Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of Dust ❯ The Lady and The Dragon ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: Heart of Dust
Chp. 6 The Lady and the Dragon
Rating: PG-13
Character s are not mine just borrowing from various sources
**Nothing hurts by Catatonia
***Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac
********** ************************
Kanoe watched from a distance before formally approaching. The park was full of joggers and dog walkers, picnicking families and those just needing a taste for the outdoors. Juuban Central Park was a grand collection of paths, playgrounds and ponds, one of which was home to a large school of koi fish. Her dark eyes observed the passersby with casual amusement, the young man running along and checking his stopwatch every two seconds, the teen walking her dog, a small gaggle of girls tossing fish food into the pond. After a moment or two she took the short walk down to where, sitting patiently, soft hazelnut eyes clearly not concerned with anything other than her thoughts, Une waited. As she approached Kanoe's natural defenses kicked in.

"Do you know how many ponds there are here," Kanoe asked as she stood, her back turned to the lady, eyes to the water.

"Ten, and if you cared to listen once in while you'd have known I very specifically said the koi pond," Une quickly looked over Kanoe and kept herself from balking at her appearance. "Morticia Adams make you give all her dresses back," the lady asked with the small breath of a laugh.

Kanoe turned and smirked, "I do have other outfits in my wardrobe... though I can see your style never changes."

"Hmm.... funny, I'm glad you decided to meet me... actually more surprised. I thought your kind couldn 't come out in direct sunlight," she bit back.

She adjusted her glasses a bit as Kanoe took a seat next to her. Raven black hair loosely captured in a ponytail, her normally made up face left to its natural devises, lips still red but void of the glossy sheen of lipstick, bl ack jeans and light blue baby t-shirt oddly elegant on her near perfect frame. Une sat casually in a pair of kacky slacks and red blouse, chestnut brown hair in a dignified French braid, lips a light shade of pink. They always met in public places with extensive traffic, to keep from killing each other but mostly to keep from doing anything else they had an odd habit of falling into. The vicious opening banter was slatted to continue Une knew this, hated it... but did it anyway. It was Kanoe's turn but she was distracted by a small group of girls tossing things into the pond. Finally the dragon smiled and the play continued.

"Spe aking of the living dead," Kanoe began, "w as that your sad excuse for a car in the lot, t he Mustang?"

"It's a classic," Une replied softly. "And it could out run whatever over priced, over hyped European slug you're currently residing in."

"I'd like and see you try," she muttered under her breath coming back with, "Well I guess some things will never change You still douse yourself in that God awful rose scented perfume"

"And you still reek of jasmine."

"Still chasing after girls half your age?"

"Still sleeping with anything that moves?"

"Touché."

With her left hand Une lightly made another adjustment to her glasses. "Can we talk now," she tried not to plead.

Kanoe crossed her arms over her chest, "Speak then. You called me remember?"

"I do."

"Well?"

"I met someone-"

"Bravo," Kanoe cut in, "g lad to see you moving on after all these years."

The lady repressed the natural insult that sat on her tongue and swallowed it. "If I recall correctly I left you," she stated gently. The play wasn't over, but she wanted to try and end it. Une watched dark eyes narrow with a slight huff.

"So... you met someone? Yay and huzzah what do I care? I have a life and my own someone to worry about."

"Really," Une was shocked.

"A prospect."

"Hmm well... , " s he shrugged washing over her disappointment.

"So what about this person you met?"

"She reminded me of-"

"You-," Kanoe interjected again.

"No.... ," the lady whispered, "You."

"And," s he wasn't going to give into an emotion she loathed. An emotion she used against people on a regular basis.

Une removed her glasses and released a sigh of ir ritation and unclear remorse, " Aren't you tired of it yet?"

"I don't know wha-"

"I mean isn't it boring having everyone afraid of you? Name one club or pub, worth your patronage... where your name is not infamous?"

"I wouldn't talk de arest. People fear you as much," Kanoe replied coolly.

"No. Not the same," was the steady retort. "I'm feared for my position in life. You're feared because as a force of nature it is only a matter of time before you rip someone's heart out and feast on it." She kept a forced icy expression on her face as she stated, "You're a dragon after all."

"I really hate you," Kanoe hissed quietly, "Seventeen years I've known you and still... still you have to meddle."

"I'm not meddling."

"No," Kanoe stood up.

"No, " Une replied point blank. "Since high school you and I have been fighting like this. I'm not trying to save you."

"But you are trying to protec t me and I don't need a savior," she shouted almost too loudly.

"Oh no," Une shot up from her seat. "If you don't need protecting then why do you always run to me? Why are you here right now?"

"You called me!"

