Utena had never experienced nightfall in her kingdom. She was supposed to be an amazing prince. Her people loved her and adored her. They even vowed to call her "Prince Utena" just amuse her. She had a detailed past with a beautiful mother and a strong father. Her parents were alive in this world. They would come home to see their happy and healthy daughter. Usually she'd smile with a mischievous grin, because she gave all the servants hell and they were glad her parents were home.
At night the kingdom became almost tranquil, though people walked the streets as they did in the day. In a large yard of the palace, children danced around and played with fireworks. Little girls in fancy kimono's sat around an older woman, already graying, and listened to her tell stories. Utena propped her elbow up on the window's ledge and then rested her chin in her hand. She gazed out at the life and activity of this happy world where everyone seemed to live their lives in peace.
Deep inside, she wished to never leave this beautiful place. The school became a cold and torturous place with bars and gates and rules made to work in the favors of those with power. Here, people seemed to thrive off one another as if no one was better than the other. Utena's mind was a blur of memories of Oothori Academy as well as other things.
Not things... of persons. Of a person in particular. Of a certain Rose Bride.
Utena sighed softly as she wondered just what her and Anthy did. Touga ignored Utena's threats and told her most of what he knew. Himemiya and Utena became very close at a festival three years ago. They bonded and fell in love. Since then, Utena had been neglecting her duties as a princess to be with Himemiya every chance she got. It wasn't hurting her people, but it was bad for her morale, said Utena's mother. Touga went on to tell Utena that they had insane love affairs and often ran away. They were on and off like a struggling married couple. In the end, Utena and Anthy stopped seeing each other when Utena told Anthy that she had a duty to her people to be their princess. Anthy grew angry and they never spoke again.
"What's with that girl and monarch's anyway? Every time Anthy's caught up in a romance, she's dating a prince." Utena thought to herself with a soft smile.
A gently rapping at the door woke Utena from her daydreams. Anthy stood in the faint illumination of the room, for the moon was the only light Utena let the room have. Truth was, she was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't turn on the lights. Anthy lit a candle by the entryway and slowly walked towards Utena.
"We received a message from Wakaba. She'll be here shortly." Anthy held a lock of her hair between her fingers and stroked it with her other hand.
Utena nodded. "Thanks."
Anthy went to turn out of the room when Utena took her hand. "Ne, Himemiya. Were you afraid to tell me what you knew?" The blue-eyed girl looked sympathetic.
"It made no sense to bring up the past." Anthy slid her hand out of Utena's and tried to leave once more.
Utena ran around her and stopped in front of her. Resting her hands on Anthy's shoulders, she stared into the girl's eyes. "Don't things happen for a reason?"
"Perhaps some things happen by mistake, Utena-sama." Anthy walked around Utena and tried to leave.
Utena grabbed Anthy's arm and pulled her back. She ran forward and closed the door tightly. "What if someone wanted to correct his or her mistakes?" Utena walked towards her.
Anthy gazed into Utena's eyes with hurt "If given the opportunity, one should try to correct his or her mistakes."
Utena's eyes met Anthy's as the girls closed in to kiss. As their lips brushed each others', the door of the room flew open and Wakaba pranced in with a triumphant smile.
Utena pulled away from Himemiya quickly as the bride sighed, "Very soon..."
Utena flashed her a sympathetic look and welcomed Wakaba back. Touga stepped into the room and hit the switch for the lights. The girls squinted and glared angrily, but softened their expressions when Nanami and Mikki stepped into the room. The two bowed respectfully and looked around.
"I'm unsure as to what's going on here" Nanami nibbled on the end of her eyeglasses.
Mikki scoffed "Princess Wakaba brought us here to speak business with Princess Utena!"
"How was I to know?! No one tells me anything!" Nanami balled her fists at her sides.
"With good reason, it's a waste of time. You forget anyway." The boy glared.
Wakaba cleared her throat. "Prince Utena, this is Kiryuu Nanami. She's a famous journalist that ruined Mikki's life by botching up an interview she did with him."
Nanami blushed and extended her hand to shake Utena's. "I didn't. I recorded what he said and he denies it now because it turned out to make him look like a freak." Nanami bowed once more and smiled nervously.
