The Trails of a Troubled Mind~ [PRIVATE - Mero and Utena only.]

I saw the look in Utena's eyes and turned to the King and Damascus. "Your Majesty, your majesties servant." I said with a bow. " I Know my word means nothing to you but please listen when I say, Utena is telling the truth". I turned back to to Utena and her shadow. The King had given me a skeptical look, I just hoped he would take this into consideration.

"I believe you my son. This intruder is merely trying to make us loose trust in each other, resulting in her being able to defeat you easier. Those tricks won't work here". The king nodded proudly towards Utena.

"...."

There was complete silence for a while, everything still and unmoving. The shadow, then, regrouped from the failure she had originally intended to pull on me. But, these beings were smarter than I ever intended them to be.

"Very well. It's a nice thing to have pride in your son and his abilities, I understand that completely. But, why all of a sudden are you so silent Utena?"

There was an immense amount of pressure on me at this moment. The shadow, this time, got smart. As much as she wanted to profess this outwardly, she thought it to me in a telepathic message and now, I recognized, she could read my thoughts.

'Maybe you should do something... unless you truly believe you're a boy... that's insane of you to though.... I can reveal to everyone everything, I can reveal to everyone that you're nothing more than a petty girl. Tell the truth Utena, you know you want and after all, you know that, to beat me completely...'

'How the hell did you get inside my head? Get out... get out of it now or I... I will tear you apart. I will rip you to shreds and stop reading my thoughts. I know what I must do and I could make it so I am a boy if I wanted to! I have the power.... Just get out of my head... stop it... stop it... stop it....'

The sound transferred to my mouth and I spoke it, no, I screamed it and it echoed throughout the spacious throne room of this very building.

"STOP IT! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! Get out of my head and let's battle. I've had enough of this! I've had enough of you! You dare to call me a coward, a weakling, a liar, a pathetic person, even a princess and disgrace me in front of my family and my friends and everyone to dear to me! You dare to stand there and mock me as if you knew everything! You know nothing! You may think you do, you may think you're me all you want but the truth is you're not me and you're never going to be me! So let's fucking go! DIE .... DIE by my sword scum!" I screamed, dashing at her again, no longer keeping calm. "And another thing! Get the fuck out of my palace!"

My speed had increased by a lot and I was performing even some of the most elegant sword dances. The shadow was having a hard time keeping up with my slashes and thus she did get cut up, but, she got a few slices in there as well and that resulted in my spilled blood as well. My eyes, they were no longer an innocent sky blue, but, a deep, dark shade of midnight blue, a really dark color. My powers... they were revving up to be used and to explode out of me soon and rage took over my body's movements. It was clear I wanted to defeat her at all costs, not caring what my voice sounded like, what I looked like or anything at this very moment though, my voice sounded more feminine this time around too.

"Hahahahaha yes! Succumb! Succumb to the truths that I have exposed here today!"

The battle was really heating up and soon it would be, probably, a very explosive and intense thing one's eyes have ever seen.

We all watched as Utena blew her top. You could feel the anger in the room. Everyone stayed quiet and waited to see what was to unfold.

The king face had become blank. He watched his child get struck by the lightning but did not react. He was maintaining the anger that boiled within him. It was quiet apparent now that his son was not really his son. "Utena" He spoke after a while. "How dare you lie to me. Your not a man at all, your just a girl?" He hadn't looked away from her. His eyes ready to burst with furry. "Answer me Utena!" He barked.

Damascus did not stop his king, nor help Utena. He was loyal to his majesty and would never go against him.

"Hahahah that's it! Bring me more Utena... more and more. You'll die by my hands..."

Everything was swarming around me so horridly, it was like the nightmare I never wanted to live came to be my reality. There was no escaping this, she was telling the truth, I was a girl, biologically, but, I was a prince too. I did lie to my father but, only for to please him and to further fit the role I aspired to be. My reality was beginning to become shattered by the words the shadow spoke...

"Alright, fine by me, you want to die don't you? Then, let's do this. How do you want to die? Slow and painful or quick and painless, I can do both!"

My voice went back to sounding masculine again as if to confuse the king's ultimate decision upon my gender. I continued to swarm at her with my body, throwing myself at her strategically. She seemed to get a hold of the rhythm to which I was attacking her and successfully began to dodge every attack I lunged at her. This was aggravating.

"You know, you're becoming predictable. That's good for me but bad for you. Come on, you can't be out of moves already can you, PRINCE?"

"Give me the respect I deserve and your death might not need to happen. Out of moves? Don't make me laugh, bitch, I'm just getting started. I haven't used my magic yet, surprised? Well, you shouldn't be, I can use magic as well!"

The king had not really known of my magical prowess just of my fascination with it. He knew that I had an innate liking for the stuff but, overall, believed I was a human with extraordinary fighting abilities and sometimes, he made the joke that they were supernatural. It was corny but it was what made him, him.

"Oh a witchy prince, haven't seen one of those in a long time... Actually let me realistic here, I've NEVER see that sort of thing around."

