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The prequel for this story which was posted quite a while back 
is at:

http://www.rakhal.com/AlexGray/ffml/UTENA.TXT

Cheers

Alex

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*******************************************************
Revolutionary Girl Utena

The characters and concepts of Chiho Saito are used without
permission. Other original characters are copyright of Alexander
Gray

This story maybe freely distributed as long as this section is also
referenced and the author is quoted.

*******************************************************


Redirections - Act I - A New Beginning
---------------

Scene IV:

    "An... interesting first day," Karina commented with a yawn as she
pulled her cotton nightie down into place and straightened it out.
"Tell me, Mai, is it always this exciting at school? From what my
sisters had told me I thought it was much more boring than this, but I
liked today - it was fun."

    I sat on the bottom bunk staring down at the floor and ran over in
my mind the rather, to use Karina's word, "fun" events of today. Two
particular points screamed out for attention. Firstly, my new friend
appeared to have some form of weird "Power" that would have done even
my brother proud, and secondly, that that same brother seemed to be up
to his old tricks again - despise the lack of a suitable "Rose Bride".
My head was spinning as I tried to decide what it was I should do. My
all to brief years with Utena had taught me that standing on the
sidelines watching life passing me by was not really an option I could
take. And while I might not have the same fiery resolution that my
brother had once had, I was not going to just let this slide me by. Of
course, I had no real idea what I was going to do about it, but I...

    "Mai?" Karina suddenly tapped me on the arm. "Are you listening to
me?"

    "Eh?" I blinked and looked up at her. "Sorry? What was that?"

    Karina gave a small sigh and sat down heavily beside me. "What's
up?" she asked, crossing her legs and looking intently at me. Her
sapphire blue eyes bore into my own and for some reason I felt myself
blushing.

    I cleared my throat and forced myself to look at her mouth. "That,
Karina, is a very interesting question. Perhaps, you can tell me..."

    Karina tilted her head to one side and her dark hair fell across
her face, "You are worried about something, aren't you?" she declared,
sweaping her hair away from her eyes. "Worried about something from
your past, something to do with that photo."

    I looked up at her sharply, but this time I knew better than to be
surprised. "You're quite sharp sometimes, Karina," I grumbled. "Is
that yet another aspect of your curious little 'Power'?"

    Ignoring my rudeness totally, Karina shook her head. "Oh no, it's
nothing like that," she told me firmly. "It's just the expression on
your face. It's exactly the same as the one you had when you first saw
this ring." And so saying, Karina somehow magically bought out the
dark metal band in question and held it up to the light. "So, what is
this thing supposed to signify anyway? You said something about a
brother when you first saw it. Why? Does it belong to your Family or
something?"

    I looked at the ring in Karina's hand and pulled a face. "I would
get rid of that if I were you, Karina," I told her. "It will only ever
bring you grief."

    "Like it did you, Mai?" Karina asked taking my hand in hers. "Is
that why you are looking so sad?"

    I did not answer her. What could I say?

    Karina took my hand in both of hers and pulled it up to her chest.
"Mai," she said looking at me with those deep blue eyes of hers,
"Please, don't be sad. You're my friend, I want you to be happy. I
want you to be..." Her lips parted, and she suddenly looked slightly
nervous.

    "What?" I asked confused.

    "Nothing," Karina said grinning lopsidedly as she let go of my
hand and straightened out her legs. "I just never really had a friend
before, so I'm not to certain what I should do. It hurts me to see you
in pain, but..."

    I smiled, and reaching out ruffled her dark chestnut brown hair.
"Don't worry, Karina, for a first timer you're doing great. I've never
really had that many close friends either, but I have learnt one thing
- friendship is something that grows as two people get to know more
about each other. It is something that develops into a bond that..."

    "A Bond!?" Karina exclaimed, her voice going up an octave as
surprisingly she started to blush furiously. "You... You want to...
Bond?" she stuttered, her eyes widening.

    I was startled by the intensity of her reaction but nodding I
continued. "That's usually what good friends do," I replied as
Karina's blush deepened. "They have a bond that joins them..."

    "Was that girl in the picture your Bonded then?" Karina suddenly
asked leaning forward. "Is that it?"

    "Bonded? You mean my friend? Well, yes..."

    "Oh, Mai!" the girl burst out, impulsively throwing her arms
around me as she started to cry. "I understand now! I'm so sorry! I
have seen what happens when one in a Bonding pair dies. Oh, Mai... I
should have realized! Forgive me, please!"

    To say that I was confused by the girl's behavior was putting it
mildly. Awkwardly, I held the sobbing Karina in my arms and tried in
vain to comfort her. I had the uncomfortable feeling that I had just
missed out on something important in our exchange and was about to say
so when a knocking came from the door.

