You awaken to a pain in your back.. as you find yourself still in that alcove.. the morning light filtering through a light foggy haze.. this time not nearly as severe but still present.. Utena groans softly, wearily, and her eyes are difficult to open.. they hang heavily closed, wanting to stay closed. She slowly creaks and uncurls from the cold to her feet, every part of her so tired. She's almost amazed she didn't die during the night, from the cold or from some random violence.. the girl stands and looks around a moment dully. A simple cobblestone path before you.. still in old town London it seems... but above the comparatively small rooftops you can see tall skyrises.. the more modern man is just around the corner.. the modern London isn't too much further away... Utena has in mind to go to the modern London.. but she achingly draws the mostly-empty backpack from her back now, having lost most of her clothes and other content last night in the chase, she wants to see if anything was left. Like, say, money. Unfortunately... no. Practically nothing is left.. little more than some most basic of necessities.. Such as..? She frowns, digging through the pockets that had been clasped closed, not just stuck in the main part of the bag that closed with a flap. She expects that what she stashed in the clasped pockets should still be there. Utena feelfeelsearchcheck... a sigh of honest relief leaves her as she finds that the pocket contents are still intact... water, and money being the two most important.. and the photo as well. The clothes.. she will miss those.. but maybe she can get more.. the money, the ID, the photo, those were most vital to her mind... She slings the pack back on her back, happy enough for a small blesssing, and starts to stride through the morning streets toward the gleaming skyscrapers she can see not -too- far away. And thusly you begin the journey.. a strange transition it is really. The city of London has taken great pains to preserve the older township districts..historical value mainly. But slowly the buildings get larger and larger.. and more modern conveniences begin to become obvious.. such as paynets on every corner.. Electric cars mixed in with the gasoline varieties.. things become less linear and more curved in architecture.. as your slowly changing from the 19th century.. to the 21st... Utena walks along the sidewalk as time seems to accelerate around her... her eyes wide as any bucktoothed tourist, she gasps softly. She knew of these things, like everyone knows about telephones and cars, but she never really got far enough away from the boarding school to see them in person, and her own home was more of the rural bend... she's amazed by what she sees now, just walking along in awe. And this intense technological experience increases thirty fold as you begin to walk into London proper.. the REAL London that anyone would say exists. One of the hubs of the world along with New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo, and the like.. a bastion of the post-modern man. Skyscrapers, built in the last ten years tower precariously high.. as if stirring the lower cloud banks.. mass transit powered by electricity.. hundreds of pedestrians filing back and forth as you easily get overwhelmed in the crowd. Music of all types and cultures play along with the thousands of sounds of the city.. Utena has to pause and take it all in, as much as she can. Breathing in deeply, she thinks, at least there's one benefit here... she can't be found so easily in a place like this.. there will always be people around, within earshot, and she can hide in crowds if she has to. But part of her feels wrong here, out of element, out of place, this is no place for miracles.. Which could be the inherent problem. As you look about... the restless city waits for no man or woman.. flowing and moving with busy excitement continuously. The question is.. now what? Utena hasn't the first idea. Survival has been foremost on her mind, PLANNING beyond that almost unthinkable. But that worrying problem is answered by something more insistent.. a snarl of her stomach.. she hasn't eaten since leaving the school and she's -starving-. With that in mind, dizzy from hunger, she looks for some kind of restaurant- fast food even would be ideal. Seems this is the commercial district.. which means practically anything you want is just a block or two away.. you indeed see fastfood chains on every street corner.. each trying to be louder, cheaper, and faster than the previous.. hundreds of people collectively file in and out of them.. as you can see trashbins overflowing around the streets... papers and trash fluttering to and fro. Utena goes for whatever's closest, too hungry and impatient to actually choose. Fate's hand indeed- most people don't realize how much of fate is just hasty choices regretted later... She steps over to a noodle stand and waits in line, fidgeting, brushing a hand over her stomach. Of course one can only eat PROPER food, servered PROPERLY, said the school- at this point, if it's hot and doesn't taste too bad, she'll eat it. Hot and doesn't taste too bad is about all you can say for this... As you wait a rather disturbing length of time for something called 'fast food' and after about five minutes of trying to relate what your order is.. you wait about two or three more minutes which feels like eternity.. being handed a small container of noodles brewed in chicken broth along with a spork. The odd utensil might throw you for a loop. Utena settles down in one of the nasty, too-small plastic booths with a table barely the size of her body and devours, not THAT thrown off by the spork, it's obviously a utensil and she DOES know how to use a fork and spoon. The fork part anyway is easy enough to figure out... after a couple of cursive attempts at spooning the salty broth up in the utensil she gives up, just tips the cup carefully to her lips and drinks it down slowly. Okay... food accomplished. She's still hungry, but less hungry, and not STARVING now. She gets up, tosses away the containers in the overflowing trash bin, and leaves.. back on the street.. still not knowing what to do. She feels so tiny, so lost in this huge space. So many unfamiliar faces.. right now, she would probably weep and fling herself into Touga's arms if he appeared before her.. just because she'd know who he was. She watches the displays of garish neon color and listens to the fifteen different competing musics and drifts through the crowd, as lost here as she would be in the mists of the older part of town. A lost soul. One of many in the obnoxious and droning song of 'civilization'.. prehaps this is what Touga meant.. perhaps this is what he knew you would fall apart on. The loneliness.. nothing and nobody cares about you here. Cut off.. Is this what the whole world is like now? Utena wonders, dimly horrified the longer she walks, the more people who seem utterly faceless she sees.. she used to be the only person for