Slayers Revolution 1/32:
Friendship! Cruelty Gets You Nowhere.

by Anetha

Ok, I just want to explain a few things first. It's obvious that I don't own Utena or Slayers. I also did not write any of the songs in here. I am not aware if the other Slayers/Utena merge/cross wrote the lyrics of the songs, but I think that they are an important part of the show, although I may not always include the opening and ending themes. Please enjoy the fic minna-san!
~~~%~@
Let's live our lives heroically,
let's live them with style.
Even if the two of us are ever torn apart...
Take my revolution.
In the sunlight garden,
we both joined hands.
Drawing close for comfort,
we both swore:
never again would we fall in love.
I see that photo of us smiling,
standing cheek to cheek.
I look at it and a bit of loneliness starts to fill me.
(Revolution)
Even if I dream, even if I cry, even if I get hurt,
reality keeps on coming recklessly.
I wanna find out where I am,
the value of being me.
Gonna take who I've been till now,
and find the strength to throw it all away.
Strip down to nothing at all.
Become like a rose petal blowing free!
Even if the two of us are ever torn apart,
I swear that I will change the world!
@~~%~~

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there lived a little princess who was very sad, for her mother and father had died.
Before the Princess appeared a traveling Prince on a white horse. He had a regal bearing and a kind smile. The Prince wrapped the Princess in a rose-scented embrace and gently wiped the tears from her eyes. "Little one," He said, "growing up alone in such deep sorrow...never lose that strength or nobility even when you become a young lady. This ring will lead you to me one day."
Perhaps the ring the Prince gave her was meant as an engagement ring...perhaps. But so impressed was she by him, the Princess decided to become a Prince herself one day.
But was that really such a good idea?
Slayers Revolution
Friendship! Cruelty Gets You Nowhere.
It was of course another beautiful day at Ohtori Academy, complete with singing birds, sunshine and a warm breeze. Not that any of that mattered to the person we shall now pay attention to, in fact such said person found such... /early/ cheerfulness quite annoying.

Cracking open a crimson eye, she yawned and sat up. Rubbing the last bit of sleep from her eyes, she stumbled to the window in an attempt to get a better idea of the weather. Not that it would do much good of course, she already knew what she was wearing. She glanced at the clock at the wall and decided that she might as well leave. Pulling on her uniform, her trademark, she crept to the door, careful not to disturb her room mate. As she softly shut the door behind her she smiled gently at the ring on her left hand.

**********
The famous Ohtori Academy- gigantic, beautiful, elite, shaped like a burial ground....ah, ignore the last part. Regardless it's an amazing campus, housing K through college. The actual campus is many miles, in the center of a picturesque city by the sea. Its white marble dorms are huge, the sky-high ivory class buildings hold any academic area imaginable, there is a huge sports field nearby an even larger forest,and red bricked roads with various bridges over small rivers. But perhaps the most important thing is the presence of roses, being namely EVERYWHERE: engraved in the floors of the French styled buildings, on the sheets, on the spoons, on the tea cups, and yes, the school crest itself.

Very beautiful.

Very expensive.

Welcome to Ohtori.

Leaning against a white bridge, a pretty, voluptuous young lady with long purple/black hair waited serenely...for a whole two minutes.

"Where is that little jerk!? Surely that brat realizes what time it is!" she exclaimed, tossing her hair behind her shoulders. "He should really know better for now I shall seek retribution OHOHOHOHOHO!!"

"N-naga," A brave girl ventured, hands protecting her ears. "Who are you looking for?"

"Eh? Oh!" She struck a confident pose with her hands on her hips. "Why I'm waiting for /him/ of course! My greatest rival and companion O~hohohoho!"

"Greatest rival? Companion?" girl #2 muttered. Oh, who else could Naga be talking about? "Naga, /she/ already left. She left the dorm really early this morning."

With her face turning red, either from embarrassment or anger (Who could tell?) she scooped up her school bag and rushed of. "How dare you stand up Naga the "White Serpent"!?! I'll get you Lina O~~~~~~HOHOHOHO!!!"