Mikki extended his hand to shake Utena's and bowed in the same manner. "She didn't record our conversation, she acted totally on memory and destroyed my career."
"What, by chance, was your career?" Utena asked.
Mikki smiled and held up his guitar "I was the lead guitarist of a popular band called The Duelists."
Everyone but Nanami and Mikki laughed.
"What's so funny?" Mikki raised a brow.
"It's nothing." Wakaba showed them where to sit.
Touga stood to his feet and glanced at Nanami. He missed his little sister but wouldn't admit it. He watched her move across the room as if he didn't exist. It hurt his heart to see her act as if they never knew each other.
Touga was about to approach Nanami when a loud clatter and the scream of a woman broke the room's awkward silence. A dog had managed to chase a cat into the palace and cause a ruckus. The little cat lept into Touga's arms and buried herself within the fold of his arm. A butler caught the dog by the scruff of his neck and tossed him out of the palace.
Touga smiled softly and held the kitten. It had been a while since he had one. Nanami stared up at the cat with a bit of misunderstanding. She decided not to make anything of it as Touga petted the cat. In actuality, Nanami hated cats, but never understood why. She just never really cared for them.
"Ow!" Touga held the cat out at an arm's length.
Nanami brought her hand down to slap the cat on the head. "You stupid beast! Look what you've done to this fine gentleman!"
Touga grew hot in a second. "That was unnecessary! He was just playing!"
Nanami shrank back. "But..."
"JUST GO AWAY!" Touga turned his back.
Nanami felt her world shatter as she fell to her knees. The tears welled up in her eyes but she didn't cry. Instead, she looked up at Touga.
"Onee-sama?" Nanami wiped her eyes.
"Nanami!" Touga smiled softly.
The cat lept out of Touga's arms as Nanami embraced him tightly and wept into his chest.
"Good job, Touga. Her memory was restored." Utena patted his shoulder.
Mikki raised a brow. "What's going on here?"
Utena smiled "It's a long story." She looked around. "Where's Himemiya?"
Wakaba pointed out of the room "I saw her leave. She went down the hall."
Utena excused herself from everyone, but Mikki insisted that a lady as lovely as her shouldn't walk down cold corridors alone at night. Utena finally gave in and walked towards a room where music was playing. As she neared the room, the music seemed louder and more familiar. Anthy sat at the piano playing "The Sunlit Garden".
As if in a trance, Mikki moved towards the piano where Himemiya played. "How beautiful..." He watched her play.
Utena leaned against the wall, hoping that this would bring Mikki back.
"You've mastered the piano, Miss Himemiya." Mikki watched her fingers move.
"I barely play." Anthy continued to play Mikki's very own song.
"You should play forever." Mikki stared at her dreamily.
"If my master wishes I do so, then I would." Anthy smiled softly.
"Your master? You are told what to do? What if he told you to stop? Would you never play again?" Mikki laughed to himself.
"If that is what my master commands. I am the Rose Bride. I do what the one I am engaged to wishes of me." Anthy glanced up at him.
Mikki narrowed his eyes "Then I'll...duel to... make sure you play...forever." his words came between pauses.
Utena stepped forward. "Mikki?"
Mikki shook his head. "Where am I?"
Anthy smiled and closed the piano. "Welcome back."
"We've all been reborn." Utena wrapped her arms around herself and gazed down at Anthy.
Anthy turned and stared into Utena's eyes with almost a longing.
"OHHHH!!!" A bright blush came to Mikki's face. "Nanami once wrote an article about a Prince and a peasant girl that had fallen in love! You two..."
Utena shut her eyes and massaged her temples. "Shhhh..." She turned and stormed out of the room.
As Utena entered the room, her fellow classmates gazed at her with hopeful eyes. With a nod, they knew that Mikki was back. Relieved, they all sank into their chairs and relaxed as Mikki and Anthy made their way back into the room.
"Now to find Juri and Saionji" Utena fell back onto her throne and stretched.
Wakaba rested her head on her hands "They're not part of my kingdom, so maybe they are part of yours.
"Just two left..." Touga leaned back.
"And then what?" Mikki frowned.
"And then we get the hell out of here..." Utena said in almost a whisper.
~~~~
End of Chapter 7
Author's notes: Whew! Almost done!
