BlackRoseVixen05: Hiya, people! I hope everyone had a nice holiday season. Thanks for tuning in for the 10th chapter of "Withered Roses Don't Always Die"! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Chapter TenSilence was thick in the air as the five Seitokai members rode the elevator up to the place known as the Observatory. It was the night scheduled for Saionji and the others to speak with End of the World about the discovery. It was weird. He'd been waiting eagerly for this night, but now that it had arrived, the Green Rose was dreading what lay ahead.
The elevator creaked as it came to a stop. The doors opened and the five Duelists exited. They were all dressed in their council uniforms, and Saionji's hair was back to its usual wavy state. Stars twinkled and danced all around them as they traveled further into the Observatory, no one speaking a single word.
"Good evening."
The quiet was broken by a silky smooth male voice. Each Rose knew who that voice belonged to, the Chairman. They could now see the man from where he sat. He lounged in the same floating, thrown-like chair as before. He was dressed in his white Princely attire, his light violet hair draping around his broad shoulders.
"Good evening, sir," Touga said to the older man as he and the others came to stand before him.
"I understand there's something you all wish to discuss with me?" Akio asked, smiling coyly as always.
"Yes, there is," Saionji answered, taking a couple of steps forward. The Green Rose lifted his right hand, causing the green Crest ring to gleam. "I've figured it out."
"Oh? Figured what out?" the Chairman asked.
"You've trapped us. You've taken away our ability to die. Not only that… why is it that I can only remember certain things about my life before I came to Ohtori Academy? I only remember what you want me to remember, don't I? It's the same for Touga and the others, isn't it? What is it you're planning, Ohtori? Have the Duels become so dire that all this is necessary?" Saionji asked, his amethyst eyes focused directly on the Chairman.
The older man was silent. Saionji held back a triumphant smile, the Green Rose already feeling as though he'd won.
"Did you honestly think that none of us would notice? Or were you counting on the fact that no one would have the nerve to approach you? How foolish," Saionji said, smirking lightly. His ego was getting the better of him. The Green Rose felt as though he'd backed the Chairman into a corner.
Of course, what Saionji was forgetting was that it's unwise to close in on a trapped animal… they have a tendency to show their teeth.
Akio chuckled and began to lightly clap his hands. "Very good. You successfully figured out part of my plan. I'm impressed," he said.
Saionji frowned, "Quit stalling. I want to know what's going on here. You're no normal man… I see that now. Who…no, what are you?"
The other Seitokai members stood silently as they watched the Chairman, who seemed unfazed by Saionji's words.
The dark-skinned man smiled and gave another throaty chuckle. "You're much wiser than I ever would have guessed. I admit you've me fooled. Very well. To reward your cleverness, I will reveal the awful truth…" Ohtori answered.
It was Saionji's turn to be silent.
"As you all know, the final Duel is fast approaching. It is now left up to Touga to defeat Utena Tenjou. I will have to stop her myself if he does not win. She cannot be allowed to bring the world revolution…" Akio began. "You see, I am the ruler of the world you see before you, the world being this school; an alternate reality that is cozily locked away inside a mere coffin. What I say goes here, but over the years this does not satisfy me anymore. Through you all, the power to revolutionize the entire planet could be mine."
The Student Council couldn't believe what they were hearing; the five teens were only able to continue listening to the man's words.
"For over one-hundred years, I have worked to reach my goal. You all, my faithful Duelists, have been right here at my side through it all. Now that we're so close… this girl, this…fantastic young woman, has appeared… You see, she is the one thing that I cannot control. I can only hope to physically manipulate her into doing my bidding. Ironically, she doesn't care about the revolution that could shape the world any way one wants it to be. She only wishes to protect the Rose Bride…and to find her Prince," Akio explained, smiling.
Saionji and the others were stunned. One-hundred years? What the hell?
"Wh-…H-How?" Saionji finally managed to say, finding his voice again. "How the hell have we been here for one-hundred years? We're middle and high school students!"
Akio laughed again. "Curious, isn't it? Allow me to show you," he said. A mild tremor shook the room then and a loud wiring sound could be heard. The room grew dark, the stars ceasing to shine around them. Faint red, green, blue, orange, and yellow streaks began to emit from the platform behind Akio's chair.
"Behold," the Chairman stated.
Behind Akio were five glowing crystal coffins. Laying naked inside those coffins were the student council members. Surrounding their bodies and conveniently covering their private areas, were roses of their colors. Besides emitting a shining light, their coffins were being guarded by statues. The statues were of animals, built around the coffins in such a way that it was probably impossible to open them.
A mighty Pegasus with the horn of a Unicorn guarded Touga.
A beautiful nine-tailed Kitsune protected Nanami.
A majestic Gryphon defended Juri.
A graceful Plesiosaur with a circular fin around its head preserved Miki.
And a angelic Oriental Dragon with a long winding body, wings, and elaborate fin-like ears shielded Saionji.
As if this wasn't strange enough, there was a gaping hole in each of their chests. The holes were hexagon shaped. They didn't seem like wounds. More like…a piece of them was missing.
The Seitokai members stood frozen in place as they gazed upon themselves. Minutes passed and no one spoke. So Akio took it upon himself to explain.
"The very day each of you set foot in this school, I knew you were the ones. I could tell you were the people that could aid me in my quest. I approached you all secretly and slowly swayed you into joining my cause. And without you even knowing it…I captured your souls…" the Chairman said, his voice never faltering.
"Wh-What?" Touga stammered, his composure gone.
"Indeed. You five are merely the ghosts…of yourselves. A hundred years have rolled by, and your youthful bodies have remained the same, and your spirits, you, have been oblivious to this fact. The way you see it, the flow of time has not changed. You have not even realized that the years merely start over once one has ended," Akio said, chuckling. "Saionji, you did a wonderful job figuring things out, but you knew so little."
When End of the World addressed him, Saionji came back to his senses. The Green Rose glared at the older man with hatred in his plum-colored eyes. "Y-You…damn bastard…" he cursed, green electric sparks starting to dance around his body.
"There's no need to be angry. You will receive no punishment for your findings," Akio stated calmly.
"Why did you tell all of that? What was the point? Other than to mock me?" Saionji growled, his eyes becoming slitted again. Once again, no one noticed. Not even Saionji himself.
"Besides that, I saw no harm in it. There's nothing you can do to escape. Not now," Akio said, smirking.
Saionji was trembling with rage now. The others backed away from him to avoid the erratic electric surges coming from his body. "You... BASTARD!!!" the Green Rose roared as a beam of green electricity sped toward Akio.
The Chairman merely chuckled as the beam bounced off a barrier that appeared in front of him a split second before he was hit. "Damn you…" Saionji cursed as he watched his attack fizzle out. Unwilling to give up, the Green Rose began hurling multiple bolts of lightning towards Akio. These attacks suffered the same fate as the first.
"Damn…" Saionji murmured under his breath, his eyes returning to normal.
"Well, I believe that's enough chit-chat for the evening. Farewell, my Duelists, and good luck, Touga. I truly hope you will win," Akio said calmly, before he and the coffins disappeared. The Seitokai members were left standing in the darkness.
When light returned to the room, the five Roses found themselves back at the summit.
All were silent.
All were frightened.
All were confused.
None… knew what to do.
Saionji did know one thing, however. He'd realized what that creature in his nightmare had been. It was…
Akio.
End of Chapter Ten
BlackRoseVixen05: Hello! Wow, that was tense. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please stick around for the next one! And as always, REVIEW!!!