{Once upon a time, there was a princess-}
[That's not how it goes.]
{Hey, will you let me finish? Okay, once there was a princess,
who decided that she wanted to become a prince-}
[I don't think she was ever a princess. And besides, that isn't
a good place to start.]
{Fine. If *you're* so smart, then *you* tell the story.}
[All right, I will.]
{Fine.}
[Once upon a time, there was a prince who strove to fill the
world with light, and made it his goal to bring joy to all the
princesses everywhere. However, a prince can only ever truly be
a prince to one princess, perhaps saving a few more along the
way. The world scorned his efforts, and in a fit of anger, took
his most precious jewel from him, his sister. And the fallen
prince decided that since he couldn't make the world happy, he
would make the world his. But with the loss of his nobility, his
greatest power was broken.]
{What power would that be?}
[Love. Pure, true, undiluted love is the most powerful thing in
the world. But his had been weakened by being spread too thin,
and then was finally lost. You can try to save all of the
princesses of the world, but if you do not ever truly know them,
how can you love them?]
{Point.}
[Anyway, so the fallen prince tried to use the dreams and hopes
of others to regain his power. But since he had forgotten what
love was, if he had ever really known, he couldn't see that their
emotions were selfish and flawed, and incapable of ever accessing
such power. But then one came along with a truly noble heart;
one he was sure could regain his power for him.]
{And *that* is the princess who wanted to be- OW!}
[*I'm* telling the story, remember?]
{You didn't have to *hit* me!}
[However, because of her purity, she detested everything the
fallen prince stood for, and they fought an epic battle in the
sky. The prince's power was released in order to save the
princess, who was set free and lived happily ever after. The
fallen one never understood what had happened, and spent the rest
of his days trying to regain that which no longer existed.]
{And the prince? The real one I mean, who freed the power. The
girl.}
[Ah yes, her. The world she had lived in forgot her. No one
knew what ever became of her. And that is where the story truly
begins.]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shatter
A Shoujo Kakumei Utena Fanfiction
By Lady Brick
www.mindeclipse.com
Part 1 - The Page Turns
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
He watched them from his perch above the world.
They milled far below, indistinguishable, insects. Yet he knew
each one, their name, their mind, their soul. This was his
world, and they were his creatures. Each one was so trapped
amidst their longings and desires, they never realized how weak
it made them. Impure, cracked, some even broken beyond repair.
He reveled in it.
Yet in the end, they were all useless. Even the strongest, those
consumed, fused by their longings, were still so easily
shattered. Nothing more than toys, really, played with for a
while, and then discarded out of boredom.
Except for one.
He could see her in his mind's eye, shining, pure. In all of his
long existence, he had never seen another quite like her, so
innocent, untouched, unbreakable. Well, perhaps he had, but he
didn't care to remember that one.
It was a paradox really. He hated her purity, it repulsed him,
and yet he needed it to reach the power that had been lost to
him. And yet again, he would have to burn away just a touch of
that strength, that nobility, before he could fully utilize it
for his own means. Just to bend her, a bit. The breaking would
come later.
He stepped away from the window, the wind outside giving his pale
hair one final tug. Strolling behind his desk, he immersed
himself in the boring, mundane paperwork that had been waiting
patiently for him all morning. Of course, his power was such
that he would never be forced to resort to such lowly means to
truly run the school, his world, but it amused him to play
according to their rules, and still come out on top.
Or so he told himself.
One memo caught his eye. A note from the head teacher about
meeting with a new student later that afternoon. Student
transfers were not that unusual, even this far into the term.
And he often did meet with the new students, both as a friendly
gesture to show that those in charge of the school were
accessible, and for his own purposes of learning if there were
any new candidates worthy of wearing his rose seal.
The odd thing about it was, this was the first he had heard of
it.
Ohtori was his world, nothing ever happened without his knowledge
of it. Normally he would not be concerned, but his plans were
beginning to ripen quickly, and he would take no chances that
anything would disturb them. It was possible that, concerned
with more important matters, he had simply let a few things slip
by. But he wasn't willing to stake all he had worked towards on
it.
The Revolution was quickly approaching. And, under his watchful
eye, nothing would stop it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Do you think he will figure it out?"
"He is too blinded by the power he believes he possesses. He
won't realize anything until it is too late."
"But he..."
"He is trapped within his own illusions, as much as those he
manipulates. He won't even consider it a possibility."
A pause.
"Does he love her? Even a little."
"He doesn't know what that means anymore."
