Disclaimer: You know whom I own and you know whom I don't own. Wish I did, but Chiho Saito does. She is so awesome! There's a big spoiler warning as well, with two major scenes from the final episode of the TV series. Anywho, with that concern addressed, please enjoy!
"I wonder, I wonder, do you know what I wonder?"
Television screens turned on all over Ohtori Academy as the student body all flocked to their lockers to see who they will be sharing dorm rooms with for the year. As the screen came into focus, the puppets of H-ko and I-ko walked onto the set and began their routine. I-ko was jumping up and down for joy as she talked to her shadow counterpart.
"They've put to the lists for who's made the hockey team!" I-ko's puppet suddenly disappeared, but returned a moment later. She sported a complete hockey uniform as a referee's whistle echoed in the background. "I hope I get to play left wing!"
"There were a lot of people trying out for the team this year, even that girl who did flower arranging." H-ko appeared next, sitting on her knees and arranging tulips and willows within a vase in front of her. She looked as if she was dressed in a ceremonial kimono.
"Really? I never thought of her as an aggressive person, how will she ever survive on the hockey team?"
"But didn't you hear? She's got the best body check out of all those trying out!" Laughing aloud, H-ko grabbed I-ko's stick away and charged forward, slamming into I-ko and sending her toppling backwards to the ground.
"Wow! It's amazing how people can shatter your expectations of them!" I-ko nodded rapidly to herself and began twirling around once again before she was joined by H-ko.
"We wonder, we wonder . . ." H-ko and I-ko continued to speak and twirl about, despite being pulled upward and off the television screen. The scenery then faded out to black. "Oh the things we seem to wonder . . ."
"NOOOOO!" I-Ko suddenly dropped back into view and placed a hand over her eyes as she began to wail and cry aloud. "They made me the towel girl! My life is over!"
H-ko simply yawned. "Bummer . . ."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Great, why didn't I borrow a cart from the library like everyone else?"
Stumbling back and forth along the path to the southern dorms, what appeared to be a large pile of books, a monkey nestled upon the top of the stack, and a couple of duffle bags with legs seemed to draw the attention of many spectators. They giggled and teased the person slightly until a sudden misstep caused them to fall forward, spilling all of their belongings onto the concrete pathway, sending the small creature tumbling forward and away until it was out of sight. The figure, now revealed to be Anthy Himemiya, lay there dazed for a moment before regaining her sense of location.
"This is no fun at all . . ." She let out a groan of frustration as she sat up onto her knees and began scooping up the scattered textbooks. "Why the heck do I have all of this stuff anyway? Do 9th graders really need it?"
Despite feeling like a silly fool at the current moment, Anthy actually was feeling very good about herself deep down inside. Freeing Varari from Yamato's possession really seemed to be beneficial. The new Rose Bride seemed content whenever Anthy saw her at school, though she couldn't remember what activities she was in if any. Then again, she herself hadn't decided what she was going to take part in, though she figured that joining the Fencing and Kendo clubs would be the most beneficial for her. Saionji was still captain after all, and Ruka had turned over the position of captain over to Juri at the very end of the last school year.
"Well, if anything was like last year then Varari should be waiting in my dorm, considering that I'm probably the new champion of the duels after all." Nodding to herself, Anthy continued to pick up books from the ground since there were in reality quite a few. Suddenly, she noticed her math textbook was missing. "Huh? Where did it go?"
"Is this what you're looking for?"
A shadow appeared on the ground and over Anthy suddenly as the missing textbook extended forward within the grasp of a pale hand. Anthy noticed, though being a little startled by the sudden appearance, looked up to see the smiling face of Varari Nobara. She seemed the best of health, for she was no longer sporting the bruise which was previously located on her left cheek.
"How are you today, Lady Anthy?" She closed her eyes while still smiling, a sight Anthy was all too familiar with from the old days. The raven-haired female kneeled down to the ground and began scooping up the remainder of the spilled textbooks along with Anthy. "I see you had a little accident, am I right?"
"Yeah . . .it's hard when your vision is completely blocked."
"That's why I stored my second semester books at school, I'll be bringing them back tomorrow." Handing the collected textbooks over, both Varari and Anthy rose from the ground and brushed off their uniforms before a gasp escaped the new Rose Bride. "Oh, I almost forgot. You and I are sharing a dorm as by the rules of the Blue Rose Signet, but you probably must have already figured that out, seeing as you were the last Rose Bride."
"You're exactly right, Varari." Suddenly, Anthy gasped as she suddenly remembered that there was indeed something missing. "Oh no! Where did Chu-Chu go?"
"Umm . . ." Varari seemed very puzzled at the sudden question. She simply blinked and looked around the area. "What's a Chuu-Chuu?"