Sweatdropping, the girls let out a sigh of relief as she ran out of earshot, then promptly continued with their day. (Which is of course, irrelevant to this story.)

********
Amidst the crowds of alumni, one lone student decided to stand out. Everything from the way she walked, to the way she dressed, to her shocking red hair and eyes screamed look at me! Actually it wasn't a problem of /what/ she was wearing, just /who/ was wearing it. No, she didn't wear the traditional girl's uniform, which consisted of a short sea green skirt, a white pouffy sleeved blouse with a sea green sailor collar and a red and yellow tie. She didn't even wear the traditional boy's uniform of high necked, sea green military jacket and pants with black trim and silver buttons. Nooo, this one just had to be different, she wore a custom-made /boys/ uniform! It was a black high necked military jacket with red trim and gold buttons. Not only that, she wore red shorts, socks and white tennis shoes. Worse yet, the jacket had been tailor made to fit the little figure she has! No, no, this would not do at all.

And thus a confrontation was born.

"Miss Lina Inverse, do you really intend to wear such unjust things?"

Lina stopped and glanced up at the huge brute of a teacher. Okay, so she was short but this guy was a giant by anyone's standards! "Unjust? What do you mean Sailoo-"

"Phillionel, Lina-san, Phillionel."

"Riiight. /Phill/-sensei?"

His black mustache twitched in irritation. "Inverse-san, in this school there are separate uniforms assigned to girls and boys. Despite all appearances you _are_ a girl, so there for you must wear the girl's uniform. By not doing so, you break the rules and order of this campus. And /that/ is unjust! *pose* JUSTICE WILL TRIUMPH!!"

Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. Lina struggled with the idea of sending him into next Tuesday, but found her composure and took out the handy-dandy lil' book o' rules for Ohtori. "Weeeeeeelll, I don't' see any rule in here saying that I can't wear this soooooo... I guess it doesn't matter! ^_^" She happily shut the lil' book. "Buh-bye ^.~*"

/How does she do that?/ he thought, head and shoulders sagged in defeat.

********
This was it. It was all or nothing. Have to remain calm, have to keep cool..... OH GOD PLEASE DON'T LET ME LOSE!! In a state bordering hysteria, he glanced at the petite figure causing him so much peril. She however, was calmly stretching her legs and warming up with Lightning spells. She now wore a white tank top over her red shorts.

Lina Inverse. She had kicked the entire girls' track team's butts. Every girl, every event. (Well, jockput aside...still, it was amazing how far she managed to throw the damn thing.) Now she was going to face him in the most elite of all track races, the magically enhanced 100 meter dash. (((((Side note!! In this AR, magic is possible, but it takes a huge physical toll. Because of the physical and mental toll even lower level spells take it is now mostly used in athletics.)))) /Him/, the star of the track team! Well this was his big chance, he was the best spell caster on the team! He knew that the pride of the boy's and girl's track team was resting solely on his shoulders but who cares!? He was invincible, he was unstoppable--

"Runners to your places!"

OHGODOHGODDON'TLETMELOSE!!!

"On your mark!"

He crouched onto the track with careful anticipation...she winked.

"Get set!"

He raised into a starting position and let his chi out to harness the magical energy...she smirked.

"GO!"

"RAYWING!" they cried in unison.

Using his longer legs to initially propel forward, he quickly took the lead. He wasn't the star of the track team for nothing. How unfortunate for him that Lina had extra magical reserves.

"Boost!" she cried, accelerating her Raywing spell. By the 50th they where neck and neck, by the 70th yard she was pulling ahead and by the 100th...well lets just say it was a clean victory as 100 meter dashes go.

The poor defeated track star cowered in a lil' corner as the crowd burst into cheers around Lina. /Bet I could beat her in jockput...yeah *giggle* that's it, jockput!!/ And of course no one paid attention when the nice young men in white coats took him away for a little "rest."

***********
"Come on Inverse! If you join my team, we'll win regions for sure!"

"Excuse me! I happen to be a lovely delicate young maiden! I don't want to spend my time with a bunch of stinky, sweaty guys!!"