"I had hoped that perhaps... no, I knew. I'm sorry. I guess I'm
just a little scared."
"I know. I'll be here, though. Don't worry."
"I'll worry until this is over."
A pause.
"I know. And perhaps you are the wiser of us for it."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A pale-haired girl stepped through the gates of Ohtori, barely
avoiding being trampled by a herd of excited elementary school
students heading to class. She took one glance around, absently
smoothing her long gray skirt, tucking back a strand of hair that
had escaped its tidy bun, then spotted a group of middle school
students. Hesitantly at first, and then with a slightly more
assured step, she approached them.
"Excuse me," she began, "I don't mean to bother you, but I just
transferred to this school, and I-"
One of the younger girls turned towards her, a brunette with a
jaunty ponytail pulled far back from her face and a smile that
shone through her bright brown eyes. "Do you need help at all?
I, Shinohara Wakaba, will gladly assist you!" Seemingly
forgetting her friends, she latched onto the older girl's arm.
Staring at the enthusiastic middle schooler, the girl in gray
struggled with herself for a moment before finally relaxing and
revealing her own small smile.
"Thank you very much, Shinohara-san." With her free arm, she
retrieved a sheet of paper from her blazer pocket. "I am
supposed to meet with the school chairman, according to this."
"The Chairman? Wow, he's so incredibly cu- I mean, my best
friend lives with him and his younger sister... I can show you
the way."
"Your best friend?"
Wakaba nodded vigorously. "Utena-kun is my best friend.
Although she hasn't been around much recently..." Her eyebrow
spasmed momentarily, then calmed. "And that is why it is up to
me to work hard to maintain the bonds of our precious
friendship."
The pale-haired girl frowned slightly. "Hasn't been around? Did
she leave the school?"
"Oh no! She is in class and everything, I just don't see her as
much otherwise. And she never seems to hang around much with
anyone else either. Even Hasukawa-san asked me the other day why
Utena-kun never plays the basketball team anymore." Wakaba's
somber demeanor suddenly fled. "Utena-kun is one of the best
athletes in the school! She can beat the *whole* basketball team
by herself. And she's so tall..." she craned her neck up at the
pale-haired girl. "But I think you are even taller... Are you in
the high school?"
"Yes, 11th grade."
"Ah, so that explains it. You're taller because you are older.
I bet Utena-kun will be at least as tall as you when she is in
11th grade- oh, here we are."
Wakaba led her through an ornate wooden door emblazoned with the
school's rose crest into a small, elegantly decorated lobby.
There were a few small doors surrounding an elaborate metal
grating. At a touch of a small button, the metalwork pulled
apart, revealing an elevator.
"Isn't this cool?" bubbled Wakaba as the elevator slowly rose.
"Utena-kun is so lucky she gets to live with- I mean, in such a
amazing place."
The other girl nodded absently. She twisted her hands together
in a somewhat nervous manner, fiddling with a gold ring on one of
her fingers.
The elevator gave a gentle chime as it arrived on the top floor,
the doors separating to reveal a cavernous room with a giant
planetarium projector seated in the center.
"This has to be the coolest office ever, don't you think?" Wakaba
asked. "I mean at the top of a tower, with a planetarium... it's
like a fairy tale or something."
The older girl didn't answer. She slowly stepped into room,
leaving Wakaba alone in the elevator.
"Good luck! And see you around!" Wakaba waved vigorously as the
metal doors wove shut in front of her. She hoped she could still
make it to class early enough to talk to Utena. She could tell
her about-
It was then she realized she had forgotten to ask the girl her
name.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Mawahisa Kyoko." Ohtori Akio glanced at the paper caught in his
hand, then at the pale girl in the gray uniform seated in the
chair in front of his desk. She shifted uncomfortably under his
scrutiny. It was almost refreshing to see someone who wasn't
immediately drawn in by his presence. There were so few at this
school who could sense something unusual about his presence, who
seemed immune to his charms. It meant little to him if she was.
Adoration and fear: both served his purposes equally well. "It
says in your file that you spent that you have spent the last few
years studying abroad?"
Kyoko nodded once. "Yes. I found it necessary to return to
Japan a few months ago. I have... a heart condition. It was too
much of a strain away from home and my doctors."
"Yes, we recently lost a student with similar condition." In his
mind's eye, he saw the lanky, enigmatic duelist. He had had such
high hopes for the boy, but in the end, he had relinquished his
desires for another. Weak. "He insisted on pushing past his
limits, despite warnings against attempting any strenuous
physical activities. I hope that you will be more attentive to
your health. I assume that you will not be participating in any
of our intramural athletics."