    "Karina-chan, Mai, it's me, Arisu. Can I come in? I have some news
regarding Ari."

    Karina sniffed and pulled back. Rubbing her eyes she gave me a
small shy smile. "I'll ask my Mother, Mai," she said strangely before
rubbing her face once more and walking over to the door. She took a
moment to compose herself and then opening it, invited the dorm
president in.

    Arisu nodded her head in greeting as she entered the room. Passing
by Karina she stopped and raising her hand gently lifted the girl's
chin. "Karina-chan, are you all right? You look like you've been
crying."

    Karina stepped back and with a smile shook her head. "I'm fine,
thanks. Just something in my eye." She inclined her head slightly to
communicate her thanks at Arisu's concern and then straightening said,
"So, how is Ari-senpai doing?"

    Arisu continued to look at Karina for a moment but then sighed.
"Well, apart from the blood and a few minor cuts, it looks like she
will be fine. In fact, the doctor was quite surprised by the amount of
blood that had stained her uniform. He thinks it might have been from
someone else, but he's not altogether sure."

    "Does anyone know what actually happened to her?" I asked getting
up and walking over to stand by Karina. "Have the police been called
or something?"

    Arisu looked slightly nervous and shook her head. "No... this
matter is now in the hands of the Principle's office, and that's about
all I know."

    Karina looked somewhat surprised by that. "But those were real
sword wounds!" she exclaimed. "Surely, something is going to be done
about it. I mean, someone is out there attacking people with a sword
for Haven's sake!"

    Arisu held out her hands calmingly, "I agree, I agree, but there's
nothing I can do about it. I'm sure that the Principle's office, in
conjunction with the Chairmen's office, will ensure that steps are
taken to guarantee our safety."

    "I sincerely hope so," Karina muttered shaking her head. "My
safety is the reason why my Mother sent me here in the first place. If
she thinks I'm in any danger then..." she shivered and looked at Arisu
with a deadly serious expression reflected in her eyes. "Mother is not
someone you want to anger."

    "Don't worry, Karina-chan," Arisu said encouragingly. "Everything
will be all right, you'll see. If you're really worried about your
safety or something then I..."

    "Oh, I can look after myself if necessary," Karina replied firmly.
"But it's the Others I'm worried about."

    "Others?" Arisu asked, frowning slightly.

    "Yes, of course," Karina replied as if she were stating the
obvious. "I highly doubt if the attack on Ari-senpai is going to be
the last of this affair. These sorts of things do not usually stop
until someone makes a serious effort _to_ stop them, and somehow, the
impression I get is that that effort is just not there."

    "That's a bit unfair, Karina-chan," Arisu said putting a hand on
the girl's shoulder. "If it wasn't being treated seriously, then the
Chairman's office would not be involved."

    "But..."

    Arisu took a small step towards the younger girl and lifting the
teenager's chin looked down into Karina's deep blue eyes. "You'll be
safe, Karina-chan, I promise you. Trust in me, I won't let any harm
ever come to you, okay?"

    Karina's eyes widened slightly at the intensity of Arisu's voice,
and it seemed as if she lost track of her chain of thought because all
she did next was nod dumbly in reply.

    "That's better," Arisu said smiling brightly at the girl. "Don't
worry, everything will be sorted out - you'll see."

    Karina blinked a couple of times and then she hesitantly smiled
back.

    Arisu's face warmed even more in response. "Good girl," she said.
"I'm only sorry that tonight's events stopped us from being able to
finish our conversation. Maybe we can get together tomorrow night,
eh?"

    Karina's smile tightened slightly and I decided it was now time to
step in.

    "Yes," I said going over to the door and casually opening it. "But
for now, it is late. Do you think we could finish this talk tomorrow?
I'm very tired, and I'm sure you can appreciate that it has been a
rather tiring day..."

    At my rather obvious dismissal, Arisu's smile became a bit sour.
However, she bowed and with a graceful dignity withdrew, leaving me
and Karina alone.

    After the brunette had left I closed the door and looked back at
Karina. The poor girl seemed to be rather embarrassed by Arisu's
attentions, and a mischievous smile came to my face as I relished the
thought of having a bit of fun at her expense. Grinning, I opened my
mouth to speak.

    Seeming to read my mind, Karina coughed and shot me a hard look as
if she were daring me to speak. Then, she turned back and sat down on
the bottom bunk again. "If that Arisu thinks that this is all just
going to go away by itself, then I have serious concerns about her,"
Karina told me pointedly. "This sort of thing does not just vanish
into thin air, but somehow that is exactly what they seem to be hoping
will happen."

    "Not exactly," I said in a small voice turning to face the girl.
"I'm afraid that there maybe more to this than just an attack on one
poor girl."