"No, no, Chu-Chu. He's my friend, though most people probably think he's just a pet. He's a purple monkey with large mouse like ears and a long skinny tail."
"Oh!" Varari laughed at the thought of where she had last seen what Anthy has just described. "A girl with blond hair and purple eyes was screaming something about a monkey on her head . . .but then she calmed down after looking at it. She might still have it with her."
"Oh, what a relief. I should find that girl before she reports Chu-Chu to the faculty. They had a problem with him last year and I could get in serious trouble for it."
"Do you mean this little critter, Himemiya-sempai?"
Both girls turned around, with Varari wondering just who the voice was and Anthy knowing exactly who to expect. Standing in the middle of the pathway, with Chu-Chu perched upon the braid keeping her hair back, was Nanami Kiryuu. Unlike her past persona where a smile upon her face signaled dangerous planning, it seemed to show a pure sense of change. She walked over to Anthy and reached out to grab and shake a free hand as Chu-Chu jumped over to perch himself on his master's head.
"How are you today, Himemiya-sempai?" she asked cheerfully. "Well as always?"
"I suppose so, yes Nanami-san. And you can call me Anthy-san if you want, since you still believe in a formality with my name."
"That is so wonderful! Oh Anthy-san, you've grown so much since the last year from all of that chaos! I'm glad to see you've recovered at least." Suddenly Nanami gasped, an idea popping into her head. "Say, why don't you come over this weekend? I can call Keiko, Aiko, and Yuuko, and we can have a sleepover or something! You can bring that little monkey too, plus the one beside you."
"That would be wonderful."
"By the way, what is her name?"
"My name is Varari Nobara, and I am Anthy's fiancée! It is an honor to meet you, Kiryuu-san."
Nanami simply stood there, blinking and trying to process exactly what Varari had just mentioned. The Rose Bride simply stood there and blinked too, looking back and forth between Anthy and Nanami. She was confused also, only her reasons were a little different. Walking forward, she stopped in front of the blond eighth grader and tapped against her forehead.
"Are you okay Kiryuu-san?"
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! THE DUELS ARE OVER! DON'T JOKE ABOUT SOMETHING AS BEING ENGAGED AND ALL OF THAT JUNK!"
Anthy gasped, jumping forward and making an attempt to clasp her hand over Nanami's mouth. As soon as Nanami was silenced from revealing more about the Rose Duels, the three girls had suddenly noticed that they were gathering quite an array of glances and odd looks. The three remained frozen in the middle of the pathway for a few moments before they finally forced themselves to release nervous laughs. After making a very quick grab at all of their belongings, they instantly took off and ran toward the dorm of Varari and Anthy, leaving behind quite a trail of dust.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Eastern Dorm had been left the same since the year before. The only difference was that the interior was actually inhabitable than the previous year upon Utena and Anthy's arrival. There were no cobwebs hanging in the corners of the walls, no debris scattered in pieces across a worn away floor, and of course, no mice inhabiting the residence. It was definitely a much better place than the previous year, with the exceptions of the memories held by those who formerly dwelled within its walls.
"Next time Nanami-san . . .don't shout out information out loud about the Rose Duels okay?"
"I'll keep that in mind for next time."
Leaning against the wall or sitting down upon the floor, Nanami, Anthy and Varari all took the time to catch the breath they had all lost in the sprint to their dorm. Chu-Chu seemed to be lying on the small coffee table in the middle of the room, hooked up to a tiny oxygen mask. After a few more moments passed, the violet haired female rose to her feet and proceeded to brush out the wrinkles in her pleated skirt.
"Well, it would appear we are finally in closed quarters, so any secret topics of conversation would be good to bring up right about now."
"That's good!" Nanami's eyebrows seemed to lower, causing her eyes to narrow in a slight fit of anger. She too climbed to her feet, walking over to now stand in front of Varari Nobara. She extended her index finger forward, poking the raven-haired girl's forehead in such a way that her head started bobbing back and forth like a bottleneck figure. "I want to know if your definition of engaged relates to the Rose Duels! As Anthy Himemiya's best friend I am entitled to know, even if she hasn't given you the command to do so!"
"Who said she needed to tell me to tell you? I'm perfectly capable of telling you about the new duels on my own will, aren't I?"
"Eh?"
Both girls were suddenly very perplexed at the words spoken by Varari. Here, standing in front of them was the new Rose Bride, and of course they were fully aware that a Rose Bride possessed no will of her own, allowing herself to be easily manipulated by the champion of the Rose Duels. But it seemed that it was no the case, for Varari had vouched to reveal the information BY her own will. As the two stared at her in disbelief none paid heed to Chu-Chu, who was starting to inflate from the overdose of oxygen it seemed.
"What's wrong?" Varari blinked in confusion, looking back and forth between the two female students. "Lady Anthy, did I say something inappropriate just now?"
