When I awoke it was all different. The stage that was once set for you was all gone and replaced. The people who acted on said stage had fallen victim to the same faith. Everything was the same but the internal feeling of difference was there, lingering and souring the rich flavor of my past memories. I was alive and unscathed from my impending dome to be slashed and diced by the slick sliver flashes of metal. I'm relieved, I'm alright and that I can still breath the breathtaking air of newly grown roses. A scent I have come to love and that has worthen its way into the school's frames and interiors. Unfortunately, that's the only thing that has stayed permanently untainted and that haunts me every day.

The person who tends to your roses is as gone as you were. But unlike you, they show how miserable and mistreated they are. Not just by the facial expressions they bring every day but the way the school's greenhouse now looks so abused and unused. Sadly your pelted folded flowers are dying because the new owner can't stand to look at them. It's kinda a parallel with you gone they die with you here they thrive. I guess you can say the same thing about me. I just couldn't hold on and now I got to live with the price of living without you. I had failed you as your prince so now I must live as a princess. In a world that's uncanny to ours but with missing pieces that have been taking out of the set. Your poor roses suffer because of me. Unlike before I'm not the one protecting your flowers but I'm the flowers themselves. Now really I do understand your pain Anthy...

I am in your place

I am the Rose Bride

I look up at the Scarlet haired man who stood before me, Touga Kiryuu, with a one of kind smile to please him. He had just won me against Kyouichi Saionji a few hours ago. He looked cocky as ever, the moonlight not changing that arrogant look. Touga was nice at heart but liked to show off a little too much. I was very much relieved when he won for I wouldn't get assaulted anymore but he still wasn't really a step up from bad to good. When I first found out my new place in this world, I did have a little fight in me, but it all just went away. Without Anthy, here there is nothing to fight for anymore, more importantly, nothing to live for. Every night I was either giving pleasure to the winner or when they weren't looking to The End of the World.

Waking up for school is always the hardest part, especially when I have to wear something that weighs me down emotionally, the girl's school uniform. I miss my prince's outfit but I no longer deserve to touch or even look at it now. The only thing I wear and that stayed perfect from the last stage is the prince's ring. It's the closest thing I have left that was connected to my violet haired friend. I never take it off and when asked about it by the winner I simply say its all in The End of the World's plan. They eat it up like it's a 3-course meal, at least I can still lie and get away with it, I guess.

I walked to school without Touga today he said he would meet with me later, so I just walked alone. It was actually really calming for a change but didn't last long because I could hear the comical flapping of uneven steps fastly approaching me. I go to turn to see the alarming commotion but instead, I don't get a chance to even stop my own slow pace. I get an avalanche of person slamming into my back, Wakaba Shinohara. She practically yells my ear off with my own name as she kicks and lashes around while holding onto my now sore neck and back. Even in this world me and her are friends, just like before she's blinded and doesn't know about the all Rose Bride stuff, just like before. She thinks since I'm so cool. I can have any guy that comes my way. She hasn't changed at all but it's weird at times the glint in her eyes reflects the look of recognition and deep sadness or of misery towards me. Like she knows this isn't how this is supposed to be.

We walk side by side on the long stoned street to the prison of a school and have a little chat back and forth until it was interrupted by something I could have never foreseen in this life. A voice that I have longed to hear, glided with the wind into my ears. I froze completely in shock as Wakaba stopped her jabbering and turned to look towards the soft tender voice that had interjected the conversation. All the feminine voice said was a good morning, but I knew deep down even though it was the very same ring that the owner of the voice wasn't her. My ponytail friend smiled and said good morning back with an added name to the end. That rocked my body and shook my very soul to all most tears.

"Good Morning, Ms. Himemiya"

It all went deathly silent and I don't know if they could see it but I was engrossed in making sure I wasn't shaking like a maniac. Wakaba turned to me with a questionable look and told me to show some respect to the chairman's daughter. I try to steady myself taking everything back down the best that I could and turned. Everything slowed for me as the world turned I turned. She was there right there the one and only. My sweet little Anthy with her Violet hair seemingly down and wavy and with her lips pressed in a calming smile with her clear as day glasses resting on her button nose.

"Goodmorning Anthy"

I had said her name without thinking as if we knew each other. But even with her here shes not my Anthy and doesn't know our past time together. Caramel eyes bore at me and the girl across in surprise and wonder as her ponytail swishes back and forth between us. I couldn't look away from her emerald eyes, I was afraid if I did she might disappear from my life like before. She didn't seem bothered that I said her name she seemed in a way, relieved. It was like her already wide smile extended just a little more. She walked past me as I exhaled my suffocating breath and close my eyes in relief. That was so awkward and tormenting for me, I just wanna clawed my own eyes out in dismay.