Mikki: I'm so famous! *-*
Nanami: *smirks* you WERE
Anthy: Uh oh... *turns and runs in the other direction*
Utena: No no come back Anthy! *runs after Anthy*
Touga: Geesh...
Wakaba: I think I missed something...
At night the kingdom became almost tranquil, though people walked the streets as they did in the day. In a large yard of the palace, children danced around and played with fireworks. Little girls in fancy kimono's sat around an older woman, already graying, and listened to her tell stories. Utena propped her elbow up on the window's ledge and then rested her chin in her hand. She gazed out at the life and activity of this happy world where everyone seemed to live their lives in peace.
Deep inside, she wished to never leave this beautiful place. The school became a cold and torturous place with bars and gates and rules made to work in the favors of those with power. Here, people seemed to thrive off one another as if no one was better than the other. Utena's mind was a blur of memories of Oothori Academy as well as other things.
Not things... of persons. Of a person in particular. Of a certain Rose Bride.
Utena sighed softly as she wondered just what her and Anthy did. Touga ignored Utena's threats and told her most of what he knew. Himemiya and Utena became very close at a festival three years ago. They bonded and fell in love. Since then, Utena had been neglecting her duties as a princess to be with Himemiya every chance she got. It wasn't hurting her people, but it was bad for her morale, said Utena's mother. Touga went on to tell Utena that they had insane love affairs and often ran away. They were on and off like a struggling married couple. In the end, Utena and Anthy stopped seeing each other when Utena told Anthy that she had a duty to her people to be their princess. Anthy grew angry and they never spoke again.
"What's with that girl and monarch's anyway? Every time Anthy's caught up in a romance, she's dating a prince." Utena thought to herself with a soft smile.
A gently rapping at the door woke Utena from her daydreams. Anthy stood in the faint illumination of the room, for the moon was the only light Utena let the room have. Truth was, she was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't turn on the lights. Anthy lit a candle by the entryway and slowly walked towards Utena.
"We received a message from Wakaba. She'll be here shortly." Anthy held a lock of her hair between her fingers and stroked it with her other hand.
Utena nodded. "Thanks."
Anthy went to turn out of the room when Utena took her hand. "Ne, Himemiya. Were you afraid to tell me what you knew?" The blue-eyed girl looked sympathetic.
"It made no sense to bring up the past." Anthy slid her hand out of Utena's and tried to leave once more.
Utena ran around her and stopped in front of her. Resting her hands on Anthy's shoulders, she stared into the girl's eyes. "Don't things happen for a reason?"
"Perhaps some things happen by mistake, Utena-sama." Anthy walked around Utena and tried to leave.
Utena grabbed Anthy's arm and pulled her back. She ran forward and closed the door tightly. "What if someone wanted to correct his or her mistakes?" Utena walked towards her.
Anthy gazed into Utena's eyes with hurt "If given the opportunity, one should try to correct his or her mistakes."
Utena's eyes met Anthy's as the girls closed in to kiss. As their lips brushed each others', the door of the room flew open and Wakaba pranced in with a triumphant smile.
Utena pulled away from Himemiya quickly as the bride sighed, "Very soon..."
Utena flashed her a sympathetic look and welcomed Wakaba back. Touga stepped into the room and hit the switch for the lights. The girls squinted and glared angrily, but softened their expressions when Nanami and Mikki stepped into the room. The two bowed respectfully and looked around.
"I'm unsure as to what's going on here" Nanami nibbled on the end of her eyeglasses.
Mikki scoffed "Princess Wakaba brought us here to speak business with Princess Utena!"
"How was I to know?! No one tells me anything!" Nanami balled her fists at her sides.
"With good reason, it's a waste of time. You forget anyway." The boy glared.
Wakaba cleared her throat. "Prince Utena, this is Kiryuu Nanami. She's a famous journalist that ruined Mikki's life by botching up an interview she did with him."
Nanami blushed and extended her hand to shake Utena's. "I didn't. I recorded what he said and he denies it now because it turned out to make him look like a freak." Nanami bowed once more and smiled nervously.
Mikki extended his hand to shake Utena's and bowed in the same manner. "She didn't record our conversation, she acted totally on memory and destroyed my career."
"What, by chance, was your career?" Utena asked.
Mikki smiled and held up his guitar "I was the lead guitarist of a popular band called The Duelists."
