Stumbling to her feet, Utena slowly rose from the ground and walked out of the Duel Arena. "I won't lose you, not now, not ever again, Anthy..."
Chapter 2 - Return to Innocence
"It's been 3 days, and still nothing," Juri said, looking first at her lap then at Anthy. "What purpose do you have, anyway? We all fight for you for this power, and now that I have you, I'm getting nothing out of it!" she continued, rising and slapping Anthy across the face, causing her to fall to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Miss Juri," Anthy replied.
"Sorry is not enough! I want action! I want to be happy! Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!"
Anthy looked blankly at Juri.
"Sigh, forgive me, Rose Bride... I've been dealing with so much in the past week. I'm projectiling my anger toward you, even though you're not the cause of it. That doesn't mean I like or dislike you any less, though. Oh, why am I bothering, it's just like talking to a robot anyway," Juri sighed, walking out of the room as her voice trailed through the hallway.
"I miss you, Miss Utena," Anthy thought to herself as she watched Juri walk away.
"Understand? We live only for each other - no one else," Tia commanded Janus as they entered the Academy gates. "Now, go to class, and then straight home, got it?"
"Tia," Janus asked, "What's that ring on your finger for? This is the first time I've actually noticed it."
"It's nothing, you'll find out one day. Don't worry about it," she replied.
"What happened, Utena?" Wakaba asked as Utena embraced her friend tightly, tears rolling down her face.
"I've failed. Again," Utena began.
"Failed at what?"
"Everything... sorry Wakaba, you just wouldn't get it,"
"I got it the last time! I haven't seen you this upset since the Touga episode a year ago!"
"Excuse me," Tia asked, approaching Utena and Wakaba, "Are you Tenjou Utena?"
Utena looked up, asking, "Yes, what can I do for you?"
"You were engaged to the Rose Bride, right?"
"Huh? Er... who are you and why do you ask me such things?"
"I am Tia, and I'm here to win the Rose Bride because none of you know how to treat or protect her,"
"What do you mean?"
"I want to challenge her to a duel!" Tia replied, "The one who is engaged to the Rose Bride! Where is she?"
"You want to challenge me?" Juri asked. "I'll see you at the dueling arena after school then..."
"Anthy, prepare us!" Juri commanded. Anthy pinned an orange flower on Juri, then a gray flower on Tia. The two stood with their swords extended, pointing at each other. Tia dashed at Juri, only to be sidestepped and swiped at. Dodging, Tia fell on her back, quickly rolling away from Juri's impending attack. Hitting the ground, Juri was frozen for a moment. Tia stood up and once again charged. Jury responded with an equal attack, nullifying both attempts.
"You call yourself a duelist?" Juri mocked, laughing.
"I call myself a believer of miracles!" Tia replied, charging a third time.
"There are no such things as miracles! Dios now possesses me!" Juri yelled back as Dios dropped from the castle above them and into her. Lunging at Tia, Jury extended her sword and yelled loudly. Tia extended her hand, her rose signet glowing. The Sword of Dios suddenly disappeared, and a blast shot from Tia's ring, knocking Juri to the ground.
"This is miracle," Tia said before ripping Juri's rose from her breast.
Violet eyes of the Rose Bride widened as the Sword of Dios was inverted and given to its rigthful owner, Utena, by Tia. To one knee, the young duelist fell as she gently removed the gray rose. At once, the bells sounded.
"Tia, why?" the blue eyes staring at Tia whispered.
"I have been chasing a dark nightmare, and have been misled," Tia replied, rising to her feet. At once, Tia felt the soft touch of feathers and rose petals against her skin. The black duelist outfit she wore changed shape and altered into a gray colored scheme: darker gray top and skirt and a light gray shirt underneath. Her golden hair, once worn freely, now moved into a confined updo, kept in place by a pearl circulet with a teardrop at the center of the forehead. She then opened her pale blue eyes and spoke again. "I had thought it were my destiny to protect the Rose Bride from the duelists, when in fact, I am one of six others who are to protect the Prince and the Rose Bride, as well as the duelists. My name is Tia, and I am the guardian of the white rose - the spirit of innocent and purity. Forgive my insolence, Prince."