Classes were getting bad for my already damaged and unhealthy mind. The teachings are so stale that it gives me to much time to think it kills me. It was break time and everything I felt was being completely bottled up inside and it was becoming too much too bare. My ponytail friend was across from me talking up a storm and asking questions about what happen this morning. I had yet to answer her pending questions since the occurrence and the caramel girl was pissed. Her rambling goes on and on until she stops to look up from me to the side. Her flaming eyes had turned their attention to two figures. That had made perfect shadows around me and layer nicely upon the white garden table.

Wakaba face turns from almost calm water to boiling over. the poor figures have just stumbled over into hell fire sparking an explosion of passion in my dear friend. I sigh getting ready for an annoying matter of unforeseen confusion and yelling. Orange eyes widen at me as if solved the unsolvable puzzle of sorts then back to the shadows with a stern look of anger.

"You bastard!"

I look up surprised at the language that has sprouted out of my friend's mouth. Wakaba was out of her mind as she slammed a now bruising hand down on the table. I was so engrossed in her action I didn't feel the arms and hands touching me. Finally getting a glimpse of the new characters in the courtyard. I turn from emotion to sudden dead plan shutting down and feeling a solid wall build. It was Touga and Anthy that had Triggered the Wakaba off.

"You think just because you're Touga Kiryuu you can cheat on Utena!"

At this point, I had fallen completely to the safe place of my memories of the past stage. I come back a little feeling a tightness from around my hand and shoulder. Touga was angry and it was radiating off him, knowing him a glaring contest had started. Even in this world, his feelings of passion hadn't changed towards me.

"I'm a lot of things Ms. Wakaba but a cheater is not one of them."

The grip had been added to the pressure then to my body and it kinda starts to hurt. It felt like I was being crushed the slight pain bringing me back from my happy place. " you're a lair why are you even with her!"

I had finally come all back down from the clouds to earth as water had been thrown right pass me and hitting something. Touga with all his training with swords was quick enough to dodge the flying water. I remember this same scene before. But even history has to follow to a point. I slapped my out of control friend for Touga and Anthy. Shocking everyone but not Anthy and she wasn't even wet. She had moved like she knew the actions that had taken place here before. I was sick to my stomach and felt everything start to spin. The conversation and movement placement was the same but off. Everything was so wrong and upside down. I was shaking and was looking out of focus. I ejected myself from everything my body moving away from the closing space of a concerning Touga. I ran from everything not fighting the uncontrollable urge to run away in sickness.

"Ms. Utena."

"Ms. Utena!"

My name is being called from the darkness of my heart. It longs for me to awake in the warm world to wash away the coldness that permeates my skin. I finally Open my self to the conscious and there it is, there she is.

"Anthy?"

Green and Violet that stands opposite to my colors, ring true in the scene before me. Above me staring in concern is my Anthy. In my complete memory, she is the same, my dear Anthy from my broken dreams. I reach up with my right and caress the tanned cheeks with fondness and in remembrance.

"I can't live like this anymore"

"I can't live without my Anthy"

"I can't live with the pain"

Tears that have been stored inside me for so long finally spilled out of me. I close my eyes from her godly image and cry for the first time since that fateful day.

"Ms. Utena you and my brother are betrothed as I've heard."

I cover my soaked face with my hands and to hide. Noticing finally that this is the real world and not just a dream. I nod my head and push tears harder with a loud cry of hurt and unhappiness.

"But Didn't you promise me that place in your heart, that we would someday go together?"

My breath hitches and my body stills. I release my face from clammy hands to look at the girl before me.

In the tower that shows the shining stars ever night. I always refused to go here for it was our place that it would only be us. The place brought everything back to me and made my heart weighted in my chest.

"H-how"

"I followed you, Ms. Utena"

Anthy took off her glass and undid her hair as she started to progress closer to my face. Her calming, loving smile was there to hypnotize me all the way to her lips.

A kiss from her was purifying my thoughts and heart. It was clean and refreshing from sloppy ones I would get from the winners. This kiss was glorious and made sparks fly but really when I open my eyes our outfits had changed to before. I wore the prince and her the rose, it was back to before.

" I'm here to free you so we can live together forever."

"Let me be your real bride."

I was in shock but I couldn't help but smile before me. My Anthy came to save me, in a world that is not her own and is following a path that is going to be changed just for me.

"Anthy you were always on my mind and you were always my bride to be, in truth I always loved you"

Another kiss was brought on by my violet bride and another and another. The love we shared is true and will never be severed again.