It was another night as Akio and Touga were out on the empty streets in Akio's car with a familiar music playing on the radio. The music playing was the 'Sunlit Garden'.

"We need to defeat Utena Tenjou and engage the Rose Bride to someone else as soon as possible." Akio said out of nowhere, catching Touga off-guard.

"Isn't Utena Tenjou the golden goose?" Touga asked.

Akio shifted gears and accelerated his car before responding, "The value of the golden goose lies in the golden eggs it lays."

Touga chuckled and said, "You're a selfish man. So, which pawns will you use?"

Hearing a commotion outside of one of the school buildings, Saya, Utena and Anthy pushed through the crowd of students to see what everyone was looking at. The girls looked up at one of the opened windows to see a student barley hanging on the ledge with a nest gently resting in the student's free arm. What shocked everyone was that the student was Kozue herself.

"Kozue!" Saya exclaimed with widen eyes.

"Oh, my goodness!" Anthy added.

"Just forget about it! Use both hands to hang on!" One of the female students shouted as she reached out towards Kozue from the opened window.

"You're gonna fall!"

"Kozue!" Hearing a familiar voice, Kozue looked down to see Miki standing under her with a worried expression on his face.

"Miki…"

Suddenly, her foot slipped, causing her to tighten her grip on the ledge as her body was falling which caused everyone watching to scream in fear of Kozue's safety. Losing strength on her hand, her fingers slipped and her body was falling. Kozue closed her eyes and held the nest close to her chest, bracing herself for impact on the ground. She felt herself landing on something soft instead of the hard ground. Kozue slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Saya who sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness, you're safe, Kozue." Saya said with a smile.

"Miss Saya…"

Hearing noise coming from Kozue's chest, the girls looked down at the nest in Kozue's arm to see a couple of baby birds chirping. Kozue sighed in relief.

"So that's what you were doing…" Saya muttered.

"Boy, she really caused some excitement."

"But I wonder shy did it in the first place."

"It happened when she heard they're cutting the tree down after school today. She suddenly jumped out the window to save a nest full of baby birds!"

"That's the thing about Kozue. She's usually so cool then once in a while, she does something weird like this."

Right after school was done, Miki was carrying Kozue on his back since she sprained her ankle. He was walking home with Utena carrying their school bags and Anthy carrying a small box. Saya was with them as well to see if Miki needed help with getting Kozue settled in so she could rest and recover.

"It's really humid out. Could you not lean so hard?" Miki asked Kozue when she leaned in closer to him with their cheeks brushing against each other.

"It's more comfortable for me." Kozue argued.

"You shouldn't have been so reckless." Utena said.

"She's right. Miki was really worried about you, you know." Saya agreed.

"Aw, are you worried about me, Big Brother?" Kozue asked in a teasing voice.

"I said don't lean so hard!"

Once they've made it to their destination, Saya opened the doors to their dorm house and let everyone enter first before she followed and closed the door behind her.

"I'll just leave your bags here." Utena said after placing Miki's and Kozue's bags by the stairs.

"Sorry about this." Miki apologized as he gently placed Kozue on a chair that was standing by the stairs. "Having you carry our bags like that."

"What about your little friends?" Anthy gestured the small box to reveal the baby birds resting inside.

"Now that we have them home, what do we do with them?" Miki asked while Anthy placed the box on the ground and Miki removed the lid from the box.

"Why don't we start by feeding them some ground millet?" Anthy suggested as she pulled Chu-Chu out of the box.

"Millet?"

"It's what you feed parakeets and Java sparrows." Saya explained while Chu-Chu climbed up to her shoulder and began to play with her strands of hair.

"Oh, that stuff!"

"Soak it in lukewarm water and then grind it up." Anthy explained.

"Right."

"Since they're chicks, you'll need to feed them every three hours during the day."

"Right. Wow, that's a lot of work."

"Yes, quite a lot."

Utena leaned towards Saya and cupped her mouth before whispering, "That's unusually straightforward for her." Saya agreed with a nod of her head and giggled. While everything else was going on, Kozue was watching the scene with a blank stare on her face.

"Have you raised chicks before Miss Himemiya?" Miki asked.

"Never."

"Huh? But you know so much. You're a real animal lover, aren't you?"

"You really should return them to their mother, but…" Anthy trailed off when she looked up to see Kozue standing up from the chair. "Oh, can you stand on your own?" Everyone turned their attention to Kozue.

"Thank you. But seeing how we brought you all this way, the sweet little sister will now politely disappear." Kozue said in sarcasm, causing Miki to glare at her. Kozue smirked and said, "Enjoy yourselves." Before walking away, Kozue noticed an opened envelope on the small dresser and it seems that it was addressed to her and Miki. "Is this letter from that person?" Kozue asked.

