Utena stepped outside and welcomed into her senses the beautiful spring morning. She threw back her head and inhaled the fragrance of the roses nearby. Her eyes were regaled with gorgeous colors and patterns in architecture. Sounds soft and sweet invaded her ears. It was a day perfect in every way and destined to be ... boring.
She tried to think of something upcoming which would set this day apart, but this day would be just like any other. She would go to classes which were challenging, but not hard, socialize with both boys and girls who were intelligent and attractive, but not enigmatic or striking, and duel with people who were worthy, but not undefeatable. It was getting old, and she was definitely getting tired of it.
She shook these thoughts from her head. Class would start in a few minutes, and Wakaba would be waiting eagerly and none too patiently for her. She'd better get going, or she wasn't coming out of this without a backache.
Sighing, she walked out of the deserted dorm building she shared with only one other inhabitant. She was looking down at the grass growing between the cracks in the sidewalk (it was brave, but it would probably not escape Anthy's careful hand for long), so she didn't see the falcon until it settled on her shoulder. Utena and the falcon peered at each other curiously, neither showing the slightest fear of the other, and the falcon jumped from one shoulder to the other rapidly.
"Hi, little fella. Or are you a little gal? What'cha know good?"
In what seemed to be an answer, the great bird leapt off her shoulder and flew a few feet. Then she swooped back and landed on Utena's shoulder again. It flew off again, and then turned around and looked at her almost pointedly.
"Looks like an invite to me," Utena remarked, and began walking toward the bird. As soon as the falcon saw that, she took off again, careful to stay only a few feet in front of the girl. It led her to the forest behind the school. At the entrance, Utena frowned. She really needed to get to class, and she didn't like going into the forest when she didn't have to. The bird turned and saw Utena hesitating at the edge of the forest. She swooped back and grabbed the front of the girl's shirt, attempting to fly away carrying her.
"OK, OK, you've convinced me," laughed Utena. She walked into the forest and followed the bird, who promptly released her. To Utena's relief, the falcon wasn't leading her to the center of the forest, toward the arena and mirage castle, but in a twisting path around it. As she walked, she noticed that the bird was following a beaten path, the hard packed dirt under her feet an indication that it had been used often.
After five minutes of walking, the path suddenly dead-ended in a huge, knotted tree. The falcon landed on a low branch and looked at Utena expectantly. Utena stared back uncertainly and tapped her collarbone with her ring finger.
The bird pulled out a feather and dropped it right down Utena's line of vision - past a glowing knot in the tree. Utena froze, then reached out a finger to the knot. In the center was what appeared to be an inverted rose seal, the opposite of the one on her ring. She wasn't sure if it was or not, so she pressed her ring into the seal to see if it fit.
In front of her there was suddenly a shimmer in the air, like an opaque window with a wave running through it. The bird swooped in, not looking back, and though she tried to fight it, Utena was suddenly overcome with an urge to follow the bird through. She stood for a moment more, and then stepped through -
- And came face-to-face with the most beautiful and deranged-looking woman she had ever seen. The striking blonde, whom Utena would have bet anything was also enigmatic, grinned wickedly at her and patted the bird, which had landed on her shoulder.
"Very good, Dorcas," she said lovingly. "I see you completed your mission and then some."
Utena looked down and was startled to see herself clothed in full battle dress, her school uniform suddenly decked out as though fighting in the arena, and the sword of Dios in her hand. She looked at the blonde, questions too numerous to count on her lips, and asked only the most inappropriate and trivial: "The bird's name is Dorcas?" Then she mentally kicked herself and began firing off questions at a pace too frantic to keep up with. "Where are we? Who are you? How did I get here? How did I get these clothes and this sword? What are we going to do next?"
A pale and calloused hand raised then, cutting her off. "Let's see, yes, just past Troy, Callisto, through the door I conjured, that was part of the spell, and you're going to help me. Satisfied?"
"I'm amazed I remembered what I asked, but yes, I'm satisfied. Now, did I miss something or is the reason you summoned me not as obvious as you seem to think it is?"
