[Look! 'Tis my first Touga/Utena ficcy! (well, there was the Touga poem, but this is different!) I hope you all like it! Please, please read and review!! ~~Kozue-chan]

The prizes were set. The bets were placed. Everything was resting upon this duel. His life. Her life. Everything they both dreamed of and wanted. His chance to be a prince with an adoring princess by his side. Her quest for the Revolution of the world. His opporunity for redemption from not being able to show a little girl something eternal. Her chance to be a prince and save a little girl from the swords of hatred. Both had determinations greater than any other for winning this duel. To them it wasn't just a duel against an opponent. This was a duel against life.

With roses pinned to their chests, the two fought. Blade clashed against blade. Determination clashed against determination. The stars that hung in their velvet sky were the witnesses to such a battle. The haunting scent of roses that had driven them both to this battle since they were mere children hung all around the arena.

The duel went on. Each waited for the other to lose their focus, to slip, to fall, to accept defeat. However, as the battle raged on there was no such weakness. Neither wanted to be the loser of this battle, for there was just too much to lose.

Both had changed so much. Perhaps that is what lead them to such a duel. She no longer had such undefined goals. She knew what she wanted to accomplish now. She had to free the Rose Bride from her life of suffering. For that matter, she had to free the world from suffering. She had to bring a Revolution to the world. He no longer had such terrible reasons for living. He knew what he needed to make his life right again. He had to show a princess something eternal. For that matter, he needed to show himself something eternal. He had to have that princess by his side in order to bring a Revolution to her world.

As both grew weary from the duel, their hearts still fought on. However, someone had to win, and someone had to lose. It was all a matter of the heart. She wasn't willing to give in. Although her dreams were too big to grasp, she wanted to hold onto them. She didn't care that those dreams of accomplishments and world Revolution could end up being her downfall. They were all she wanted. Such a noble heart was covered by such a foolish blindness. He had to give in. Although he wanted nothing more than her, he knew that defeating and capturing her would break that noble heart and spirit he so adored. He didn't care how much he would hurt from letting her go, for he knew he had no other choice. She was all he wanted. Such a lonely heart was covered by such a star-crossed love.

The red rose was slashed off his chest. Red petals floated down to the ground. She held a triumphant smile upon her lovely face. He held the pieces of a broken heart in his hands. Words were exchanged between the two. Goodbyes were said. She went one way. He remained. She left to chase a dream she wasn't meant to have. He remained to re-live a fight he wasn't meant to win.

She had walked away from him so confidently, so triumphantly. Once she was out of his sight, she stopped. She stared at the signet ring that had led her there. She reflected upon the memory of a prince who had rescued her from death. In her perfect world, there was her prince, her ring, and her life of pure happiness. However, her world was far from perfect. All that remained of her prince was the shell of his former self, and the evil man that dwelled inside. Her ring bound her to the life of a duelist and the quest for Revolution. Her happiness was a thing that soared away so quickly that she could no longer recapture it. Perhaps their battle had revolutionized her world.

He had lost without showing the pain, the tears. Once she was gone, he wept. He struggled to find all the pieces of his shattered heart. He stared at his signet ring that had led him there. He remembered a time when he tried to save a little girl from a rose-covered coffin. In his perfect world, he had saved her, she loved him, and they lived happily ever after. However, his world was far from perfect. A prince who hid his truly evil ambition saved his precious princess. She loved the one who saved her, not the one who adored her and tried so desperately to free her. Their happiness didn't even exist in the cold reality. Perhaps their battle had revolutionized his world.

She ran to find her way back to him. She saw things so clearly now. She had to apologize to him. She had to release the dreams that weren't meant to come true. She had to let him win. The duel was long over, but she wanted him to win. She just wanted to be a princess, his princess. Sparkling tears rolled down her cheeks as she ran back toward him.

He had to find his way back to her. He saw the reality of everything now. He had to apologize to her. He had to release the noble heart of the one he loved in order for her to soar. Although he had let her win, he had to explain himself first. The duel was long over, but he wanted to share the reality with her. He just wanted to be a prince. Hidden tears fell behind his drifting red locks as he ran to find her.

At the sight of each other, they both stopped. They merely stared at each other for awhile. Something new and wonderful danced in their eyes. She saw a prince who loved her and wanted to protect her from the cruel and painful Revolution that just wasn't meant to be. He saw a princess who had come back to him and wanted to be protected and loved by her prince. He slowly touched his hand to her cheek and wiped away the sparkling tears from her innocent blue eyes. They whispered their I-love-you's beneath the pale moonlight. As the stars sparkled above, they exchanged a kiss that was both delicate and passionate. Both were finally happy, for they had Revolutionized their worlds.