Utena, Anthy and Juri left the old dorm as a group, walking out into the darkness together. "I need to go do something," Juri said to Utena softly. Utena looked at her questioningly, then a light seemed to dawn. The pink haired girl nodded as she said seriously, "Be back soon, OK?" Without another word, Juri was gone. She raced across the campus, arriving at her own dorm. She slipped inside the building silently, startling Ruka. "Juri, back home already?' Ruka said, clearly surprised to see her so soon. "I'm going back out," Juri answered. Softly she said, "If I don't return, take Shiori and flee Ohtori. It will be far too dangerous for you to remain." "But," Ruka started to ask her, only to have her disappear on him once again. "Good luck, Juri," he whispered. Utena could feel it, an icy shiver of cold running into her very bones. She knew there were vampires hiding here. "How many did you think you saw?' she asked Anthy quietly. "It was too dark to be sure," Anthy answered. "More than three, at least," she sighed. The stake in her hand felt good, and she pulled another out to pass to Utena. "Thanks," Utena answered. "Can I have one, too?" Juri asked from behind them. Anthy moved like a shot, the stake in her hand suddenly poised directly above Juri's heart. They stood there motionless for a few moments, then Anthy flipped the stake around, handing it to Juri blunt end first. "Try not to hurt yourself with it," Anthy murmured. Utena watched them and sighed, wondering if trying to get these two to work together had been such a good idea after all. "Let's go," she said shortly, leading them into the building. The first room was empty, moonlight streaming in from the holes in the roof. Anthy put her hand on the inner door, throwing a glance back at the two vampires behind her as she said, "Be ready." She pulled the door open, and then swiftly stepped back, giving Juri and Utena some room to move. Utena leapt forward, seeing the figure laying there still and silent on the floor. 'At least there's no scent of spilled blood,' she though to herself, a bit relieved. Wakaba's chest rose and fell slowly, her breathing that of someone fast asleep. Utena looked up as Anthy and Juri walked in after her, and felt her heart chill. The vampires Anthy had seen lined the walls of the small room, all of them standing and waiting for some reason. "Get Wakaba out of here," Utena told Anthy quietly. "Sorry, Utena," Juri noted, "but they're blocking the door, too." Anthy hefted her stake, looking at they young men that were moving to surround them. "I don't see any women here," she murmured softly. Utena left Anthy kneeling down by Wakaba and stood, looking around her calmly. "Where is Kanae?" she asked the vampire boys grimly. "Right here," the woman's voice answered them. The thin, green hared woman languidly strolled out into the center of the room, gazing at them curiously before turning to Utena to ask, "You're the one, aren't you?" "The one, what?" Utena answered. She noticed the men shifting, spacing out so that they were evenly spread around the four of them. "The one who slew my Akio-sama," Kanae answered levelly. Utena silently signaled for the others to be ready as she said, "Yes, I was." "Die," Kanae hissed, and the vampires charged. Juri grabbed one by the throat, driving the stake home into it's heart and then turning to another, then another. A vampire nearly managed to jump her, when Anthy drove a stake through it. "Thank you," Juri said to her with a smile. "I did it for her," Anthy nodded to Utena, "not you." She turned and threw a stake, it cut through the air to drive home into another vampire. She killed them so efficiently, simple and precise motions that ended vampires. Utena stopped a vampire lunging for Wakaba and staked him coldly. Again and again the vampire boys fell, dropping like flies as the three of them efficiently dealt the final death to them. And in the background, Kanae waited. The final vampire fell, and Kanae still stood there silently watching them. "What is she waiting for?" Juri hissed angrily. Almost as if she had been waiting for that cue, Kanae was suddenly a blur, picking up Anthy and then casting her up hard against the wall. The girl barely had a chance to cry out before she made a wet thump as she hit, falling silent to the ground. "Anthy!" Utena cried out. Juri barely even got her guard up when Kanae was upon her as well. Their eyes met in a silent battle of wills, both standing rigidly still. Juri bit her lip, a trickle of blood running down from the corner of her mouth as they fought on silently. Then, her eyes rolled up in her head and she slumped to the ground bonelessly. "Alone at last," Kanae murmured. Utena stood and faced her, meeting the green haired girl's eyes with her own blue ones. "Do your worst," Utena invited her calmly. "I intend to," Kanae answered. The air in the room itself seemed to dance with an electric charge as they gazed at each other. Their wills clashed like swords, invisibly tangling in the air between them. Neither moved or swayed for long minutes, still like statues. "Is that... all you've got?" Utena managed to ask. "It can't be," Kanae finally murmured. She looked at Utena in an expression of wonder, her eyes wide, "I cannot break your will." A smile, "I've finally found someone worthy." "Worthy?" Utena asked, hefting the stake in her hand. "To face me, of course," Kanae smiled, and charged. She was fast, unearthly so, but Utena made herself match her speed and met her blow for blow. Fangs gleaming, they leapt around the little room, meeting with savage force. 'Anthy's dying,' Utena thought grimly, 'I have to...' "Distracted," Kanae smiled coldly, hammering Utena to the ground with a massive blow. Kanae watched curiously as Utena lay on the floor. She forced herself up to her knees and spat some blood, feeling something inside her torn and broken. 'If I don't win,' she realized, 'we are all dead.' She rose on shaky legs, then stood, ready to face her again. A warmer smile from Kanae, "Your will is impressive." Kanae met Utena's eyes, trying to compel her with her will, "Serving me would be so much easier, Utena. Give in," she looked over to where Anthy lay, "and I'll give her to you as your reward." Something seemed to happen behind Utena's eyes, almost like a switch being thrown. "She's not yours to give," she snarled, and attacked with a new fury. Kanae tried to defend herself, avoiding and blocking some of Utena's blows, but found herself giving up ground again and again. 