miles with pink hair, but here, she's seen just about every shade imaginable... and even her radical sort of clothing that caused such a stir in the 1900's means little in the 2000's... is this really the world? This can't be real either.. some kind of sick illusion that all of these people are buying into.. she can't feel its reality, she can't feel a space for miracle, for hope of anything here... a sick, sick illusion. Is this what Michael meant about the power being used to shape the world according to the whims of a few? The people in their pretty glass towers that you can cut yourself on, or die if you fall out of... She cringes, looking around desperately for a place where.. where there aren't so many people, where it's not dazzling and noisy and colorful and EMPTY. Where to go..where to go.. it's like a rat's maze.. easy to get in.. almost impossible to find a way out of. Signs are everywhere..but all of them point to places where there is yet more of this filth.. as if the planners and the owners of the City don't acknowledge a world other than this.. But there is one acknowledgement. The Underground. Utena follows one of the signs, down a stairwell leading directly under the street. Now that there are such modern conveyances above ground, the classical Underground, the subway network connecting London 's many points and stations to the rails leading out of the city, has of course been allowed to fall into some disrepair. But if it's getting away from the noise and light above, there's no more ideal place than this. Dark, dimly lit, quiet... you don't see the faceless hordes in their snazzy suits... you do see a lot of ragged men and women, punks and derelicts and street urchins without homes here. A sad state of affairs the old subways. Replaced by the highrises railway systems implemented in the early 2K... indeed those less fortunate thrive here .. or best to say.. fester. Here close to the surface it isn't so bad.. those not quite living like morloks.. you see dozens of marginably well dressed people.. simply resting or sitting down. A few others milling about. Those whom do not belong in the light..but do not stray far from it. Utena finds a spot of her own and sits, joining the lost and forlorn here, her head collapsing into her hands. What is she going to DO. She doesn't even have any clues to go on... None. Nothing at all.. Gee, this was a lot easier in theory.. but it seems the world is definitely not throwing you a bone to work with.. at least your weary legs have a place to rest for the moment. What to do what to do... prehaps if you mull over where precisely the problem lies.. Utena closes her eyes, darkness in darkness... huddling up tight again, feeling the pain in her back returning. There's only shreds. Touga... he's involved, but she doesn't know how. She casts her mind over what she remembers seeing that night... Touga walking with a shadowed man.. they were talking about... about.. Dominion? and that a king would be pleased.. It seems they were talking about some kind of..secret society perhaps? Maybe those whom are despoiling the world know one another.. a club of sorts.. or a get together... or maybe an organization..? Maybe, but how do you get into that club when its members are set on killing you? Utena lifts her head up, and tries to listen to what's around her, in case she hears anything that sounds like it might be related. Something in her says that she might hear such a thing here. The sounds of whispered gossip are the only things obvious... the only thing that stands out is the sounds of a haggard old man.. going on about something in a fevered tone to a stranger next to him.."It happened I tell ya!" "right old man.. sure." "She was stolen.. right before my eyes.. and" "That's nice gramps.. forgot your medication again?" Utena scoots closer toward that old man to listen, to hear. The younger man is finally fed up as he stands up and walks off, "Later gramps." The old man shakes a gnarled hand after him, "It's true, I tell ya!.. It's..." he sighs haggardly.. bowing his head in defeat. Folding his hands together Utena says softly to the old man, drawing closer, ".. what's true..?" The old man looks to you.. hope in his eyes that SOMEONE will listen.. "... My daughter.. she was taken away before my very eyes.. Alexis.. the government took her away...I know they did.." in a tone that doesn't bespeak of sanity very well... but he seems to believe it. Utena frowns softly. Sane or not.. what happened to her isn't sane either, what she heard and saw wasn't sane... sanity is no longer the first application of her judgement on hearing something. She asks quietly, "Tell me more? How did it happen..?" He seems more agitated now.. someone is ACTUALLY listening, "I..they.. came for her.. in the night. I woke up.. and there was.. this woman.. .. cold.. she ordered some men.. wearing suits.. to take her away.." he intones further, "And.. the woman was... the Queen herself.." the current Queen of England? Ok.. now we know he's nuts. Queen Elizabeth III? The previous Queen Elizabeth II...died of heart failure just a few years previous. As all the other royalty similarly was killed in similar freak accidents or natural causes.. a previously unknown heir had taken the throne. It was in all the papers and news just a few years ago.. rather old common knowledge now. Utena says, "the queen?" Utena asks, frowning more deeply now. "What Queen, which one? Isn't she dead?" She swallows, brushing her hand along the back of her neck. The old man intones, "The current one! Elizabeth the Third! She was there..I tell ya.. she was there!" raving.. Utena waves her hands. "... alright, alright.. take it easy. Tell me more, what did she do.. what did she say, -exactly-?" The Old man thinks for a moment..before saying, "S..she said.. 'take her..she's perfect'... and..then they did.. The Queen..s...she just smiled..and..thats..thats the last I saw of my sweet Alexis..." his face saddens.. remembering how it happened yet again.. Utena says, "Perfect for what? Why would they have taken her...?" The Old man intones, "I..I don't know..they..just did..." looking down, "I...I don't know why.. I still don't.. Alexis never did anything..bad.. she was a good girl...really.... never did nuthin wrong.." Utena says, "What did she look like...?" Her hand reaches out. "I'm sorry that you lost her. But I lost some friends too." The old man intones, "Alexis?" not sure if you mean her or the Queen.. EVERYONE knows what the Queen looks like afterall.. Even you in school have seen pictures of the new queen. Rumored to be over 40... yet -STUNNINGLY beautiful for her age. Similar to the late Lady Di of the previous century she's appeared in some fashion magazines. She looks as if she was in her late twenties. Austere look..an unmistakable maturity.. yet still stunning with her long sandy blonde locks and piercing green eyes. Not a single blemish anywhere on her features. Utena nods.. "Alexis." The Old man continues, "..ooh.. my