A/N: These were done as part of a writing exercise, using this technique:

"Pick a book of any sort - novel, textbook, whatever - and take the first sentence off of pages 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, etc., as far into the book as you'd like. Using these sentences as a prompt, write a short drabble. You do not have to use the entire first sentence if you don't want to; a phrase or just a word is fine also if the sentence as a whole is not particularly inspiring. All that matters is that it is indeed the first sentence you are using - no picking and choosing, unless you come across something you really can't use, and in that case you just skip the page entirely."

The book I used was Hermann Hesse's Demian (which Utena itself was partially based upon!). I did some for Utena and some for Death Note, but separated them for FFnet (hence the missing page numbers).

P. 10: "Is that true?"

"Is it true, Anthy?"

"Is what true, Saionji-sempai?" she asked in that innocently light voice that maddened him so. Saionji's eye twitched.

"They say you've become very... close... to that Utena Tenjou," he said through gritted teeth, trying his best to remain calm. He needed to hear it straight from Anthy's lips before he overreacted, if only for appearances' sake.

"Of course," the Indian girl answered simply, like a robot spitting out a line of code from its program. "I am engaged to Utena-sama. I must keep close to her."

His emerald eye twitched again, and, letting out a growl to put any wild beast to shame, he snatched her thin shoulders. She cried out - surprised, not scared, for he knew her well enough never to expect so strong an emotion as fear from her - and dropped her watering can with a tin crash.

"You know that's not what I mean!" he yelled, his spit staining her round glasses as he shook her hard.

"Saionji..."

"Don't you see, that fool girl beating me was a fluke! I'm the captain of the kendo team, what else could it have been?" he continued, his green eyes turned savage as green hair flaired out in a wild mane around him. "It doesn't matter that you're engaged to her now, because in the end I'll be the champion!"

"Saionji-sempai," she whispered, sadly turning her beautifully exotic face from him. A-ha! he thought, there was the old Anthy shining through - his Anthy, his bride!

"There, don't you see?" he said gently, holding her trembling body still now. "It's fate, I'm meant to win, to have you, because you know as well as I that we're in love!"

"You ought not say such things to me," Anthy said quietly, her face horribly emotionless again, "since I am no longer engaged to you."

Saionji released her shoulders, pulling back with an empty expression. He heard her take a breath, and he wondered if it was one of relief.

Anthy moved to retrieve her fallen watering can, ignoring his presence completely, and the anger surged through him again. Saionji reared back his hand and slapped her, sending her frail body to the ground. Her head hit the concrete floor of the greenhouse with a soft, sickening crack, and Saionji smirked with satisfaction.