Everyone but Nanami and Mikki laughed.
"What's so funny?" Mikki raised a brow.
"It's nothing." Wakaba showed them where to sit.
Touga stood to his feet and glanced at Nanami. He missed his little sister but wouldn't admit it. He watched her move across the room as if he didn't exist. It hurt his heart to see her act as if they never knew each other.
Touga was about to approach Nanami when a loud clatter and the scream of a woman broke the room's awkward silence. A dog had managed to chase a cat into the palace and cause a ruckus. The little cat lept into Touga's arms and buried herself within the fold of his arm. A butler caught the dog by the scruff of his neck and tossed him out of the palace.
Touga smiled softly and held the kitten. It had been a while since he had one. Nanami stared up at the cat with a bit of misunderstanding. She decided not to make anything of it as Touga petted the cat. In actuality, Nanami hated cats, but never understood why. She just never really cared for them.
"Ow!" Touga held the cat out at an arm's length.
Nanami brought her hand down to slap the cat on the head. "You stupid beast! Look what you've done to this fine gentleman!"
Touga grew hot in a second. "That was unnecessary! He was just playing!"
Nanami shrank back. "But..."
"JUST GO AWAY!" Touga turned his back.
Nanami felt her world shatter as she fell to her knees. The tears welled up in her eyes but she didn't cry. Instead, she looked up at Touga.
"Onee-sama?" Nanami wiped her eyes.
"Nanami!" Touga smiled softly.
The cat lept out of Touga's arms as Nanami embraced him tightly and wept into his chest.
"Good job, Touga. Her memory was restored." Utena patted his shoulder.
Mikki raised a brow. "What's going on here?"
Utena smiled "It's a long story." She looked around. "Where's Himemiya?"
Wakaba pointed out of the room "I saw her leave. She went down the hall."
Utena excused herself from everyone, but Mikki insisted that a lady as lovely as her shouldn't walk down cold corridors alone at night. Utena finally gave in and walked towards a room where music was playing. As she neared the room, the music seemed louder and more familiar. Anthy sat at the piano playing "The Sunlit Garden".
As if in a trance, Mikki moved towards the piano where Himemiya played. "How beautiful..." He watched her play.
Utena leaned against the wall, hoping that this would bring Mikki back.
"You've mastered the piano, Miss Himemiya." Mikki watched her fingers move.
"I barely play." Anthy continued to play Mikki's very own song.
"You should play forever." Mikki stared at her dreamily.
"If my master wishes I do so, then I would." Anthy smiled softly.
"Your master? You are told what to do? What if he told you to stop? Would you never play again?" Mikki laughed to himself.
"If that is what my master commands. I am the Rose Bride. I do what the one I am engaged to wishes of me." Anthy glanced up at him.
Mikki narrowed his eyes "Then I'll...duel to... make sure you play...forever." his words came between pauses.
Utena stepped forward. "Mikki?"
Mikki shook his head. "Where am I?"
Anthy smiled and closed the piano. "Welcome back."
"We've all been reborn." Utena wrapped her arms around herself and gazed down at Anthy.
Anthy turned and stared into Utena's eyes with almost a longing.
"OHHHH!!!" A bright blush came to Mikki's face. "Nanami once wrote an article about a Prince and a peasant girl that had fallen in love! You two..."
Utena shut her eyes and massaged her temples. "Shhhh..." She turned and stormed out of the room.
As Utena entered the room, her fellow classmates gazed at her with hopeful eyes. With a nod, they knew that Mikki was back. Relieved, they all sank into their chairs and relaxed as Mikki and Anthy made their way back into the room.
"Now to find Juri and Saionji" Utena fell back onto her throne and stretched.
Wakaba rested her head on her hands "They're not part of my kingdom, so maybe they are part of yours.
"Just two left..." Touga leaned back.
"And then what?" Mikki frowned.
"And then we get the hell out of here..." Utena said in almost a whisper.
~~~~
End of Chapter 7
Author's notes: Whew! Almost done!
Mikki: I'm so famous! *-*
Nanami: *smirks* you WERE
Anthy: Uh oh... *turns and runs in the other direction*
Utena: No no come back Anthy! *runs after Anthy*
Touga: Geesh...
Wakaba: I think I missed something...