"No." Kyoko paused. "Actually, I have recently started taking
horseback riding lessons... my doctor said that it was alright.
I heard that Ohtori had a stable?"
Akio gave a warm smile. "We have a first-class stable out by the
forest. I often go riding myself. I'll contact the head hostler
and let him know that you are to have full access."
"Thank you." The words were barely a whisper.
"Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to
accommodate you," Akio said, studying her rather delicate
features. She was really a lovely girl. Too bad she was of no
real use to him. But at this point, he had more than enough
pawns in his little chess game... too many pieces inevitably led
to disorder. "I assume that the head teacher already gave you
your room assignments and class schedule?"
"Yes."
"Well, I believe that is all for the time being then. Feel free
to stop by again if you need to discuss anything, no matter how
small. I am at your disposal." He held out a long-fingered
hand, and she hesitantly clasped it. Her fingers were cold, and
a gold ring she wore with some sort of raised motif bit somewhat
painfully into his fingers. She withdrew her hand quickly, and
looked at him with large, almost frightened eyes. They were an
odd shade of gray, with hints of blue or hazel, he wasn't quite
sure.
"Thank you," she repeated, turning sharply and retreating towards
the elevator. He watched her leave with some bemusement, then
turned his attention back to more important matters that lay at
hand.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
She crouched against the wall, her body wracked by sobs. She
slipped a handkerchief out of her blazer pocket, wiping the tear
tracks from her cheeks.
"I can't do this," she whispered, seemingly to herself. "Coming
back here, seeing everyone... it's too hard. And I didn't think
she'd be here. I'll have to see them together... I don't want
to! Why do I have to? Tell me!"
She paused, silent, as if expecting answers to drop from the
wind. Judging by the way her expression calmed, it appeared that
they quite possibly had.
"You're right, as usual. I do have to finish this, the whole
stupid fairy tale game. The prince and the princess must live
happily ever after, and the world's shell must be broken, and all
of that crap. I'm sorry. I know what this means to you."
She returned the handkerchief to her pocket and stood, quickly
smoothing her uniform. In the back of her mind, she wondered if
she would have to get one of those ridiculous Ohtori uniforms, or
if her own would serve for her time here.
She was about halfway to her dorm when her vision began to waver.
She slowed down, took long, deep breaths. However, the pain
began to come, first slowly, then in waves. The world fluttered
in and out of focus.
"Damnit," she gasped, feeling the papers slip from her shaking
fingers. She had been feeling so much better as of late, to have
another attack now... She stumbled, lost her balance.
A hand clasped her shoulder firmly, steadying her. Gradually,
the pain ebbed, and her eyes cleared. She knelt to get the
papers she had dropped, but found they were already being held in
front of her.
"Thank you," she murmured, turning to see who her rescuer was.
Her throat locked at the sight of the white uniform, sharp blue
eyes, and long, red hair.
"Always glad to assist a damsel in distress," Kiriyuu Touga
replied, a slight smirk on his face.
She only gaped in reply.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Himemiya? Something wrong?" Utena paused, noticing Anthy's
attention was drawn outside the classroom window. Glancing out
into the bright afternoon, she noticed the Student Council
President speaking to a tall, elegant blond in a strange gray
uniform. "Who is that?"
Anthy finally snapped out of her brief trance. Turning to Utena,
she gave a small smile.
"Something different," she replied.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
{Are you sure you're telling the right story? I'm pretty
familiar with this one, and I don't remember her. Hey, you
aren't adding new characters all of a sudden, are you? That's
cheating!}
[The story is never the same. Endings always change, because
once you reach the end, who wants to live the whole thing over
again? Puppets cut their strings, shadows spring to life, and
masks are traded. New faces can be old in disguised. After all,
the story never ends, and never begins.]
{...... was that supposed to make sense?}
[It always does, at the end.]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Author's Notes:
Whatever you are thinking about this fic, it is probably wrong.
With that said, "Shatter" should end up being five parts long...
I'll go as far to say it WILL be five parts long, as carefully as
I have plotted this out. Please don't form any mindsets about
this story until all of the parts have been released and read.
After all, "that is where the story truly begins." I'd say more,
but I have probably already said too much. Comments and
critiques are welcome and encouraged.
Lady Brick
lady_brick@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I did not create Utena and do not own any of the
characters. Though I doubt anyone thought I did.