"Yeah." Miki responded.

Saya couldn't help but notice the tension in the room once the envelope was mentioned. 'That person?' She thought to herself.

Miki got up on his feet and walked towards Kozue before grabbing the envelope and handing it to his sister. "You read it now." He said before Kozue accepted the envelope. Remembering their guests, Miki turned his head towards Saya and the others and stated, "It's from our mother."

"Boy, I'm jealous. A letter from your mom. I don't have parents, so I envy things like that." Utena said.

"We don't need parents. We're wild animals after all." Kozue stated with a smirk on her face.

Miki turned his attention back to Kozue and ordered with a glare, "Don't talk like that. Father and mother always worry about us so much."

"Oh, no. Brother has turned so serious!" Kozue teased before throwing the envelope away in the trash can that was nearby.

"Well, since you two are back home, we should get going as well." Saya said as she placed her hand on both Utena's and Anthy's back and pushed them towards the door.

"Thank you once again." Miki said.

"Not a problem." Saya responded with Utena and Anthy nodding their heads in agreement.

Once they were outside and far enough from the dorm house, Saya removed her hands from the girls' backs and sighed in relief. "That had to be the most awkward conversation I've ever seen." Saya thought out loud.

"Awkward?" Anthy asked with a tilt of her head.

"Didn't you see how Miki and Kozue reacted when they talked about that letter? Most likely there's tension going on between them and their parents."

"So you saw that too?" Utena asked.

"You'd have to be blind not to. I think it's best that we don't bring this up to them. It looks to be a sensitive topic." Saya said.

"Hey." Saya and Anthy turned their attention to Utena who was looking around their area and asked, "Do you think this is the garden?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Anthy asked.

"You mean the 'Sunlit Garden'?" Saya guessed.

"Yeah. The title of Miki's song." Utena said.

"Perhaps. But that garden existed in his mind, right?" Anthy asked.

"Miki said he and Kozue played the piano together when they were little. He told us that." Utena stated.

"Yes, that's true."

"Was it in this garden?" Utena wondered. "It's all gone to seed."

"It's just a memory now." Saya said.

"Maybe you're right, but I was expecting something more…" Utena said.

Saya was laying on top of her bed in her room while looking through a photo album. Instead of photos of herself, Saionji and Touga, the photo album consists pictures of herself, Saionji and their parents. She was staring at a photo of a handsome man with short brown hair brushed over his brown eyes and glasses with his arms wrapped around behind a beautiful woman with long wavy green hair and purple eyes. The happy couple were standing underneath a bloomed cherry blossom tree with petals blowing in the wind. The picture is very important because when the photo was taken, her father proposed to her mother under the cherry blossom tree and, of course, she accepted.

A knock came from her door, snapping Saya out of her trance. She looked up at the door and answered, "Come in." When the door open, she was expecting it to be Saionji, only it wasn't. The person entering in her room was Touga. "Touga?!" Saya exclaimed while sitting up quickly.

"Hello, Saya." Touga greeted after closing the door behind him.

"Do you have any idea what's time it is?" Saya asked, worried that Touga might get caught.

"I know, but I wanted to check up on you since I've been very busy lately." Touga said as he walked towards the bed and sat besides Saya. "How are you holding up?"

"Um…I'm doing okay." Saya lied as a memory of Akio almost kissing her flashed in her mind. There was no way she was going to tell Touga about that event.

"And Saionji?"

"He's doing okay, I guess."

"You guess?" Touga asked with a risen eyebrow.

"Saionji wanted to be left alone for a while in order for him to think about some things." Saya answered while bringing the photo album to her lap.

Touga took notice of the photo she was staring at and asked, "Are those your parents?"

"Yes. They were 18 years old when they got engaged."

"Your father is quite handsome, and your mother is incredibly beautiful. I can see where you got your beauty from." Touga complimented, causing Saya to blush a bit.

"Shut up!" Saya exclaimed, causing Touga to laugh at her embarrassment.

"Touga, can I ask you something?"

"Of course. You could ask me anything you want." Touga stated as he brought himself closer to her side.

"Do you think fathers and mothers always care about their children?" Saya asked.

"What brought this up?"

"Miki and Kozue. I think there's a bridge between them and their parents, but I'd rather not asked since it's not my place to."

"Your considerations towards others is one of your qualities that I love about you." Saya's eyes widen and her cheeks got hotter at Touga's statement. "Sorry, that was too forward of me."

"N-No. It's fine." Saya mentally slapped herself from stuttered.