Smiling with a mixture of amusement and malice, the blonde spoke again. "I cast a spell, which Dorcas carried out, to find the greatest warrior of the future. I specified that the warrior should have his or her weapon in hand and be dressed for battle. I also specified that the spell adjust itself however it needed to keep the warrior curious enough to step through. I cast this spell to find someone to help me get three great weapons I need. Any other questions?"
Well, that explains the knot and the ring, Utena thought. "What if I decide not to help?"
"What if I told you I would kill you?" Utena looked at her warningly. "Well, maybe not," she said with a pout. "But, if you look in your heart, I think you'll see that you'd be lgad to help me."
"I do, although I suspect that's has something to do with your spell. How about you offer to send me back when we're through?"
"Send you back? But what if I decide I like you?" Utena gave her another warning look, and this one sent Callisto into gales of demented laughter. "Kidding, kidding. You have a real trust problem that we're going to have to work on. I'll send you back," she added as an afterthought.
"How considerate. OK, let's get started. Where's the first weapon?"
As they walked, Callisto informed her of their mission, and Utena realized that they were in Ancient Greece. They were trying to find the three magical weapons in order to defeat Callisto's nemesis, an evil warlord named Xena. Callisto told Utena that Xena had "gone hero-goody-two-shoes," but Callisto expressed doubts that Xena had really changed.
"And even if she has, she still has to pay for what she did. I have to defeat her."
"Now, when you say 'defeat her,'" Utena asked, "Do you mean, like, in a mental contest?"
Callisto shook her head.
"So, it's a physical contest of some sort, like a race?"
The blonde head shook again.
"Oh, Cal, please don't tell me that you're going to do what I think you're going to do!"
Callisto gave her an odd look at the nickname, seemed to consider getting angry, and then seemed to decide she liked the name. "I'm going to kill her," she answered sweetly.
"Cal, I can't think of anything anyone could do to me to make me want to kill her."
Callisto suddenly swung around and grabbed Utena by the throat, throwing her against a rock and pressing her own lean body into Utena's with all the grace of a lioness fighting a tigress. The otherwise quiet bird gave an angry squawk at this sudden motion. "She raded my village and destroyed everyone in it. My whole family and everyone I knew were killed. I was left all alone to try to defend myself and learn the ways of the world, and I was just a child!" She snarled at the frightened girl. Still showing her teeth, she pulled back a little and got herself under control. "So how about that?" she asked slowly and deliberately.
"Well, there's that, that would probably do it," she replied, feeling flustered. She took a deep breath and gave Callisto what she hoped was an encouraging look. "If you need to get her, Callisto, we will get her."
Callisto regarded her for a few seconds more and abruptly released her and walked away. Shaking her head to clear it, Utena caught up to the bemused warrior and followed her in silence.
After about a mile of silence, Callisto spoke again. "The first weapon is the Pouch of Core. It was created by Hades's wife Core, whose name is Persephone outside of Tartarus. She once tried to defeat her husband so that she could get away and live on Mt. Olympus. In order to do that, she created a silver pouch to hang about her neck. This pouch was covered with jewels and filled with other jewels. Each jewel could hold the soul of someone, a strong warrior in the case of Core's use of the pouch, but anyone would do. The soul goes into the jewel and is stored there until the wearer releases it. Then, for ten minutes, the soul and all of it's abilities goes into the wearer. After the ten minutes, the soul goes directly into tartarus for all eternity, never to be seen again. The pouch is said to be in a well at the bottom of the spring in the middle of Cirra, ironic when you consider that that's where I'm from. New Cirra is constructed directly on top of the ruins of the city I was born in. That's where we're going first."
"Don't you think this Pouch of Core will be enough to get rid of this Xena person?"
"You would think so, wouldn't you? But I know from experience, Xena isn't easy to kill. I'd rather have all of the three weapons when I go against her the next time. But let's stop talking about this, Utena. You know all about me."
It sounded like an invitation, so Utena began telling Callisto about herself, about how her parents had died when she was very young (Callisto had said nothing at this, but Utena felt very close to her just the same), how the handsome prince who had comforted her left her with nothing but a ring and an obsession to find him again, how her life at Ohtori Academy was boring her and at the same time so confusing as she tried to find her prince. She told Callisto of all the people she had left behind.
"So this Wakaba chick, is she cute? Do you like her?"