"Well . . ." Though she was still confused, Anthy seemed to have a theory building up inside of her head. She decided to immediately test it out. "Varari, what made you just offer up information on these duels. Was there a higher power which told you to reveal it?"
"No?"
"No one told you to offer an explanation?"
"Nope."
"Maybe you better tell us everything then, including about yourself."
Giving a nod of agreement, Varari smiled as the walked over and grabbed pillows for them to sit down upon. They lowered themselves onto them, surrounding the coffee table as Anthy Nanami would in the old days when they plus Utena and Miki had their study group. Chu-Chu suddenly squealed when he became too inflated, causing the mask to pop off of his mouth. He was propelled backwards, flying around the room like a balloon while the three girls began their conversation.
"Okay Varari, why not tell us about the duels this time around." Anthy frowned, thinking about the old days and how much pain it brought to everyone involved. "Why is the power to revolutionize the world being sought after once again?"
"The one who made me a Rose Bride, said something about wanting to see an old face. But to do so the power to revolutionize was needed. The face they said was yours, Lady Anthy."
"Who is the new End of the World?" asked Nanami.
"I don't know . . .they never said their name." Thinking for a moment, Varari blinked a few times as she tapped a finger against the corner of her mouth. "I only saw a shadowed form when they first came to me. I remember . . .I remember the scent of roses . . .white, purple, red, green . . .all the colors of the rainbow."
"Are all of the student council members duelists?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about the castle within the reflection of the water down in the duel arena."
"The power is inside that castle, the final victor and the rose bride will enter the palace and meet the courageous princess within. She will pass over the power to revolutionize."
"Princess?"
"The princess was courageous as I just said before. But she tried to escape her fate by trying to become a prince after another prince freed her from the confides of darkness, showing her something eternal. She arrived to the land and proceeded to follow her dream by saving a will-less woman from others who sought the puzzle pieces of the power: the shining thing, the eternity, and the miracle. She fought, coming closer and closer each day to shedding her princess guise, but the devil soon forced a sin upon her and it prevented her from becoming a true prince. She entered the Sky Palace, and confronted the devil in one final battle. However, the woman the princess swore to protect turned out to be a witch under the influence of the devil, and she betrayed the princess."
Anthy became silent for a moment, clasping her hands together upon the table. She knew very well that the story Varari was revealing was a guise that in reality, chronicled the final hours within the castle in the sky. Anthy very clearly could remember all the events of the duel called Revolution, including her own sell out to Akio by betraying her true prince.
"Himemiya . . .why?"
The projector changed the scenery quickly, revealing a carousal in the background. Echo's of content children could be heard all around the three, Akio, Anthy and Utena. She could hear the pink haired duelist's gasps of life, attempting to stay within their mortal coil. The sword that had pierced her body was still within her, still being clutched by Anthy's tanned hand. The violet haired lowered her face down to Utena's, moving her lips beside her ear.
"You remind me of the Dios I once loved, but you cannot become my Prince, because . . .Utena Tenjou . . .because in reality, you are only a girl."
"Hime . . .Himemiya . . ."
Pulling the sword out of her body, Anthy threw it to the side and listened as the metal skidded across the dueling arena floor, disappearing into the shadows. She lifted herself off of the fallen prince to be and walked over to her soul blade, still being clutched tightly within her hand. Anthy paused for a moment and looking down at Utena's falling form, a frown appeared across the Rose Bride's face.
"What have I done?" she thought. "Have I really . . .have I really sold my soul to the devil?"
"The devil had posed as the prince who saved that princess, and she didn't realize it until it was too late. The witch didn't realize until it was too late either, not until she found herself suspended in the air, with the million swords of humanity's hatred piercing her own body many times over." Varari took a quick breath, knowing she had said a great deal already. However, she was not done her story yet. "The princess recovered though, and proceeded toward the Rose Gate. The devil tried to stop her, holding her back behind the guise that he still cared about her. She didn't fall for it though. She conquered him and his lies, and knowing she had done so, she proceeded to the Rose Gate and began her attempt to open it, to free the witch from her own sin."
"Himemiya . . .Himemiya . . ."
Darkness was all that existed within the Rose Coffin, all Anthy could see was her darkness of her confined self. The voice startled her at first, but not because of its appearance. What started her was the familiarity of it. A small beam of light suddenly entered the coffin, slowly revealing her body to the one attempting to free her. Anthy had an idea who it was, but she needed to be able to confirm her hopes.
"Who . . .are you?"
"I came here to save you." The voice was much younger than the one she was thinking of. In fact, it wasn't even speaking in the reality. Anthy felt the voice echoing through her mind, like a lost memory. "I came here to meet you, so . . ."
"But you're a . . ."
