~~I do not own Utena or any of the subsequent characters.
~~*****************************************************************~~
Utena stared at the man in the doorway, unable to even rub her eyes to see if she were dreaming. He stood, framed in the light of the hallway, his shaggy dark hair grown longer now, in two years. It hung to his shoulders, in a straight mess of tangles, which were strangely flattering to him. Utena's eyes flew over his face, taking in the familiar angles of his chin, his sharp nose, and the high, sculpted cheekbones. She settled her startled gaze on his eyes, which were clearly focused on hers.
"Your glasses. . ." she murmured as he moved further into the room.
"I got contact lenses six months ago," he answered, stopping beside her bed.
Miki moved quickly away from the bed to avoid touching the quiet man. Kaido basically ignored the younger man, his eyes on Utena's damaged form. He sat on the edge of her bed, brushing a lock of hair out of her face and brushing her cheek with his knuckle. He didn't see the fierce look that Touga shot him at the touch, nor the startled reactions of Juri, Saionji, and Miki when he bend and kissed her forehead gently.
Utena closed her eyes and smiled at the touch, snuggling down into her pillow. "Kaido?" she asked sleepily, "Are you real?"
Kaido smiled softly at her as he stood again. "As real as the ring on your finger, Utena."
Utena smiled again, her breathing already evening out and deepening. Touga moved to the door and pushed it open, signaling at everyone was to leave the injured girl alone. One by one, the student council members filed out, casting long looks at the girl on the bed before heading towards the kitchen. Touga stood at the door, watching Utena and this stranger, until he finally cleared his throat.
Kaido looked up, torn from his observation of Utena, and had the good grace to flush. He followed Touga meekly out into the hallway, and then waited as the President closed the door softly, not seeing the kiss he blew to Utena's sleeping face.
Touga turned a moment later, and walked right past Kaido, saying as he moved, "You are required in the kitchen. I think we all deserve to know who you are and what you are doing here."
Kaido nodded and followed the older man down the hallway and into the large kitchen, where the assembled Student Council was making coffee and tea. Saionji leaned against the far counter, his legs crossed at the ankles, sipping from a rose coffee mug. Juri stood at the stove, turning down the hot water for cocoa. She turned and looked hard at Kaido as he entered, her golden eyes revealing nothing and everything at once. Miki stood beside her, sipping tea from one of Himemiya's rose tea cups. His eyes glowed with his repressed anger and loathing of this man who was so close to Utena.
Kaido moved to the middle of the room, hands loosely at his side. He fixed each Council member with a hard glare, stopping for a breath longer on Touga, who had moved to stand beside Saionji.
"My name is Kaido, and I used to go to school with Utena," he began softly. "Back in Houou, before Utena transferred to this school, we were friends. . . best friends. We practically grew up together after Utena's parents died. I was the one who figured out the letters that End of the World sent her; and I sent her to this place."
Touga's face had gone ashen.
"I'm sure," Kaido continued, his eyes piercing into the Student Council President, "that End of the World would have summoned her here another way, but for the time being I suppose I sufficed."
Miki was nodding. "So you were one of her friends. Forgive me, but that does not seem unique enough to warrant you knowing everything about End of the World."
Kaido smiled a little to himself as his gaze transferred over to the underclassman. "That is true. The only reason I know at all is that I too, like Utena, have the Power to Revolutionize the World."
Juri dropped her cocoa mug onto the floor and it shattered with a resounding crash! As she knelt to pick up the pieces, she glared at Kaido. "That's a lie! You've never participated in the duels! You can't hold that Power! Only Tenjou does!"
Kaido was already shaking his head. "No. Utena has always held that power because Mr. Lickylick, whom I now know to be Dios, gave it to her when she was very young. He singled her out, made her powerful enough to defeat all of you so that she would eventually free him. However, I am a wildcard factor that no one counted on."
His voice rose ever so slightly as he touched his chest, right over his heart. "Utena GAVE me the same power before she left my side forever. She licked away my tears of sorrow at losing her and told me that I now had the same power that Mr. Lickylick had given her. We have the same power in our veins! I felt her all the way back in Houou, when she was crying about the battles she had to face. I FELT her surge of adrenaline when she saw Dios coming for her. I FELT her heart breaking when Himemiya and her brother betrayed her. NONE of you understand her at all! Only I do, because I SHARED EVERY MOMENT WITH HER!"
Kaido was breathing very hard at this point, and he slumped back against the counter slightly. "I felt her pain, and knew that something was going to happen soon after she started seeing Akio. So I came because I knew she needed me. That she WOULD need me, because I am the only one who understands her powers."
