Previously Obliterated Disclaimer: Shoujo Kakumei Utena and the characters within its universe are the intellectual property of Be-Papas. I am merely taking them out for a spin across the dance floor, and as such am not receiving payment of any kind for this tale.

Chronologically, the story begins just after Utena's hostile night encounter with Jury in episode 7, filling in certain gaps that I've perceived here and there until a point in time just before the events of episode 15, "The Landscape Framed by Kozue". In other words, before those with ties to members of the Student Council, and with certain access to their soul swords, are decisively targeted by the "boys of the Black Rose".

Dedications: This one is for a favorite cousin, for a dear friend who I wish was still in my life, and for D, who will always be a part of my heart, even if we never see or speak to one another again. I always write with you in mind.


~ On an Impulse ~

By Shsway

The city of Hou'ou lay close to the ocean, it's boundaries embracing the gentle waves like an old friend coming home. The spring weather seemed more like summer, as humid evening air swirled over the houses in the valley and over the large hill surveying the land.

Resting on this hill, Ohtori Academy housed more than a thousand young men and women who enjoyed what might be thought of as a privileged opportunity at higher learning. The school's fame for excellence in academics and athletics made it an obvious goal for any parent who could see past the elevated tuition fees to the wonders of its facilities and teaching staff.

Ohtori was practically a city within itself. Its numerous buildings stretched out completely over the hill to a large area beyond, enclosed by a high marble wall and gate. The overall design was stunning to say the least, with every building sharing the same detail and care in its construction.

The dormitory near the entrance known as East Hall wouldn't have particularly struck anyone crossing the campus. It wasn't old or shabby-looking, and even had a nice sundial in the front yard. It was only by walking inside or asking someone who lived on the school grounds that one realized East Hall hadn't been lived in for over 10 years. The lobby and dining room were clean enough, the chandeliers within these rooms as bright as if they were polished daily. A piano sat in an empty room on the first floor, seemingly waiting for the errant pianist to return.

Knowing all this, it would have seemed odd to find that all of the rooms looked very much abandoned. The walls and floor within them were peeling and cracked, all covered with dust and cobwebs. Even the sparse amount of furniture within them lay stained or broken.

Even so, a young girl entered the front door and slowly took the stairs with soft, padding footsteps. She was making her way to the one room in this empty little place that wasn't completely trashed.


Cradling a sleeping monkey-mouse in her arms, Tenjou Utena stepped into the sanctity of her dorm room around midnight. With a quick glance confirming that her roommate was safely tucked in, she quietly closed the door, and laid Chuchu in a basket of Anthy's sewing supplies on her desk. His small, squeaky snores were the only sound to be heard, as she quickly traded her school uniform for the blue, cotton pajamas that she favored. She climbed up the ladder to the top bunk, careful not to make the steps creak too much, and fell gratefully into the sheets as she reached for her pillow.

Considering she was completely drained from the day's activities, it was a wonder she hadn't just given in to the comfort of her surroundings. Instead, Utena found her thoughts going back to the rather short conversation she'd had with Arisugawa Jury just moments before. The fencing captain had not only touched a nerve - she had clearly given it a slap for good measure, as Utena again began to question her reasons for being at Ohtori Academy. Questions she thought had been answered about herself and her motives were brought back to the surface. She felt terrified at the thought that she was no closer to understanding herself or her destiny.

Her main preoccupation wasn't even with the argument, or the resulting challenge. In her mind, the young duelist replayed the feel of Jury's hand as it drifted slowly through her rose-colored hair and down her arm. She was sure that the older woman had intended to kiss her, as she closed the space between them, bringing their faces ever closer. Utena had tensed up when the dark, proud eyes looked deeply into her own, threatening to break down her defenses.

It was a silly thought. The close contact had ultimately been a ruse to catch her off-guard and nothing more.

Utena tried to find a more comfortable position to think. Lying back, she folded her hands in her lap, and azure eyes fixed onto the ceiling. She realized that it wasn't the thought of Jury's advances that worried her – it was what had gone through her mind as it happened. For a brief moment, Himemiya Anthy's face and gentle touch had replaced those of the fencer. For all intents and purposes, it had been the Rose Bride's disarming eyes looking all the way into her being.