[That's not how it goes.]
{Hey, will you let me finish? Okay, once there was a princess,
who decided that she wanted to become a prince-}
[I don't think she was ever a princess. And besides, that isn't
a good place to start.]
{Fine. If *you're* so smart, then *you* tell the story.}
[All right, I will.]
{Fine.}
[Once upon a time, there was a prince who strove to fill the
world with light, and made it his goal to bring joy to all the
princesses everywhere. However, a prince can only ever truly be
a prince to one princess, perhaps saving a few more along the
way. The world scorned his efforts, and in a fit of anger, took
his most precious jewel from him, his sister. And the fallen
prince decided that since he couldn't make the world happy, he
would make the world his. But with the loss of his nobility, his
greatest power was broken.]
{What power would that be?}
[Love. Pure, true, undiluted love is the most powerful thing in
the world. But his had been weakened by being spread too thin,
and then was finally lost. You can try to save all of the
princesses of the world, but if you do not ever truly know them,
how can you love them?]
{Point.}
[Anyway, so the fallen prince tried to use the dreams and hopes
of others to regain his power. But since he had forgotten what
love was, if he had ever really known, he couldn't see that their
emotions were selfish and flawed, and incapable of ever accessing
such power. But then one came along with a truly noble heart;
one he was sure could regain his power for him.]
{And *that* is the princess who wanted to be- OW!}
[*I'm* telling the story, remember?]
{You didn't have to *hit* me!}
[However, because of her purity, she detested everything the
fallen prince stood for, and they fought an epic battle in the
sky. The prince's power was released in order to save the
princess, who was set free and lived happily ever after. The
fallen one never understood what had happened, and spent the rest
of his days trying to regain that which no longer existed.]
{And the prince? The real one I mean, who freed the power. The
girl.}
[Ah yes, her. The world she had lived in forgot her. No one
knew what ever became of her. And that is where the story truly
begins.]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Shatter
A Shoujo Kakumei Utena Fanfiction
By Lady Brick
www.mindeclipse.com
Part 1 - The Page Turns
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
He watched them from his perch above the world.
They milled far below, indistinguishable, insects. Yet he knew
each one, their name, their mind, their soul. This was his
world, and they were his creatures. Each one was so trapped
amidst their longings and desires, they never realized how weak
it made them. Impure, cracked, some even broken beyond repair.
He reveled in it.
Yet in the end, they were all useless. Even the strongest, those
consumed, fused by their longings, were still so easily
shattered. Nothing more than toys, really, played with for a
while, and then discarded out of boredom.
Except for one.
He could see her in his mind's eye, shining, pure. In all of his
long existence, he had never seen another quite like her, so
innocent, untouched, unbreakable. Well, perhaps he had, but he
didn't care to remember that one.
It was a paradox really. He hated her purity, it repulsed him,
and yet he needed it to reach the power that had been lost to
him. And yet again, he would have to burn away just a touch of
that strength, that nobility, before he could fully utilize it
for his own means. Just to bend her, a bit. The breaking would
come later.
He stepped away from the window, the wind outside giving his pale
hair one final tug. Strolling behind his desk, he immersed
himself in the boring, mundane paperwork that had been waiting
patiently for him all morning. Of course, his power was such
that he would never be forced to resort to such lowly means to
truly run the school, his world, but it amused him to play
according to their rules, and still come out on top.
Or so he told himself.
One memo caught his eye. A note from the head teacher about
meeting with a new student later that afternoon. Student
transfers were not that unusual, even this far into the term.
And he often did meet with the new students, both as a friendly
gesture to show that those in charge of the school were
accessible, and for his own purposes of learning if there were
any new candidates worthy of wearing his rose seal.
The odd thing about it was, this was the first he had heard of
it.
Ohtori was his world, nothing ever happened without his knowledge
of it. Normally he would not be concerned, but his plans were
beginning to ripen quickly, and he would take no chances that
anything would disturb them. It was possible that, concerned
with more important matters, he had simply let a few things slip
by. But he wasn't willing to stake all he had worked towards on
it.
The Revolution was quickly approaching. And, under his watchful
eye, nothing would stop it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Do you think he will figure it out?"
"He is too blinded by the power he believes he possesses. He
won't realize anything until it is too late."
"But he..."
"He is trapped within his own illusions, as much as those he
manipulates. He won't even consider it a possibility."
A pause.
"Does he love her? Even a little."
"He doesn't know what that means anymore."