He stared up at the Student Council, his eyes gone slightly wild. They were enraptured by his story, their eyes never leaving his face. "This sharing of power gives me a link with Utena that even I can't understand. I can somehow. . . feel whatever she's feeling. I know what she knows, no matter what it is. I was WITH her when she lost to Touga, and later when she beat him. I was WITH her when she beat Mikage. I was WITH her when she was stabbed by Himemiya, and I was even WITH her when she saved Himemiya from her long, long curse. And I know some things she does not know."
"What do you know?" Saionji asked sullenly, sipping his coffee.
"I know what Akio is planning to do now that he has lost power over his sister."
The entire Council gasped at that. "What are you talking about?!" Miki cried. "Is he going to do something awful?"
Juri's eyes narrowed. "Explain how you know something that Tenjou doesn't know."
Kaido nods as he continues. "Utena shares a link with Himemiya through her magic and her bond to her brother that allows her to hear what Himemiya is thinking or feeling sometimes. It mostly manifests in dreams, for both of us. While Utena is linked to Himemiya, I am linked to Akio."
He closes his eyes tightly against a nightmare only he could see. "I dreamed a few days ago about Utena being in a glass coffin, in a lovely pink dress. A crown was upon her head, and she was sleeping. Akio bent and kissed her, and her hair turned bright red as tears of blood ran down her cheeks. She screamed. . . and I screamed too, as I woke up. I knew what would happen if that dream were to come true."
"What will happen?" Touga whispered.
Kaido locked eyes with him, fresh tears springing forth. "Akio will make her his new Rose Bride."
~~*****************************************************************~~
~~Ok, so I took forever with an update. Sorry everybody!
~~To explain what Kaido is talking about, with transferring power to him, see Utena manga Volume 1. If you don't want to, then read the next passage.
~~Kaido and Utena used to go to school together, and Utena received yearly messages from an anonymous writer, mostly saying things like "Soon we will meet" and things like that. Kaido finally pieced together the puzzle and informed Utena that this person went to Ohtori Academy, and Utena decided to transfer there instead of move to Amsterdam with her aunt. Kaido was devastated that she was leaving, because they had a quasi-romantic affection for each other. However, Kaido felt it deeper, and he cried when Utena told him she was leaving. Utena then licked his tears away and said, "THERE! Now you have the same strength Mr. Lickylick gave to me!" This is what I based this entire plotline on.
~~*****************************************************************~~
Utena stared at the man in the doorway, unable to even rub her eyes to see if she were dreaming. He stood, framed in the light of the hallway, his shaggy dark hair grown longer now, in two years. It hung to his shoulders, in a straight mess of tangles, which were strangely flattering to him. Utena's eyes flew over his face, taking in the familiar angles of his chin, his sharp nose, and the high, sculpted cheekbones. She settled her startled gaze on his eyes, which were clearly focused on hers.
"Your glasses. . ." she murmured as he moved further into the room.
"I got contact lenses six months ago," he answered, stopping beside her bed.
Miki moved quickly away from the bed to avoid touching the quiet man. Kaido basically ignored the younger man, his eyes on Utena's damaged form. He sat on the edge of her bed, brushing a lock of hair out of her face and brushing her cheek with his knuckle. He didn't see the fierce look that Touga shot him at the touch, nor the startled reactions of Juri, Saionji, and Miki when he bend and kissed her forehead gently.
Utena closed her eyes and smiled at the touch, snuggling down into her pillow. "Kaido?" she asked sleepily, "Are you real?"
Kaido smiled softly at her as he stood again. "As real as the ring on your finger, Utena."
Utena smiled again, her breathing already evening out and deepening. Touga moved to the door and pushed it open, signaling at everyone was to leave the injured girl alone. One by one, the student council members filed out, casting long looks at the girl on the bed before heading towards the kitchen. Touga stood at the door, watching Utena and this stranger, until he finally cleared his throat.
Kaido looked up, torn from his observation of Utena, and had the good grace to flush. He followed Touga meekly out into the hallway, and then waited as the President closed the door softly, not seeing the kiss he blew to Utena's sleeping face.
Touga turned a moment later, and walked right past Kaido, saying as he moved, "You are required in the kitchen. I think we all deserve to know who you are and what you are doing here."
Kaido nodded and followed the older man down the hallway and into the large kitchen, where the assembled Student Council was making coffee and tea. Saionji leaned against the far counter, his legs crossed at the ankles, sipping from a rose coffee mug. Juri stood at the stove, turning down the hot water for cocoa. She turned and looked hard at Kaido as he entered, her golden eyes revealing nothing and everything at once. Miki stood beside her, sipping tea from one of Himemiya's rose tea cups. His eyes glowed with his repressed anger and loathing of this man who was so close to Utena.