    Karina's eyes narrowed. "The ring?" she asked chewing her lip. "Is
that what you mean?"

    "I sincerely hope not," I replied turning to face the dresser.
"But I have a sickening feeling that events from along time ago are
beginning to repeat themselves all over again."

    "What do you mean?" Karina queried, pulling her knees up to her
chest in an effort to make herself more comfortable. "Is this
something you have experienced before?"

    "I don't really know, Karina-chan," I replied with a shrug. "I
just..." I stopped dead. Karina was smiling at me like a mindless
idiot. "Ah, Karina-chan, what's wrong?" I asked going over to her and
lightly touching her shoulder.

    "You called me 'Karina-chan'," Karina replied happily. "That's the
first time you've done so."

    "Is it?" I replied blinking. Personally, I did not see any great
significance in that, but obviously Karina did.

    "Hmm," the girl replied dreamily, leaning forward to put her
elbows on her knees.

    "Oh," I said and looked at her very carefully for a moment. She
had the most feyish looking face I had ever seen. So much so that she
seemed to be some sort of elfin fairy rather than a human girl. The
way her dark hair fell across her face at that moment only seemed to
emphases her otherworldly look and I wondered if...

    "Mai?" Karina suddenly said. "Do you want the top or bottom bunk?"

    I blinked, and mentally gave myself a shake. "Er, which one do you
want?"

    "I prefer to be on the bottom, thanks," Karina said with an amused
glint in her eyes. "I'll let you be on top."

    I cringed at her feeble attempt at a joke and decided the best
thing to do was just ignore it. Karina's sense of humor definately
needed some work - that joke was worse than childish. I gave her
beaming face a pained look and then turned away. "Fine, you have the
bottom bunk then," I said crossing over to the dresser where I began
to unpin my hair and get ready for bed. As for Karina, well, she just
sat comfortably on the bed humming happily to herself as she watched
me shake lose my hair.

    "Mai, you really have lovely hair," Karina commented at one stage
with an envious sigh. "It's just like Mother's - really long and
silky. I've always loved that style."

    I blushed at her compliment and self-consciously ran a hand though
my hair. "Thanks."

    "Ah... Mai..." Karina said in a oddly tense voice.

    "Hmmm?" I replied, getting the last of the pins out of my hair so
that I could give it a through brush.

    "You remember what you said about friendship, about... Bonding..."

    "Yes." Something about the tone of her voice made me stop brushing
my hair and turn back to look at her. The girl was wringing her hands
together nervously and I had the distinct impression that this was
something extremely important to her.

    "Were... were you being serious?" Karina looked up at me and her
blue eyes were wide and dilated.

    I smiled. Trust Karina to get herself into a worked up state over
nothing. "Of course I was, Karina-chan," I replied warmly. "I really
like you. I think we will become great friends."

    Karina's face burst into a happy smile and she raised her hands to
her face and went all red. "I want to too," she said in a small voice,
turning away in embarrassment. "I will ask Mother for her permission,
Mai... chan."

    "Ah... right," I said trying to hide my confusion. Personally, I
could not see what Karina was getting so excited about, but after the
events of today I just accepted it. Karina was someone special -
someone like myself and my brother. It was only natural that she had
her own... oddities. That, however, was not what concerned me - what
did was my brother. Akio would kill to get his hands on someone like
Karina. I did not know the extent of Karina's abilities, but I was
sure that my brother would try and use her to break the Seal on his
own Power. And somehow, I knew that if he tried that, things would
turn ugly, very ugly. There had been something... cold... almost,
well, alien about the Power that Karina had so casually used, and I
had the nasty feeling that it could very easily consume anyone who
tried to abuse it.

    "Mai..." Karina suddenly said, breaking into my musings.

    "Hmmm..."

    "I'm really glad I met you... I..."

    "Go to sleep, Karina," I told the childish girl firmly. "You've
had a long day."

    Karina grinned and nodded. "Hai, gogugi-sama," she said with a
giggle as she scrabbled into bed.

    I sighed, and wondering what I had done to deserve this fate I
finished getting ready for bed. As I did so, I was aware of Karina's
eyes following my every move, and strangely, instead of it making me
feel embarrassed, her attentions made me feel, well, cherished in an
odd sort of way. Whatever else Karina might be I knew one thing for
sure - she was my friend. She would never hurt me, no matter what I
did.

    Finishing with the brush I put it down and getting up crossed over
to the door. Turning off the light I plunged the room into darkness.
Carefully, I felt my way over to the bunks and trying to make as
little noise as possible I eased myself up onto the top bunk. Pulling
back the sheets I slid gratefully inside snuggling up into the bed's
soft warmth. "Good night, Karina-chan," I said yawning as the
exhaustion of the day's events finally began to take its toll.