daughter.. how beautiful she was.. just like her mother..." his expression spirals down further as he remembers his late wife as well.. Utena tries to keep him focused, to call him back. "What did she look like, your daughter? What was her face like, her hair?" The man intones, "Oh... blonde hair.. she liked to wear it long.. green eyes.. caring..rounded features.." Utena says, "How long ago did this happen... Where did it happen? It's important." The old man intones, "Ooh.. it must have been a few years now... And.. I used to live over there.." pointing in some vague direction to the north, "..before all these fangled buildings rose up.. the neighborhood was so much simplier back then..." Utena nods, absorbing this, and asking finally, in a low whisper, ".. Do you know of King Enma...?" The Old man blinks, "...who?" obviously not. Utena sighs. "Never mind.." She changes her tactic. "Can't you think of any reason they would have taken or, or where she was taken?" The Old man simply shakes his head, "... I had.. no idea why they came for her.. no warning.. none at all.. and.. I don't know where they took her.. Maybe the Palace.. I don't know.." looking down again.. Utena could try and sneak in with a tour group, maybe... it's not much to go on, but it's better than what she had before. Strictly nothing.. now she has strictly an iceball's chance in hell. Hey, her circumstances improved. If even slightly. Buckingham Palace? Of all places? not to mention.. the Queen might not even be home.. maybe off meeting with dignitaries or having brunch with the last remaining royalty in the land.. or visiting other countries.. who knows.. have you read a newspaper lately? It's better than nothing. Maybe she'll find out nothing and just see some pretty old furniture and some guys in silly fur hats. She always wanted to go to the Palace anyway. She thanks the old man and stands up, some purpose returned to her eyes. The old man nods.. happy someone at least LISTENED as he feels better now.. folding his hands together as he relives the memories of a previous, better life... Utena starts for the tunnel leading back out, moving quickly; she found something she needed here, underground, an inspiration in a crazy man's words... hey, some people would call that a miracle. Or lunacy. Soon you will know what it is... as you re-enter the light. The City is buzzing about you as usual.. having never known your departure.. or your arrival.. simply droning on in its song.. Luckly.. transport to the Palace itself is particularly easy. A particularly common tourist attraction while in Britain in general.. as you step off one of the random buses. Many people walk around you.. taking pictures and having their pictures taken.. as this is one of the tourism streets of London.. just beyond.. you can see the tall iron fences of Buckingham palace.. Utena slips into a crowd of American tourists in a large cluster, sneaking around at their back, planning to get into the Palace that way. Nice thing about having a dummy royalty... they let people into their palace. o.o Then again.. The Americans let people into the White House so.. anything for a buck in todays world. As you follow along the tour group.. a guide is leading them along..giving out bits of historical trivia on every detail.. apparently you can slip into the group easily. The Famous Palace Guards stand outside.. at rigid formation.. reknown for being disciplined enough to stand there at attention for hours at a time. Utena glances at them, but generally sticks to following with the tour group for now as she's led deeper into the castle.. listening to the trivia. Of course, the educated young woman she is underneath the veneer of her new situation is still there; she nods quietly at the guide's words, and actually indulges in a little genuine tourism along the way, gazing at pictures and the layout of the halls with honest admiration. It's not that she wants to tear down the Crown or anything. She just wants some kind of CLUE. As you walk along.. you realize something curious.. every single picture or portrait has been replaced. By various portraits of... the current Queen. Rather arrogant ain't she? As with most of the air.. showing the woman in all her beauty. Utena gazes at the portrait, lingering behind to get a fix on this woman's features. She looks just like a fashion model. Supposedly shes in her early 40s...but she looks to be in her mid 20s at MOST. Her features every bit of nobility as royalty should. Long sandy blonde hair in various stylish fashions. Deep blue eyes. Beauty mark on her cheek. Utena hms, fixing the face in her mind... then realizes she's starting to fall behind the tour group and hurries to catch up, nervous. At the same time, she's also looking around for a way she can slip off into another hallway, into a side room or something.. Well.. this is a particularly strict tour.. no touching and one must stay in line. The guide is contantly mindful of those here.. and there are guards stationed sporatically.. tight security.. Utena waits, following along. There'll be a moment, she's sure there will be. For now she'll stay with the group... As you wander along.. the Guide discusses something about where a famous Earl was shot in the corner.. as you look up following another protrait of this woman.. you can see a camera on the wall..slowly following... you? Utena frowns some at the camera, pausing and glancing back at it tightly. Utena . o O ( Great. I didn't know they had cameras in the palace now.. ) After a moment ..it swings around..as if back to it's normal survellance pattern. Utena frowns again. Looks around quickly about herself, any rooms she can duck into? Guards can't be lining every hall.. and for that matter, this is the royal palace.. secret entrances everywhere. There's got to be something... As you look around.. the Guide points to another place along the hallway... and theres an open doorway on your left... your cue? Utena takes it, while the camera's not looking, ducks quickly in. Utena peers into the room and, if unoccupied, shuts the door behind her, letting out her breath. You dash in.. hrmm.. another long hallway.. connecting to a variety of different rooms... Utena does a check for more cameras, first, and a general check of her surroundings.. okay. Point one achieved.. get in, get away from the tourgroup. Now, she suddenly finds herself without a plan. What was she REALLY expecting to find here, anyway, some secret passage where she could hear voices talking about the overthrow of the world? Who knows.. afterall you are following up on a crazy old man's ramblings. Almost makes you wonder why you came here in the first place as you.. *CLICK*.. Utena flinches... where did that sound come from...? Does she want to KNOW where that sound came from? She turns quickly, azure eyes open wide. As you do so.. one of the doorways infront of you opens.. and theres a Palace Guard.. holding a 9mm. Looking directly at you, "Freeze Miss." You hear a similar sound behind you.. Trapped. Utena raises her hands, sweatbeading as she glances from side to side... not smart to try and outrun guns, she's not NEARLY fast enough. She smiles weakly, "... Sorry, I took a wrong turn.." in a soft voice. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble." Trying to convince them of her sincerity with her voice.. cut her a break, she's just a kid, her eyes say... The first one you see nods. Still holding the gun to you.. holding up a intranet phone.. you can vaguely hear a feminine voice coming from it.. as he nods. Putting it back down to the belt at his waist, "Will you please come with me Miss." waving the gun past him. As the one behind you points a gun to your back. Whats going on? Utena swallows, feeling the muzzle against her back, she'll move quickly, stumbling a little over her feet in fright. She nibbles at her lower lip, letting them push her along.. a woman's voice. Who..? Head of security? She didn't think it'd be a woman.. They must not treat tresspassers very hospitably.. as your lead down the hallways.. the first one opens a side door.. seeming to be a maintenence hall... as it's mostly metal with pipes going this way and that.. but as you move further along.. he turns to an inconspicious portion of the wall.. twists a pipe.. which shows a 9 button code pad..to which he types something in.. then a door opens in the wall.. Just like in the movies.. scary.. Utena knows better than to ask where she's going. She keeps her eyes forward and sweeping around her... not willing to try anything with that gun too close to her body as it is. The change into the metallic, pipy sort of setting makes her extremely nervous... what are they going to do, take her downstairs and -shoot- her? But there's nothing she can do, is there...? She feels small, very small.. Extremely small. As these men seem to tower over you.. as the door opens you feel a slight push from behind, "Keep moving." and your thrust into the darkness.. its another corridor.. this one concrete.. cool.. and it definitely feels like it's descending . After a moment it bends around.. like a staircase.. going lower and lower... Utena does as she's told, not seeing a way out of this, walking into the dark hall, her hand trailing along the wall. Not in any hurry, nooo sir, she pads along cautiously and more than a little terrified, her breath sounding hard to her ears as she moves on. Eventually you reach the bottom.. another doorway.. this one iron bound and closed via a variety of locks. He walks before it..and a security camera zooms down from the ceiling. He intones, "We've brought the girl." that Feminine voice intones, "Good. Bring her in." Then the camera retracts into the ceiling..and the massive door grinds and shifts as the metal bolts slide back.. unlocking.. permitting the two foot thick doors to swing inwards slowly. Utena stares in astonishment a moment... dear god, what is this, a VAULT? Why would someone want to hide themselves inside a VAULT? And then the deeper fear... are they going to put her in here somewhere..? And just leave her..? Two feet thick... oh god. She has to fight a sudden weakness that makes her knees feel like pudding... shivers. The one behind you pushes you along, "Inside." but they themselves do not enter. It's hard to tell whats beyond it..as there's a few layer of veils... Whats.. going on here? Utena stumbles again, off balance when she's pushed, and rights herself with effort, staring in front of her, not sure what they expect her to do, her eyes search helplessly, as she draws in her breath of the cold air down here... how far underground IS she now...?... and rubs at the small of her back slightly.. As you stumble forward.. they obviously mean for you to pass through the veils.. silken curtains that obscure what lies behind.. but whatever it is.. you can tell it's lighted.. and actually.. it feels quite warm.. you get a gust of warm air leaking through. As you move ahead some more.. the massive doors begin to swing shut behind you slowly.. locking you inside this Vault.. Utena whirls around in fright when the door slams closed on her... her heart sinking down as the resounding metal hammers seal behind her... Her pulse moves through her strong neck almost visibly... she gulps. No choice now but to go forward... through whatever these things are.. she brushes her hand up and forward to lift the veils out of the way.. scared, but she can't turn back now anyway, so she just goes on ahead... the warm air surprises her, but doesn't do much to relax her. Okay.. she's managed to get herself locked into some weird underground vault. Touga would be laughing his ASS off at her right now.. And he probably is.. somewhere. But.. this was certainly -NOT- what you expected as your thrust inside.. and.. oh my god.. This room is absolutely GORGEOUS. Well lit.. as you look about.. the floors are all tiled white.. actually..if you feel closely.. the entire floor is tiled with the finest Ivory. Statues of solid gold, or other precious metals simply line the walls.. tapestries and art objects that must be worth in the BILLIONS is all over.. this is not what you would expect at the end of a dank underground tunnel.. Utena stammers a moment, overwhelmed. It certainly WASN'T. She had.. more like the medieval torture dungeon in mind. This... this is amazing. Her eyes become wide, as she gazes on in astonishment, her fear melting under awe and admiration of the detail and care put into this room... kneels down and brushes her hand along the floor, feeling it for what it is... Okay.. so it's a treasures vault. The thought that she's been locked in with it... still doesn't help any. So.. someone's decided she's precious enough to lock away? She stands up again and moves a little further into the room, looking around, and calling out in a soft voice, "Is someone here?" "Of course." An aloof voice from the depths of this treasure vault.. to your left..past the forest of statues.. Utena turns toward that voice, her eyes narrowing a little; her body rotates and she moves toward its source. "... Where is this place? Why is it like this..?" "This is my... recreation room of course dear. Come step a little closer." as you weave around the forest.. you see.. Oh my God.. A woman.. fairly tall. Currently sitting in a chair.. wearing an exquisite down robe tightly about her shapely form. Sitting in a golden throne with her curvy legs crossed. Combing her sandy blonde hair.. the QUEEN! She turns those imperial eyes to you.. looking you over. Whats that metallic smell? Ahwell. She seems to be sitting at a dresser... behind her.. a vast curtain..you can see steam rising above it.. a bath? Utena's nose flares very slightly at the smell before she shakes it off, realizing exactly who this woman IS. She stammers and drops to her knees almost immediately... as stated.. Utena has no desire to tear down the monarchy... she's very respectful of the Crown.. she bows her head, pink hair flowing over her