Author's Note: Hey! I'm back! Did you miss me? (You probably didn't, seeing as you don't know me…but a girl can hope, ne?) Anyway, I hope that my use of some Japanese words doesn't offend you, as I once read a letter where someone totally found it disgusting that we 'imitated' – or something. But that's not true! I actually got most of my words from my friend who's taking Japanese classes, and besides, it's great you take from things you admire, right? *sigh* Anyway, my editorial is over, so I hope you enjoy!
Oh yeah…can you believe that this is the 4th Utena/SM crossover I've done? Sheesh, I'm so hopless…^_^
J-U-ri
by Utena_Anthy_Antics
(If anyone comes up with a better name, tell me. ^_^ Please enjoy! Oh yeah…if anyone was wondering, the reason why I said Usagi thought Miki had a female's voice is because he has one in the subtitled version of Utena. I don't know why, though. It's actually cute if you think about it…)
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Usagi opened her biology book, scrawling her name in the front cover. Closing it, she looked over the picture on the front and slowly traced the words muttering out loud, "Bi-ol-o-gy. The study of life. Interesting. I wonder who'll I meet in THIS class?"
Interrupting her voiced musings, a soft voice suddenly asked over her shoulder, "Excuse me. Do you mind if I sit here?"
Looking up, Usagi immediately smiled at the girl with soft green eyes behind big glasses. Her hair was a deep royal purple and coiled in an exotic bun that ran all the way from one side of her head to the other, on level with her ears. She stood demurely, holding her book bag in her hands in front of her, her head bowed slightly.
"Of course," Usagi said, scooting her stool over. Instead of like all of her earlier classes, the desks in this class were all like those found in a science lab, where scientists in white coats and goggles dissected dead animals. Grimacing at her mental image, she watched as the girl, probably only a year younger then her, suddenly sat up straight on her stool and started grabbing for her book bag where she had set it down in front of her.
"Hey, where're you going?" she asked, confused. She hadn't done anything!
The girl looked over at her, her big eyes tinged with something Usagi couldn't make out as she replied softly, "I'm sorry if you do not want to sit next to me. Please forgive me. I shall find another seat."
Usagi blinked, her mouth falling open. What was the girl talking about!? "Hey, wait a minute! I never said such a thing! I'd be honored to sit next to you."
"You would?"
"Hai," Usagi nodded, turning her expression warm, "That is, if you want to."
She watched as the girl nodded and sat back down, smiling apologetically at her. Her eyes started wandering as she faced the front of the room and absently took out her notebook and pencil. Usagi sweat-dropped as the girl started to ignore her, but chocked it up to the weird feeling she was getting from her. Hey, she shrugged, if it worked for Hotaru, it can work for her. Besides, she had only needed to get to know Hotaru better, so she was going to get to know the girl better too.
Any other thoughts had to be swallowed as the teacher called for the beginning of the class to start.
The class passed uneventfully. That is…until the last few minutes before the class ended.
Closing her book with a sigh, Usagi shook her head, causing her blonde bangs to flop against her forehead. When reaching up to fix them, her elbow accidentally knocked over a glass of water holding some tadpoles. Watching with a horrified expression, Usagi couldn't do anything as the contents of the glass splattered all over the dark girl next to her.
The girl gave a start as she suddenly found a tadpole sticking to her glasses and others wriggling their way through her hair. Usagi gave a breathy 'eek' and lunged to grab the frogs from her hair, squeaking when she actually felt the slimy animals flopping in her hand.
The girl looked at her with big eyes, total confusion in them as she started tracking the tadpole's descent down the lenses of her glasses. Holding out a trembling hand, Usagi offered her a handkerchief and asked in a quiet voice, her eyes flashing apologetically, "Here. Let me take the glasses.
"You know," she continued softly as she took them from the girl who silently handed them to her, "I'm really sorry…I didn't mean to! It was an accident! And-and-!!" Tears gathered in her eyes and she looked down as she scraped the tadpole into another glass of water. The girl was surely going to hate her now…
The girl giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth.