    "Good night," Karina replied softly from below. "Sleep well, Mai-
chan."

    And I did just that.

    Long minutes ticked by and then the silence was broken by a small
voice which called out quietly into the darkness of the room. "Mother,
do you think I can have a word? I've met someone that I really like
and I want to talk to you about her..."

            *       *       *       *

Scene V:

    The next morning was bright and sunny, and breakfast occurred
without any hint or reference to what had happened the previous
evening. It was almost as if the entire affair had been forgotten by
everyone. Ari was there, sitting and talking to the other girls with
only a few plasters on her to indicate that anything had ever
happened. In fact, the only event that occurred of any interest was
when Ari came over to us and rather nervously asked if either of us
had seen her ring. I must say, Karina lies as convincingly as my
brother can when she puts her mind to it. Frankly, I was quite
surprised by just how convincing she can be.

    "She seemed pretty desperate at breakfast, didn't she?" Karina
commented to me later over lunch as she played with the ring.

    "A bit," I replied putting some fried shrimp into my mouth.

    "Say, Mai-chan, does your brother know you are here?" Karina
suddenly asked, changing the topic of our conversation as she seemed
so often to do.

    "Why?" I asked, putting down my lunch box and focusing my
attention on the girl. "What makes you ask?"

    "Well, you did sort of imply that this ring and him were connected
in someway," Karina supplied, thoughtfully munching on a bread stick.
"So it would seem only logical that your brother is here as well.
Also, you seem to know this school fairly well. So, I just put two and
two together."

    "And you came up with five," I replied turning my attention back
to my lunch. "As far as I am concerned, my brother is not here."

    "Oh," Karina said in a disappointed tone and pushed her hair back
from her eyes. "Well, if you say so..."

    Her tone of voice surprised me and I lowered my lunch box once
more to look at her. "And just what's that supposed to mean?" I asked
her cautiously.

    "Nothing, Mai-san, nothing," Karina replied with a small shrug as
she put away the ring. "I just suppose we'll have to wait and see what
Move happens next, won't we..."

    "Suppose," I said frowning slightly, but then I had an interesting
little thought. "Karina-chan?"

    "Hmmm?"

    "Do you think you could give me that ring?" I asked the other girl
tentatively. "I want to try a little experiment."

    Karina frowned, "Isn't that a bit dangerous?" she asked worriedly.
"If you think that this ring has something to do with Ari being
attacked, then I don't want you running the same risk as well just for
the sake of some experiment."

    "Please," I urged, holding out my hand. "I won't be in any danger
from it, I promise you."

    Karina still looked doubtful and I put the most convincing smile
on my face that I could.

    "Please, Karina-chan..." I whispered, tilting my head to one side
in an attempt to make myself look really cute. "Please..."

    Karina's reaction to my 'cute' mode was almost immediate. She
flushed and her eyes dilated as without seeming to think about it she
reached down into her pocket and bought out the ring.

    "Karina... Thank you," I whispered as I took the ring from her now
powerless hands.

    "Mmmm..." the girl purred in reply as a completely dopey like look
settled on her face.

    "Ah... Karina-chan..." I reached out and tapped the girl lightly
on her pale leg. "Karina..."

    "Mmmm..." Karina continued to purr happily looking back at me. I
frowned - what the heck was up with her now?

    "Karina!" I said sharply and gave the girl's colorless cheek a
light slap.

    Karina blinked at me a couple of times and looked a bit dazed.
"Chosen..." she whispered with a contented sigh.

    "Sorry?" I said, wondering what Karina had just called me.

    The girl's head suddenly jerked slightly and the dopey look
vanished from her face. "Mai?" she queried, confused as if she had
just been half asleep. "Were you just saying something?"

    "No," I replied with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Karina. We
were just talking about lunch."

    "Oh..." Karina murmured, absentmindedly rubbing her cheek as she
began to eat. I looked at her for a second and tried to make some
sense out of what had just happened. Karina seemed fine now, but only
a few seconds ago she had been totally spaced out. I carefully put
away the ring and resolved to keep a closer eye on the girl. Her
'power' was not her only odd characteristic, but then, I was getting
used to that now.

            *       *       *       *

Scene VI:

    I spent the next few days keeping an eye on Ari and familiarizing
myself with the people that she associated with. I was still in two
minds about whether or not this was a good idea. I was sure that my
brother must have been aware of my presence by now, but so far he had
made no move and that worried me. He was up to something - of that I
was certain. But what game it was he was playing I did not know. The
only thing I could do for now was to watch and listen. Hopefully, I
would be able to learn something useful and then... then we would see.

