Part 3: The Dueling Arena
As Kyoko reached the top of the winding spiral stairs that protruded from the stone path she followed earlier, she was surprised to find a black, ebony stone platform. The whole place defied gravity. The stairs were slanted, with a platform at the top! It didn't make any sense.
"There used to be a beautiful castle up there," Anthy's light, soft voice traveled to Kyoko's ears. She whirled around, and saw Anthy sitting on the edge of the platform enclosure, as calm as a rock. Or, rather, as dead as a rock. Her entire face was pale, and her eyes were glassy again. Having been just pursued by a bunch of rabid girls, Kyoko was quite paranoid at the moment. She was almost positive that Anthy, too, would immediately jump upon her, screaming, "You were mean to Keisuke-sama! You will pay!!!!!!!!!!!!" Suppressing a shiver, Kyoko tiptoed towards the pallid woman.
"It came down after she left. Akio said that it wasn't, but I knew what it was," Anthy murmured slightly. Kyoko was confused. What in the world was Anthy talking about? And, if she didn't stop rocking like that soon, she would topple right off of the ledge. She strolled over to hold her in case she did.
"Um... are you all right, miss Anthy?" Kyoko inquired nervously. She walked closer to Anthy, who was still rocking like a... rocking chair.
"The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse. The Revolution of the World. She brought them all."
"Uh... miss Anthy?"
Suddenly, Anthy awoke from her coma. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I was recollecting past memories." Anthy shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Forgive me, Utena." Kyoko flashed a sympathetic smile, and grinned, "I'm Kyoko. Remember?"
"Oh! No, don't lie, Utena, please." Anthy had a sad look.
"No, seriously. I look like Utena, I know. But, I'm Kyoko! Utena's cousin!"
"Kyoko...?" Anthy looked clearly baffled. "Oh!!! Kyoko! I remember now!"
Kyoko sweat dropped, and wondered if Anthy would always be like this. It really was quite annoying to speak to a person who had occasional fits of amnesia, along with comas. She sighed, and said, " Anthy? I found the article about Utena. It was when she was a child, and found in a coffin. You were right. I am related. My mother was Utena's oldest first cousin."
"Yes. If Utena hadn't hid in the coffin, I would never be like this now. I would still be in the coffin, with swords pinned to my sides. Yes."
"The strange thing is, however, the newspaper was hidden. Or, rather, someone was attempting to hide it. Who would it be?"
"Akio. He's trying to hide the legacy of Utena. Even a few months after Utena disappeared, nobody remembered her. How could they forget her? She was their idol until she went on to a new world."
"A new world? You keep mentioning that, but what are you talking about?"
Anthy suddenly swirled around to face Kyoko. "I can't tell you. You will go there yourself one day. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." Then, she abruptly turned around and said more softly, "In truth, even I've never been there. I just know that she is in an eternal sleep. Where, I do not know."
"Wait a second... you just said that I will be going there someday... can you, er, explain that a little more? What do you mean, I have to go there?!" Kyoko looked suspicious as the truth of Anthy's words dawned upon her.
As if she wished to change the subject, Anthy exclaimed briskly, "Oh, here! Akio asked me to give this to you. I forgot all about it! Ha, silly me!" She reached inside one of her coat pockets and pulled out a small envelope sealed with a red rose seal. Kyoko sweat-dropped again. So, Anthy was a person who got struck by amnesia often, huh? She cautiously leaned over and peered at the envelope. As she took it in her hands, she noticed that the seal was the same as the school's rose signet and the engraving on the gate near the spiral stairs. What was up with this school and roses? Unfortunately, she didn't have time to think this over, either, because as soon as she took it, Anthy urged her, "Open it!" Carefully, Kyoko peeled the seal off. Then, pulling out the letter inside, she read it. Strangely, it was simply:
Dear Miss Kyoko Yamada:
You are therefore invited to the first meeting of the Ohtori Student Council, at 7:00 a.m. promptly. Please attend on time. The Ends of the World and the fellow Student Council awaits you. As a final word, please attend. We advise you not to skip this important meeting.
The Ohtori Student Council /Ends of the World
Puzzled, Kyoko read it over again for a secret message. There was something creepy about the letter. Maybe it was the part where it read: "As a final word, please attend. We advise you not to skip this important meeting." It was almost like a threat. Almost amused now, Kyoko thought of what would happen if she didn't. Would the president of the Ohtori Student Council sneak into her dorm at night and chug poison down her throat? She imagined herself getting up the next morning and falling over on the floor with a blue-green face, dead. Nah, this scenario was too stupid. So was the idea of them hiring a group of ninja-assassins to stab her while sleeping. She banished these idiotic thoughts from her head and concerned herself with trying to find the hidden meaning in the letter.
"Don't even think about skipping. They'll find you. They will. They hold authority in this school. If you break one of their rules, you shall be expelled. Even she couldn't evade them. That was how she became this way." Anthy answered the exact question that Kyoko was thinking of at the moment. Damn, Kyoko thought. No use in even trying to skip it, then.
"And, be sure to be up extra early. You'll need time to change in the uniform that will arrive exactly an hour before the meeting." Anthy finished off the conversation. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. We won't meet here. It'll be too risky. But, we'll meet, I guarantee you. Good-bye, Kyoko." Anthy waved. Kyoko raised an eyebrow. What was Anthy waving right now for? She hadn't even budged yet. However, she took this as a signal, and started to walk down the stairs. It looked like Anthy wanted her gone quickly, too. Now even more confused than before, Kyoko furrowed her brow.
As soon as she stepped inside of her dorm room, Kyoko remembered something. Where in the world was the Student Council meeting going to be?!