'That's it," Kanae oddly murmured. Loudly, "I'll kill her, Utena! I'll kill them all if you let me!" "No," Utena growled, a feral aside of her now fully unleashed. Again and again she attacked, bones breaking and flesh tearing as Kanae suffered under strike under strike. Kanae met Utena's eyes, and she was startled by the clarity now visible in Kanae's eyes. "Thank you," she murmured, then charged at Utena at top speed. Utena raised the stake in her hand automatically, and Kanae skewered herself on it quite deliberately. "Why?" Utena managed. "I never wanted this life," Kanae said to her softly, "I'm glad it's finally over." She slumped to the floor, the life flowing right out of her. Utena looked down at her in surprise, then she remembered she had other things to deal with. "Anthy," she said her name, shaking her gently. "Utena," Anthy smiled at her weekly. Blood soaked the front of her uniform, and Utena realized that Kanae had ripped the girl's throat out even as she threw her. "I'm sorry I wasn't more help," she managed, then faded out. "Don't you dare die on me," Utena cried, but it was useless. She looked around her wildly, then her eyes fixed on the stunned Juri, and a forbidden idea suddenly occurred to her. 'Anthy may not forgive me,' Utena thought, 'but I don't care.' "Utena?" Juri managed as Utena shook her awake. "I need you to turn Anthy," Utena said intensely. "What?" Juri blinked at her in surprise. Anthy felt herself returning to wakefulness, something that came as a bit of a surprise to her considering that she had thought she was going to die. But why was her throat so dry, a thirst filling her with such great need? The door opened and Utena walked in, carrying a bowl with her. Whatever was in it smelled wonderful, and saliva was soon filling Anthy's mouth. "What is that?" she managed to ask, something making it difficult to speak. She could feel her tongue brushing up against something sharp at the front of her mouth. "Just think of it as chicken soup," Utena sat on the bed beside her, holding the bowl up to Anthy's mouth. Soft slurping noises, and Utena gently tipped it up until it was empty. Anthy felt much better as she finished up the bowl of warm, salty soup, her eyes opening a crack to look into the large bowl. The fluid remaining was thick and red, and she recognized what it was almost instantly. "Blood," Anthy whispered, her eyes wide. She tore herself free of the covers, looking down at her pale form in shock and horror. "What have you done to me?" she cried. "I didn't do anything," Utena said quite forcefully in reply. Softly, she added, "I asked Juri to do it." She looked at the bowl sadly, "I made sure it was animal blood we fed you." "So I won't have to feed on humans," Anthy murmured softly. She swayed there, dazedly, then Utena caught her before she fell. "Are you all right?" Utena asked her worriedly. "If feels like I can almost taste the air," Anthy managed to say, "I can hear the heartbeats of everyone in the building." Her eyes got wide as she said wonderingly, "I never knew there where so many shades of color." "Focus," Utena urged her. "I know your new senses can be overwhelming, so focus on something!" Utena grabbed her chin, making Anthy look at her, "Focus on me. Listen to my words, what I'm saying and how I'm saying it." Anthy gazed at Utena, her eyes dilated, her breath coming faster. "Why?" she asked her softly, "Why did you have her change me?" Utena met her gaze, "You've become too important to me." She sighed softly, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't bear to loose you." "You... care about me?" Anthy asked quietly. "Yes," Utena admitted to her quietly. The pink haired girl looked down, to avoid the piercing gaze she was receiving. "More than I realized," Utena said softly. Anthy took Utena by the chin, gently pushing her eyes back up to meet hers. "Me, too," Anthy murmured, and gently pressed her lips to Utena's. "Do you think they'll be all right?" Shiori asked. The purple haired girl was as pale as Juri now, standing there on the balcony in the safety of her lover's arm. "I hope so," Juri smiled. "Wakaba and the other girls are going along to take care of them,": she added with a smile. "How did Anthy take it?" Shiori asked with a smile. "Not well," Juri admitted, "but she's adaptable. They'll be all right." "You promised them that you'd watch over Ohtori for them, didn't you?" Shiori asked Juri with a wry smile. "Well, yes," Juri admitted. She smiled down at Shiori, "But I hope I'll have some help." "I'd be honored," Shiori smiled up at her. "Look, they're getting ready to go," she pointed down to the courtyard far below. They had fixed the old RV up, as well as making a few modifications. The back was completely screened from sunlight, the windows all painted over with black. "A bit ugly," Utena shrugged, "but I guess it'll do for now." "It'll get us where we're going," Wakaba shrugged as she and the girls loaded up the RV. "Where are we going, by the way?" she asked. "To hunt other vampires," Anthy answered. Becoming a vampire had drained her skin of much of it's dark coloring, making her change even more dramatic. She smiled gently at Wakaba, "Thank you, for coming along." Wakaba looked at Utena a moment before quietly saying "Where she goes, I go." "We'll follow Utena-sama," the leader of the girl groupies insisted. Utena sighed, "Well, thank you anyway." Utena, Anthy and the girls climbed on board, Wakaba taking the driver's seat. Anthy smiled, "Let's head for Tokyo, first. I understand there's a girl named Saya, and another called Miyu, that we could investigate." "Tokyo it is," Utena agreed. Wakaba started the engine up, and they were off. Author's Note: This is not the end of the series. Don't panic! I'm just taking them out of Ohtori for a while, and will be starting up a new storyline.
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