"Well, I guess I kind of like her. I mean, I love her, but I only sort of like her. And she is adorable, there's no denying that. And I know she loves me, and she'll take care of me. The same thing goes for Anthy. But they're just not the kind of people I've ever seen myself with."
"No offense, 'Tena, but the only kind of person you've ever imagined being with is this prince you met. And there's nothing wrong with having a dream, but don't you think you're a little obsessive? I mean, this guy might not even be around any more. He might be married to someone else, or living far away. Maybe he only thought of you as a little sister kind of person. Anyway, you shouldn't turn away all these people, including this Juri and that Touga guy, just because you're hung up on some guy you remember from long ago. That's completely stupid."
Utena shot her a look, then decided to forget it. "Well, whatever. Hey, 'Lis, how come you never hooked up with anyone?"
"When you say 'hooked up,' I assume you mean married?"
"Well, you know what they say about assumption..." Callisto shot her a look. "Yeah, that's what I mean."
"Marriage. Who has time for that? I honestly don't see what you can get out of it that is better than what you must give. Besides that, love is a vulnerability, a weakness to be exploited. Just like Xena and her little tramp. That bard has gotten her into things she can't get out of more than once. I can't afford that kind of thing to drag me down."
"But love is so special, you have to admit. I'd do anything for love."
"Well, that's you."
They walked along in silence again, but this time it was companionable silence. Before long, they came across a small village, and Callisto informed her that it would be a good place to stay the night. Utena noticed people shying away from her and Callisto and wondered if it was because of the shiny and deadly weapons they both carried. Soon, however, it became obvious that it was Callisto's wrath they feared, not the weapons. As Utena watched Callisto obtain their lodging and meal for the evening, she wondered at the obvious terror her traveling companion inspired, and also at the lack of it she felt toward the woman. It occured to her that the woman liked her, considerably so if she had only lashed out that one time when she seemed so obviously prone to temper. Callisto treated everyone they encountered with disgust, and it gave Utena a warm feeling to be above such treatment.
Callisto turned to Utena and gave her a smile. "Well, we have a big day tomorrow. Ready for bed?" At Utena's nod, Callisto turned to the innkeeper and snatched the key out of his hand. "We don't want to be disturbed," she said, and it sounded like a warning.
"N-no, ma'am. You will not be."
Callisto gave him a level gaze, then without another word turned on her heel and stalked up the stairs to their room, leaving Utena trailing behind her, desperately trying to keep up.
When they reached their room, Callisto began to strip. After a moment, Utena did too, noting the one bed with some trepidation. In a few minutes they were both completely nude, and Callisto roosted the perfectly well-behaved falcon on a chair back and slipped into bed, but not before Utena got a good look at that lean body and perfectly toned skin. When Callisto rolled over to look at her, Utena felt the lazy danger in those brown eyes turn its full power on her, and she understood that Callisto was feeling as confused as she was about what was supposed to happen now. She knew she had to stay completely cool and not act uncomfortable with Callisto, or that lazy danger would turn to fiery wrath.
"Coming to bed?" Callisto asked softly. "I won't bite."
"Yeah, I'm coming." Utena slipped between the sheets, and then started to turn away, thought better of it, started to turn toward Callisto, again thought better of it, and settled in to sleep on her back. Luckily, there was no objection to this from her sleeping companion, and sleep came quickly, bringing with it the simplicity of dreams.
A pounding on the door in the middle of the night awoke both women, and they looked out the little window in their door with more than a little apprehension. A drunken man stared back in at them. "Hey, you're not Anthemes!" he exclaimed.
"And you ain't Zeus, so there better be a good reason you've awakened us in the middle of the night," Callisto shot back warningly.
"Hey, ain't you that Callisto chick I've heard about? What're you wearing in there? Do you gals need some help?"
"I've had enough," Utena stated shortly, and opened the door into the hallway. The startled man had time to appreciate one quick glance at the long body, and then she slammed his head into the door and rolled him down the stairs to their right. She stepped back into the room to find Callisto regarding her with admiration and pleasant surprise.
"I knew you'd earn your keep," Callisto said sweetly. "Is he dead?"
"Nah, his buddy'd just track us, and who needs that? I just knocked him out a good one. He should slink off before sun up."