A twinge of shock, the same that had coursed through her body before, resurfaced as a blush colored her cheeks.

The protection of her unusual companion hadn't always been the major drive in her participation of "the duels." The first battle with Saionji Kyouichi, Vice-President of the Student Council, hadn't been planned at all. She had fought him for the sole purpose of defending the honor of her best friend, Shinohara Wakaba, who'd had a love letter she had written to him pinned onto a bulletin board for all to read. The last thing Utena had expected was to emerge from this duel with not only a victory, but a bride as well.

She shook her head. It was too strange to get into.

On the one hand was the student council, and the fact that they all carried rings identical to the one she herself had been given by her childhood prince. On the other, was Anthy, who for some reason was engaged to the victor of the duels and lived only for what that particular person desired. Up until recently, only the Student Council had known about these proceedings and they treated it as a given. Utena had often thought of approaching a teacher or the principal with questions about the whole thing...but according to Wakaba and her classmates, the Council had an unusual amount of power at Ohtori. There seemed to be no point in arguing with people who could bypass a teacher's authority, or get her kicked out for not following their odd set of rules.

Both hands aside, the young girl sleeping in the bunk just below hers remained a mystery. By her observations, Himemiya wasn't nearly assertive enough to fight back against those who would decide her fate. Apparently, that was what the duel champion was there for - to watch out for the Rose Bride and defend the right to decide for her. But she wanted to know the true heart of the girl who hid behind the passive smile; the times when the real person emerged were all too rare and far between for Utena's curiosity.

Her own feelings had gotten increasingly jumbled in this new role of protector. Utena always felt a sort of invisible breeze trace a path across her skin, whenever Anthy stepped into a room. Not all that unpleasant, but confusing. It was just what she had told Jury – there was some sort of connection between her and the Rose Bride, a kind of bond of destiny that she simply couldn't explain. Undoubtedly, the scent of roses that was a staple of Anthy's labors made her think of the beloved Prince she had waited so long to find. He had become, after all, the main focus of her young life. It was hard to say if she truly felt something more, something tangible for him beyond a child's curiosity. But if the thought of him made her giddy, the simple memory of the dance she had shared with Himemiya at the school ball drove her to absolute distraction. Her recent grade on that damned math exam was evidence enough.

She remembered the ease by which their steps had guided them across the floor, the white-hot lights that had been focused on them, and the softness of Anthy's hands. Mostly she remembered the radiant smile that was such a contrast to the usually sullen and unresponsive expression of the Rose Bride. Forgotten were the stares of their classmates and Touga's semi-lecherous gaze. That night, she had been the prince she so sought to emulate. All that she had been aware of was the lilting waltz, and the sparkling green eyes of a princess.

"Utena-sama?"

The girl in question was awake. Quickly putting her previous thoughts aside, the young duelist leaned over the edge of her bed, allowing bright pink locks to fall haphazardly about her face, like a curtain.

"I'm back," she whispered, squinting in the darkness.

"Oh good," said Anthy, rubbing her eyes with tanned fists. "Did Chuchu give you any trouble?"

"Nah, not really. His fear of the dark was keeping him up, but he got over it. He's sleeping like a rock."

In fact, he had barely felt that toss to the ground, post Jury's attempt to take the rose seal.

Utena watched as Anthy's eyes moved briefly to her small friend dozing peacefully in the basket; she seemed to nod with approval at the bed chosen for him. Smiling gently, she turned back to her engaged.

"And what's keeping you awake?"

Utena shrugged. Well, as much as she could, considering her position.

"I don't know, I guess the usual bunch of things. Class, the duels..." She paused, seeing Anthy rise from her bed and get to her feet.

"Do you want me to get you a snack? Perhaps you'd like a drink of water or juice..."

Straightening up, Utena waved both hands quickly in front of her. "No, no. I'm not hungry. I just need to relax enough for sleep, that's all. You should go back to bed."

Anthy smiled then began to climb the ladder. Utena wanted to tell her not to worry, but she was caught by the unusual vision of Himemiya's long, violet hair hanging loosely about her blue robe, her glasses absent from her face. She had never seen her like this - in the moonlight, and without the usual prim and common guise she cultivated much like she did her roses.

She really was quite lovely.

Utena found herself shaking her head at the thought, and scolded herself for thinking it in the first place.