What...? Usagi looked up with shocked eyes as a bright smile greeted her and green eyes twinkled, equally as big as before, minus the glasses. Usagi blinked as the girl laughed again, and the corners of her own mouth twitched. Before long, she found herself also laughing softly,
"I guess it is kind of funny, but I really am sorry."
The girl shook her head and accepted back the cleaned glasses, slipping them on. Taking the handkerchief, the girl dabbed at the water that still dripped down her face, and Usagi reached to help her with her hair.
"It is alright. Watashi wa Himemiya Anshi desu," she introduced herself.
Usagi smiled, relieved. "I'm Tsukino Usagi. I'm really sorry about that."
The bell rang just then, stopping any further conversation between the two. Usagi got up, saying over her shoulder, "Keep the handkerchief; you can return it later. Right now, I MUST find the cafeteria! I'm so hungry!"
Anshi laughed and smiled softly, saying mysteriously, "See you quite soon, Tsukino-san," and before Usagi really knew what was happening, she disappeared into the crowd of exiting students.
Looking over the counter of the desk, Usagi winced as she once again replayed the scene in her head. God. What a way to make a first impression, ne? Shaking her head, she headed to grab a couple of paper towels from the front of the class, resolutely going to wipe up the water that puddle on the desk. Quickly cleaning up the liquid, she deposited the towels into the trash and glanced at her watch. Noting the time, her eyes widened and she almost screamed out as she saw that she only had ten minutes to find the cafeteria, and then there, food. Grabbing her bag, she sprinted out of the classroom, and there, in the halls, increased her speed, running for her life as her stomach growled.
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Juri sharply knocked on the door to Touga's room, clenching her fist at her side. There were questions she needed to ask, and nothing was going to stop her from having them answered. Her thoughts turning away from her inner turmoil, the door suddenly opened and blue-haired girl ran out, fixing her clothes.
Striding angrily into Touga's room, she smirked, her eyes flashing as she saw Touga calmly looking at her where he stood leaning against the wall, his shirt halfway unbuttoned, "I see you can't stop yourself from chasing after Miki's sister. What, now you'll start chasing after him? I'm surprised you haven't."
"Ah, Juri. Is that any way to speak to your friend?" Touga chuckled softly, craning his head backwards, his long red hair cascading over his face. Turning back to face her, his red eyes flashed, and he asked pointedly, "Why don't you try it sometime? It might…sate your angry emotions."
"That is none of your business!" Juri said harshly, growling as her brown eyes flashed a warning, "And I would greatly appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself. My life is my own."
"I have never doubted that for one second, Juri. Just be careful. One day your actions might come back and hit you in the face."
"You are one to speak!" Juri retorted even as his comment zinged home. It was true. Her actions had once cost her something she had loved with all her heart, and see what that had granted her. Her hand unconsciously made its way up the locket that hung around her neck.
Touga's hands rose as he stopped the angry exchange, and then smiled devilishly, "Let us continue this conversation later. There is something you wish to discuss with me regarding the transfer student…?"
"Yes," Juri made her way over to a chair and sat, raking her bangs back, "Why is she really here? And why is she important for End of the World?"
Touga chuckled and examined the ring on his finger. Bringing it up to his face, he presented it to Juri and said soberly, "This ring binds us to End of the World's desires and marks us as Duelists. But who is to say that the ring is the only sign of End of the World's protection? What if there was another way that someone could use to bring revolution to the world? Another power perhaps; a power infinitely stronger than the Sword of Dios. What if that power existed? And what if the two powers combined?"
Touga's face was cast in shadows, a reverent look on his face. Sunlight suddenly poured in from the window to his right, the curtains falling away.
"Juri," his voice was deep, cutting through the almost euphoric picture he presented, "If those two powers combined, there would be nothing stopping the Prince from revolutionizing the world."
Juri shifted, staring at the Student Council President, her mouth set in a stern frown, "Even if this 'power' existed, what does it have to do with Usagi? Why should we trust this power? And what wields it?"