"I'm impressed," Callisto noted. Then she reached out and stroked Utena's arm, a move she had seen Gabrielle perform on Xena many times when she wanted to convey companionability. "That was good thinking."
Whenever Xena and Gabrielle were in contact in this way, contact was quickly broken as soon as the moment had passed. With Utena and Callisto, however, the moment didn't seem to want to pass. And that was just fine with the ladies themselves. As the stroking intensified and grew more intimate, the two young women collapsed back onto the bed, kissing and wondering, wondering what they were getting themselves into. Then the kissing became more demanding, the touches moved around, and thoughts had no place in the soft bed.
The next morning, Utena felt the soft, warm rays of dawn touch her face, and she snuggled down next to the soft body beside her. Then her eyes widened as she remembered the events of the night before. She pulled back at Callisto, who was already awake and regarding her with the haughty smile Utena had already learned was her way of concealing unease. "Morning, Glory," she greeted Utena, and planted a kiss on the end of her nose.
"Good morning," Utena returned, feeling that she must handle the situation very carefully to avoid certain danger. "How did you sleep?"
"Probably about the same as you. I think we were interrupted around 1a.m., and so I guess, what with that and our exertions, we got about six hours."
Utena watched Callisto dressing, trying to see if the warrior was going to give anything away in terms of how she felt about exactly how they had spent the previous night. She did not, but she seemed considerably warmer toward the younger girl. "Six hours is OK," she ventured, musing that she was to be constantly tested in this budding ... whatever-it-was. "Sometimes, before I moved in with Anthy, I got even less than that-"
"Oh, that reminds me," Callisto said, adjusting her armor and moving over to sit on the bed where the naked girl still rested. She looked at her companion dangerously. "I enjoyed myself with you considerably last night. Did you?" Utena nodded. "Good, because I intend to keep you here until all the weapons are found, and I intend to avail myself of you. In a while, I may even decide to keep you here with me for good, and I'd hate to have you against your will."
Utena swallowed her indignation. She didn't know if the warrior was bluffing or not about keeping her here, but she did know that if she got angry and demanded to be returned home when it was over, the woman would punish her. "Oh, don't worry," she returned easily. "Prince or not prince, I definitely liked being with you last night."
Callisto nodded, no longer interested in discussing the parameters of their relationship. She eyed the girl still lying in bed, the blanket wrapped tightly about her. "Not that I don't love the toga look, but you might be a little uncomfortable in that if you don't move your ass and get dressed. I'm ready to go."
Utena yelped (even in the distant past, with no alarm clocks or class schedules, somehow she was still managing to stay late), and jumped up from the bed, noticing for the first time how high the sun was. "Do you think we'll reach New Cirra today?" she asked pulling on her shorts and grabbing her tunic.
"By noon, if we hurry," Callisto confirmed. "It's not so far from here. The problem is, I'm not exactly seen as a hero in my hometown. We'll probably meet some resistance. You up to it?"
"Absolutely," Utena answered. "I'll hold 'em off while you get the pouch. But, Cal, if this Xena person really destroyed your village, and you are doing nothing but trying to avenge that, then why shouldn't your people love you?"
"New Cirra is founded mostly by outsiders, people who never knew Cirra originally, and have no reason to hate Xena. The fact is, Xena has done a lot of things people like with her hero act. She's pretty popular all over, actually. And I, being so unlike Xena, exactly what I am, am not so well-liked. You have to remember, most of these people have been fed on the myth that Xena is something of a Savior-Goddess, while I am some demonic nymph, set to destroy her."
"Cal," Utena began uncertainly as they gathered up their belongings and headed down the stairs, "you are a demonic nymph set to destroy her."
Callisto threw back her golden head and laughed. "Indeed I am," she agreed when she got herself under control. "And how brave you must be to travel in my company."
"Nah, I'm just pretty sure I could take ya," Utena replied, merely to see Callisto laugh again. There was nothing like making a woman such as Callisto laugh. Abruptly, however, the throaty laugh was exstinguished when they reached the bottom of the staircase, and Callisto stalked over to the innkeeper.
"I told you we were not to be disturbed," she snarled. "Perhaps I should have mentioned to consequences if we were!"