shoulders. "... y.. your Majesty, I had no idea..." The Queen smiles like a fashion superstar, "Nor should you have. Take off your clothes please." Okay... now THAT'S gotta set off a few warning bells. Utena blushes and STAMMERS helplessly... still bowed head.. "...I ..." She's painfully aware that was not a request, that was an imperial order. Bright blood in her face as she turns her head aside slightly... "... can I ask why you want me to do that..?" Trying to stall or at LEAST find out the reason. The Queen intones simply, "I wish you to join me of course. One cannot bathe clothed can they?" her eyes, like a three thousand dollar cover model remain upon you, "Now." with slightly more of an order in her tone. Utena swallows again. That's not a tone she's in ANY position to argue with... Reluctantly she stands and turns her back, fingers trembling as they slip buttons out of their places, two-toned jacket sliding down the curve of her smooth white back, the rest following in short order... highly embarrassed, her long waved hair covering most of what's indecent, Utena turns around, with her face full of blood, to the monarch. The Queen smiles. Looking upon you unabashedly. Not one bit enlightening you to whats going on.. as she too stands, "Now.. if you will.. " gesturing past her to the curtains.. and the bath beyond.. Utena can't believe this is happening, her mind doesn't even want to believe it. She strides quietly toward the curtains veiling the bath, shivering slightly from confusion of what's going on, reaching and brushing back the curtain to gaze at what's in it. .... Before.. you used to be part of a sane world. One where you read, or saw on TV the depravities of human beings. Afterall literature and media of this era are drenched with sick things... but the sight you see before you.. is unprecidented in all your years. Blood. Explaining the pugnant metallic smell.. you see before you a vaast cauldron of blood.. steaming as it's heated.. treated with anti-coagulants. The alabaster frame of the pool seems to have been treated to keep from staining.. as you look up.. good lord.. Dozens of young girls.. not unlike your age.. nude.. throats slit.. like upside down statues screaming in silent horror... hanging from various positions like a mosaic of hell.. all within a beautiful ivory and gold wall... their blood long since ran down to fill this pool... and theres one more empty spot.. just ahead of you.... From behind you you hear her voice, "I'll wash your back.. if you wash mine." then a sick little haughty giggle. Utena whirls around... intent on being very, very, VERY sick... her stomach churning.. her MIND almost churning MORE... disgust, loathing, outrage and anger... you sick, sick, SICK woman... she whirls and SHOVES at you in a frantic panic to escape, her anger soaring and raging with her disgust and shock... and there's the sword in her hand, a flare of white light, formed tight and smooth and warm hilt under her fingers she blinks and grips without question.... She can't even form words, she just swirls back, naked, swordbearing, and ANGRY. As you spin around and shove at her.. you only succeed in half disrobing her as her shoulders shake back.. the natural curve of her gifted bust holding up the edges of the robe barely. However as you swing the sword back.. her eyes light, "OOoh.. so Touga was not lying.. you ARE the Victor.." she smiles, seemingly unimpressed by this display, ".. I can't wait for your blood to join with the others.. adding to my own beauty. Now.. into the Pool. Your Queen so orders it." Utena snaps out in a hiss, "I won't! That's SICK and I won't be part of it!" Utena's own form, small, does not tremble. She can, she feels, be QUITE comfortable disobeying that order as she backs off slowly, step at a time, trying to get back to her clothing. "... How could you have done that to them?!" The Queen questions, "At what point did I ask for your thoughts on the matter?" she tilts her head back, "Sick? Dear.. it's only natural. You've heard of the Lady Bathory haven't you?" skirting about you.. as she runs her finger through the slightly vicious fluid.. licking it off slowly, "Mmn.. just about right." turning her gaze back to you, "The blood of young girls keeps me young.. I am over 80 years old after all." she smiles deeply, "I simply have to bathe in it every so often.. now.. please. You must serve the crown after all.." Utena swings the sword in front of her, tightly, a flaring arc of silver. "Keep AWAY from me. I won't be part of that! You have no power over me..." Backing off another few steps. The Queen chuckles haughtily, "I do not need my guards to subdue the likes of you. If you are not willing.." she opens her robe.. allowing it to fall to the floor.. exposing her incredibly well proportioned body.. almost inhumanly beautiful.. no amount of silicon and surgery could create perfection like that. As you swing your sword.. she holds her hand out.. then snatching a golden rod.. just about the size of your handle out of the thin air... she knows abilities just like your own.. Utena gasps softly, Michael's words coming back to her. She's not the only one.. She glances around, sweeps out her hand... grabs a vase with her free hand and THROWS it at you, trying to distract you from whatever your next move is while she makes a break for the forest of statues, for cover.. The Queen suddenly strikes forward with the rod... then you hear the sound of something LASHING through the air.. she swings her arm several times..each with a resounding crack.. By the time the vase reaches her.. it splits into a dozen even pieces..each missing her. She holds the rod out again..and this time you can see.. A thin line of blood? Like the vine of a whip... swirling about as if alive in the air, she commands, "Get back here! I did not order you to leave yet!" as she begins to follow you.. Utena ducks down low among the statues, reaching them, and creeps along, deeper into them, crouching and thanking that she's on bare feet, able to move quietly... instincts taking over again, guiding her... carefully weaving among the statues trying to get some distance, her plan being to try and circle around and get behind the Queen, to attack before she can be seen or caught by that crimson line.. The Queen walks into the forest arrogantly. She cracks the whip once loudly.. intoning, "Show yourself! You cannot hide forever!" Her imperial gaze roaming about slowly.. Utena narrows her eyes, freezing in her position at least seven statues deep away from the main path... reaching out with her will, adrenaline running high, to cause a statue to the right side of the Queen to shake as if being moved... while Utena herself is situated to the left.. a feinting manuever.. Utena . o O ( Help me, poor girls.. help me beat her! I'll avenge you.. help me do it! ) The Queen looks to the statue.. taking the bait. She's used to whipping down defenseless youths.. not expecting anything resembling a real fight. She WHIPS out at your