"Then if you don't want a snack, I'll just keep you company until you fall asleep. There's enough room up top, isn't there?" Large green eyes looked up at her with an almost hopeful expression.

Still mute, Utena nodded, hoping she wasn't as flushed as she felt. Anthy silently drew the sheets over them both, gazing at her with somewhat adoring eyes just inches away from her own.

Closing them, the duelist tried to ignore the other presence in the bed. "There is something else, I guess."

"What?" The tone was patiently attentive.

After this day, a limit of one complicated conversation per day had to be set. "Do you think that being inspired by nobility is just as good as being born with it?"

At first, Utena thought that Anthy had fallen asleep, since all she could hear was the girl's breathing by her side. Upon opening in her eyes, she was mildly surprised to find her companion staring at the ceiling with both eyes open, apparently formulating an answer.

"If a person can be inspired to be noble, Utena-sama, don't you think that they have been born with that trait...that they already possess it?"

Utena's lips curled into a bemused expression. "A question to answer a question."

Anthy smiled, but continued looking at the ceiling. "Being noble isn't always about doing what other people think is noble."

The duelist pondered this for a moment. It seemed a terribly vague answer.

Utena was worried that Jury might have been right about her - about any nobility she had being some kind of act, or childish fantasy. As far as she could remember, she hadn't spent very much time in the company of the prince, but she remembered well enough what storybooks and legends told of princes. It was their souls that cried nobility, their honest desire to be upright individuals that made them unique. That was what she had admired in him, or at least, what she remembered feeling. Simply put, she liked that he could save people. He was strong, and kind and…well, noble.

"Does this help you at all?" Anthy asked, her voice a shade softer than before.

Utena nodded and closed her eyes. "Actually, it does."

This wasn't just about a prince anymore. Maybe she wasn't the best person to protect the Rose Bride, but the young woman would surely try. For Himemiya's sake as well as her own.

Anthy began to stroke Utena's hair in a soothing motion, which seemed for a moment to have the opposite of its intended effect. It made her start, made her think once more to Jury, and what had happened out on the school grounds. Eventually though, the young duelist felt her thoughts drifting away, and Himemiya's gentle touch leaving her warm and drowsy. The last thing she remembered before unconsciousness set in was Anthy's arm drawing her closer, and the inevitably rosy scent of her skin.

In the morning she was gone, somehow having left Utena's side without waking her. Neither of them talked much at breakfast, and it was as if the previous night had never been.

In a way, it was kind of a relief to the duel champion.


One Month Later ~

The air was a touch cooler than usual on the Student Council Tower, specifically on the large balcony used for the weekly meetings. It offered a commanding view of the school's expensive training facilities for soccer and track, as well as the shaggy, dense grouping of forest that hid the gates to the forbidden dueling arena.

Still, the young woman sitting at the small table, usually occupied by the Council itself, barely took in her surroundings or even noticed them. She was patiently waiting, obediently waiting for the Council President to return from his errands. As she thoughtfully stirred the contents of the rose-shaped teacup in her hands, her small, ravenous friend was having his fill from a tray of cookies on the table.

Without words, she scolded him for his usual gluttony and warned him of the troubles of an upset stomach. Cheerfully meeting her gaze with an almost blank one, Chuchu continued munching on his snack.

Now, now – am I not entitled to my own thoughts, little one? Anthy was asking him. You've never worried about my preference of one master over another before…not that such a thing is possible.

And yet…

The Rose Bride stared at the place across from hers; just empty air. But it wasn't difficult to fill with a graceful form in a black school uniform. A girl with long, pink tresses that gave her a winning smile.

Anthy didn't have to look at the monkey-mouse to read his next thought. She smiled.

I know you miss her. She's the only one to have lacked the desire to kick you and your large belly out of the way.

Chuchu blinked once in assent, his molars busily working on another treat, as his mistress' eyes settled on a plain, white handkerchief by her cup. Picking it up, she could see the letters "U. T." clearly emblazoned on it in pink. It brought her a small amount of comfort somehow.

Not that I've been worried or anything like that, she found herself explaining. The Rose Bride does the bidding of whomever she is engaged to. You heard him before – I am Touga-sama's 'beautiful bird' now.

She wondered absently whether all of her masters had found her "beautiful".