"But you have the body of a runner! You're small and skinny and built like an arrow! I mean, you can hardly tell that you're not a guy anyway so--ITAI!!"

"DON'T YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO INSULT A LADY IN HER FIGURE YOU IDIOT!?!?!" she screeched, wildly beating him with that mallet /all/ anime heroines must own. "Hmph!" She threw the mallet back into whatever pocket dimension it had came from.

"Well why do you wear that uniform anyway?" he countered, nursing a very unpleasant headache.

"Why? Well..." She pulled her jacket over her tank top. "To be a prince."

"Huh?"

"I want to be a noble prince who saves princesses."

"I-inverse-san!" he cried, pointing a shaky finger. "You, you mean that you're into wo-"

"-NO YOU HENTAI!!" She screamed, now righteously beating him unconscious with that ever useful mallet. "What I /mean/ is..." She tried to think of a good, understandable, simple explanation.... oh hell with it. "I would rather be a prince saving a princess than a princess waiting to be saved" she said with blazing red eyes. Haughtily, she spun on her heels and left behind the very confused young man.

"....?"

********
"Why am I surrounded by morons?" Lina muttered, stomping down the hall. In a most likely vain attempt to calm her nerves after being (once again) mistaken for a boy, she took a deep breath of the sweet air...

Wait....

Sweet air?

Looking outside, she beheld the beauty that is Ohtori's main garden. And in it's center stood the marvelous rose garden in the birdcage-like green house.

"Roses," she whispered. "Why does that scent..." She looked down at her ring.

*Ding-ding* Lina scurried off to class as the warning bell tolled, putting all thoughts of the past behind her.

********
Or at least, she had tried to. She leaned against the open window---the third story window that just /happened/ to overlook the garden. /Why does the scent of roses always make me nonchalant?/ "Maybe I should go see a psychiatrist," she groaned, resting her head on her hands.

Glancing once again at the garden, she saw a boy and a girl having an intense conversation. /Looks kinda serious/ she mused. The boy was very handsome, tall and slightly tanned with long wavy black hair that covered one eye. Instead of the standard uniform, he wore a white military jacket with red trim and dark green pants. His jacket had flat golden shoulder guards as well as triangular pins and buttons. A green chord came from one guard and was buttoned into his jacket. The girl, although very pretty with tightly coiffed black hair, wore the standard girls uniform. Because of their postures and expressions, Lina could tell exactly what was going on--a lover's quarrel. /Yuck,/ she wrinkled her small nose. /Can't they do that somewhere where no one has to see them?/

*smack* Lina's eyes widened in shock as the girl nearly fell over from the force of the man's backhand. As he raised his hand to hit her again, it was caught by another young man with indigo hair.

"Sugata." Lina said quietly.

"OHOHOHO!"

/Oh no! That voice!/ Lina froze in horror.

"Liiiiiina-kuuuuuuun!" Naga roared, throwing herself at Lina, nearly crushing the smaller girl against the rail.

"Naga get offa me! I can't *urk* breath!!"

"O~HOHOHO! This is the fate of anyone who stands up the great Naga the Serpent! Welcome to your own private hell Lina OHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!"

"I'MSORRYI'MSORRYI'LLNEVERDOITAGAINISWEAR!!!"

"You think that a simple apology will appease the Mighty Na-Oh! It's Zangulus!" She exclaimed happily, pushing herself off of Lina and peering to the ground below, hands still on the rail.

"Za-zangulus?" Lina gasped hoarsely, looking at the black haired boy. "You know him?"

"You mean that you don't know who Zangulus is!?!"

"Should I?"

"Lina!" She was obviously appalled. "You're more naive than I thought hehehehe."

"Well I /do/ know who the other guy is. That's Zelgadiss Kiryuu, the Student Council President." He wore an all white uniform with red trim and pieces of yellow here and there. His shoulder guards where more elaborate and he had two red chords instead of one.

"Right, and the guy next to him is Zangulus Saionji, the Vice President."