"Anyway, to answer your question, it's probably due to genetics." Touga stated.

"That's a harsh way to put it." Saya commented as she closed the photo album.

"Forgive me."

"You don't have to apologize." Saya said while leaning her head against Touga's shoulder. Thinking that what she did was not appropriate, she was about to remove her head when Touga wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her in place. Saya could practically feel her face burning from embarrassment to the point that she hopes that Touga doesn't see her blushing red face.

"I'm sorry for pushing it, but if you want me to go, I can leave. Just say the word." Touga stated.

Saya was silent for a moment before she responded, "Just stay here…at least until I fall asleep."

Touga smiled and rested his chin on top of her head. "As you wish."

"It seems another letter has arrived from End of the World." Saya stated while she and the other student council members, besides Saionji and Touga, were having their student council meeting.

"Saionji hated the duels, but he fought again anyway. Could there be a connection?" Miki wondered.

"It's Touga's behavior which concerns me." Juri stated.

"What about my brother?" Nanami asked while relaxing on a message chair.

"Defeat Utena Tenjou for the good of you Duelists, huh?" Saya repeated the contents of the letter. She was confused as to what End of the World's intentions are.

"I don't like it!" Miki shouted out of nowhere after shooting up from his chair, knocking the chair down on the ground in the process. "Adults who tell you that something is 'for your own good…' can never be trusted!"

"You're saying you don't trust End of the World?" Nanami asked.

"Take it as you will." Miki said after bringing his chair back up and sat back down on it. "If dueling means letting some selfish adult use me, then I won't do it!"

"It's too soon for any decisions like that. End of the World's true identity remains a mystery." Juri said.

"Exactly! He may be a nice 'Daddy Long Legs' for a all we know!" Nanami moaned out in bliss from the message chair.

"Nanami, hurry up and let me have a chance in that thing."

"No-o-o-o…"

"Yes, it was in Mother's letter."

Miki was talking to his father on the telephone late in the evening. Apparently, according to the letter he and Kozue received from their mother, their father is getting remarried. She felt that the children should at least know ahead of time before their father just 'drops the bomb' on them out of nowhere.

"No, Kozue and I aren't against it…Father, that's up to you…We won't be able to make the wedding, but we'll at least send a telegram…Huh? With who?...No, never mind about our new mother. Never mind about it…Father?"

"Never mind. It'd be rude to start calling myself Mother so soon." A woman's voice was heard from the other side of the telephone before Miki's father hung up the telephone.

Saya was making her way back to her dorm room from the school since she stay way past closing time of the school. As she was walking down the hall, she could hear Miki's piano playing outside of the closed Music Room. She also noticed Kozue was leaning against a wall outside of the room Miki was playing in.

"Kozue." Saya called out, grabbing Kozue's attention.

"Miss Saya." Kozue greeted.

"What are you doing out here? I thought you were still hurt."

"Wild animals heal quickly." Kozue said while lifting her leg to reveal her bandaged ankle.

"I see. I'm sure you know this, but only student council members are allowed out of their dorms at night."

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Who are you waiting for at this hour?"

Kozue was silent for a moment before responding, "Daddy Long Legs. Want me to introduce you to him?"

"No, thank you." Saya quickly denied.

Kozue smirked before giggling and walked away. Saya followed her with her head and noticed a tall figure waiting for Kozue. She watched the figure placing an arm around Kozue's shoulder before walking away to who knows where.

'That person looks familiar…but I can't think of as to why.' Saya thought to herself before turning her head towards the building that Miki was still playing the piano. 'Miki.'

"The sun's almost up. How long do you intend to stay here?" A voice was heard in the Music Room. Miki turned his head to the side to see Touga sitting on a chair in the dark part of the room.

"The school festival's soon. I'm getting my fingers ready." Miki said.

Touga placed a wound-up baby chick toy on the floor and watched it walk away. "Is something bothering you?" Touga asked.

"No, nothing in particular." Miki responded.

"I heard you've given up being a Duelist."

"Yes." Miki turned his attention back to the piano.

"However, you've already chosen the path of the Duelist once. You know that there are things which you can only possess by taking them, don't you?"

Miki did not answer as he looked down on the floor to see the baby chick toy walking in place against the leg of the stool he was sitting on.

Touga got up from the chair and walked towards Miki. "Ah, an impasse."

Miki was silent as he watched Touga turned the baby chick toy around and watched it walk away. "Juri said you've been acting suspiciously lately."