"Are you trying to be funny? Because you're not at all. I'd suggest shutting that big mouth of yours and getting back to the battle. The only sounds I want to hear from you, shadow, are the blood curdling screams of pain and agony that I will be dealing to you. Every last blow will be a damaging hit sufficing enough to even crack you in half!"

"I'd like to see you try to do that Utena!"

I smirked devilishly. It was clear that both of our powers were climbing higher and higher. I wasn't to my ultimate yet but boy, when I was, she'd regret ever instigating a fight with me, the great prince Utena Tenjou!

'That's it, just a little more PRINCE and I'll have you right where I want you... that way I can finally win this battle and end you and your pitiful life. I can live it the right way you were intended to live it as born the gender you biologically are. Respect that not some prince you met long ago....' The shadow thought to herself so I couldn't hear it. We were both concentrated on what was happening between us in the battle at the moment, and it seemed we both had our private, internal thoughts.

'She's strong and fast... she's basically the same level I am and maybe even stronger. I know I keep saying these things but it's like my body is moving on its own, saying these things on its own. Has my fear given birth to this exuberant bravery? It doesn't make sense.... oh well, I have to fight, I have to win.... I just have to...'

The king had become confused beyond belief and his only angered him more. He stood with his arms folded watching the battle. He was not impressed with this charade- if it was one. He didn't know anymore.

I walked towards the king and stop beside him. "Utena is trustworthy no matter what happens, don't ever get mad at her personally".

We all continued to watch. "Utena know if you ever need power just take from my energy" I thought to myself, hoping by chance she would catch it.

When I was thrashing about with my shadow at the very quick pace the battle was at, I heard faintly in my mind a different voice than from my very own echo in the back of it. It sounded like Mero's...

'Utena know if ever need power just take from my energy....'


'Mero...'

I thought, maybe she could hear me, maybe she couldn't. It didn't matter if she did or didn't right now, I was too focused on the battle and on what was going on. I could sense that my father was becoming readily infuriated by the constant confusion that would deny him of his the moment he reached it. Damascus tried to calm his nerves, which, clearly, wasn't working all too well. It was then that the shadow and I both decided to up our game a bit.

"So had enough yet PRINCE?"

Saying nothing I dashed forward trying to, hopefully, harm her in some way, but, she wore a smirk, a devilish smirk on her face that didn't see to wipe away even with my speedy run towards her. By the time I reached a little more than 2 inches away from her, she quickly threw her arm out from behind her back, shooting a bullet from a gun straight through me. There was a legitimate hole in the middle of my body. Suddenly, I stopped my running and immediately fell to my knees in pain, clutching the spot where she shot me and my eyes widening to try and endure the shot. It was to no avail. I let out a wail that could pierce even the heavens. On my knees, kneeling on the cold, hard floor of the palace I was so used to, blood spilled from the wound made and dripped down from the top of it so that it could spill more. I was having trouble breathing a bit and a thought crossed my mind that this could be my death. Where did that gun come from?

I was coughing, gasping for air and spilling more of my red liquids on the floors of the palace by my coughs. The blood that did not make it to the floor from my coughs remained on my face and dribbled downward from the corners of my mouth on either side. It was a clear image that she had the upperhand now and that I was going to die if I didn't do something. The bullet was not any normal bullet and I felt she had much more to explain and do to me than this was over. It was far from that.

"W-what's happening? W-why can't I heal my wound....?" I cringed, trying to activate my healing powers, but, for some reason, they weren't working.

"I knew those pesky healing powers would be nothing but trouble, so I disabled them, along with all of your other magic. Smart no?"

"But, how... how could you-"

"Do that? It's quite simple really. That bullet that just went through you, it's not any normal bullet. It's a special kind of bullet that limits or shuts off the magic supply of the victim from the victim's control. That's exactly what I did. I knew your powers were great and that your healing powers could help you, I knew that you had the mind to use them in their ultimate and in turn destroy me. Well, I can't have you powering up to that standard can I.. hence the bullet. Now with that shot gone through you, you are a mere mortal again...

As she spoke that, my eyes changed back to their normal color, without so much a cheery and innocent gleam in them as they usually have. My hair, usually a bright pink color, reverted to a shade that seemed it's been weathered through the years, not as bright and youthful, not as anything as it used to be. It seemed like I was aging in front of them, right before their very eyes. It seemed like I was 50 not 15 or so, when I really was 15.

I felt my powers escape me.... no, abandon me when I needed them most. I don't know what it was that stopped them, but, the effects of this bullet could only be temporary. No being alive could conjure something that could permanently stop a natural process within oneself. (Unless of course that one thing were an immortal springs that some would dare drink from to stop their internal clock. But, then again, this is not manmade but natural.) The shadow cackled and I continued to cringe in pain, extreme pain.

"What now? Tell me that a small bullet wound wouldn't stop the great Prince Utena? If it does, then you're one sorry excuse for a prince. What happens when the woman you love is tangling with death, are you going to risk your life to save her and even when you are dying, fight? If not, then, you do not truly love her. And even so right now, you are only proving further that you are not worthy of the title you claim to have! You are a worthless person, Utena. You are not a prince, you are a helpless little girl with some delusion of bliss that you've managed to have become in some small form. Well, this is where it ends for you!"