faint! The crimson lash striking behind it.. "Out with you!" Utena LEAPS up, running around the statues... sword down low, coming up quickly as she clears and making a high hard slash at the Queen's upper back, aiming for the neck.. The Queen hears your running.. her eyes widen as she spins around.. she raises her whip arm up *HACK*... your sword cleanly slices through her arm.. sending the lower half of her forearm to the floor... in the sickening display.. wait a second.. as you double take on the stump..there is no bone! She's solid blood... Utena jerks back, her eyes huge. Not real? Not here? She swings AGAIN, to cover herself, jumping back and kicking a statue toward the ... the thing that disguises itself as the Queen, in a frantic motion with her right foot. The Queen looks to the stump of her arm.. frowning, "Congratulations. No one has ever struck me so before." Looking back to you and hoping back as you slash at her wardingly.. then hopping back again as you kick over the statue towards her. She points the stump of her arm to her severed half.. suddenly a tendril of liquid blood shoots out.. a similar one from the severed portion..they meet inbetween..and retract together. The whip rod disappears, "I see I will no longer play games with you.." Utena has a weird and inexplicable intuition.. she's made of blood. She can't be defeated this way, you can't beat water's flow by slicing at it with a knife.. but you CAN dry up its source, block it, or burn it and turn it into something else... In her fear, her instinctive, God-given power is strong, and the sword of Dios alights along one edge with a glowing flicker of bright orange flame... the flaming sword, against the dragon... she makes a break, not toward her adversary.. toward the pool of blood... intent on setting it aflame.. The Queen's eyes widen as your sword blazes.. as you rush towards the pool she screams! "NO!" She lunges.. and suddenly her hand explodes into crimson liquid.. SHOOTING across the room.. splitting into a half dozen bloody tendrils.. reaching to try and entwine your legs.. Utena's grabbed, mid-run.. her ankles snag. But she FLINGS the sword forward of her, the pool in her line of sight... demanding her flaming sword move forth of her... it races toward the crimson pool, flickering with light... and falls with a deep, sickening sounding sploop!.... and it GOES UP.... You can feel the sickeningly wet tendril of blood slickening about your legs..sliding up, as the queen rasps behind you, "Your beauty and power will be MINE!" seeking to absorb you like the blob... but as the sword flings through the air she SCREAMS!! The sword immediately IGNITING the contents... spreading out and up over the forms along the walls... immediately sparks of fire begin to light along the Queen's skin.. as she continues screaming! The blood around your legs seeming to lose their consistency and drain away.. Utena stumbles back and away in a horror.... her hands coming up to her face, blood smearing down her ankles and running off over her feet as she stares in helpless shock... oh god, she's ... but she DESERVED to die.. but... oh god... The woman's beauty quickly begins to fade.. her form errupting in fire as geysers of blood shoot out from her.. she screams horribly.. a keening wail of the damned.. as suddenly you see dozens of arms.. thin and effeminate..sprout from her body.. grabbing onto her and curling about her..as if pulling her down deeper into the bonfire.. all the souls ..getting their revenge.. until the horrific image completely melts away into the flame.. Utena IS going to be sick now. That's what she does... sinking back, falling onto her knees on all fours and quietly retching off to one side, moaning lowly and expelling, until there's just nothing in her, dry heaving, and she coughs from the horrible feeling... the memory of the woman MELTING burned into the backs of her eyes... as she can't even quite.. imagine... she just killed... the Queen... but that couldn't have been...? She staggers back, wiping her hair away from her face... That -thing- wasn't...? She looks where the smouldering pit of flame that was the bath is... the bodies there now blackened skeletons... released from their damnation.. but she doesn't feel any better.. and her sword is in there... in that fire.. Or so you believe it to be... my god.. the old man wasn't lying.. but.. dear lord.. what you saw... you knew.. from Michael that miracles are possible..but was THIS a miracle? No.. a Dark Fetish? A twisted miracle.. a woman who wanted to be young and found a way at the cost of her humanity.. and the lives of others.. Utena is shaken, shaken badly... She sits at the edge of the fire, watching it burn, waiting until it burns itself out before she tries to retrieve her sword, certain that it will before too long... her eyes search into the flames... she's locked in. No one's going to dare follow her in here.. she lets the fire warm her body, as her mind races. If she really WAS the Queen... that thing... then dear God, I've just destroyed... and how far did this reach? The guards at least.. they must be part of this... maybe further.. parliament? And she mentioned Touga... as if she knew him... god, how far DOES this go? God only knows... as you sift through the ashes. Your sword.. the Sword of Dios.. gleaming even through all this. Utena reaches out and takes it... then climbs out of the blackened bath, and goes to collect her clothing.... putting the Sword aside for a moment as she fumbles her buttons back into place, gets her shoes and socks and shorts on again... redressed she feels a LITTLE better, a little less naked. But that doesn't change that she's trapped here... in this vault of beautiful things... Utena thinks that she'll take advantage of it.. her mostly empty bag is still here. And there are things she can sell.. for money, if she gets out... to escape... she looks around for anything small and gold or jeweled that she can take as a token, a trifle. Rather like one of those adventure games where the hero plunders the dragon's lair... she has no remorse about this, having seen what that horrible beast did... and she also looks for books as well.. any kind of record, writing, diary, anything. Some kind of proof. On the dresser... thousands of dollars worth of pretty baubles. Strewn about carelessly.. no books that you can see however... Utena snatches up a good fistful of the jewels, not even looking at them... but curiously one does catch her eye in the horde.. some earrings, some rings.. but one ring for some reason catches her eye... a plain silver signet, embossed with a pink and silver rose inlay... She stuffs the rest in a zipper pocket inside her bag.. but that ring.. she stares at it for a few moments.. then slips it on her finger, because it seems right, even if she can't say why. She frowns, slipping the bag back on. Is there anything else she can take or that she'd notice here? Her eyes sweep around once more. Clothes? 