"So don't be afraid of the world where we'll meet . . ."
The little girl disappeared, suddenly left behind by a flash of light that quickly vanished. Anthy's eyes suddenly widened at what she saw in the crack of the opening coffin; Utena Tenjou. Her blue eyes were widened, filled with both a sense of hope and tears of joy. Her hand slowly entered he coffin as she attempted to push it further open.
"Himemiya!"
"Lady Utena?"
"Himemiya . . .we finally meet! Take my hand!"
"You must not help me! Run away while you can! The swords are . . ."
"Take my hand!" Come on!"
"You don't understand Utena, I beg you! If you don't run away quickly . . ."
"Please! Take my hand! Take it . . .and someday we can . . ."
She knew Utena would never give up on her; it was just her nature. Anthy looked up at the pink haired duelist, realizing she was not going to leave without her. She found that her hand was suddenly moving upward, edging closer and closer to the one of her savior. Their fingers manage to touch, and with a little more effort both covered more space, allowing Utena to grab those fingers.
"Try harder Anthy!"
Suddenly, the walls of the coffin suddenly broke away from all around her, and the colors of the sky flooded her vision. Anthy released a scream as she found her hand falling away from Utena, when she realized the platform had broken. She saw the arena rise further and further away, and before she finally blacked out she watched as Utena collapsed forward onto the path. Her arm dangled from her body and her hair waved in the winds of the sky. Before she black out, she also heard the duelist's voice . . .once last time.
"I really . . .I really couldn't become a prince . . ." Anthy's eyes filled with tears at the declaration. "I'm sorry Himemiya . . .sorry for ending up to just be your make-believe prince . . .forgive me . . ."
"In the end, she freed the soul within the witch who was forced to die for the devil, but she went missing. No one knows exactly how the two parted ways, no one knows if either survived. It is also unknown if she became a prince or not, so we call her the Ocean Rose Princess. We call her that because a spiritual look-alike dwells within, and you can only see the palace now when light hits the waters surrounding the arena."
Nanami looked as if she would burst out into tears at the story. Chu-Chu it seemed had already done so, holding a tissue as tears practically flowed out of his eyes like two waterfalls. It handed a clean tissue to Nanami, who promptly used it hen she found herself unable to hold back her sadness. Anthy could only frown, keeping her hands clasped upon the table.
"The princess could not become a prince?"
"No one knows . . .only she knows. I want to find out, honestly . . ."
Anthy nodded in agreement with Varari. She too needed to know it seemed. "I just have one more question Varari, and it's about you as a Rose Bride."
"Ask away."
"If . . .if you have your own will and not like I was last year when I had none . . .then why did you allow Yamato to hurt you like that?"
"Well . . ." Varari released a small cough after covering her mouth, knowing it was a good question coming from the ex-bride. She nodded to herself slightly, then looked up and at Anthy with her light violet eyes. "Yamato told me to take it . . ."
"What?"
"Yeah, it does sound odd. I know that . . .but even though I still lead my own life with archery and looking for a boyfriend, I still have to follow orders given to me by the code of the Rose Bride. When he first started to beat me, I actually did fight back. But then he said 'hold still and take it like the soulless bitch you are', so of course I had no choice but to let him do it."
"That makes more sense . . .I think."
"I will still do whatever you ask me to do Lady Anthy, but I will not cling to you. I will still lead my own life and spend time doing the things I like to do. I'll still be a Rose Bride, just a more soulful one."
Both satisfied with the answers given, Anthy and Nanami both nodded and smiled to the Rose Bride before them. To Anthy herself, it seemed that the new round of Rose Duels would indeed be completely unpredictable. She had no idea what to expect, with new duelists she had never met before, with herself being a duelist, and having a rather independent Rose Bride such as Varari Nobara.
"Oh my!" Looking down at the watch on her wrist, Nanami's eyes suddenly widened at the realization of the time. She immediately jumped up to her feet. "It's dinner time!"
"Really?"
"Would you like to stay for supper Nanami?" Anthy smiled to the blond friend, causing her to smile in return at the realization that it was not a soulless expression. "We can have pasta or lasagna if you like them."
"AAAAAH!" Nanami's eyes suddenly lit up at the suggestion. "I LOVE LASAGNA!"
Yes indeed. For Anthy, it was going be an unpredictable year . . .one she would never forget . . .
Yes people, you saw right. Nanami is no longer the rude, selfish little sister of Touga that she used to be. And yes, she is indeed Anthy's newest best friend for my series. Also I thought it would be interesting to tell of the last events of the TV series in a fashion like the intro's to the episodes when they would talk about Utena and her meeting with Prince Dios. Now I'm off to think of an idea for the next episode. Maybe we'll see what's going on with Touga, but prepare for the next duel. See ya next time!