"You could have said no!" Une was near out of breath from the tiny battle and as always she saw something in her old friend and enemy's eyes that no one could decipher but her. "Well I hope you're duly satisfied... I'll get out of your hair and save my concern for someone else. And for your information... , " her tone flew a few degrees softer, "I-"

Words cut short by enraged and wanting lips. Une pulled back with a deep breath a stunned look on her face. She glanced at her watch, and a wicked grin inched over her face.

"I must be losing my touch," Une collapsed onto the park bench. "That took much longer than usual."

Kanoe shook her head in defeat, "Well... Now that we're off to a fabulous start...remind me what we agreed not to do."

"Fight, " Une replied following with, "Get too defensive, petty, p ost walls of defense, lie...oh," she ran her hand briefly across her lips. "And we definitely agreed we were not going to do any of what you just did."

"Well now that the rules have been broken... ," she sighed s i t ting next to her was the one person on earth who could see through her on a cloudy day. A woman who saw past the smoke and mirrors, the facade and the myth... mostly because she was present before any of those things existed, and greatly because Une knew her, inside and out. No one in the park knew her, and it was hardly her town any longer so Kanoe dropped everything for a moment to ask, "Did you mean it?"

"What?"

Her voice was set in a low and regretful sigh, "You said you missed me."

Kanoe's eyes were steady on the water, watching the anxious fish clamor for their dinner and attention. Ears picking up the sound of a cute pair of little girls, laughing inwardly at the strange comment one made to the other. Finding a brief parallel and wondering what it meant to her.

"I love you too," the little girl with mouse brown hair said happily tossing in the last of the fish pellets in her small hand, o blivious to the longing stare from the girl next to her.

"No," the girl's friend, dark hair, pale skin, replied. "I'll tell you again when we're older."

Kanoe looked over at Une wondering , and impatient. They had rules, r ules because as awful as things turned out between them, always because of fear, and because they drove each other to distraction. It never helped that the dragon and the lady couldn't follow their agreement. And it never helped that neither ever wanted to let go in the first place. The hows and whys lost amid the petty feuds and ripping dialogue. Again her gaze dipped, this time to the ground. Sh e needed an answer, a real answer that she could use, even if it did nothing to help her.

"Well? Did you mean it?"

"Yes."

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** Everything is beautiful and, nothing hurts, you at all, you at all
Everything is beautiful and, nothing hurts, in your world, in your world**
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"Ms. Arisugawa," his voice boomed slightly through the lecture hall. "How very nice of you to grace us with your presence? "

She quickly shrank into her seat and pulled out her notebook. Since high school Juri had unwittingly frightened teachers. She wasn't sure what it was, perhaps her strict dedication to whatever she was learning, or maybe her lack of a sense of humor in certain areas. Whatever the case in her long history of education Professor Saitou was the only teacher who not only did not fear her, but also made it very clear he would not take a ny nonsense or excuses from her, and b ecause or despite of the professor's strict and tightly run classroom Saitou was Juri's favorite instructor.

Juri was a different person altogether in the confines of school. Much like work, when she arrived she was all business with no time to goof off. Her natural stoic and severe seriousness jumped in major levels once she stepped onto campus, and it was because she was paying for it herself. Only two classes stood in the way of her diploma and after six years of near constant work and study she wasn't about to let anything get in her way.

The class was on Ancient Japanese Culture and it rambled on at a fairly steady pace. Saitou was in rare form with his lectures, that most found dull, but Juri found amusing. The clock ticked into place and the professor excused the students in a firm tone. Reminding everyone that their mid-week essays were due Monday. Juri gathered her things quickly stopped by Saitou's commanding voice.

"Arisugawa, do you have a minute." It was not a question.

She had sixty. It was an hour till her next class, which gave her ample time to do quick assignments or make a run to the library to collect some books for research. She sidled back down the steps of the lecture hall and over to the desk that Saitou was standing near.

"Yes sir?"

He almost smiled at the formality , "You were late."

"I apologize. I know ho w you feel about tardiness sir," she replied stiffly.

He nodded, "Arisugawa you're the top student in the class and when top students begin to slip I feel the need to mention it immediately."

"Sir?"

"Your last essay , " he mentioned pulling out a cigarette and ignoring the "No S moking" sign that screamed from the far wall, "w as not up to your usual standards. It was excellent and beyond reproach compared to what the others gave me but" His eyes narrowed just a bit, "I know you can do better. Is there a problem I should be aware of?"

Juri shook her head.

He considered her exterior expression and noted the wear hidden in the color of her eyes.

"You've been working too much , " he said.

"A little, but I have to pay for this education," Juri stated quickly , slightly defensive.