9x10 glossies of the Queen? This seems to be nothing more than a recreational area..so nothing of real value.. now the question will be..how to get OUT of here..? Utena starts bending her mind to that with her pack and the valuables safe and secure on her back.. sword in hand. She starts exploring, looking for some kind of hidden door.. As you look back to the Vault door.. you notice it was only meant to keep others out.. as there is a rather obvious release button along the side.. Yeah, but they have GUNS on the other side... Utena wants to find another way... a way that hopefully won't put her up against guntoting guards. Well.. here's a good question. Why aren't you suffocating? That vault door sure as hell looks airtight... That IS a good question... As Utena looks around some, she realizes it. Air ducts? Air vents of some kind? Where the hell was that warm air coming from, anyway? Indeed.. as you look about.. along the ceiling.. you see airvents high up... two of them.. one on either side of this vast room.. Utena hms... how to get into the vents? Good question. The vents are at least 10ft up..and the walls are sheer... Something portable..well.. the dresser seems made of wood.. perhaps that'll give you something to work with..but you'll have to really put your back into it.. Utena is willing... she wants OUT. Even if it takes her hours and she has to stop often.. she'll do that.. She grips the wooden furniture with her hands and plies her rubber soles against the floor... and starts to pull. Not to mention the stench of burned blood isn't pleasent. You PULL... after a few moments the wooden legs of the dresser moan and squeak... as your budging it inch by inch.. it'll be lots easier once you start pushing.. Utena sighs and walks around, doing that instead then, getting to the other side of it and pushing. Much easier on the back. As you Puuuush. Ugh.. moving it a few feet at a time. Realizing that things would be muuuch easier if you were a weight lifter @.@ Utena isn't, however. She DOES stop and get an idea... yanking out the drawers and tossing them aside... That should lighten the weight some. The drawers were just filled with expensive dresses and towels..but even still it does indeed lessen the load.. as the now empty frame is far more easily pushed along. After a small eternity you scoot the dresser up against the wall beneath the vent.. Utena clambers up on top of the dresser and, in her crouched position, tries to punch upward, to make the vent grating give in. You reach up...your fingers just barely brushing the grate. After a few moments it works loose... Utena stands up carefully on top of the wooden dresser, trying to see into the vent and if it's big enough or convenient enough to climb through.. Unfortunately it's too high up to see through.. you'll have to pull yourself up first. Utena reaches her hands up and feels around for something to grab onto... Ack! Hot! Utena jerks her hands back... shit... shit, this isn't going to work, is it..? Well.. it was unsettling at first. It isn't burning hot.. but it is almost uncomfortably warm.. if you climb through the sheet metal.. which you can fit inside.. your going to be REAL warm.. Lets hope you don't pass out.. Utena sighs. It's this or the door.. and she KNOWS she can't outmiracle bullets... she hops down from the dresser and grabs one of those expensive dresses, ripping it apart for strips, and wrapping those strips around her palms.. it might help cut the burning feeling down... then climbs back on the dresser... puts her hands up and pulls herself into the passage... Up you go.. it's uncomfortably tight.. lets hope your not too claustrophobic.. as you squeeze through.. the vent gently sloping upwards until it's going straight up.. but luckily thats not too much of a problem in tight conditions like this.. scaling this way is comparatively easy with rubber soles. Utena is taking a LOT of deep breaths, trying to keep herself calm as she scales... trying to console herself with the belief that she's climbing up, getting out of that horrible underground... it IS tight, almost like a coffin... enclosing her... she pushes herself up by her feet... soles.. It's getting warmer and warmer too.. getting closer to the heater.. sweat running down your brow quickly.. shortness of breath.. Utena struggles, wiping a clothed hand along her brow... she has to keep going... there must be a way out of this, it can't lead STRAIGHT to the heater...? She looks, trying to see a sidebranch. Your eyes continue to water..as you go higher and higher..feeling a breeze pick up as you get more altitude. A fan? Look..a branch! As you look up..you can see the air warping from the heat.. like in a desert. The metal siding is becoming unbearably hot now.. Utena turns toward that branch, drenched in sweat and trying to avoid the intense heat.. It's getting worse and worse.. until you finally throw yourself in to the branch..still hot but at least your not under the direct drying heat of the fan.. your lips feel cracked.. and your skin feels blisteringly dry..painful and reddened. You feel like you just went through a desert.. Which gives you new incentive to move away faster.. also making you wonder where the heck you are.. Utena has no idea.. it's just a vent. She follows it wherever it leads her, inching along with her soles and her tired hands, and her tired body... she won't let herself stop, but god, she's tired.. Eventually.. your make it to another vent grating.. Utena gazes through it if she can, slumped just inside it.. it's cooler here, not hot... bearable. She's tired though.. fighting her exhaustion.. and this is a level slope... What's in the room below her? She turns weary eyes down toward it. You look down..hrmm..a hallway. Looks comparatively empty.. you can feel the comparatively cool air wafting around you from the grate.. Utena is so tired though... a nice level surface here... why doesn't she just rest a little.. get her strength back..? They don't know she's here, yet... just for a little while.. Not exactly comfortable..but considering everything you've been through.. you could probably sleep on a board of nails. But the nightmare visions you've seen haunt you.. is this how the Power of Miracles are abused..are twisted? For personal gain and selfishness.. it makes the anger rise in her, even despite her tiredness. The question is... what next? But that's something to answer... when you awaken. * Touga walks the long walk of the hallway. Head held high.. his bearing noble. The golden decorations upon his black uniform sway just a bit with his rhythmic march. Long crimson hair billowing behind him slightly as his austere eyes stare straight ahead. His emotions carefully subdued and monitored.. secretly.. he knows he's doomed. He failed. He failed THEM.. and not only was it a bad failure.. it was a terminal one. Queen Elizabeth is dead. There can be only one who could have done that.. the Victor. The Victor has come at last. And worst of all, the Victor came into being