The man stammered, "But, m-ma'am! I g-gave my staff specific instructions. N-none of them were to go near you!"
Callisto became impatient. "Not staff, you moron. Someone came to my room looking for someone else."
Utena saw the innkeeper blanch. "A customer? But, madam, how could I possibly have kept the customer's away-"
The woman's hand flew so fast that the cowed man didn't even have time to flinch. His head was rocked back with the force of the blow. Callisto stood over him, looking haughtily down at his swollen and bleeding face. "I won't be expected to pay for the night's lodging," she declared, making it sound more like a threat than a demand.
"No, ma'am," the man sobbed, grateful for his life, but with his pride completely gone. "Of course not."
Callisto nodded her approval, and then turned to go. Then she paused, and put an astonishing amount of money on the counter, much more than the price of the room. "The food was good," she said, looking into the innkeepers dazed eyes. "Get more of it, and my companion and I will be back." Then she turned, grabbed the stunned Utena, and walked casually out.
Utena was giving Callisto a look that the warrior didn't like, and she was pretty sure it had to do with what had just happened in the inn, but there was no way she could ask the girl about it until they got out of town. Still, it was damn annoying to have someone glaring at you (This was why she didn't get married), so she whipped her head around to give her companion a fierce, cold look. "I don't like that look," she growled. "Dry it up!"
She was pleased and gratified to see Utena turn her eyes straight ahead and smooth out the frown on her face, but felt a twinge of guilt that she couldn't have explained it a without snapping at her friend. Sqashing that feeling immediately, she marched them in the direction of a fine-looking stable and approached the stable master. "I'd like to buy two horses," she announced.
The stable master took one look at the warrior-goddess currently staring him down, a falcon on one arm and a sweet-looking and very sexy girl on the other, and decided that dickering with the woman was out of the question. He quoted her the lowest price he could get away with without taking a loss, and when she suggested a price slightly lower than that one, he agreed without a moment's hesitation. Some low instinct warned him that his neck was worth far more than two horses.
Callisto took the stallion offered for herself, and then turned to Utena. "Do you ride?" she asked belatedly.
"Sure," the girl returned easily, but still watching the warrior carefully.
"Good," Callisto nodded, pulling herself up onto the mount and taking off without a backward glance to see if the girl was behind her. She didn't need to look; her finely tuned senses told her through her hearing that her companion was scrambling up onto her horse and trotting it to catch up. She even heard the soft "Thank you" that the girl uttered to the stable master before she was away.
They slowed down when they reached the main path, and as soon as they were well out of town, Utena turned to Callisto and demanded, "Alright, I know you didn't want me to ask about that scene back there while we were still in town, but now that we're all the way out here, s'pose you explain to me why you felt the need to bash and humiliate that poor man."
Callisto sighed. "Utena, honey, I know you don't understand because I can tell you operate under some sense of honor, but I can't let people think I'm getting soft. Now, for example, that guy last night didn't die, we agreed. That was kinda bad, because he interrupted my sleep and he should have been punished, but seeing as how everyone in that inn wanted you and you belong to me, I figured maybe they'd let that go as romance. But everyone heard me tell the innkeeper I didn't want to be disturbed, and almost everyone is sure to find out that I was. Whether or not it was the man's fault doesn't matter. He disobeyed a specific instruction from me, and he had to be punished. And the up-side is, next time we come through that village, we won't be disturbed, and we'll have a lavish place to stay based on the amount of money I left him. You see?"
"No, not really, but I can let that go as part of your evil charm for the moment I guess. But you've brought up another question: What the hell do you mean, I belong to you?"
"People don't belong to others in your time?" Callisto asked, genuinely curious.
"No," Utena answered flatly. "Slavery's kind of a taboo."
"I'm not talking about slavery, I'm talking about romantically! As in, how can you have a relationship where one person doesn't have the final say in all matters and decisions, and take care of the other person?"
"That's what the student council wants to do with Anthy, and that's why I can't let her go!" Utena exclaimed, catching on to what Callisto meant. "It's archaic, it's wrong, and-"
"It might be exactly what Anthy wants. Did you ever think of that?" Callisto asked pointedly. Then she shook her head and sighed. "Archaic or not, it's what we do in this time period, so it's how our relationship is going to be. Since I understand what's going on here, I'll have the final say in what we do, I'll be the one in charge, and you'll belong to me. Understood?"