    Karina generally tagged along with me wherever I went. She never
really said much during these times, she just followed at a discrete
distance - watching me. While at first I found this a bit
disconcerting, I soon got used to it. Such behavior was just another
part of who Karina-chan was, I had to accept it. And besides, even if
I did not, considering just who and what Karina was I doubted there
was anything I could do about it. The elfin girl had simply chosen to
stay with me, and that as they say, was that. Anyway, who was I to
complain? I was not exactly "normal" myself.

    As for Ari herself, well, the loss of her ring seemed to have
affected her more than I would have ever thought possible. The girl
seemed to be becoming more desperate with each day that passed, and by
the end of the third day she was in a virtual panic. It was then that
I decided to return the ring to her making up some excuse about
finding it. However, before I got the chance something happened that
made me wonder if my brother had gone completely insane.

    The morning of the fourth day began quietly enough. Karina was
lamenting to me over breakfast about how Arisu kept on trying to get
her to join the fashion club, and I was trying hard to think of an
excuse to use when I returned the ring to Ari later today. I had not
seen her since last night and I was beginning to feel bad about having
kept the ring from her for so long.

    "I wonder where Ari is this morning?" I commented to Karina in
passing as I finished up my grapefruit. "I haven't seen her since
early last night."

    Karina put down her piece of toast and shook her head. "Sorry,
Mai, I don't know. The last time I saw her was just before dinner when
she rushed past me on her way out. In fact, she almost knocked me
down," the girl sniffed indignantly.

    I flashed Karina a quick smile and returned to my breakfast.
Hopefully, I would be able to catch up with her sometime later and
give the ring back to her then. We shared the same homeroom after all
so it should not be that difficult.

    Karina muttered something under her breath that I did not catch
and suddenly stood up. "You know what, Mai. I think I'll go and check
on her room for you. Maybe she's still sleeping or something..."

    I frowned as Karina started to edge nervously away. Her entire
body language suddenly seemed to be tense and on edge, "I doubt that,
Karina-chan, it's nearly 08:12. Homeroom begins in 20 minutes."

    "You maybe right, Mai, but still it doesn't hurt to check now,
does it? I'm sure Daniels-san won't mind unlocking the door for me if
I ask her nicely enough." The girl pushed in her chair and gave me an
impish grin. "See ya later, Mai. Have fun now." And without waiting
for a reply she turned and bolted, her skirt whisking around her
thighs as she did so.

    I watched her leave and gave a small sigh. "Children... What
do you do with them..."

    "Ah, Mai-san, there you are."

    With a groan I looked up, suddenly realizing why Karina had pulled
her little disappearing act. Putting a smile on my face, I greeted
Karina's bane. "Good morning, Arisu-senpai. How are you today?"

    Arisu nodded her head in greeting and smiled back. "Fine, thank
you, Mai-san. And you? How are you and Karina-chan settling in?"

    "Just fine, thank you for asking," I replied back politely.

    "That's good to hear," Arisu said, finishing off the ritual of
small talk before getting down to business. "Mai-san, let me introduce
to you a couple of my friends from the fashion club. This is Hime and
Sara." She turned and introduced the two girls standing behind her.
They nodded in response, smiling politely as Arisu turned back to face
me. "I was hoping that I could introduce Karina-chan to them this
morning, but she does not seem to be around..."

    Damn Karina! I thought silently to myself looking over at the
three smiling daemons. She had deliberately left me to run
interference for her just because she could not be firm with these
girls. Well, we would see about that!

    Putting a thoughtful expression on my face I began my revenge.
"I'm sorry, Arisu-senpai, you just missed her actually. She said that
she was worried about Ari, so went to check on her. If you hurry up
though I'm sure you can catch up with her. She'll be just delighted to
meet you all. She always speaks very highly of you, Arisu-senpai..."

    "Ari?" the girl called Hime pulled a small face and looked over at
Arisu. "Ari Osawa?"

    "That's right," I said, looking up at her. "Why? Do you know her?"

    "No, not really," Hime replied dismissively. "It's just that Ari
once tried to join our club, but she was not really suitable so we had
to reject her." Hime shrugged, "I was the one responsible for her
evaluation."

    "You make it sound so serious," I said, slowly finishing off my
tea. "I didn't know the entry requirements for such clubs were so
strict these days."

    "Oh, yes," Sara replied taking a small step forward. "The fashion
club is one of the most prestigious clubs on campus. Our entry
requirements have to be so strict because of the number of people who
wish to join. We very rarely just invite someone in unless they have
proved to us that they are of the 'right' kind of material. That is
why we wish to meet Karina - to confirm the glowing recommendation
that Arisu-san has given about her." She sighed, "So, it's a bit of a
shame that we have just missed her. Do you think she's likely to be
back in the next ten minutes or so? It would save us going to try and
find her."

