Divine Intervention By: Kyoryoku Nazo ................ Chapter 3: The Bride ................ To survive in the Prophecy, the Priestess became what the Priestess hated... "I'm Eternity?" Tasuki asked slowly, staring at Akio as if he'd just grown six extra heads. This had been, without a doubt, the strangest day of his entire life. First that portal shows up in his house, then he was proclaimed a Nazo no Seishi by a spontaneous appearance of a celestial symbol, and then.... 'And then I went through what Duo must have about a week ago,' he thought ruefully, remembering the Priestess's face when he'd waken up in the garden. 'That Akio guy, those freaky girl's shadows pratically describing his current situation, and now this. Now that freak with the purple hair is telling me that I'm eternity. What the HELL is this place?' "Your light! The light that surrounds you! Tell me the secrets, the secrets you must possess!" It was at that point that Tasuki realized what must have been freaking the Chairman out so much. 'Sweet father Suzaku...' He caught his reflection in a wall length window across the path. What he saw was not at all what he was prepared for. 'Great mother Nazo!' "Your...your hair!" Duo exclaimed looking at up and seeing Tasuki in the very epitomy of rage. His hair was practically standing on edge, blown back in the midst of some non-existant wind. His eyes were blazing with golden fire, contrasting his usual soft amber. And the Light... oh Lord and Lady the Light. Wisps of black mist dotted with stars flowed around the bandit's form like the smoke of a campfire. As soon as Tasuki's eyes caught themselves in his reflection, the energy that surged around him died down with his rage. His face fell slightly, half in shock at what he saw; the other half appalled. Something about the way that power had surged around him reminded him of one that he of course held at an esteemed place in his heart but yet - could never forgive for various reasons. "Blessed Suzaku," he muttered, "I looked like Tamahome," Duo looked confused, trying to remember if the fire haired youth had ever mentioned that name before. It wasn't ringing any bells... "It matters not who or who not you resemble!" Akio exclaimed, "The energy that flows through you! It's Eternity in and of itself!" "Okay, slow down!" Tasuki growled, grabbing the Chairman by the scruff of his collar, "A couple hours ago, you tried to have me raped! Let's just say that I don't exactly appreciate the gesture! Now you expect me to 'show you eternity?! You must be out of your freakin' mind!" "Please!" Akio wrenched himself away, his expression turning from slight fear into it's usual mask of self-confidence. "All I ask is that you prove my theory. Take this, and go to the Arena at sunset. If you need anything, just ask the Council," he gesurted towards a tall building in the opposite direction. Duo and Tasuki turned momentarily to see where he was pointing, but as they returned their gaze to Akio, they discovered that he had vanished. "Damn him," Tasuki muttered under his breath. Duo only looked thoughtfully towards the stadium-shaped building in the distance, roofed with trees and other greenry. Soon after, his gaze moved down to his closed hand, which he slowly opened, exposing what Akio had placed in his palm. Akio's words came back to him slowly, and he voiced them on his own lips. "Rose signet," he turned the wide silver band over with a fingertip on his other hand, turning it until he could see the pink glass rose on the front. "It's awfully beautiful," he muttered, slowly sliding it onto that same finger. And then in happened... Petals... Black, silver-speckeled, petals everywhere... It was raining the most beautiful and silken soft rose petals either young men had seen, falling down about them like drops of water from billowing clouds. They spiraled from the heavens, falling about their feet and landing on their outstretched arms. A soft glow radiated about them, the same ebony silkness that marked the rose petals. Duo's eyes were to the sky, smiling like a small child during the winter season. When he turned his eye's back down to look at Tasuki, to see his reaction, he saw that the bandit's eyes were already on him. And by now Duo knew that Tasuki was never good at hiding his feelings. "Um, Tasuki?" Duo asked softly, unable to remove his gaze from the fire Seishi's stare. "Oh gods," Tasuki stepped foward slowly, his eyes full of so many pent up emotions that Duo couldn't even try to count, "Oh please, Duo, please don't hate me..." "Wha-" but the Priestess was cut off. Tasuki's lips were suddenly pressed against his, warm and inviting. 'HEERO!' his mind screamed, fighting with itself as to how response should be dealt with. He musn't! He'd just earned Heero's trust. And yet... 'Oh Nazo, it feels so good...' Duo's eyes closed tightly, slowly drawing his arms up and around his Seishi's neck. 