"I had hoped that perhaps... no, I knew. I'm sorry. I guess I'm
just a little scared."
"I know. I'll be here, though. Don't worry."
"I'll worry until this is over."
A pause.
"I know. And perhaps you are the wiser of us for it."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A pale-haired girl stepped through the gates of Ohtori, barely
avoiding being trampled by a herd of excited elementary school
students heading to class. She took one glance around, absently
smoothing her long gray skirt, tucking back a strand of hair that
had escaped its tidy bun, then spotted a group of middle school
students. Hesitantly at first, and then with a slightly more
assured step, she approached them.
"Excuse me," she began, "I don't mean to bother you, but I just
transferred to this school, and I-"
One of the younger girls turned towards her, a brunette with a
jaunty ponytail pulled far back from her face and a smile that
shone through her bright brown eyes. "Do you need help at all?
I, Shinohara Wakaba, will gladly assist you!" Seemingly
forgetting her friends, she latched onto the older girl's arm.
Staring at the enthusiastic middle schooler, the girl in gray
struggled with herself for a moment before finally relaxing and
revealing her own small smile.
"Thank you very much, Shinohara-san." With her free arm, she
retrieved a sheet of paper from her blazer pocket. "I am
supposed to meet with the school chairman, according to this."
"The Chairman? Wow, he's so incredibly cu- I mean, my best
friend lives with him and his younger sister... I can show you
the way."
"Your best friend?"
Wakaba nodded vigorously. "Utena-kun is my best friend.
Although she hasn't been around much recently..." Her eyebrow
spasmed momentarily, then calmed. "And that is why it is up to
me to work hard to maintain the bonds of our precious
friendship."
The pale-haired girl frowned slightly. "Hasn't been around? Did
she leave the school?"
"Oh no! She is in class and everything, I just don't see her as
much otherwise. And she never seems to hang around much with
anyone else either. Even Hasukawa-san asked me the other day why
Utena-kun never plays the basketball team anymore." Wakaba's
somber demeanor suddenly fled. "Utena-kun is one of the best
athletes in the school! She can beat the *whole* basketball team
by herself. And she's so tall..." she craned her neck up at the
pale-haired girl. "But I think you are even taller... Are you in
the high school?"
"Yes, 11th grade."
"Ah, so that explains it. You're taller because you are older.
I bet Utena-kun will be at least as tall as you when she is in
11th grade- oh, here we are."
Wakaba led her through an ornate wooden door emblazoned with the
school's rose crest into a small, elegantly decorated lobby.
There were a few small doors surrounding an elaborate metal
grating. At a touch of a small button, the metalwork pulled
apart, revealing an elevator.
"Isn't this cool?" bubbled Wakaba as the elevator slowly rose.
"Utena-kun is so lucky she gets to live with- I mean, in such a
amazing place."
The other girl nodded absently. She twisted her hands together
in a somewhat nervous manner, fiddling with a gold ring on one of
her fingers.
The elevator gave a gentle chime as it arrived on the top floor,
the doors separating to reveal a cavernous room with a giant
planetarium projector seated in the center.
"This has to be the coolest office ever, don't you think?" Wakaba
asked. "I mean at the top of a tower, with a planetarium... it's
like a fairy tale or something."
The older girl didn't answer. She slowly stepped into room,
leaving Wakaba alone in the elevator.
"Good luck! And see you around!" Wakaba waved vigorously as the
metal doors wove shut in front of her. She hoped she could still
make it to class early enough to talk to Utena. She could tell
her about-
It was then she realized she had forgotten to ask the girl her
name.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Mawahisa Kyoko." Ohtori Akio glanced at the paper caught in his
hand, then at the pale girl in the gray uniform seated in the
chair in front of his desk. She shifted uncomfortably under his
scrutiny. It was almost refreshing to see someone who wasn't
immediately drawn in by his presence. There were so few at this
school who could sense something unusual about his presence, who
seemed immune to his charms. It meant little to him if she was.
Adoration and fear: both served his purposes equally well. "It
says in your file that you spent that you have spent the last few
years studying abroad?"
Kyoko nodded once. "Yes. I found it necessary to return to
Japan a few months ago. I have... a heart condition. It was too
much of a strain away from home and my doctors."
"Yes, we recently lost a student with similar condition." In his
mind's eye, he saw the lanky, enigmatic duelist. He had had such
high hopes for the boy, but in the end, he had relinquished his
desires for another. Weak. "He insisted on pushing past his
limits, despite warnings against attempting any strenuous
physical activities. I hope that you will be more attentive to
your health. I assume that you will not be participating in any
of our intramural athletics."