"Well who is she?"

"OH, /that/ is Sylphiel Himemiya."

"Sylphiel Himemiya?" "She's really weird and quiet. All she does is take care of the roses. That's it! No one is even making her do that but you think that she'd at least take care of the rest of the gar-"

"-So she's Zangulus' girlfriend?"

"HUH!? *appalled* No way!! They just both have a connection to the council that's all!"

"Sooo, that's the type the /Great/ Naga falls for ne?" Lina chuckled slyly. Naga of course blushed for the second time that day.

"OHOHOHO! Are you jealous Little Lina!?!?" Naga asked as she once again glomped poor, frail (^^;) Lina. "Don't worry little buddy, we'll always be together! The kind and beautiful Naga could never abandon her favorite sidekick OHOHOHOHOHO!!"

/Great, just great,/ Lina thought bitterly. /Waitaminute- whatthehelldoesshemeansidekick!?!?!/

********
On a ridiculously huge balcony overlooking Ohtori's sporting fields, a meeting is taking place. It is here that the five of the most important people in the school meet. The air is ominous and reeks of secrecy, for this is where the fate of Ohtori's students are decided.

Refreshments are to your right. Welcome to the Student Council meeting.

"This was..rather hastily thrown together," Zangulus commented dryly, eyeing the sparse refreshment table. Why, how could one expect to hold a meeting with only four different kinds of cookies, three different types of tea and apples? What moron was running the refreshment table? They didn't even have any Lady's Fingers. He was quite partial to Lady's Fingers.... He would have Sylphiel prepare him some later, he decided, glancing at the girl standing meekly beside him.

"Zangulus," Zelgadiss, the president started, "you realise that your treatment of the Bride has been causing some concern."

"That's right," said the somewhat shy young man sitting in the elegant chair. He had dark purple hair, cut similarly to Zelgadiss'. His white military jacket was cropped at the waist and he had red and yellow shoulder pads. His pants where the same blue as his open eye. "I know that you're the Victor but," he wrote furiously in a rose-crested notebook, "that shouldn't give you the right to-"

"-The Bride is to comply with the will of the Victor Rezo," a young lady said while pouring herself a cup of tea. She was the picture of a lovely angle with strait shoulder length lavender hair and smooth pale skin. She wore a uniform cut in the same style as Rezo's but with coral pants and golden shoulder guards. Her long bangs nearly obscured her eyes, but from the occasional glance one could tell that they too where beautiful. Beautiful and cold, a nearly impossible shade of ice-blue. Luna continued, "But don't forget Zangulus that we too have been chosen by End of the World.

"If we see fit we will take your little flower from you."

"So don't mistreat the Bride," Zelgadiss finished, stepping forward.

*smirk* "Mind your own business." He drew the 'Bride' closer. "Can't you tell that we're in love?"

*snap* "I-in love!?" Rezo growled, his eyes now firmly shut. "Dammit," he muttered as the two halves of his pencil clattered to the marble floor. *click* He began a spell with one hand and started a stopwatch with the other.

"It's true." Sylphiel drew closer to the arrogant council member, "I will gladly do whatever my Master wishes."

"See." The couple turned to leave, arm in arm. "Please do not bother us again."

"Don't forget that there will be a new Duelist soon!" Zelgadiss called in warning.

"I look forward to it."

*click*

***********
"Mm, that's a pretty ring Lina-kun." After a meal and some boring classes, Naga had been subdued to a somewhat clam level.

"Thanks."

One more class to go! Ah, the joys of the day being nearly over ^_^. At the present Lina and Naga where heading to the east wing for the final class of the day...

"Who gave it to you?"

"A beautiful prince."

".....suuuure."

"He did! Although...it was so long ago I don't even remember what he looked like."

"And why, pray tell, would a prince be interested in you?"

"Why I outta-"

"-Not that I don't understand. When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me that I was a beautiful princess from the world's most powerful kingdom OHOHOHOHOHO!"

"So she is as delusional as you ne? *shove* HEY!"