'It's never felt like this. Heero's always so cold, so mechanical. Never like this. Never EVER like this...' As Tasuki sensed Duo's unspoken approval, his hands began to wander over Duo's back, one hand pausing in the nape of his neck, the other stroking through the folds of long, mahogony hair. "Mmm, Duo," Tasuki murmured against the violet-eyed boy. 'You're so inviting, not like Chi-" he cut himself off, jerking his head up like he'd suddenly awaken from a long slumber, "Chichiri! Where is he??" Duo gasped as the bandit's lips left his, blinking slowly to come out of the haze, "I... he...he's in the planetarium," he gestured vaguely to Akio's tower behind them, "When I left...he was...asleep," Tasuki's eyes widened considerably, not missing the immplications given in the fact that Chichiri was asleep in Akio's little dwelling. And given what they knew about Akio so far.... "Oh dear gods," Both young men stood deep in thought for a few moments, so therfor they were caught by complete surprise when they both felt a little tap on their shoulder. "How ya doin', no da?!" "AHHHH!!" they both exclaimed, shocked by the smiling face of the monk behind them. "How the hell did you get out of there?" Tasuki yelled, shaking the blue haired man's shoulders. "And what the hell did you do when you were?" Chichiri tilted his head to the side and once again pulled off his 'face', revealing his true facial expression, beneathe the mask. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking, no da. And no, nothing happened. I knew that he sensed the ability for magic within me, so that's why he thought it best to keep me around. And I couldn't just pretend to be asleep, so I put a spell on myself. Worked pretty well if I say so myself, no da" he grinned. A true grin. "Oh," Duo said blatantly, "So...have you figured out what we're doing here?" "I think it's pretty obvious, no da," he replied, "You, Duo, are the Priestess of Nazo. And you, Tasuki, are a Nazo no Seishi. That's why the portal appeared. For you, not for me, no da," "So I really am a Seishi of Nazo," Tasuki muttered, staring off in the distance, slowly drawing his gaze back to Duo, "And he's my Priestess," a slight grin quirked up in the corner of his mouth. "I heard what Akio told you, about the Arena and the Signet, and I also saw..." but he stopped himself, his face turning several shades of red. "That you were concerned about me, na no da," he said carefully. "However, I think that I've spent enough time in this world. I should probably be going back to my own, no da," "You can do that?" Duo asked, rather stunned. "Let's go then!" "I'm afraid that I can't do that though, no da. You two need to stay here, even though I have no place. The Light that shown when we were taken here was divine. You're here for a reason, no da," Both Duo and Tasuki gazed off towards the Arena once more, still wondering what Akio could have meant by 'Eternity' and what not. But when they turned back... "Oh bloody hell," Tasuki muttered, placing a hand on his hip. "We should stop doing that," For Chichiri was gone from their presence, and all that remained was a soft puff of magical sparks. "So, should we be going then?" Duo asked softly, gesturing towards the forest-roofed Arena. Turning back to Tasuki however, he was once again caught up in those amber eyes. "Oh my," he murmured, finding that once again his lips were caught up in the sensual bandit's. 'I...musn't...no..Heero, can't, Heero, not right, oh to HELL WITH IT ALL!' he screamed to his conscience, leaning once more into Tasuki's breathtaking kiss, grabbing at the Seishi's back and neck, trying to pull them closer. Tasuki responded vigorously, grasping the purple eyed young man by the rear and lifting him into his embrace. Duo gasped, tilting his head back, letting his hair cascade over his back. "Tasuki," he whispered, clasping the bandit's face in his hands, before leaning back in for another Earth-shattering kiss. Tasuki grinned against the Priestess's lips, sliding his down softly and capturing Duo's bottom lip in his fangs, biting him softly. Duo's eyes opened wide, gasping at the feelings, grabbing onto Tasuki's back with a death grip. Nothing could break the spell that had been cast around them.... That is... Somewhere in the distance, bells rang softly, followed by the sound of opening doors and voices. It was at that time that the two young men realized where they were standing - the middle of a plaza in the middle of a school. And before they knew it, they were surrounded by hundreds of curious high school students, gawking at the sight that appeared before them. "Ohayo!" chimmed a kind looking pink-haired girl in a boy's uniform. She slapped Duo on the back winking at him, "Got yourself a cute one there. You new here?" Duo nodded dumbly, slowly retracting himself from Tasuki's grasp. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," It was also at that point that he realized that the shower of petals had ceased. And then he caught his reflection... 