.

''Sorry, but I think someone normal...'' Kaido began to say before being interrupted.

''What is your definition of normal?'' Kozue frowned. ''Shiori and I aren't normal because we don't think like you? Shiori cared more about me than all the 'normals' I've met in my life!''

Kozue pointed at Kaido with her finger, and suddenly, he disappeared.

''Did you kill him?'' asked Shiori, a bit terrified.

''No, I just teleported him to another room. I read how to do to in one of the books, though I don't know exactly where he is.''

xx

Kaido had reappeared on a chair in a room he was never in before. He look in front of him to see several television screens; he was in the control room.

''What is this place?!''

xx

Before announcing to the ghosts who was now in charge, the two girls decided to relax for a moment in Shiori's bedroom. When they arrived, Shiori took Kozue by surprise when she hugged her.

''Shiori?!''

''Kozue, I think... I love you.''

The blue haired girl smiled and kissed Shiori. This time, she wasn't disgusted by it; in fact, she even liked it. Soon, they were on the bed; they undressed, and then they had an intimate moment together.

Afterwards, the room, which had been very white, was now full of every color.