"No." Kyoko paused. "Actually, I have recently started taking
horseback riding lessons... my doctor said that it was alright.
I heard that Ohtori had a stable?"
Akio gave a warm smile. "We have a first-class stable out by the
forest. I often go riding myself. I'll contact the head hostler
and let him know that you are to have full access."
"Thank you." The words were barely a whisper.
"Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to
accommodate you," Akio said, studying her rather delicate
features. She was really a lovely girl. Too bad she was of no
real use to him. But at this point, he had more than enough
pawns in his little chess game... too many pieces inevitably led
to disorder. "I assume that the head teacher already gave you
your room assignments and class schedule?"
"Yes."
"Well, I believe that is all for the time being then. Feel free
to stop by again if you need to discuss anything, no matter how
small. I am at your disposal." He held out a long-fingered
hand, and she hesitantly clasped it. Her fingers were cold, and
a gold ring she wore with some sort of raised motif bit somewhat
painfully into his fingers. She withdrew her hand quickly, and
looked at him with large, almost frightened eyes. They were an
odd shade of gray, with hints of blue or hazel, he wasn't quite
sure.
"Thank you," she repeated, turning sharply and retreating towards
the elevator. He watched her leave with some bemusement, then
turned his attention back to more important matters that lay at
hand.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
She crouched against the wall, her body wracked by sobs. She
slipped a handkerchief out of her blazer pocket, wiping the tear
tracks from her cheeks.
"I can't do this," she whispered, seemingly to herself. "Coming
back here, seeing everyone... it's too hard. And I didn't think
she'd be here. I'll have to see them together... I don't want
to! Why do I have to? Tell me!"
She paused, silent, as if expecting answers to drop from the
wind. Judging by the way her expression calmed, it appeared that
they quite possibly had.
"You're right, as usual. I do have to finish this, the whole
stupid fairy tale game. The prince and the princess must live
happily ever after, and the world's shell must be broken, and all
of that crap. I'm sorry. I know what this means to you."
She returned the handkerchief to her pocket and stood, quickly
smoothing her uniform. In the back of her mind, she wondered if
she would have to get one of those ridiculous Ohtori uniforms, or
if her own would serve for her time here.
She was about halfway to her dorm when her vision began to waver.
She slowed down, took long, deep breaths. However, the pain
began to come, first slowly, then in waves. The world fluttered
in and out of focus.
"Damnit," she gasped, feeling the papers slip from her shaking
fingers. She had been feeling so much better as of late, to have
another attack now... She stumbled, lost her balance.
A hand clasped her shoulder firmly, steadying her. Gradually,
the pain ebbed, and her eyes cleared. She knelt to get the
papers she had dropped, but found they were already being held in
front of her.
"Thank you," she murmured, turning to see who her rescuer was.
Her throat locked at the sight of the white uniform, sharp blue
eyes, and long, red hair.
"Always glad to assist a damsel in distress," Kiriyuu Touga
replied, a slight smirk on his face.
She only gaped in reply.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Himemiya? Something wrong?" Utena paused, noticing Anthy's
attention was drawn outside the classroom window. Glancing out
into the bright afternoon, she noticed the Student Council
President speaking to a tall, elegant blond in a strange gray
uniform. "Who is that?"
Anthy finally snapped out of her brief trance. Turning to Utena,
she gave a small smile.
"Something different," she replied.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
{Are you sure you're telling the right story? I'm pretty
familiar with this one, and I don't remember her. Hey, you
aren't adding new characters all of a sudden, are you? That's
cheating!}
[The story is never the same. Endings always change, because
once you reach the end, who wants to live the whole thing over
again? Puppets cut their strings, shadows spring to life, and
masks are traded. New faces can be old in disguised. After all,
the story never ends, and never begins.]
{...... was that supposed to make sense?}
[It always does, at the end.]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Author's Notes:
Whatever you are thinking about this fic, it is probably wrong.
With that said, "Shatter" should end up being five parts long...
I'll go as far to say it WILL be five parts long, as carefully as
I have plotted this out. Please don't form any mindsets about
this story until all of the parts have been released and read.
After all, "that is where the story truly begins." I'd say more,
but I have probably already said too much. Comments and
critiques are welcome and encouraged.
Lady Brick
lady_brick@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I did not create Utena and do not own any of the
characters. Though I doubt anyone thought I did.