'Damn, I really do look like a girl!' His hair (unbraided) was tosseled about his shoulders, accented by the soft glow of his lips from the...activities he'd just been engaged in. "Saa, need someone to show you around?" she asked with a genuine smile. "Yeah, actually, can you take us to the Arena?" Duo asked tentativley. "Yeah sure. What'd ya say your name was?" "My name's Duo," he grinned, narrowing his eyes slightly as was his style. Then, to extend the friendliness, he reached out his hand in greeting. She smiled and was about to clasp it in return, but she saw the ring on his finger, her eyes turning dark and suspicious. "You're after her too?" she muttered, expressing sudden hostility. "Wha...her? I don't know who you're talking about?" "Himemiya," her voice was flat. "Um...never heard the name before in my life," "Look, I need to be going, but if you follow that path, you'll arrive at the Arena in no time. And just a word of advise; I didn't know what the ring was either. If you don't know, I suggest you take it off now," and then she was gone; vanished into the crowd of students in near indentical uniforms. "She was a lot nicer before she noticed this," Duo said softly, looking down at the ring on his finger. "What the hell is a 'Himemiya'?" Tasuki shrugged, looking off in the distance. "Ya know, it's getting to be late. We should get going," Duo nodded slowly in agreement, taking the lead down the path the girl had just described. Silently, they started to walk in that direction. Duo couldn't get over how non-chalant the Seishi was being. Didn't they just...? 'It's not that he's acting like nothing happened. Man, what's going on here? It's not that I thought he didn't like me, and he'd mentioned how he felt about other guys...but...this is just so weird! With Heero I practically had to force myself on him. I'm just not used to being...seduced,' Tasuki was whistling as he walked, hands behind his head, his eyes an unreadable mask. It was funny how his emotions were well hidden when he didn't even realize he was doing it. Inside however, the fiery haired man was a vertigo of emotions, spinning so completly out of control that he could barely think straight. 'What the hell was that?' he screamed mentally at himself, 'Just throw everything out the window why don't you?! Even if this whole deal with Chichiri wasn't there, you know that he's got someone back in his world!' But his thoughts were interupted. Tasuki froze as once again the sky turned a deep orange, the walls echoing the soft beats of a drum. "EXTRA! EXTRA!" Duo stopped dead in his tracks, staring in awe at the shadows of two girls projected on the brick wall they were passing. He looked to Tasuki for an explanation, only to see him with a face of grudging defeat. If the long haired boy hadn't known better, he would have sworn that he heard the Seishi mutter "Not again". "Have you heard?! Have you heard?! The strange Medium from another land is going to show himself today!!" "Medium?! Do you mean like a Sorcerer or Priest?!" "Exactly!! He's going to save all of the Princesses in the world with his Super Powers!" "Super Powers?! Don't tell me that you believe in that sort of thing!!" "Of course!! One day, I'm going to be a Super Priest myself!!" "Priest?! But you're a girl!! Girls can't be Priests!!" "If a boy can be a Priestess, then I can be a Priest!!" Duo turned pale, suddenly realizing that they were talking about him. But how? How could they know? "But every Super Hero needs a Side-Kick!! You don't have one of those!!" "I guess I'll just have to find myself a Warrior to keep me safe then! You know! Fight fire with fire!!" It was at that point that Tasuki turned white as well. Every word of stupid jibberish that the two shadows spoke made eerily perfect sense. "But you've gotten me off subject!! What were you saying about the Medium from another land!!" "Oh nothing, it's just a stupid play!! I do want to get good seat though!!" "How will end?!" "No one is sure!!" "Do you know?! Do you know?! Do you really know?!" they chimmed in unison. Then, as before, the shadows vanished and the sky returned to normal. Duo and Tasuki looked at each other, then looked in front of themselves. "I guess we're here," Duo said softly, looking up at the huge Arena in front of them. The stone entrance was a complete enigma. Was it a door? It certainly didn't look like one. "A handle," Duo mused aloud, wrapping his fingers slowly around it. "Maybe this is th-" but he was cut off. "Holy shit!" Tasuki yelped, taking a jump back as streams of water poured down from hidden chutes. The stone entrance shook almost violently, rotating around to reveal an entrance into the Arena. The bandit's eyes were on his Priestess, fully expecting Duo to react as he did. However, when the fey boy turned around, his face was as calm and impassive as if he'd opened a cabinet. "I know this place. I've seen it in my dreams," and with that, he turned an about-face to the Arena, stepping inside with such a confident