"Sorry!" yelled the young man who had nearly ran her over.

"What's going on?" A few more boys ran by.

"Somebody posted a love letter!"

"Love letter?" Lina muttered, pushing her way through the crowd."

"And so I dance with you under the stars my dearest Zangulus," a geeky youth drawled "I long to look into your gentle eyes and....*snicker* my God this is corny!"

"What do you think you're doing!?" Lina cried, ripping the pink paper off of the board.

"It was posted!"

"That doesn't give you pathetic excuses for the Y-chromosome the right to-" From behind the crowd, Naga's face momentarily became one of pain. She quickly put on her most arrogant expression and with a high pitched laugh fled the crowd, Lina chasing after her.

*********
She found her near a large tree, resting on hand on the bark. "Naga....you wrote this didn't you?"

"Oh course I did! Who else could master poetry sooo~OHOHOHOHO!?"

/AAARGH!/ Lina covered her ears. She was going to /kill/ Zangulus for making her listen to-

Wait... Naga was silent, her shoulders where shaking.

Naga was...

She shamefully turned her head towards Lina.

Naga was....

Crying? Lina felt her fist ball up at her sides.

He-he made Naga cry.....

He'd pay.

************
"How am I supposed to know?" Zangulus calmly laid his bokkan on one shoulder. "I get a lot of letters, anyone could have found and posted it."

Lina narrowed her eyes, partially in anger, partially do to the kendo room's harsh light. Because she had...hastily interrupted his practise, Zangulus was wearing his kendoist gi. "Well why did you put it where someone could find it?"

"I'll do whatever I want with my letters...... Oh yeah, for /that/ cheesy one I thought I'd give everyone a good laugh." He ran through a few practice swings.

"Be that as it may," she grabbed a bokkan for herself. "You /are/ the Kendo team captain yes? I want to duel you today!"

He stared at her as if she had grown another head. "Who do you think you are? Oh, I see. *smile* As you wish. Meet me in the Arena Forest after school."

"But I thought that no one-"

"-So you'll back out?"

"Hell no! I'll see you after class!"

He smiled to himself. If he had known that it would be this easy to keep the Bride he would have eased up on the training.

************
"Do you know? Do you know?"

"Oh dear girl, what do you know?"

As the sun sets over the obscenely beautiful Ohtori, the Shadow Play club vigilantly carries on practice. Ohtori's shadow plays win first place in the competitions every year! Well except `86, but lets not get into that...

Shadow Girl A: There is going to be a duel in the Arena after school.

Shadow Girl B: What a brave hero! To fight for a friend...

A: Who knew that she cared at what offends?

B: But be careful, make not a mistake!

A: There are silent rules in the Forest.

Together: Do you know? Do you know what they are?

*********
Lina scowled. Lina fumed. Lina threw a fit.

But it did her no good.

"How am I supposed to get in here!?" There was apparently no entrance, a very frustrating prospect to one that wished to get /inside/. Hold on...oh, there's a handle.

*tug* "Oh great, you need some sort of key..."

Inside the lock, ancient water released a single drop, shimmering as it splashed her signet and recognized her right to enter...

"Aiya! Wet!" She quickly recoiled her hand. "Water?"

Behind her fountains poured, gears cranked and the wall shifted and recoiled, forming an elegant entrance topped by a relief of a blooming rose.

She walked inside cautiously, in complete awe of her surroundings. Roses where /everywhere/; wrapped around slender poles, rose bushes, just, just /there./ "Where am I-.......*gulp*" She stared, wide eyed, at the HUGE staircase attempting to reach heaven.... sighing, she began to trudge up the stairs.

*********
She couldn't take much more of this, she really couldn't. During her entire accension there had been weird, freaky, yet-somehow-catchy music playing in the background and /now/ she just caught sight of a castle. No, a /spinning/ castle...no, make that an /upside down/ spinning castle. The stairs finally lead to a flat platform, devoid of features save the entrance and walls. Not that she noticed seeing as the spinning upside down castle had her attention at the moment. "What kind of spell would do that to a castle?"