The shadow then smirked and the aura grew more and more powerful, bigger, almost shrouding her within in. Her eyes continued to glow a bright, bright golden yellow as she cackled loudly, undergoing some sort of transformation. It was then that I realized she was transforming to her ultimate form where her powers were at her greatest and it seemed that I was done-for. She'd strategically planned this from the beginning and as it seemed, I couldn't do anything much to resist it. My hour of death was impending me...

Everyone on the sidelines panicked. The king hard become frozen, about to watch his son die. Damascus had jumped forward and stood between Utena and the shadow. I followed not seconds after. The shadow was becoming stronger, and I knew that Utena was the only one that could truly defeat her. I looked towards Damascus and quietly whispered under my breath, "We need to keep her busy for a few minutes until Utena thinks of something. He nodded but looked skeptical, obviously not trusting an outsider.

We began moving forward. I had gone left as he had gone right. We ran with swords at the ready and slashed towards the shadow hoping to make some sort of injury. It was hard laying a successful attack on a witch, and the amount of damage we received from her was great. This continued until Utena intervened.

Damascus and I sat helpless. Every time we tried an attack it would ultimately fail. We stood and watched as Utena was being beat. I tried running forward, getting ready to attack again but Damascus caught my arm and pulled me back. "Theres no point in helping. This is her fight".

Off on the over side of the room the king stood heartbroken. His son was about to perish and he had no power to stop it from happening. All he could wish for was a miracle.

I pushed Damascus off and ran to Utena. I knelt down beside her. "Please don't die Utena" I begged her.

I held on to the ring tightly as tears swelled up in my eyes. "Please Utena, you can't die yet..." I trailed off when the shadow attacked me. I had no time to dodge. She kept throwing attacks and I could defend myself. I was leaning up against a wall, angry as ever and ready to kill. I slipped the ring on my finger and flung my sword at her. It did nothing but as soon as she blocked it I came flying at her. It took no time for her to render me useless and I laid motionless against the wall. I opened my eyes and glared at her. "Your some bitch, you know that?"

I watched in total awe as Utena was back to her self, scratch that better then her self she was turning to her ultimate form. I got up and moved out of the way. I join the King and Damascus on the other side of the room. We all watched, happy that Utena was okay.

"So back on your feet again Prince?!"

I remained silent for a moment longer before in the blink of an eye, maybe less, I was over where the shadow was and choking her with one of my hands squeezed tightly around her neck. Her eyes bugled and a trail of blood ran down the corner of her mouth on the righthand side.

"You can hurt me all you want. You can beat me, insult me, even try your best to kill me, I won't die. You can do whatever you want to me, but, you do anything.. and I mean ANYTHING to harm my friends, you beat her, try to kill her, slander her, you disrespect her in any form and I will make sure that you will die by my hands!

I let go of her neck, an impression made upon it by how hard my hand was fastening itself around it. She dared to try and dash at me with the sword in her hands to try and stab me. I sensed this. Quickly, I grabbed my sword and turned out, performing a twist in the wrist to redirect her sword up in the air, so high that it got stuck on the palace ceiling, just hanging there. This time, I smirked.

"So, have you accepted the fate of your death yet, or is there still an ounce of hope and will that a miracle will happen to save you?" Repeating the same words she said to me back to her, never dreaming I was capable of something like this.

"You think I'm afraid of you, Tenjou? Bring it on!"

I was too fast for the shadow as I began to attack her from all ends and angles. She had no chance to defend or attack or counter or anything. I was bringing the heat, throwing all I could into attacks, my powers, my fists and kicks, my sword, anything. She seemed bruised and beaten enough, as she stood there limp, panting. I was panting too, as I stood apart from her, she only looked at me weakly, not moving. She was back in the spot she was in when I choked her.

"What... how is... how is this possible... this isn't over yet!" Gently, I smiled and then took my took fingers joined together, my index and middle and held them up in the air steady.

"Oh I think it is."

Calmly spoken, I quickly drew my fingers down in the air and the sword that was stuck in the ceiling, switched its direction and cut downward, cutting the rose that was in her jacket top pocket clean out of it and left it impaled upon the blade sticking in the ground. It was then, following that attack, I appeared behind her awe-stricken body and sucked the very soul out of her with a spell I'd been practicing on since I'd met Mero. Fortunately, it had worked and now the carcass of the once live shadow lay lifeless, dissolving into nothingness. The spirit, the soul I'd sucked floated out from my hands and into the air, smiling with a scar under her left eye. Now it was the acceptance...

A proud smile erupted on the kings face, "Now theres my boy". Damascus was right beside him a smile gracing his face as well. But it wasn't over yet, in fact this was most likely going to be the hardest part. Utena had to accept her shadow, or else she'd keeping coming back. But even if she did, I don't think that would affect her relationship with her father.

I watched the spirit and Utena, this was the end of this mess, it would all be over soon.

The King moved forward and embraced his son- well daughter. "Why Utena? Why did you lie to me? I would have accepted you no matter what.. your my pride and joy. " Damascus stepped beside his king and glared at Utena. "Your majesty you should feel betrayed. She didn't trust you enough to let you know who the real her was".