stride that Tasuki was struggling to keep up. Inside there were stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. Tasuki was panting and heaving, rounding yet another full spiral and the seemingly endless stairway. Then, just as he was about to willingly fling himself off the side and into oblivion, he heard sounds coming from above. Both he and Duo frove in place, exchanging a look before moving cautiously foward. The two young men peeked around the corner of the archway at the top of the stairs. Before them were three people. A tall man with green hair, a girl with dark skin and purple hair, clad in a flowing gown, and- -and the pink-haired girl. Words formed on Duo's lips without him understanding what they meant, "The One Engaged," Tasuki was about to move foward, but Duo's hand to his chest stopped him in place. "Wait," his voice was on a whisper, "I have a strange feeling about this." Tasuki's eyebrow shot heavenward, cutting off a dozen remarks that he could have made to that. 'He's traveled dimensions, witnessed acts of gods, and been sucked into this little fighting game, but something about the PEOPLE here gives him a strange feeling.' Well, he might as well see what was going on. There couldn't be much harm in that. From what Tasuki could gather, the pink-haired girl was concerned about the other girl, the one in the gown; and the man didn't seem very happy about the situation. The Arena was completly silent, except for the breathing of the five people, and the soft rustle of fabric as the pink-haired girl lifted the other into her arms. "It was supposed to be me," the green-haired man sputered out. "I was supposed to save her," his hand reached for the katana at his side, drawing it in a swift movement. Tasuki's eyes widened and he lurched foward, held back by Duo's arms around his waist. "No," Duo hissed between his teeth, "Not yet, trust me Tasuki!" 'Please,' Duo thought in despair, 'Let me be right about this'. "UTENA-SAMA!" the purple-haired girl screamed, pointing to the man looming over them. The pink-haired girl, apparently this 'Utena', turned around with unexpected fear, meeting her attacker's gaze with shock. And then... Bells chimed in the distance, matched with the scream on another young man with long, fiery hair, who had thrown himself between the sword and the girl. "Why," the green-haired man studdered, his eyes shaking with hate, "Why did you do that?" "Because, Saionji," he replied, "I am an ally to all women," With that, he collapsed onto the Arena floor, leaving the two girls time to run away. The one named Utena led the other girl to the doorway where Duo and Tasuki still watched intently. Duo's gaze followed them as they made their way down the stairs, completly oblivious to the two men in the gateway. Tasuki's eyes, however, were glued on the red-haired man with the sword protruding from his chest. The bandit had seen war before, but something about a single act of violence irked him without end. He was about to turn around in disgust, sure of the fact that none of this involved him, when he noticed something about the man who had been stabbed - no blood. There was absolutly no blood on the ground, or the sword or...the wound itself. "That was some stunt, Touga," the man called Saionji spat with bitterness, "You know the uproar this is going to cause," Touga chuckled, pulling the sword from his back with ease, "I simply couldn't have let you kill that girl. She's the one destined to bring us Eternity. And that is what Kenshin-sama wants for his Priestess, so I shall make sure that I have the ear of the one who brings it," "Eternity; they're talking about it, too," Duo whispered, leaning up against Tasuki as he spoke. Tasuki nodded briskly, straining his ears to hear more. Something about this situation wasn't making sense, and he wasn't about to be caught off guard by anything these two strangers might pull. With a reflexive movement, he freed a throwing knife from the sleeve of his shirt, letting it rest in the cuff. "Your Priestess," Saionji replied, his eyes looking wary and perhaps concerned, "Are you telling me that this Kenshin of yours has found the Priestess of Ukyou already?" "Concerned, my friend? I wouldn't blame you. There hasn't been one word of this 'Nazo' goddess spoken within the walls of this school," Tasuki jumped. Nazo? They knew about Nazo? Not even Akio seemed to see the significance of the Seishi. However, before he could think further on the subject, his thoughts were interupted by the soft 'clang' of metal on the cold, stone floor. Duo looked over with horror to see that in Tasuki's sudden movement, the knife has fallen from his sleeve, and was now vibrating softly on the ground. Both Touga and Saionji turned quickly to face the doorway, holding the two younger men in a gaze of fear. Touga's confident smirk vanished, his eyes narrowing as he slowly stepped foward to the Priestess and the Seishi. "This Arena is off limits to those who do not bear