"I suppose it must be amazing to someone like you." Zangulus approached her, carrying no sword of his own.

"I couldn't see it from outside the forest....what is it?"

"A castle."

*CRASH* "I KNOW /THAT/ BUT WHAT /IS/ IT!?!?!"

"It's uh--- a, ummmm mirage. Yeah! Just think of it as a trick of the light."

"....so you don't know what it is either?"

"Be silent! Now, why does one like you- who isn't on the Council- wear the Rose Seal?"

"Huh?"

"This." He held up one hand.

"The---that ring!" His ring...it was the exact same as her's!

"Interesting. Sylphiel! Prepare us!"

Sylphiel glided towards them, clutching a rose in each hand. She wore a high necked sleeveless lavender vest with white trim and a large lavender bell skirt. Her vest had golden triangular pins on its neck, decorative shoulder plates and a golden chord. Her chord was attached to the emerald green brooch at her neck, the same color as the short ruffled skirt under her vest and the fur from the shoulder pads. Her wrists where cuffed with lavender and white cuffs and upon her head she wore a gold five tier crown....the mark of a princess.

"Sylphiel Himemiya? Why are you here?"

"It's the duty of the Bride to be here." Zangulus answered for her as she placed a green rose in his breast pocket, "So she's here."

"Bride? He-hey!" Lina watched in shock as Sylphiel almost lovingly placed a splended white rose in the pocket over her heart.

"If the rose is torn from your breast or if the petals are scattered you lose the duel."

"Huh!?!?!" Lina did NOT like the idea of someone trying to take off a rose from such delicate places.

"I wish you luck Lina-san."

Zangulus immediately struck her to the ground, enraged. "How dare you!"

"Hey!" Lina rushed to the fallen girl.

"You are the Rose Bride, you belong to me. How could you wish someone else luck!?!"

"Forgive me my Master." Sylphiel held her cheek.

"How can you take that!?"

"Because Zangulus-sama is the current Victor and I must do whatever he wishes."

"You mean...you're not his girlfriend?"

"Let's get this over with."

"Uck." Lina stood up. "I just have to teach him some manners right?"

Sylphiel watched her, confused for a moment, then stood and made her way to Zangulus.

"Oh Rose of the noble castle," she chanted, holding her hands to her chest. A light began to form between them and wind came from nowhere, ruffling her long skirts. "Power of Chaos that sleeps within me," she held her arms out wide, inviting the glowing wind as the light at her heart grew brighter.

"Wh-what kind of spell is this!?" Lina cried, clutching her bokkan.

"heed thine master and come forth..." As if she was suddenly sleepy, she began to fall backwards, but in a sensually fluid movement, Zangulus caught her with one arm and leaned in for a near kiss. The light finally condensed into the hilt of an elaborate sword at her heart.

"And harken unto me," he proudly used his ring hand to pull a complete sword from her chest. "The power to bring the World Revolution!" He raised the sword high in the air as nearby bells tolled, proclaiming a new challenge.

Lina frowned, that spell was beautiful but...unnerving. She didn't like it.

She wasn't going to let anyone be treated like that.

*When? Where? Who? Which?*

*clang* The two clashed and redrew in the same moment. /He's more skilled than me../ Lina acknowledged. It was obvious who was being forced into the defensive.

*When? Where? Who? Which?*

But skill isn't everything! Instinctively, she blocked another blow from above. Unfortunately, he was also much stronger than her. She strained her arms over her head, trying to keep his sword from crashing down.

"You're not bad for a little girl," he sneered.

"..." She clenched her teeth, brow sweating from effort.

*The flow of the blood of memories.*

"Are you trying to be the prince that saves the damsel in distress?" he chuckled. "Oh well." He suddenly retracted his arm and..."Hikari-O!"