    I shook my head regrettably. "Sorry, I doubt she'll be back
anytime soon. The best thing I can suggest is that you try and catch
up with her at lunch. She will probably be in the canteen by 12:50.
You can speak with her then if you wish, she won't be going anywhere,
I promise you."

    Sara smiled. "Thank you for the advice, Mai-san, that is most
helpful. And would you perhaps be so kind as to pass on to her the
message that we really would like to meet up with her sometime today.
It would be in her best intere..."

    The room was suddenly filled with the sound of a horrified scream
that came from somewhere deep in the depths of the dorm. The sound of
it made the room deathly silent as everyone abruptly stopped what they
were doing and froze. Pale faces turned and stared in the direction
that the scream had originated.

    I bolted to my feet and before I had a chance to think about what
it was I was doing, I found myself running towards the hallway. My
abrupt movement bought the others in the room back to some sort of
life, and slowly some of the more adventurous of them began to follow
me. I did not know who had screamed, but some unknown instinct told me
that Karina was involved, and that thought alone made me run as fast
as my legs could carry me. Something called me to her, something I
could not resist.

    The first sight that greeted me was of Daniels-san running down
the stairs shrieking with a silent Karina trailing quickly behind her.
The older woman looked like she had just seen Death itself, and
Karina... My eyes widened in concern. Karina's face was slacked
mouthed and the poor girl was as white as a sheet. She looked like she
had just seen Hell - literally.

    Shaken, I took a step towards her and held out my hand.
"Karina..." I began. "What's..."

    "Oh, Mai!" Karina exclaimed as she threw herself at me. "She's
dead, Mai! Ari's dead!"

    I caught hold of the shaking girl and tried to make some sense out
of what she had just said. As for Karina herself, she buried her face
deep into my shoulder and wept bitterly.

    "OhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGodOhmyGod..." the housekeeper kept on
blubbering to herself as she stared blindly out into space.

    Arisu entered the hallway and stopping at the base of the stairs
stared in shock at the gibbering form of the housekeeper. She turned
back to look at Sara and Hime. "What... What is going on here?"

    For a moment no one answered her, but then Karina lifted up her
head and stared at the brunette with a face that was completely ashen.
"Ari is dead," the girl declared shakily. "It looks like some... thing
tore her..." Karina took a deep breath and forced herself to continue.
"Something tore her to pieces - literally. Do not go in her room,
Arisu. What is in there is..." she shuddered.

    Arisu's face went totally slack and her skin color turned faintly
green; a color that was copied by some of the other girls who had
followed after her. Absolutely no one made a move for the stairs. As
for myself, I just stood there, holding Karina and looking blankly
ahead. I had experienced much over my long life, but something told me
that I did not want to go up those stairs or into that room.

    "Karina..." I gently pushed the ashen faced girl back and looked
into her red eyes. "Just block it out, okay? Block the image out. Just
try and concentrate on my face, on the sound of my voice..."

    Karina just stared blankly up at me. The poor child was still
breathing like she had just run a marathon, but slowly she nodded her
head and made an effort to get herself under control.

    "Someone call campus security!" a voice exclaimed.

    "Oh, my God... What if... What if someone else has been..."

    A babble of hysterical young voices started to explode behind me
as the realization of what had happened spread through the rest of the
gathering. I tried to ignore the growing sense of panic that the
others were showing and focused my attention exclusively on Karina.
The poor girl seemed to have gotten herself under some form of control
now and was looking up at me with a vulnerable and uncertain
expression on her face.

    "How are you feeling now, Karina-chan?" I asked, reaching over and
giving her shoulder a small squeeze.

    "Better," Karina replied with a hesitant smile that looked more
like a grimace. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have reacted like that - I
am a De'Naime. I should have..."

    "Don't be silly," I gently chided her. "You reacted far more
bravely than anyone else here. I'm proud of you, Karina-chan. Seeing
death like that..." I shuddered slightly in spite of myself.

    Karina looked at me for a moment and her eyes warmed slightly.
"Thank you, Mai."

    I smiled and then turned to look back up the stairs towards the
room where... I swallowed. Ari dead, pulled to pieces... Hell, what
was all this about?! Was this... sick event somehow connected with the
ring still in my pocket? Gods, I prayed it was not so! Not even my
brother was insane enough to try something like this! But then... If
this was not my brother's doing, then _who_ was responsible?

    "Not human..." Karina suddenly muttered to herself in a very faint
voice that made me turn and look down at her.

    "Sorry, Karina-chan?" I asked, uncertain as to if she had spoken.

    "Not human," she repeated looking back up at me. "Whoever...
whatever did that... horror was not human, Mai."