the crest of this school, by order of the Student Council," by this time, the red-haired man had grabbed Duo by the wrist, and was in the process of hauling him up, when he caught sight of the ring. "A Rose Signet," Saionji gasped, taking Duo's wrist out of Touga's hand and looking for himself. The surprise quickly left his eyes though, returning to an impassive mask, turning his attention to Tasuki. "And how about you? What is your purpose for coming here?" "I-" the bandit began, cut off by himself when Touga reached for him, running his hand through Tasuki's hair. "He bears the mark of the Bride," Touga replied with a humorous tone, "How fitting for such a beautiful young man," It was that comment that broke the silence cast over the two followers of Nazo. Tasuki was first in his outburst, "What the hell do you mean I bear the mark of the bride?! I ain't no lady, you goddamned lowlife! Do you know who you're talkin' to here?? And get your filthy hand off me before I rip your arm out of it's socket and shove it so far up your sorry ass, you'd think you were born that way!!" The man called Touga was obviously taken aback by the lewdness of the bandit, taking a step back and turning to Saionji. After a moment of thought though, he turned his attention to Duo, smiling with an unreadable expression, "So who are you?" Duo smirked one of his trademark grins, looking up from under a lowered brow, "I am Shinigami," Touga laughed, but Saionji seemed to look more thoughtful. He remained in that state as the other man continued to talk, "Since you seem to have reasons to be here, I don't see any reason why I should bother you any further. Saionji," he called back over his shoulder as he started down the stairs, "Expect to here from me tomorrow. I have a feeling that the Student Council will not smile upon your actions," "You call yourself Death," Saionji said slowly, reaching a hand up to unbutton the top clasp of his jacket, "I believe that we have a score to settle then," with that, the green rope that must have signified some sort of ranking fell to the floor, as he once again reached for his sword, "I suggest that you arm yourself," "I don't want to fight you," Duo said slowly, taking a step foward towards the sword-bearing man, "I will never fight anyone again, I despise it and I won't do it for you, not for anyone!" his voice rose to a shout as he braced himself defiantly. "Then you die," Saionji smirked, charging at the Priestess with the sword aimed at his throat. Duo jumped out of the way, landing behind the green-haired man and falling instinctivly into a defensive stance. "Tasuki," he murmured, as Saionji took the moment to realize that Duo had parried the attack, "Tasuki, do something," The bandit nodded slowly, slightly alarming Duo with his strange calmness. Tasuki stepped towards Duo, placing a hand on Saionji's shoulder. "It wouldn't be fair if you were the only one with a weapon, ya know," and with that, he placed himself between the two other men, resting his hands in a praying like fashion in front of his chest. "Light of Nazo," he murmured, closing his eyes as the Arena went black, the only light coming from a small cylinder around him. "Guide the Priestess in his journey through the Other Worlds, hear your medium and come forth," and at that moment, a burst of star-speckled light erupted from Tasuki's chest, surrounding the black with blue trimmed hilt of a sword that emerged at the same spot without the slightest hint of blood. Duo held his hand out in amazement as the pink rose on his ring flashed in a beam of light, to be replaced his black glass in it's place, and two outspread wings of a hawk, where the rose had once been. His eyes went blank for a moment, the he blinked, seeming to realize something he had not in mere seconds before. Slowly, he stepped over to Tasuki and caught the bandit's lower back as he leaned backwards, using his other hand to draw the sword from his Seishi's chest. "Grant me the power to defend Nazo's name," he said softly, extending his arm fully above his head and pointing the sword to the sky. The hilt was a beautiful onyx-like black with blue detail, the hilt itself was the outstrectched wing of a hawk. Saionji stared in disbelief as the light returned to the Arena, and Duo was poised for battle with the magnificent sword clasped in both hands. The only remaining proof of the divine light was the glowing symbols on Tasuki's arm and Duo's forhead - And on Saionji's chest. The green-haired man had dropped his sword to the ground and was now smiling, walking towards the two of them with no hostility whatsoever. "Greetings Priestess. I am Saionji, a Nazo no Seishi," ************************************* GUNDAM WING, FUSHIGI YUUGI, AND SHOUJO KAKUMEI UTENA BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CREATORS ORIGINAL FICTION IS CONSIDERED PROPERTY OF KYORYOKU NAZO ************************************* This story began in the middle of things. The middle of what?