As Kyoko reached the top of the winding spiral stairs that protruded from the stone path she followed earlier, she was surprised to find a black, ebony stone platform. The whole place defied gravity. The stairs were slanted, with a platform at the top! It didn't make any sense.
"There used to be a beautiful castle up there," Anthy's light, soft voice traveled to Kyoko's ears. She whirled around, and saw Anthy sitting on the edge of the platform enclosure, as calm as a rock. Or, rather, as dead as a rock. Her entire face was pale, and her eyes were glassy again. Having been just pursued by a bunch of rabid girls, Kyoko was quite paranoid at the moment. She was almost positive that Anthy, too, would immediately jump upon her, screaming, "You were mean to Keisuke-sama! You will pay!!!!!!!!!!!!" Suppressing a shiver, Kyoko tiptoed towards the pallid woman.
"It came down after she left. Akio said that it wasn't, but I knew what it was," Anthy murmured slightly. Kyoko was confused. What in the world was Anthy talking about? And, if she didn't stop rocking like that soon, she would topple right off of the ledge. She strolled over to hold her in case she did.
"Um... are you all right, miss Anthy?" Kyoko inquired nervously. She walked closer to Anthy, who was still rocking like a... rocking chair.
"The Absolute Destiny Apocalypse. The Revolution of the World. She brought them all."
"Uh... miss Anthy?"
Suddenly, Anthy awoke from her coma. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I was recollecting past memories." Anthy shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Forgive me, Utena." Kyoko flashed a sympathetic smile, and grinned, "I'm Kyoko. Remember?"
"Oh! No, don't lie, Utena, please." Anthy had a sad look.
"No, seriously. I look like Utena, I know. But, I'm Kyoko! Utena's cousin!"
"Kyoko...?" Anthy looked clearly baffled. "Oh!!! Kyoko! I remember now!"
Kyoko sweat dropped, and wondered if Anthy would always be like this. It really was quite annoying to speak to a person who had occasional fits of amnesia, along with comas. She sighed, and said, " Anthy? I found the article about Utena. It was when she was a child, and found in a coffin. You were right. I am related. My mother was Utena's oldest first cousin."
"Yes. If Utena hadn't hid in the coffin, I would never be like this now. I would still be in the coffin, with swords pinned to my sides. Yes."
"The strange thing is, however, the newspaper was hidden. Or, rather, someone was attempting to hide it. Who would it be?"
"Akio. He's trying to hide the legacy of Utena. Even a few months after Utena disappeared, nobody remembered her. How could they forget her? She was their idol until she went on to a new world."
"A new world? You keep mentioning that, but what are you talking about?"
Anthy suddenly swirled around to face Kyoko. "I can't tell you. You will go there yourself one day. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise." Then, she abruptly turned around and said more softly, "In truth, even I've never been there. I just know that she is in an eternal sleep. Where, I do not know."
"Wait a second... you just said that I will be going there someday... can you, er, explain that a little more? What do you mean, I have to go there?!" Kyoko looked suspicious as the truth of Anthy's words dawned upon her.
As if she wished to change the subject, Anthy exclaimed briskly, "Oh, here! Akio asked me to give this to you. I forgot all about it! Ha, silly me!" She reached inside one of her coat pockets and pulled out a small envelope sealed with a red rose seal. Kyoko sweat-dropped again. So, Anthy was a person who got struck by amnesia often, huh? She cautiously leaned over and peered at the envelope. As she took it in her hands, she noticed that the seal was the same as the school's rose signet and the engraving on the gate near the spiral stairs. What was up with this school and roses? Unfortunately, she didn't have time to think this over, either, because as soon as she took it, Anthy urged her, "Open it!" Carefully, Kyoko peeled the seal off. Then, pulling out the letter inside, she read it. Strangely, it was simply:
Dear Miss Kyoko Yamada:
You are therefore invited to the first meeting of the Ohtori Student Council, at 7:00 a.m. promptly. Please attend on time. The Ends of the World and the fellow Student Council awaits you. As a final word, please attend. We advise you not to skip this important meeting.
The Ohtori Student Council /Ends of the World
Puzzled, Kyoko read it over again for a secret message. There was something creepy about the letter. Maybe it was the part where it read: "As a final word, please attend. We advise you not to skip this important meeting." It was almost like a threat. Almost amused now, Kyoko thought of what would happen if she didn't. Would the president of the Ohtori Student Council sneak into her dorm at night and chug poison down her throat? She imagined herself getting up the next morning and falling over on the floor with a blue-green face, dead. Nah, this scenario was too stupid. So was the idea of them hiring a group of ninja-assassins to stab her while sleeping. She banished these idiotic thoughts from her head and concerned herself with trying to find the hidden meaning in the letter.
"Don't even think about skipping. They'll find you. They will. They hold authority in this school. If you break one of their rules, you shall be expelled. Even she couldn't evade them. That was how she became this way." Anthy answered the exact question that Kyoko was thinking of at the moment. Damn, Kyoko thought. No use in even trying to skip it, then.
"And, be sure to be up extra early. You'll need time to change in the uniform that will arrive exactly an hour before the meeting." Anthy finished off the conversation. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. We won't meet here. It'll be too risky. But, we'll meet, I guarantee you. Good-bye, Kyoko." Anthy waved. Kyoko raised an eyebrow. What was Anthy waving right now for? She hadn't even budged yet. However, she took this as a signal, and started to walk down the stairs. It looked like Anthy wanted her gone quickly, too. Now even more confused than before, Kyoko furrowed her brow.
As soon as she stepped inside of her dorm room, Kyoko remembered something. Where in the world was the Student Council meeting going to be?!
