Noir
By spheeris1
Pairing: Utena/Anthy [others implied]
Warnings/notes: See 'Teaser' & 'Ichi' [also lyrics used from 'Day Tripper' by The Beatles in last chapter]
~~~
'How did it go?' He asked, his voice slipping over her skin like velvet. He had that affect on everyone, male or female. Shiori smiled into the darkness and began to slowly disrobe. She made her way over to him and aligned her body against his.
'She is as good as caught.' Shiori whispered.
And he laughed for the first time in years and years. Shiori ignored how cold it made her feel…
~
Utena stood for a long time at the threshold of her bedroom.
She looked at the outline of Anthy in her bed, faking slumber and shutting her out.
But then, Utena remembered, she had been shut out the whole time.
Himemiya Anthy came to her seeking Utena's services as a detective, to find someone…but that wasn't it at all.
She came for protection from her brother. She came to hide. She came to escape this ring…
Utena look at her hand, at her fourth finger. The silver glittered in any type of light. It begged you to cherish it…to desire it…to live up to its' power.
Suddenly, the sheets were thrown back and Anthy stalked over to her, jerking Utena's hand up and ripped the ring off.
It took some of Utena's skin with it.
'What the fuck…?' Utena exclaimed, clutching her finger as it began to weakly bleed.
'You must decide, Utena. This ring…or me…' Anthy said calmly, but her eyes were anything but calm. They were a storm of emotions--anger, fear and confusion.
'What are you talking about? It is just a stupid ring!' Utena shouted, not entirely sure why she was now getting upset. Things were not making much sense ever since Utena found Kiryuu Touga's body, things were rapidly turning upside-down…
'Are you really that dense? Have you not heard anything? He wants to meet you, Utena. He wants you and this ring, together…and he'll do anything to sway you…' Anthy drifted off, her body sagging against the doorframe.
'Sway me from what, Anthy? You need to tell me everything…please…' Utena shoved her own feelings of growing panic aside and came closer to Anthy. She ran her fingers through Anthy's violet hair, but Anthy shoved her hand away.
'I don't want you blood on me, Utena. I've had too much blood on me, too much of others pain living on me…in me…I can't have yours as well.' Anthy said in a tired voice. Utena stepped back, feeling very rebuked and hurt.
'I just wanted to protect you. That's all.' Utena stated.
But Anthy said nothing, so Utena gave up. That was that. No more games with these people…they want Anthy, they can have her. They want the ring, they can have it. Utena just wanted out.
'I'm going out…and I want you gone when I get back.' Utena said before slamming the door and leaving this whole mess behind.
~
You have always taken the hard way.
You would not be you without a little trouble or difficulty…
But now, you wonder if a whole lot of shit couldn't have been avoided if you had just ignored your pride and walked away.
So, this time you do just that.
You walk away.
Though every part of you is screaming to go back, though every part of you is desperate to return to the path Fate has carved out for you…just continue to walk away, don't look back…
And the city is pretty at night, you think as you walk along places you've known for years now. The building with blue lights. The lamp-posts and the moths dancing around them. Red taillights of taxis, sounds of shuffling feet on concrete…your own personal symphony of color and sound.
You see the bar you drink at and enter it, hoping for a small consolation. Here is your prize for almost getting there, but having the sense to let it go before it is just taken from you…
He sits at your seat. And you smile, for you finally get it. You get why he said you should take the damn thing off in the first place. You get why he looks so sad all the time.
'You took it off.' He states as you order a beer.
'She took it from me.' You correct him. And he watches you in silence, ponders you.
You let him. Let him think what he wants to…you don't care anymore, do you?
'You know…it's kinda funny, meeting you…' He says with a small smile. And you just look over at him, waiting for him to continue.
'For a minute there, I thought you were the one.' He finishes, taking a sip of his drink.
'The one…what?' You ask, the beer you drink tasting stale. He looks at you once more and studies your face, as if he is seeing you for the first time.
'The one to take Him down. He has held onto all of us for so long…and he still holds onto others even more so…The ones He can no longer use, he disposes of--one way or another. The rest of us run.'
And you are staring at him, the breath inside of you stopping, the protons and neutrons in your brain refusing to spark. Is this…? Is this…?
'He never thought She could love anyone but him. But she took the ring from you…He was so wrong.' The young man says quietly, sliding dollar bills over the bar and to the bartender.
You sit like a statue as he moves away.
You sit there for what feels like hours, the blood growing cold in your veins.
And you have a hard time finding it funny that the one time you decided to walk away is the only time you should have stayed…
~
Utena sits at the table and stares at the card with Takatsuki Shiori's name on it.
Scribbled on the back is one small and delicate sentence…
'One day, you will understand.'
It wasn't there before, so it had to have been Anthy.
And Utena feels hollow, like someone has sucked the air out of her body.
'Shit…' Utena whispers out into her empty apartment. She had made a real disaster of everything. And now she had to make a choice, the last choice--and no turning back once everything is said and done.
Utena had to make up her mind, now that she was slowly starting to understand…and to believe…
Anthy said to pick between the ring or her, but they are one and the same. Just like Anthy said before. They are the same.
If you take the ring, you take Anthy. And you choose to protect and cherish the both of them…
Miki said she never loved anyone, but that she must now…
And that is all Utena needed to know, all she needed to feel and understand.
The rest will fall into place as she goes along, like always.
The hard path is full of holes and unanswered questions and missteps…
…but it is what lies at the end of that path that makes it all worth it…
~~~
TBC
