Bara no Scarlet
Chapter Two
Discovery
Student after student stopped in shock as Anshii ran through the halls of Ohtori, heading towards where she knew Akio was waiting for her. For the most part, she ignored them, simply side-stepping them as she ran towards the center of the campus, towards the Rose Tower.
A blonde female in a yellow ensemble stepped out in front of her, and Anshii found nowhere to sidestep, instead having to come to a stop and glare at the person who had gotten her way. Nanami Kiryuu.
The smile that plastered itself across the perfectly made-up lips was enough to turn Anshii's stomach. To say that Nanami hadn't changed was to give voice to a serious understatement. If anything, the younger sister of Touga Kiryuu had only gotten worse. "Why, Himemiya! What a delightful surprise! Have you finally decided to give up on that foolish search and return to us?"
Anshii had never liked Nanami very much, and had been very glad that Utena had defeated her before she'd even gotten a chance to become dangerous. Even so, she was still in Anshii's way. "You're in my way."
Feigned innocence smoothed over the all-too false smile. "What could you possibly do about it?"
For a moment, Anshii faltered. But resolve flooded over her, and her eyes narrowed. "You haven't the faintest idea. You're in my way. Move. Now."
Nanami folded her arms and simply looked at Anshii. It was all too clear that the slender blonde wasn't going to move out of the way.
Anshii sighed softly. She truly didn't understand why some people refused to be nice. Taking a deep breath, she narrowed her eyes and looked harder at Nanami. "Move." This time, it wasn't a gentle request.
Nanami made her mistake then. She reached out, as if to push Anshii, and before she could even touch the dark-skinned girl, a slim brown hand shot out, the sharp impact of back of hand against cheek sending the blonde girl down to the floor.
As Nanami sank to her knees, holding her cheek in shock, Anshii stepped around her and paused. "You should have moved, Nanami." The voice was hardly the gentle and shy voice that had whispered from the Rose Bride. Blue eyes snapped up to the long violet hair, and as she watched Anshii walk towards the door that led to the elevator room, Nanami felt a chill fall over her and she shivered.
She was still sitting on the floor when Naiko found her.
The elevator door shut and Anshii leaned against the wall and sighed. She hadn't wanted to hit Nanami, but the girl hadn't left her much of a choice. She rested there for a moment before she stood straight and neared the doors. The elevator gave a little lurch as it passed the access to the upper levels of the Rose Tower, the levels where she had once lived with Utena and Akio.
When the doors opened, she stepped out into the foyer, moving swiftly to the study where she had little doubts she would find Akio.
The doors to the study opened before she touched them, as if he had been expecting her, and she walked in, green eyes casting about the room. Akio was sitting at his desk, his hair a little longer, his face a little thinner. He didn't look up as she approached the desk, only continued to write what she knew was a letter from the End of the World.
"You're late, Anshii."
"How did you get the ring, Akio?" Anshii countered, the chill unmistakable in her voice.
He signed the letter, folded it, and only then looked up to her. "Oh. You got it then. I thought perhaps it hadn't found you."
Green fire flickered within Anshii's eyes, and she glared at her brother. "How did you get the ring, Akio?"
He ran his fingers through his hair, looking at her arrogantly. "It was given to me." He stood, pushing the chair back and setting the letter on the desk. He beckoned to someone behind Anshii, and the former Rose Bride turned to see a face that she had long yearned to see.
Long hair the color of a new pink rosebud cascaded over thin shoulders, tumbling down to the thin waist. Blue eyes smiled gently as pink lips curled. "Hello, you must be Akio-san's sister."
Anshii froze. Her voice was soft, and she was wearing a skirt. That wasn't her Utena. What sort of a trick was this? She watched as Akio stepped up behind the girl and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Anshii… should you be curious, allow me to introduce you to Ayomi. Ayomi, this is my sister Anshii."
The girl who looked so very much like Utena smiled to Anshii. "I'm pleased to finally meet you, Anshii."
"Akio, explain this," Anshii started, looking at her brother. "Why is it that she looks-"
Akio interrupted her smoothly. "Anshii, Ayomi is the Rose Bride. You know what you must do should you desire the answer to that question."
The former Rose Bride stood in stunned shock as she watched her brother gently turn the current Rose Bride and leave the room.