Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction ❯ Captain of the Guard! ❯ Chapter 4

Part Four

Shiori looked with a fair degree of admiration to Asugawa Juri, who was guarding the door to the Princess and Utena's new rooms. Utena frowned, trying to remember a name. "Weren't you with Usagi when I left?" she asked curiously.

Shiori laughed, "You didn't expect that to last, did you?" She chuckled, continuing "Besides, that shrine maiden, Rei, was also after her."

"I didn't know that," Utena admitted.

Smiling ruefully, Shiori said, "Neither did I!"

"Asugawa Juri," Utena said as they got near enough to talk, "meet Takatsuki Shiori." Utena smiled, she had been looking forward to this, and from the looks these two were sharing, and she didn't think she'd be disappointed.

Juri smiled, taking Shiori's hand and kissing it. "Charmed," she said, looking Shiori over. "You're far too beautiful to be a mage, cooped up all day with dusty books!" she exclaimed dramatically.

Shiori laughed softly, smiling up at Juri. "You're much too kind," she said with a wry smile. She cupped her hands in front of her, concentrated a moment, and a soft golden light appeared between her fingers. From it, Shiori drew a golden rose that she gently passed to Juri.

Juri looked mildly stunned, and Utena was sorry to interfere, but "We need to go in to see the Princess." Shiori shot Utena a disappointed look, and Utena shrugged.

Juri opened the door, and watched with a great deal of interest as Shiori walked in. Shiori noticed and gave Juri an extra wiggle of her behind, and it took all Utena's self control not to laugh. Still smiling slightly, Utena said "Princess Anthy, meet Takatsuki Shiori, a warmage."

"Warmage?" Anthy said, surprised.

Shiori frowned at Utena, and said to the princess "Retired warmage, really. I teach, now, at a school run by friends of ours."

"I see," Anthy said smiling. "I wanted to see you when you arrived, to thank you for your help. I hope it's not needed, but Utena is concerned."

"Trust her instincts," Shiori said dryly, "they've saved my life more than once." She turned to Utena, and asked, "Do you want me to start here?"

"Yes, please," Utena said calmly. Inside, she was a bit irritated at the princess' remark. `Utena is concerned' indeed! Still, the girl had never seen combat, so...

Shiori raised her hands in the air, concentrating. A glow appeared around them, then a complex pattern appeared on the floor, anchored by a stylized sun and moon. It expanded, slowly turning, until it lit the entire room, highlighting so many black splotches on the walls

they looked painted black. The darkness writhed and struggled under the light, until they burned away.

"This is bad," Shiori panted softly. She staggered, Utena grabbed her before she fell, and Shiori gasped out, "I've got to ward this room, now that I've cleared it!"

"Take my strength," Utena said, gently grasping Shiori by the shoulders and practically holding her upright. The light Shiori wielded this time was white, and it etched the lines of the room's walls, roof, and door, until it softly faded.

"This room's safe from dark magics," Shiori said weakly. Utena picked her up, and gently sat her in a nearby chair. Shiori smiled up at her gratefully, and Anthy felt a stab of jealousy. "The spells in here were very powerful," Shiori said softly, "we're dealing with a mage level, at least."

"Mage level?" Anthy asked, frowning.

Utena answered, "There are various levels of magic user: apprentice, hedge wizard, wizard, mage, arch-mage, and sorcerer. The final two are incredibly difficult to attain." She looked at Shiori worriedly, "Not an arch-mage, surely?"

"I don't know," she said levelly, "but I intend to find out. Those were black magics, Utena, the blackest." She looked grim, "Blood magic."

"If you stay in the castle, will you be safe?" Utena asked.

"NOBODY is safe here," Shiori said grimly, "but my magics will protect me."

Utena went to the door, and got Juri. "Take Shiori to her rooms, carry her if you need to," Utena said, concern obvious in her voice. Juri gently picked up the exhausted mage, over her half-hearted protests, and started to carry her out.

Shiori smiled sleepily as Juri carried her away. Anthy and Utena heard her mumbling as she left: "Held in a strong woman's arms. My favorite place to be. Too bad I'm not awake enough to enjoy it."

Anthy shook her head as the other two women left. "It seems you're right again, Utena," she sighed softly. She looked more than a little scared as she asked "So what happens now?"

Utena walked over to her, putting her hand on Anthy's arm comfortingly, "Once Shiori recovers, we'll have to go through the palace and clear the place of dark magics."

She shrugs, "It'll take time, but it will limit the enemy's ability to attack you here."

"It's good to know," Anthy said softly. "Is it so difficult, what Shiori does?"

Utena nods, "Cleansing and warding can be very difficult, especially against a magician more powerful than you are."

Anthy was about to say something more, when she saw the clock on the wall. "Oh no, we're late!" Anthy cried.

"Late for what?" Utena said, surprised.

Anthy looked at her like she was dense. "The reception dinner tonight, welcoming me home! I can't miss it, as the guest of honor, and you're my bodyguard, so..."

Utena groaned softly, even as Anthy hurried into the bedroom to get dressed. `Goddess, I hate formal dinners,' Utena thought. She waited a few moments, then realized she needed to change too. "Anthy," she called through the door, "can I come in?" She heard what sounded like a yes, and opened the door, only to freeze in place.

Anthy was dressed, if that was the word for it, only in a corset, under things and stockings. She filled them out very well, leaving Utena dry mouthed and shaken. Anthy smiled sweetly, apparently not noticing her reaction, "Utena, would you wear your dress uniform? You looked so good in it when I first met you."

"Of course," Utena managed to get out, fished her dress uniform from the closet and then all but fled. She ducked into the bath and changed quickly, haunted by the very pleasing scene she had just left.

Anthy smiled a bit, looking at the closed bathroom door. She filed away the fact that Utena was shy away with all the other things she had noticed about her, while she continued to dress. She smoothed her skirt down, and thought `Maybe I'll enjoy this dinner after all.'