Touga did not respond until he pressed a piano key and closed his eyes in bliss of the music tone. "A beautiful tone." Touga pressed the same piano key again before saying, "But beauty alone cannot preserve beauty forever. What's this?" Both he and Miki turned their attention to the baby chick toy walking in place again but against a wall. "We've hit the wall already?" Touga asked.

"What are you trying to say?" Miki asked.

"There's someone I want you to meet."

"Someone I should meet?"

"There…Can't you hear it?" Touga asked while bringing a hand up to his ear and cupped it.

"Hear what?" Miki asked with a caution expression his face.

"If your soul has not truly given up…then you can hear the sound…that races through the End of the World!" Touga exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Miki asked before a loud sound of engines filled the room. "I hear it…" Miki looked around the room to find the source of the sound. "I'm sure I hear it! What is it?!"

"Come! Come with us! Follow us to the world you seek!" Touga shouted with his arms wide open and his shirt completely unbuttoned to reveal his bare chest.

Suddenly, a familiar red car came to a screeching stop in front of Touga and Miki.

Driving in a familiar empty road, Akio was driving his car with Miki sitting at the back-passenger's seat and Kozue, surprisingly sitting in the passenger's seat while enjoying the winding against her skin and hair.

"That's the chairman, isn't it?" Miki asked.

"Yes. Anthy Himemiya's brother." Kozue confirmed.

"What are you doing here?" Miki asked his sister.

"I'm on a date with Akio, of course."

In all honesty, Miki wasn't a bit surprised at Kozue's response and action. "Well, do as you like." Miki turned his attention to Akio and asked, "Anyway, what do you want with me, Mr. Chairman?"

"You love Anthy Himemiya, don't you?" Kozue asked, although she knew what the answer was.

"Hey…!" Miki glared at Kozue, not wanting Akio to hear about his crush with his sister.

"What's the big deal? Don't be embarrassed. If she's important to you, make her yours. Akio says he'll help you." Kozue leaned her chair back to reveal her school uniform top unbuttoned a bit to reveal her chest a bit and her school tie completely undone and resting around her neck. "He's really something."

"I thought you hated Miss Himemiya." Miki said.

"I just want you to be happy, Miki." Kozue said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"What's brought this on?"

"I'm always completely honest with my feelings. I never lie. You don't trust me?"

"That's not it, but…"

"Akio said it's for your own good."

Miki trailed his eyes back to Akio and said, "But…he's an adult."

"So what?" Miki brought his eyes back to Kozue who continued, "When everything around you is impure, you'll have to become impure as well. The only way to get what you want is to lose your purity."

"To get what I want…" Miki repeated.

Kozue started to giggle as she removed her school tie and held it up in the air before releasing it and let the wind blow it away, only to have it land on Miki's face and cover his eyes.

Suddenly, an image appeared in Miki's eyes. In the image, instead of Akio driving the car, Miki was the driver with Anthy sitting in the passenger's seat. The image was showing exactly what he wants: to be with Anthy without a care in the world.

Realizing something, Miki removed the school tie and asked Akio, "You were the one who got Saionji to duel, weren't you? You seduced Touga and have been interfering with the student council!" He grabbed Akio's shoulder and shouted, "Just who are you?!"

"Let me know you the End of the World." Akio announced. "To you now, as well.

Miki's eyes widen when he realized why Akio was with him and Kozue. "I see. You're-"

Akio didn't say anything else as he pressed down on the gas pedal and shifted gear, causing the car to speed up at a fast speed which made everything around them pass in a blur. Without giving any warning, Akio hopped out of the driver side and landed on top of the hood of his car before sitting on top of the hood while the car was still driving at the fast speed as if Akio never left the driver's seat and drove off to who knows where.

"Whoa! Not so rough, okay?" Kozue said to Miki as he and Kozue were setting up a bird house for the baby birds to live in along with any more birds at the same location where the tree was cut down from.

"Sorry. Is it crooked?" Miki asked.

"Uh-uh, it's fine. Set it here."

"Hi, guys." The siblings turned their attention from their project to Utena who was admiring the bird house. "Making a nest box? I wonder if their parents will come back." Utena said before she turned her attentions towards Miki and Kozue who went completely silent and stared at her, which made her a bit uncomfortable. "What's wrong?"

Miki walked up towards Utena and pulled out a blue rose. "Meet me after school. In the Dueling Arena."

His request left Utena completely shocked.

"Oh, no…"

Saya walked out of the pool room after having a good swim. She looked up in the sky as it became more beautiful with the oranges, pinks and yellows mixed. As she was walking home, she heard the duel bells ringing in the air.

"What the hell…?!" She muttered before running towards the Dueling Arena.