because Touga failed to stop her. He knows that.. and most importantly.. and fatally.. they know it. Before him..massive doors swing open.. admitting him to the Throne room.. where the King of Kings resides. His feet seeming to hover over the Earth.. as the entire floor is of transparent metals.. clearly showing this to be an outpost in space. Stretching directly before him..a red carpet.. leading to a dais.. upon which are two chairs..and one throne. Upon the left chair.. a woman, mirthless looking.. wearing a buisness suit, legs crossed. To the right hand.. is a far more odd figure.. shadows clinging about him unnaturally.. he lounges in his chair idly..one foot propped up on the upper part of the dais.. seemingly bored out of his wits. Wearing a long black leather coat.. upon his shoulders long tassles like that of a priest... almost like mini cloaks.. heavily inscripted with runes of a sort or another... his face..willowy and thin.. four long bangs dangle about his face..as the rest is swept back..hidden beneath the high collar about his neck. His dark eyes roll over to Touga..and he smirks. A figure..bound in thick robes from head to toe.. the finest silks, red and gold... covering every square inch.. and upon his face.. a mask. An imperial golden mask in a perpetual frown. But within the eyeholes of the mask.. only darkness... darkness that sees. Touga pauses before this triad. Going down to one knee.. "Sir." bowing down humbly. The ultimate King waves a golden gloved hand.. his voice echoed and blurred, "Rise." To which Touga does. The King immediately then states, "Court is now held.. attend me my faithful servants." Upon which.. a circle of black holographic images appears.. the heads of all 13 Kings and Queens of the world.. however, the 5th spot is pointedly blank and missing. Touga is now under the scrutiny of the 12 most important people on the planet.. and their Lord. The King intones, "State your case Kiryuu Touga." flatly, "You have one chance to explain to us why the Queen is dead. And why you should not die for your foolishness." Touga's eye twitches ever so slightly. Those are not good words to hear as he knows King Enma means every word, "King Enma." he begins slowly, "Only your wishes were in my heart when I took the girl into my custody.. I sought to use her for our own purposes.." Suddenly the dark swathed man at the Right hand of the King raises a hand..waggling a finger reproacfully, "Ah-ah. Not nice to fib infront of Enma Bloodylocks." in a rather curiously irreverent tone of voice in the presense of these people. Touga snaps at him, trying to be as calm as possible, "This does not concern you Sorrow... do not inte-" Touga is immediately interrupted by King Enma himself, "Sorrow is my advisor. His words are my own... see fit to remember that, Kiryuu." Touga winces in defeat.. but gathers his thoughts quickly. Not one to be so easily denied, ".. perhaps I had also thought of using the girl for my own entertainment purposes.. nothing more." Sorrow adds to that.. examining his nails, "Still a lie...but closer to the truth. Continue." Touga takes a moment to collect his thoughts.. he can't allow that creature to disrupt his concentration now.. allowing a single drop of sweat to roll down his brow.. but his expression remains otherwise perfectly neutral, "The girl.. broke away from me. I had no idea she could be capable of assassinating one of us.." Sorrow interjects. Clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, "Ya know, I've heard alot of bull in my day..but that takes the rodeo. Here we have Touga.. someone well renowned for thinking with his genitalia... picking up on a girl, consorting with her.. and in less than a day or two... she assassinates his superior.. thusly leaving the space open for his own rise to become King of that region. Ain't that just a bit tooooo convenient huh?" Smirking at him. Touga tilts his head back indignant at the irreverent creature's words, "I would not have permitted her to assassinate my Queen, had it been within my power.." Sorrow interjects yet again, "So.. instead of saying your vaguely intelligent and crafty as a snake.. your actually a @#$%ing idiot and messed up big time when your date stole your wallet and killed your Queen. Is that what you're saying? Either case, yer gunna die for ya know." crossing his arms. Touga just SEETHES..but he can't say anything back. Not now.. Sorrow has apparently heard enough. He looks up to King Enma, "Kill him. He's a fool. He let the Victor escape and is probably gonna screw up in the future. Replace him, with someone who has IQ above spore mold. Sorrow so votes." then settling back. His vote cast. Which leads to the woman. She intones, "Touga may be a fool.. but he is a useful fool. It would be a waste to kill him. We already have lost the Queen of that region.. killing him as well would create an unclear chain of command which could throw the entire region into disarray. To be blunt.. he is too important to kill for now. Discord so votes." To this Touga smiles.. a dead lock so far. Discord always favored him..as he gives a thin smile to her..which she replies in kind. Sorrow just rolls his eyes..waiting for the last and most final vote. King Enma stirs, having heard both cases.. he finally comes to a decision, "Kiryuu Touga. Indeed the chaos in the ranks that would follow your death in the region..outweigh your execution. However.. Ten'jou Utena is now your responsibility. It is your task now.. as King of the European Sector.. to make sure she does not leave your realm alive. Is that understood?" in an imperious echoing tone. King Enma then intones, "To make certain you do not waver in this task.. I am appointing my advisor Sorrow to observe your progress. If he feels you are dallying in your task.. he will take whatever measures he sees fit." At this Sorrow just smiiiiles his dark little smile, "Hoody hoo." quietly. King Enma, with finality, states, "And this.. is your final redemption. If you fail in this task.. we will have a proper successor appointed by then..and your life will be forfit. So commands King Enma." To which a chorus of 'King Enma so Commands!' erupts around the room from the Kings and Queens of Earth. Touga bows..relieved.. having a reprieve for the moment.. but now.. now... The images of all the others fade from the room.. and a darkness falls upon Touga.. the only figure in the room not obscured to him.. is Sorrow, who stands to his full height. Walking down the steps regally.. the tassles of his jacket billowing around him as the edges of his longcoat furl outwards. His hands, now gloved in tight leather, sink into his pockets, "C'mon, girlyman. We have us a Strawberry Shortcake to kill." walking past him.. The proximity of this creature brings an involentary shiver down Touga's spine. He frowns deeply.. he cannot stand this.. thing. But he has no choice in the matter.. as he too turns about and follows. Returning to the Earth.. and his destiny with the Victor, Ten'jou Utena..