    I nodded and gave the girl a reassuring hug. "No," I agreed.
"Whoever was responsible for that... wasn't human. No one could be
called human who indulges in such... abominations..."

    Karina pulled back and looked at me with those intense blue eyes
of hers. "No, Mai," she said softly, shaking her head. "You don't
understand what I meant. It wasn't a human that did this. It was some
form of ga..."

    Her explanation was abruptly cut off by a loud banging at the
front door. As a single body, everyone jumped and spun around to stare
as three uniformed adults abruptly charged in. One of them looked
briefly around and then focusing on the still shocked form of the
housekeeper went over to find out what was going on.

    "Excuse me, ladies," another one called out for attention as
voices started to rise in alarm. "Excuse me!" The raised rumbling
continued unabated until finally the man had to shout to get silence.

    "Please," the man said raising his hands out in front of him. "Can
you all leave the building in an orderly fashion. The police are on
their way and we need to make sure that everyone here is accounted
for. Please, just remain calm and assemble outside on the courtyard.
There is nothing to worry about. Just follow the fire drill that you
have already been taught."

    Everyone remained still, frozen to the spot, unable to accept what
was happening. The man waited for a brief moment before taking up the
initiative and began to move slowly forward, herding the bemused
people in front of him as if they were little more than sheep. Karina
moved closer towards me. The poor dear looked so nervous that I took
her hand in mine and stroked her fingers with my thumb in an attempt
to relax her. I could not blame the girl for how she felt. The shock
of today's events would have numbed anyone.

    "Come on, Karina," I said gently pulling her along. "Let's join
the others, eh?" The girl nodded and followed unresistingly behind me.
Outside, the tension and uncertainty that everyone was feeling charged
the air like a heavy miasma.

    Teachers and students were hurrying all over the place trying to
ensure that everyone they knew was accounted for. It was not looking
good. Of the thirty or so students that lived in the old dormitory,
over seven were unaccounted for. A few of the teachers, after rapid
discussions amongst themselves, hurried off in the general direction
of the elementary and middle schools that made up part of the campus.
>From what little I overheard, it seemed that they were hoping that the
missing students were already in class, but in my heart of hearts I
wondered if this was just a vain hope. Death, in my experience seldom
walked alone.

    Throughout all the confusion and heated arguments that were going
on around us, Karina just stood very quietly by my side looking out
into space. I reached down and taking her hand in mine yet again I
gave her a reassuring smile.

    "Are you all right, Karina-chan?" I asked worriedly, concerned
that she might still be badly affected by what she had seen.

    The girl blinked and then looked up at me. For a moment, she did
nothing but simply stare, then hesitantly she smiled. "I... I'm not
sure, Mai. This is the first time I have seen death so closely and...
and it shocked me, but it shouldn't have - not really."

     I frowned and gripped her hand slightly tighter. "What do you
mean, Karina-chan?" I asked confused. "If I had seen what you had seen
then I would be far more than just plain shocked - I would be having
hysterics. You seem to be taking all this far better than I would have
thought possible. Why ever do you think you should be reacting
differently?"

    "Because of who and what I am," Karina replied strangely. "My
sisters have to deal with things that are far worst than this all the
time, and when I grow strong so will I - Mother will expect it of
me. I can't be weak, not like this. Mother needs me."

    "That can't be right, Karina-chan," I said shocked by what she had
just said. "Surely your mother isn't actually expecting you to deal
with this type of horror again."

    "But I must, Mai," Karina declared, gripping my hand and staring
at me with those intense eyes of hers. "I just have too! I love
Mother! She depends on me and my sisters to protect her! If we don't
then..." Her voice trailed off and a faint tremble passed through her
lithe form.

    I was genuinely surprised by the intensity of the emotion on her
face and automatically I reached out to try and comfort her, but she
just pulled back and turned away. I stopped, and wondered if I had
done something to make her mad. Opening my mouth to try and apologize
I abruptly realized that her attention was now focused exclusively on
a car that had just pulled up. My eyes followed hers and when I saw
the figure who was climbing out, I gasped and felt faint.

    "Akio..."

    "Lucianther..." Karina muttered under her breath, too low for
anyone else but me to hear. An expression of furious rage flickered
across her face. "One of Lucianther's..."

    The meanings of Karina's mumblings were lost on me as the actual
sight of my brother shook me more than I had ever imagined possible.
All I could think of doing was just staring at him like some kind of
mindless idiot. The simple sight of his face invoked memories and
sensations that threatened to overwhelm my mind and I had to struggle
to maintain my inner control.

