[Beta version posted 11/16/01]
It was a dark and stormy night.
Nanami stared out the window of her dorm room and watched the pattern of drops on the glass, still in disbelief.
Her brother was the new Champion of the Rose Bride.
It was strange, really. In her younger years, she would had been shocked if it was her brother who lost. How could that perfect big brother of hers loose the duel to Utena after defeating her so easily?
Times had changed, and so had she.
She wasn't even sure if she liked her brother being engaged to the Rose Bride. Not to her friend, Sakura.
It felt out of place to see Sakura with flushed cheeks, all her belongings stacked in neat boxes in the entry to the Student Council Dormitory.
Nanami frowned and her blurred reflection frowned back. She was beginning to doubt if Touga would make a good Champion. What of his ambitions for the World Revolution? What would he be willing to do to make his dreams come true?
Did he still love Utena? Would he use the power of Dios to go after her?
It was more strangeness. At first the Student Council was worried that Saionji would treat Sakura as he did the former Rose Bride, and here she was, worried more that her brother would do the same.
Sakura was no Anthy, but would that stop him?
Now she was worried about her brother.
It was a dark and stormy night that looked like it would turn into a dark and stormy day.
Sakura sighed in relief as she landed on the Rose Platform with a whirl of feathers. Despite the heavy rains the past few days had brought, the flowers were still bright and standing tall.
Wasn't that strange?
"Then again, these roses aren't quite normal, are they?" she asked herself out loud. "And they're getting more than just water and sunlight and good soil. They're getting magic."
"Sakura-san, who are you talking to?"
She turned around in embarrassment to see Nanami smile back at her.
"I..."
"Sakura-san, what happened?"
The college student blinked several times in confusion. "You... you already know what happened," she said. "I mean, it's your brother who's Champion now..."
"Not that," replied Nanami sharply. "Sakura-san, aren't we friends?"
"Nanami-san..." Sakura's voice trailed off, and the look in her eyes showed she had no clue what the other girl was trying to say.
"Don't friends tell each other what's wrong?"
"Oh!" she sighed in relief. "Oh, nothing's wrong! Nothing at all!"
Nanami raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "It's always nothing's fault, isn't it? Blame everything on poor little nothing. Sakura, you're not acting like yourself. And if we're truly friends, please, tell me. I want to help, but I don't know what I can do if you refuse to talk."
But Sakura refused to talk. "Don't be silly, Nanami. It's just all the shock of having to move again," she said glibly. "Readjusting and all that."
"Sakura-san..." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Sakura-san, I won't force you if you don't want, but please, I'm asking."
"I'm perfectly fine," repeated Sakura a little more coldly.
"Is it my brother?"
Sakura threw her hands up in the air. "Geez, Nanami-san! This sounds just like what Juri said to me but about Saionji-san instead of Touga-san! I stopped trying to control what I couldn't control, like who was the Champion."
Nanami sighed and looked down at the roses. "I just want to help," she murmured softly. "I don't trust my brother to be a good Champion like Saionji was."
"What... What are you saying?"
"He's too ambitious for his own good, it seems like he's got his own plans lurking in the wings, he's too used to having his own way... I don't feel comfortable with the fact that he's Champion. Something happened when he won, and something changed you, and I don't like that one bit.
"Sakura-san, if we're truly friends, you'll believe me when I said that I wouldn't duel for you. We're friends, aren't we? Why would I want to be Champion if we're already good friends?
"Then you'll also understand why I will challenge my brother tomorrow at noon."
"I wasn't aware you were interested in kendo," he remarked to her when he noticed his fellow duelist watching the training bouts.
"Why not?" she asked.
"You're part of the fencing club."
"So?" she asked again.
Saionji rolled his eyes. "You haven't shown any interest in kendo in all the years I've known you. You must have come here for some other reason."
"Really," chuckled Juri. "And what reason might that be?"
He was getting tired of the game. "What do you want with me?"
"Are you going to duel Touga?"
"Are you?"
Juri paused. "Probably not," she replied. "There's nothing in it for me if I win."
"What about the Castle of Eternity?"
She shook her head. "What about you?"
"I haven't decided yet," he said. "But I'm rather glad that I no longer have to be involved."
"Really..." muttered Juri, glancing at him.
"Really," he said, standing up. "It's better this way. I stopped caring years ago; of all of us, only Touga really wants to bring about the World Revolution anyway."
"She summoned Dios for you."
He paused, keeping his eyes on the younger members of the kendo club, watching their fighting skills and trying not to show his surprise.
"I wonder if she'll do the same for Touga when he duels with Nanami."
He turned around, but Juri was already just a retreating shadow.
Nanami had challenged Touga?
Sakura leaned outside the door, not meaning to listen on the conversation but unable to do anything else.