Kaido moved to the middle of the room, hands loosely at his side. He fixed each Council member with a hard glare, stopping for a breath longer on Touga, who had moved to stand beside Saionji.
"My name is Kaido, and I used to go to school with Utena," he began softly. "Back in Houou, before Utena transferred to this school, we were friends. . . best friends. We practically grew up together after Utena's parents died. I was the one who figured out the letters that End of the World sent her; and I sent her to this place."
Touga's face had gone ashen.
"I'm sure," Kaido continued, his eyes piercing into the Student Council President, "that End of the World would have summoned her here another way, but for the time being I suppose I sufficed."
Miki was nodding. "So you were one of her friends. Forgive me, but that does not seem unique enough to warrant you knowing everything about End of the World."
Kaido smiled a little to himself as his gaze transferred over to the underclassman. "That is true. The only reason I know at all is that I too, like Utena, have the Power to Revolutionize the World."
Juri dropped her cocoa mug onto the floor and it shattered with a resounding crash! As she knelt to pick up the pieces, she glared at Kaido. "That's a lie! You've never participated in the duels! You can't hold that Power! Only Tenjou does!"
Kaido was already shaking his head. "No. Utena has always held that power because Mr. Lickylick, whom I now know to be Dios, gave it to her when she was very young. He singled her out, made her powerful enough to defeat all of you so that she would eventually free him. However, I am a wildcard factor that no one counted on."
His voice rose ever so slightly as he touched his chest, right over his heart. "Utena GAVE me the same power before she left my side forever. She licked away my tears of sorrow at losing her and told me that I now had the same power that Mr. Lickylick had given her. We have the same power in our veins! I felt her all the way back in Houou, when she was crying about the battles she had to face. I FELT her surge of adrenaline when she saw Dios coming for her. I FELT her heart breaking when Himemiya and her brother betrayed her. NONE of you understand her at all! Only I do, because I SHARED EVERY MOMENT WITH HER!"
Kaido was breathing very hard at this point, and he slumped back against the counter slightly. "I felt her pain, and knew that something was going to happen soon after she started seeing Akio. So I came because I knew she needed me. That she WOULD need me, because I am the only one who understands her powers."
He stared up at the Student Council, his eyes gone slightly wild. They were enraptured by his story, their eyes never leaving his face. "This sharing of power gives me a link with Utena that even I can't understand. I can somehow. . . feel whatever she's feeling. I know what she knows, no matter what it is. I was WITH her when she lost to Touga, and later when she beat him. I was WITH her when she beat Mikage. I was WITH her when she was stabbed by Himemiya, and I was even WITH her when she saved Himemiya from her long, long curse. And I know some things she does not know."
"What do you know?" Saionji asked sullenly, sipping his coffee.
"I know what Akio is planning to do now that he has lost power over his sister."
The entire Council gasped at that. "What are you talking about?!" Miki cried. "Is he going to do something awful?"
Juri's eyes narrowed. "Explain how you know something that Tenjou doesn't know."
Kaido nods as he continues. "Utena shares a link with Himemiya through her magic and her bond to her brother that allows her to hear what Himemiya is thinking or feeling sometimes. It mostly manifests in dreams, for both of us. While Utena is linked to Himemiya, I am linked to Akio."
He closes his eyes tightly against a nightmare only he could see. "I dreamed a few days ago about Utena being in a glass coffin, in a lovely pink dress. A crown was upon her head, and she was sleeping. Akio bent and kissed her, and her hair turned bright red as tears of blood ran down her cheeks. She screamed. . . and I screamed too, as I woke up. I knew what would happen if that dream were to come true."
"What will happen?" Touga whispered.
Kaido locked eyes with him, fresh tears springing forth. "Akio will make her his new Rose Bride."
~~*****************************************************************~~
~~Ok, so I took forever with an update. Sorry everybody!
~~To explain what Kaido is talking about, with transferring power to him, see Utena manga Volume 1. If you don't want to, then read the next passage.
~~Kaido and Utena used to go to school together, and Utena received yearly messages from an anonymous writer, mostly saying things like "Soon we will meet" and things like that. Kaido finally pieced together the puzzle and informed Utena that this person went to Ohtori Academy, and Utena decided to transfer there instead of move to Amsterdam with her aunt. Kaido was devastated that she was leaving, because they had a quasi-romantic affection for each other. However, Kaido felt it deeper, and he cried when Utena told him she was leaving. Utena then licked his tears away and said, "THERE! Now you have the same strength Mr. Lickylick gave to me!" This is what I based this entire plotline on.