"It's alright Tia," Utena replied, smiling. She had won Anthy back...
Chapter 2 - Return to Innocence
"It's been 3 days, and still nothing," Juri said, looking first at her lap then at Anthy. "What purpose do you have, anyway? We all fight for you for this power, and now that I have you, I'm getting nothing out of it!" she continued, rising and slapping Anthy across the face, causing her to fall to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Miss Juri," Anthy replied.
"Sorry is not enough! I want action! I want to be happy! Grant me the power to revolutionize the world!"
Anthy looked blankly at Juri.
"Sigh, forgive me, Rose Bride... I've been dealing with so much in the past week. I'm projectiling my anger toward you, even though you're not the cause of it. That doesn't mean I like or dislike you any less, though. Oh, why am I bothering, it's just like talking to a robot anyway," Juri sighed, walking out of the room as her voice trailed through the hallway.
"I miss you, Miss Utena," Anthy thought to herself as she watched Juri walk away.
"Understand? We live only for each other - no one else," Tia commanded Janus as they entered the Academy gates. "Now, go to class, and then straight home, got it?"
"Tia," Janus asked, "What's that ring on your finger for? This is the first time I've actually noticed it."
"It's nothing, you'll find out one day. Don't worry about it," she replied.
"What happened, Utena?" Wakaba asked as Utena embraced her friend tightly, tears rolling down her face.
"I've failed. Again," Utena began.
"Failed at what?"
"Everything... sorry Wakaba, you just wouldn't get it,"
"I got it the last time! I haven't seen you this upset since the Touga episode a year ago!"
"Excuse me," Tia asked, approaching Utena and Wakaba, "Are you Tenjou Utena?"
Utena looked up, asking, "Yes, what can I do for you?"
"You were engaged to the Rose Bride, right?"
"Huh? Er... who are you and why do you ask me such things?"
"I am Tia, and I'm here to win the Rose Bride because none of you know how to treat or protect her,"
"What do you mean?"
"I want to challenge her to a duel!" Tia replied, "The one who is engaged to the Rose Bride! Where is she?"
"You want to challenge me?" Juri asked. "I'll see you at the dueling arena after school then..."
"Anthy, prepare us!" Juri commanded. Anthy pinned an orange flower on Juri, then a gray flower on Tia. The two stood with their swords extended, pointing at each other. Tia dashed at Juri, only to be sidestepped and swiped at. Dodging, Tia fell on her back, quickly rolling away from Juri's impending attack. Hitting the ground, Juri was frozen for a moment. Tia stood up and once again charged. Jury responded with an equal attack, nullifying both attempts.
"You call yourself a duelist?" Juri mocked, laughing.
"I call myself a believer of miracles!" Tia replied, charging a third time.
"There are no such things as miracles! Dios now possesses me!" Juri yelled back as Dios dropped from the castle above them and into her. Lunging at Tia, Jury extended her sword and yelled loudly. Tia extended her hand, her rose signet glowing. The Sword of Dios suddenly disappeared, and a blast shot from Tia's ring, knocking Juri to the ground.
"This is miracle," Tia said before ripping Juri's rose from her breast.
Violet eyes of the Rose Bride widened as the Sword of Dios was inverted and given to its rigthful owner, Utena, by Tia. To one knee, the young duelist fell as she gently removed the gray rose. At once, the bells sounded.
"Tia, why?" the blue eyes staring at Tia whispered.
"I have been chasing a dark nightmare, and have been misled," Tia replied, rising to her feet. At once, Tia felt the soft touch of feathers and rose petals against her skin. The black duelist outfit she wore changed shape and altered into a gray colored scheme: darker gray top and skirt and a light gray shirt underneath. Her golden hair, once worn freely, now moved into a confined updo, kept in place by a pearl circulet with a teardrop at the center of the forehead. She then opened her pale blue eyes and spoke again. "I had thought it were my destiny to protect the Rose Bride from the duelists, when in fact, I am one of six others who are to protect the Prince and the Rose Bride, as well as the duelists. My name is Tia, and I am the guardian of the white rose - the spirit of innocent and purity. Forgive my insolence, Prince."
"It's alright Tia," Utena replied, smiling. She had won Anthy back...