"I don't believe you."
"Why not?"
"Why are you challenging me, Nanami? Why are you suddenly so interested in the World Revolution?"
"Are you surprised? Why would I have a Rose Signet if I wasn't destined to fight for the hand of the Rose Bride."
"Nanami, you can't be serious! You have no chance against me. I've watched you practice ever since you were given a Signet. You're nowhere near my level."
"Does it matter? Who knows what will happen on the dueling ground? Maybe it'll rain again and you'll slip just like Saionji-san did."
"...!"
"Or are you just afraid you'll be beaten by your little sister?"
"This isn't happening. You used to worship the ground I walked on!"
"That was years ago, dear brother. Times change. Revolutions happen. People grow up."
"You aren't challenging me, Nanami. I forbid it! I refuse to duel with you!"
"How can you forbid me from doing this? We're both duelists! You can't refuse a duel! Now you're really starting to sound like Saionji! What's wrong, brother? Why won't you duel me?"
"You'll only end up getting hurt."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take."
Unable to take the shouting any longer, she knocked on the door.
"What is it?" growled Touga.
Maybe Nanami was right. Touga was sounding less and less like an ideal Champion every moment. "It's just me," she replied softly.
"Sakura, we're in the middle of some important business here. Can't it wait for a few hours?"
Sakura opened the door anyways, meeting a disgruntled Student Council President. She ignored him and turned to Nanami. "Taisuke-san showed up earlier but I couldn't find you, so he told me to give you this note."
Nanami blinked several times and held her hand out to take the letter.
Sakura dropped the message in her friend's hand, squeezing it tightly to show her support. Then she slipped outside and ran back to her room to hide from the outbursts.
The sun was shining brightly but it lent no warmth to the chill surrounding the Rose Platform where three people stood. One person spread her arms wide and chanted, transforming herself into the Rose Bride and the rose into the Sword of Dios, which the other person took. The third person stood patiently, a thin silver blade glinting in her hand.
The bells tolled out a mighty song as the two duelists faced each other.
The clash of swords rang out into the sky as the Castle of Eternity appeared among the clouds.
Sakura watched as the two tried to cut the rose from the other's pocket. She tried to do something, to influence the outcome of the duel, but she couldn't get a handle on the Rose Magic. Her mind was too full of other thoughts. She couldn't clear them out in order to find the concentration necessary to make miracles happen.
"You'll understand why I will challenge my brother."
She did understand. It was their friendship that tied them together and her unwillingness to open up to Nanami that forced the duelist to find other ways to try and help her.
"You have no chance against me."
She knew that from the beginning, but she was willing to fight anyways. Anything to help a friend.
If only she could have done something in return, before it came to this. Why didn't she tell anyone of her burdens before this?
"Kinomoto, it's quite plain there is something about that letter which is disturbing you."
Why did she suddenly think of Saionji?
Why hadn't she told him the truth about the letter?
Clear the mind! Clear the mind, and concentrate! Nanami needed her help! Why wasn't she able to help?
Her eyes flew open to behold the sight of the Sword of Dios sending Nanami's rose into the air.
The Rose Magic drained out of her, the Castle of Eternity turned to smoke, the bells rang out the news, and Sakura fell to her knees.
Why didn't she do anything to help?
Was there still something she could do to help?
Touga smirked. "I told you so," he remarked to his sister as he offered the Rose of Dios back to Sakura.
Nanami pointedly ignored him, concentrating on a point far off towards the horizon.
"I trust something like this won't happen again," smirked the Champion as he turned away and headed towards the elevator.
"I'm sorry," said Nanami softly in the silence that ensued.
The ever-present breeze sent a whirl of petals into the air.
"I'm sorry, too," Sakura replied just as softly. "I wish that..."
Nanami looked at her friend.
"Never mind," mumbled the Rose Bride. "Just... Thank you."
She looked away.
"We're still friends, aren't we?" asked Sakura tentatively.
Nanami smiled and nodded. Then she, too, turned and headed down to the elevator.
The young woman left alone on the platform sighed and sat down on the edge that defined the upper and lower parts of the rose garden. In the air, the last tollings of the bell were slowly fading away into nothing.
Sakura watched the roses swaying to an unheard melody as silence descended.
The silence was suddenly broken by footsteps. Sakura whirled around to see who it was.
Saionji stood there, holding out a letter in his hand.
"You left this in the Eastern Dormitory," he told her softly.
...to be continued...
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Card Captor Sakura was created by CLAMP and is (c) their respective companies. Shoujo Kakumei Utena was created by Chiho Saitou/Be-Papas and is (c) their respective companies. Please address all inquiries to me at ming_ling@hotmail.com. Please do not repost this fanfic without my prior written permission.