When Saya arrived at the Dueling Arena, she noticed that the way to the balcony was completely closed off. "What's going on here?" She asked herself before running inside the gondola. The doors closed behind her before it began to ascend to the arena. Once it reached to the destination, the doors opened to reveal a different balcony with a view of the Dueling Arena.

"What is going here? What's with all the changes in the Dueling Arena?" She thought out loud before pulling out her opera-glasses to see the opponent in the arena. She was surprised to Utena's opponent on the other side of the arena; it was Miki standing in front of the same red car with Kozue stepping out in a blue version of Anthy's Rose Bride dress.

"Kozue?!" Saya exclaimed in shock.

"Kozue…Why are you dressed like…?" Utena was confused as to why Kozue was dressed like Anthy.

"Miki…" Kozue held out her hand towards her brother. Miki walked towards her and stood beside her as they each wrapped an arm around each other. "All right? Let's begin." Kozue said.

"Right." Miki agreed before closing his eyes while Kozue gently brushed her fingers against the blue rose on his chest.

"Miss Utena…" Anthy called out which Utena nodded her head.

Anthy gently placed a hand on Utena's cheek and glide it down to her chest when suddenly a bright ball of light appeared on Utena's chest under Anthy's hand.

"Rose of nobility…Please…Come forth!" Anthy chanted before part of a sword's handle appeared from the ball of light. Anthy removed her hand from the ball of light, causing the handle to follow and reveal itself to be the handle of the Sword of Dios.

Surprisingly, Kozue was doing the same thing as Anthy was doing; she was able to summon Miki's Épée from within his chest.

"Kozue can do that too?" Saya thought out loud. "But how? She's not officially a Rose Bride."

Utena leaned back as her sword was being pulled out with Anthy's help. "Grant us the power to bring the world revolution!" Both Utena and Anthy shouted at the same time as the sword was pulled out completely with Utena standing upright with the sword landing in her hand and Anthy leaning back against Utena's free arm.

Once the duel bells rang again, the red cars began to shoot out from the ground around the arena. "What is up with these red cars?" Saya questioned as she watched the duel.

Miki started the duel by charging towards Utena, who blocked his strike before they began to run around the arena while avoiding the cars. Utena noticed a red car driving around the stone walls with Kozue sitting on the passenger's seat.

"I thought you and I were friends now!" Utena shouted.

"Your sword will never defeat my sword!" Miki declared while Kozue watched from the car with a smirk on face, believing that Miki will win. Miki stopped in his tracks with Utena stopping as well. "Today, I will make the Rose Bride mine!"

Miki charged towards Utena and began to attack her, but she kept blocking his attacks. Their swords collided with each other before Miki complimented, "You've improved greatly! However…!" Utena was able to get away from Miki, but that didn't stop him from going after her.

While Miki and Utena were running around, Miki noticing something from the corner of his eye. His eyes widen as his attention was on the same red car that Kozue was in drove by Miki except instead of Kozue inside the car, the car had Kozue in the passenger's seat and Anthy in the driver's seat.

"Miss Himemiya!" Miki shouted in surprise while stopping in his tracks.

While the red car was driving around the stone wall, Kozue turned her attention towards Anthy and said, "They say those engaged to you get amazing power." Anthy didn't say anything as her seat was pushed back. Kozue leaned over towards her and asked, "What kind of 'amazing power'?"

"Kozue! What are you doing?!" Miki shouted while blocking Utena's attacks.

Kozue placed a hand on Anthy's cheek and said, "Show me that power." Kozue pushed Anthy's seat all the way back, laying her completely flat.

"KOZUE!" Miki shouted.

"Pay attention, or you'll lose." Kozue said to Miki before laying down completely in the red car, disappearing completely.

The lights from the castle began to shine down on Utena as all of the cars' headlights turned on and shined up at the castle. Utena let out a battle cry and charged towards Miki and cut his rose; scattering the rose petals and the same car that Kozue and Anthy were in suddenly crashed itself against the stone wall.

The bells rang, concluding the end of the battle and Miki was left on the ground and Kozue was unconscious inside the red car while Anthy appeared out of nowhere and stood beside Utena.

"A child's sword, huh? I wonder what made Miki suddenly want to duel Utena. Could it have something to do with the reason why Saionji wanted to duel her along with these changes in the arena?" Saya wondered. "This is getting more and more confusing."

Miki was working on the bird house while sitting on top of the ladder. While working, he heard some footsteps standing underneath him. Both Miki and the person stayed silent until Miki snapped his head towards the person and exclaimed, "What's with you?!"

The person, Kozue snapped her head towards Miki with a harden glare and shouted, "Coward!" As soon as she said what she wanted to say, she stormed away from Miki.