*The cradle of a thousand years of bliss.*

Lina gave a startled cry as she fell to back onto the floor. /Why that little!/ She whipped out her bokkan, only to find she only had a third of it left. "Wait! I put a strength spell on this thing! That sword...."

He smirked as he proudly held his weapon. "I'm shocked. You challenge the Legendary Sword of Prince Gourry with an useless enhanced bokkan?"

*I am an actor.*

"Prince Gourry?" Gourry.. the Elven word for God, Fae word for chaos..."You mean /that/ is the Sword of Light!? I-it's real!?"

*Just like the sphinx in the eternal winter desert.*

"You didn't know? Now I'm really interested. Who are you?"

*Thinks.*

She stood up, fully enraged. "This duel isn't over yet!"

*You know the winds of sadness...*

"My, such courage. If you wish I'll cut the rose from you in one stroke. It's the least I could do for one with the courage to face me. The /prince/ on a white horse, here to save her princess, hahahaha!"

*...of the body as it's born and dies.*

He, he was mocking her prince. He was mocking her and she wanted to be just like her prince so it was a direct attack! No one mocked her Prince......

*The holy actor,*

"Speechless in gratitude?" He never noticed the accumulation of magical energy until it was too late.

*forever cast into hell.*

"Darkness!" From nowhere, black clouds rolled into the arena, covering everything in an opaque mist.

*A margine of darkness and light.*

/Little one, growing alone in such deep sorrow, never lose that strength or nobility, even when you have grown./ The words of her prince briefly echoed through her mind as she charged at the only visible point in the mist--the Sword of Light.

*Shining!*

"What!?" Zangulus cried out in a panick, realising that he was an easy target.

*Burning!*

"This won't stop me!"

*Awakening!*

Lina said nothing, just wrapped the shadows tighter around her form as she charged.

*Singing!*

"There!" he cried, instinct from several years training kicking in. He too levelled his sword and charged into the blackness.

*Born into the world!*

Lina saw the beacon of light shift towards her, but never relented in her charge.

"Oh!" Sylphiel raised her hands to her face in worry.

*Born into the moment!*

I see you! They leapt simultaneously as the mist disappeared....

*Over and over again!*

As they ran past one another, Zangulus turned around with an expectant smirk. Lina tiredly turned around, perfect white rose still intact.

"!" He watched in pure shock as the final green petals fell from /his/ rose. "Impossible! I-I lost!!?" He fell back onto his rear and glanced up at the slightly bemused Bride. "Sylphiel..."

"You seem upset, /Zangulus./" she said too sweetly.

"No..." he muttered in horror as his sword dissipated and the bells tolled a new Victor.

On a near by tower, a white clad figure watched the entire scene through delicate opera glasses. "This was unexpected," Zelgadiss murmured. "I believe she is the new student. Lina Inverse... Oh yes, baby, you've lit the fire in my heart,"(1) he finished with a coy smile.

***********
Lina sighed as she trudged out of the forest, bag slung over one shoulder. /That/ was some truly weird stuff. She should go home and forget it. But something....

She stopped tiredly as a figure walked out in front of her. "Sylphiel Himemiya?" And it was her, now wearing her school uniform as if nothing had happened.

she tilted her head to the side and smiled slightly. "I've been waiting for you...Lina-sama. From this day forward I belong to you. I am the Rose Bride."

~~~~~{@
Missing truth and forever, kissing love and true your heart.
Hold me tight with your arms so true.
The key to unlock tomorrow is reality.
I want to keep smashing lies apart.
No matter how the two of us may talk, you still just can't see anything.
Excuses are fitting for adults who cling to old stories.
The angels who where passed over don't need wings to fly!
Missing truth and forever, kissing love and true your heart.
I like who I'll be tomorrow and...
I'll belive in myself because I want to belive.
I want to keep on hating lies.
~~~~~{@
(1) I'm sorry! *giggles* I luv that line! Isn't it great to imagine Zel saying it!? BWAHAHAHA!! (OH wait! He did! Crispen Freedmen did the voice of Zelgadiss and Touga! ^_^)

Anetha 1
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