"The question, Juri, is not what; it's who."
The curtains fell, casting the room in a deep darkness as Juri's eyes widened, an incredulous feeling making its way through her body. She pushed herself from her chair and ran from his room, slamming the door after her. Suddenly feeling weakened, Juri brought her hand up to her face, scrutinizing the ring as sweat beaded on her forehead. It couldn't be true. Usagi was too innocent, too pure.
A face suddenly filtered through her thoughts, and she pushed it back, trying to forget deep maroon colored hair and blue eyes. No. She shook her head. Touga was mistaken. Usagi was just a normal girl.
Making her way to the cafeteria, she paused and composed herself, once again adopting her icy wall. A green and yellow blur suddenly streaked past her, an apologetic voice wafting back to her as she heard a crash farther ahead, "Gomen nasai! Please forgive me! I need to EAT!!" and pounding foot steps started again.
Letting an almost amused smile cross her face, Juri shook her head and clenched the hand that wore the rose signet, her expression going dark.
Yes…Touga was wrong. He had to be…or else Juri was going to have to question everything she knew in the hectic world she lived in, and she really didn't want to do that.
* * *
Hino Rei sighed and once again tried to consult the fire on the whereabouts of her best friend. Usagi had been missing for a month now, and no one knew where she was; even her parents had no idea where their daughter had gone. The last time anyone had seen her was after a date with Mamoru to the ice cream parlor, and she had allegedly walked home from there after Mamoru had to leave early to go back to working at the hospital where he part-timed. The day before had been her birthday, and she had claimed at her party that she was going to tell them something important that day at the Senshi meeting.
But she had never showed.
There had been no unusual activity of power, no youma fights. It was as if Usagi had just packed up and left, leaving no clues to her whereabouts.
Rei slumped, her violet eyes dimming as she unlaced her hands, her bangs sticking to the sticky sweat on her forehead. A hopeless look remained on her face as she slowly uncurled her legs and walked out of the Fire Room into the greeting room where everybody waited.
Pausing at the door, Rei felt tears slip down her face and she almost collapsed to her knees, her ebony black bangs obscuring her eyes as her head was bowed. Looking up when someone touched her shoulder, soft and gentle deep blue eyes greeted her, and Ami asked sadly,
"Any news?"
Rei shook her head, her façade of togetherness fell and she collapsed into her blue haired friend's arms. "Ami-chan," she sobbed, "I can't find her! I can't sense anything! Why can't I? Why is the Fire ignoring me??"
Ami tried to comfort her, even as hopeless and grief-stricken she herself felt. She, greater than anyone, knew that Rei was feeling that she had let everyone down because she was the closest to Usagi, and had the power to find her, but could not. But most of all, the Senshi of Fire felt that she had let Usagi down, and that was killing her.
So Ami tried to give comfort even as her own tears fell.
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Okay…that was a major twist. I don't know why it turned out that way, but please remember (though I never told you in the first place) I write whatever comes up. I never have a set storyline, so things are prone to change. Anyway, I hope you like it, and I wouldn't fault you if you flamed me…but try not to make them too harsh, please. I'm crushed easily.
Time for a mood swing, everyone! Please review, and I just want to say thank you for the great reviews so far because this is really my first posting. I'M SO HAPPY!
Well, I'll try to get more out soon, so maybe in a week or so. I have KILLER Academic Fair projects to do (a.k.a: two one minute videos to make, three essays and a poster board for Spanish. Sheesh, my teachers really pile it on, and I'm only in 9th grade! *sigh* It's actually fun, but don't tell them that! ^_^)
Anyway, please review, and again, my E-Mail is revolutionary_rose@hotmail.com.
Thanks again; I really appreciate the support.
Oh joy of joys! (I'm really rambling on, aren't I? ^_^) You are now going to have to scroll down a lot to get to the bottom –if you want to- because this is the top of the 4th page. You are so lucky! (I'm in a strange mood right now…well…duh.)
Okay, final goodbye. Ja! ^_^