"No scholarships?"

Juri's expression grew regretful; "It wasn't enough."

"I see." He lit the cigarette and took a small drag from it. "That's all I wanted to talk to you about except"

"Yes?"

"Juri when you get your degree wh at are you going to do with it," Saitou asked plainly shocking her by using her first name.

She shrugged, "I suppose I'll find a good paying job."

"Very well," he looked her over once more, "You're dismissed then."

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**Words plain, with lullaby refrain
So sweet sleep, enjoy the time you keep**
***************************

As her day at school ended she found she had just enough time to run to the gym before going to work. Per usual it was full of a regular crowd of muscle bound show offs and a few aerobic addicted housewives. She was on the tread mill running at an even speed wh en he intruded on her thoughts that drifted between what she was going to do with the rest of her life and the multitude of incidents surrounding her private life.

"Still fighting it out?"

She kept up her pace, looking up to see him leaning against a weight bench.

"Maybe," she said moving faster as she entered a new setting onto the treadmill. "Can I help you with something?"

"Nope just curious."

"About?"

"How you're gonna react," Spike relayed easily.

She slowly brought the treadmill to a halt and stepped over to him, snatching a towel from his hand.

"React to what," she asked as she padded the sweat off her forehead.

Before he could say or utter another aloof comment a swarm of women f rom the aerobics class exited, a girlish giggle pulling Juri's attention and keeping it, v iolet eyes regarding her in something of hunger and disgust as they passed by.

"Um," Spike observed the little exchange curiously. "That wasn't it."

"I don't have time for this," she whispered, noting the time and beginning her retreat.

He stepped after her. "You can't run from the past forever."

"This isn't the past Spike This is now. And now I'm hurt and tired and I really have too much that I need to get done." She spun around swiftly, "Is there anything else?"

He shrugged and with a wave stated, "Julia says 'Hello'."

Juri smiled, "Fin e I'll meet you two for drinks, at The Valeriantomorrow at eight."

"Now that's the reaction I expected."

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*** Time cast its spell on you
But you won't forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me***
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A loud knock on the door pulled the two women from their revelry, "What are you doing in there?"

Dark eyes lost in lust turned to the door to offer up, "Looking for my keys", before she was swiftly distracted by the lady wrapped around her who chuckled softly.

"We should go," Une cooed. "Besides we aren't supposed to be doing this anyway."

Kanoe sat back a dark eyebrow cocked just so, "If you keep saying that I'll have to punish you."

"Are you trying to discourage or encourage me," the lady asked as she stood fixing her mussed hair as much as she could.

With a deep breath the dragon stood up and brushed back her hair. Both now seemingly proper they stepped out of the little room smiling graciously at the bouncer who had interrupted them. He looked oddly disappointed.

"Well now he wi shes he had just left us alone," Kanoe smirked.

"Yes C'mon lets go though. Our cars are waiting and we're running out of places crowded enough to keep us fromwell"

Une tried stepping through the crowd only to be pulled back. She looked over her capt or with a slightly agitated glare.

"No , " Kanoe laughed. "Not that way. Let's go out the back."

Understanding the playful tug the lady shook her head; "No, the door to the back is being guarded by international police searching for you. But I can help you escape . . . , " s he pulled Kanoe forward towards the front door, "This way!"

"You spoil all my fun," Kanoe pouted.

"I thought I got you into trouble," the lady asked.

"That too, b ut presently" There was a distracting and wonderfully exotic purr to her voice.

"I'll make it up to you, " Une promised trying not to succumb fully to the dragon's charms.

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***You'll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loves you
I'll follow you down till the sound
Of my voice will haunt you***
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"You could a t least stay until the morning," Une whispered lazily, brown eyes peering through the darkness. "Come back to bed."

She stretched her arm out across the bed and saw the plaintive grin and worried and regretful eyes of the dragon.

"I have to work tomorrow and"

She took in a deep breath; "Your excuses are really lame."

She held her arm up pale fingers just catching the barest wisp of raven black hair.

"Come back to bed," she said again, softly, clear aff ection washing through her tone, s miling when the dragon complied.

"One of these days," Kanoe whispered into the dark, "I'll learn how to say no to you."

She climbed back into the lady's waiting arms.

Une nuzzled closer pulling her arm around Kanoe's waist , "One dayI won't miss you."

They shut their eyes and Kanoe tried not to laugh because for once she wasn't sure what she was going to do. She hated when something felt right. It meant destruction.

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**A ll around is wonderful and, nothing hurts, me at all, me at all
All around is wonderful and, and nothing ha rms, in my world, in my world**
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To be continued.