    Love, hate, rage, sorrow... All these emotions and more flooded
through my heart as for the first time in over half a century I caught
sight of my brother's strong profile. I was half trapped between the
desire of rushing over to him and burying myself in his strong
embrace, or skulking behind the protection of Karina just incase his
dark eyes perchance saw me. Rationally, I knew that my brother would
already be aware that I was here, but at the same time I dreaded the
moment he would finally approach me. When I had originally left this
place to seek out _her_, I had felt nothing but a faint contempt
towards him. That emotion was now just one of many that erupted within
me. Oh, why? _Why_ had I come back here, to this place? Why?

    My brother moved swiftly through the gathering of anxious pupils
and made his way up towards the dorm entrance. I was strangely struck
by the urgency that his movements portrayed. They spoke of a sense of
purpose that I had not seen in him for many a long age. I frowned,
what exactly had happened here during the time I had been away?

    Karina suddenly turned her head to look at me and my eyes widened
in shock at the alien expression that was on her face. The girl did
not look like my Karina at all, the expression on her face was all
wrong... inhuman...

    "Karina..." I said hesitantly. "Are... Are you all right?"

    For a moment the girl did not answer, but then her dark eyes
turned and focused on me. The force of the emotions that I could see
raging in them made me stumble back in fear.

    "He _betrayed_ me..." the girl hissed in a cold voice that was
like a sentence of death. "_Betrayed_ me!"

    I grimaced as Karina's hands dug painfully into my
shoulder. Her eyes narrowed and stared deeply into mine. I shivered as
if from the cold, Karina's eyes were _black_! A soul numbing empty
darkness that seemed to be the entrance to an infinite chasm from
which there was no return.

    "The fool! Does he seriously think he can bargain his way out of
this War! That he can avoid it! How stupid can he be!? This War is
until the bitter end! There is no way out!" The girl cursed furiously,
and then drew a jaggard breath.

    "Kar... Karina..." I began to say.

    "You are in danger, child," the girl suddenly said to me in a
voice that was not Karina's. "All of you."

    "Who... What..." Words without sense stumbled from my mouth and
the... whatever it was gave me a cold look.

    "Be quiet and listen, Himemiya," the girl commanded, looking at me
with those dead eyes of hers. "I sent Karina here because I hoped she
would be safe, safe from the War and safe from my enemies. But now it
appears that one of those whom I believed was my ally is now Playing a
Game of his own, and that means that my hope of safety for Karina has
gone to Hell - literally. I cannot allow my daughter to fall into the
hands of my opponents, and yet there is no one I can possibly send to
help her at this time. So, I must do what I can." The black eyes
narrowed, "Himemiya, do you care for my daughter?"

    The abrupt question nearly went straight over my head. I was still
trying to cope with the fact that Karina suddenly no longer seemed to
be Karina. I just stood and simply stared at the girl, my mouth
hanging open.

    "Do you care for her?" the girl repeated more forcefully and I
somehow managed to stumble out a reply.

    "I... Yes... I..."

    "And will you protect her where I cannot?"

    I frowned. "What do you..."

    "Will you _protect_ her where I cannot?"

    "I don't know what..." I stuttered and the girl gave me a
withering glance filled with such malice that I almost whimpered.
"Yes..." I finally forced out.

    The girl nodded as if she had never had any doubt, then she turned
back to look at the dorm into which my brother had gone. She stared at
it for a moment and then turned back to face me. The black soulless
void which had served as her eyes had now been replaced by a pair of
deep sea green irises and the expression on her attractive face was
almost friendly. "I do not altogether approve of my daughter's choice
in you as her Bonded, Himemiya, but the Choice must be hers to make,
not mine." The girl shrugged, "I thought you were weak and foolish
when I first met you, and after 100 years you are still much the same,
but..." She took a step forward, "given the circumstances it seems I
have no other choice. Oh well..."

    A sudden jolt of _something_ passed through my body and I gasped,
almost falling to the ground. Sensation, emotions, pain... All these
and more flared through me. I was _burning_ inside, but there was no
real pain, merely a sensation of something searing through me...
Purifying me...

    Making me...

    Making me...

    "Whole..." I whispered in a small voice. I was _whole_... The cold
lonely feeling that had filled me ever since the day of _her_ death
was abruptly filled by the _warmth_ of another presence, a presence
that _filled_ me completely.

    "Karina..." I whispered again as I instinctively knew what the
source of that warm presence was. Somehow, I _felt_ her within me...
She was... She was _part_ of me, as I was _part_ of her. It was an
utterly indescribable feeling. She, I, we...

    "Are Bonded," the girl finished with a faint smirk on her face as
she gripped my arm to steady me. "Welcome to my Family, daughter."

        *       *       *       *

End of act one.

        *       *       *       *

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                     desaix@sysnet.net
Sir Desaix, member # 116 of the Knights of the True Fiancee           
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