Numbly, Utena nodded. SHe knew what Callisto was talking about - it wasn't slavery, but something that had a bunch of letters - but, even though it existed in her time too, she was pretty sure she didn't like it. Still, she needed someone to be her guide in this barbaric time, and she needed to sort through her feelings for Callisto. How much of what she was feeling was the result of lust and the spell? How much was genuine affection and attraction? She just didn't know, that was the hell of it, and she was determined not to abandon this budding relationship till she was sure.
They rode in silence for a while before Callisto turned to her and spoke. "Look, I know what you're thinking. I promise I won't brand you, or set rules for you, or make you call me Mistress. Not unless you want me to," she added softly, darting a glance at the girl. Utena didn't blink, simply frowned back at her. Callisto smiled indulgently. "But someone does have to be the Mistress. And that's going to be me."
"I understand that, Cal. I really do. It just ... it just feels wrong. It feels like I'm allowing someone to control me. I was always taught to be repsonsible for myself."
"You may just like it, if you let yourself experience it enough. But don't worry, Utena, you still have to be repsonisble for yourself. I'm counting on it."
"Cal, what are you going to do with your life after you kill Xena?"
The question came out of nowhere. It was casually and innocently asked, but it still floored her. She tensed on her horse, and the mount seemed to sense this and came to a halt. Utena turned back and looked at her, not bothering to pretend to look like she didn't know what was wrong. Instead, the look was warm with sympathy, but quiet. She wouldn't even bother to emote until Callisto weathered this idea.
"What do you mean?" Callisto asked with a dangerous edge.
"All you've ever done is chase Xena, to kill her. You're not going to serve the same purpose when she's dead, but you'll still have to have something to do. So what are you going to do?"
"What does it matter?" Callisto asked, giving the stallion a command to move. After she's dead, you'll go home, back to your trivial problems, and you won't ever need to think of me again."
Callisto jumped as Utena simply lunged over, grabbed the other woman by the hair, and knocked her to the ground. The warrior's eyes flashed and she prepared to throw the girl off, but Utena angrily slammed the woman back down. "Don't!" she demanded emotionally, her voice breaking.
"Don't what?" Callisto hissed?
"I'm not going to be your last stand, and I'm not going to let you avenge yourself for surviving. She missed you, that's all! I don't know what;s going to happen, or how I'll feel about you when this is over, but you're already unforgettable to me, I'd already rather stay with you than let you kill yourself, so don't be cavalier about your suicide!" Callisto was dismayed to see the girl was close to tears.
Callisto turned away from the sweet, angry face for a moment, clearing the fog from before her eyes, and then turned back to her. "I can't promise anything," she answered heavily. "I've never had to plan a future after Xena, because there was never going to be one, and I can't change the plans that I've had for so long just because of one cute girl who wants me around. I just met you, I don't love you, so you're not influential enough to stay my hand. But I care about you, and I around until I decide what to do. I'll think very carefully about it. That's all I can offer you."
Utena looked searchingly at her, consuming the warrior with her eyes, and then nodded and started to get up. Callisto had other ideas, and she grasped the girl's wrist and pulled her down, then rolled them over so she was on top of Utena, and suddenly those too-wide eyes were gazing up at her in fear.
"Never assault me," Callisto said harshly. "Didn't I just tell you that you belong to me? I don't like my girls to throw me down, understand?" The tears which had been standing in Utena's eyes finally slipped down her smooth cheek. The girl said nothing. "Do you understand?" Callisto demanded again.
Mutely, the girl nodded, and Callisto had a moment's hesitation, fearing that the girl's terror was for being disciplined, that her despair stemmed from being treated cruelly. In her heart, however, Callisto know that her fear was that Callisto would leave her, that her sadness was at having displeased the warrior, and she rose to her feet, dragging the girl with her. "Someday, I fear I will love you. You will be my liability, and I won't mind at all. When that day comes, I'll want you to save me from myself. But for now, you're my partner, my fellow warrior, and I don't want you being so close. For now, just fuck me when we stop, and work with me when we walk.