Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 55
Realizations
The silence that had filled the room was shattered as Utena stepped out onto the stage. Dios turned to see her and climbed back onto his feet on the stage, reaching his hand out to her as she walked up to the front of the stage and looked out at her fellow classmates. Ever the gentleman, when Utena's hand met his, Dios brought it to his lips, brushed her knuckles with a kiss, and turned back to the students.
"Utena was the student that Akio couldn't break. Oh, he tried. He threw one thing after another at her. But she didn't yield. And here we are."
A murmur had risen, but after a few moments, subsided. Anshii took the opportunity to step forward and look at those assembled. "If anyone has any questions, we have an hour now, so raise your hands, or you can come by the Chairman's Office at any time. Members of the Student Council are to meet with Chairman Himemiya in the Rose Tower for a luncheon today. Past members are also encouraged to attend."
As Anshii spoke, she watched several students raise their hands, and saw various faculty members moving to collect them into a line.
Utena perched herself on the edge of the stage, a little distance away from Dios, looking for all the world as if she didn't want to be there. After seeing things start to move smoothly, Anshii crossed the stage and bent over to speak to Utena. "I'm going back to start preparing for the luncheon if you and Wakaba would like to join me."
Straightening up, Anshii wondered if she needed to tell Dios, but saw that he had slipped off of the stage now, deeply engrossed in a student's concerns, and smiled to herself before departing.
Anshii patted Wakaba on the shoulder as she walked past the girl, and then headed out into the bright sunlight. Her path took her past the Rose Garden, and she sighed softly, looking within it. The roses, once beautiful and bright were now drab, dying. Dios' magic had been keeping them alive, and now that he was freed, the roses were withering.
"The roses are dying..." Wakaba said quietly as she and Utena walked up to the gazebo.
Anshii turned to look at them. "They aren't needed anymore." At the confusion on Wakaba's face, she smiled. "I'll explain as we go."
By the time they had made it to the elevator, Wakaba was certain that Anshii had taken total leave of her senses. As the elevator doors closed behind the three girls, Wakaba shook her head. "Anshii... none of that makes sense. Princes and Princesses and witches are all fairy tales."
Anshii looked quietly at Utena for a moment, and then made up her mind. She clasped her hands together over her own heart and whispered the old words. "Roses of the noble castle, heed my call." Something swept past Wakaba, something that felt like wind but wasn't. As she watched in astonishment, Anshii's white shirt and dark pants shifted, changing into something resembling a red sundress. Her long purple ponytail fell apart, her hair cascading around her. Sad and older seeming green eyes looked at Wakaba, and a smile drifted across dark lips. "You see, Wakaba, I'm the witch. I was the one who caused all of this."
"Stop that," Utena glowered at Anshii. "You didn't cause all of it. You didn't have anything to do with the Society of the Black Rose, or those false signets they wore. Anshii... just because you did one thing... you aren't the reason that everything went wrong."
Anshii looked at Utena, and then to Wakaba. "But I sealed him away..."
Wakaba folded her arms. "I don't have a good idea of what really happened... but if all you did was seal Dios, then how could you be responsible for Akio's actions? It seems to me that they were two different people."
Utena nodded in agreement with what Wakaba was saying. "If anything, the one responsible for Akio's actions and yours was Akio himself."
Anshii sighed as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. "I still feel somewhat responsible."
Utena stepped through the doors and held them open for Anshii and Wakaba. "Tell you what, Anshii. You ask Dios. Ask him who he holds responsible."
Anshii wasn't sure that she wanted to do that. She had a suspicion how he would answer... and she wasn't ready to face that thought yet.
The silence that had filled the room was shattered as Utena stepped out onto the stage. Dios turned to see her and climbed back onto his feet on the stage, reaching his hand out to her as she walked up to the front of the stage and looked out at her fellow classmates. Ever the gentleman, when Utena's hand met his, Dios brought it to his lips, brushed her knuckles with a kiss, and turned back to the students.
"Utena was the student that Akio couldn't break. Oh, he tried. He threw one thing after another at her. But she didn't yield. And here we are."
A murmur had risen, but after a few moments, subsided. Anshii took the opportunity to step forward and look at those assembled. "If anyone has any questions, we have an hour now, so raise your hands, or you can come by the Chairman's Office at any time. Members of the Student Council are to meet with Chairman Himemiya in the Rose Tower for a luncheon today. Past members are also encouraged to attend."
As Anshii spoke, she watched several students raise their hands, and saw various faculty members moving to collect them into a line.
Utena perched herself on the edge of the stage, a little distance away from Dios, looking for all the world as if she didn't want to be there. After seeing things start to move smoothly, Anshii crossed the stage and bent over to speak to Utena. "I'm going back to start preparing for the luncheon if you and Wakaba would like to join me."
Straightening up, Anshii wondered if she needed to tell Dios, but saw that he had slipped off of the stage now, deeply engrossed in a student's concerns, and smiled to herself before departing.
Anshii patted Wakaba on the shoulder as she walked past the girl, and then headed out into the bright sunlight. Her path took her past the Rose Garden, and she sighed softly, looking within it. The roses, once beautiful and bright were now drab, dying. Dios' magic had been keeping them alive, and now that he was freed, the roses were withering.
"The roses are dying..." Wakaba said quietly as she and Utena walked up to the gazebo.
Anshii turned to look at them. "They aren't needed anymore." At the confusion on Wakaba's face, she smiled. "I'll explain as we go."
By the time they had made it to the elevator, Wakaba was certain that Anshii had taken total leave of her senses. As the elevator doors closed behind the three girls, Wakaba shook her head. "Anshii... none of that makes sense. Princes and Princesses and witches are all fairy tales."
Anshii looked quietly at Utena for a moment, and then made up her mind. She clasped her hands together over her own heart and whispered the old words. "Roses of the noble castle, heed my call." Something swept past Wakaba, something that felt like wind but wasn't. As she watched in astonishment, Anshii's white shirt and dark pants shifted, changing into something resembling a red sundress. Her long purple ponytail fell apart, her hair cascading around her. Sad and older seeming green eyes looked at Wakaba, and a smile drifted across dark lips. "You see, Wakaba, I'm the witch. I was the one who caused all of this."
"Stop that," Utena glowered at Anshii. "You didn't cause all of it. You didn't have anything to do with the Society of the Black Rose, or those false signets they wore. Anshii... just because you did one thing... you aren't the reason that everything went wrong."
Anshii looked at Utena, and then to Wakaba. "But I sealed him away..."
Wakaba folded her arms. "I don't have a good idea of what really happened... but if all you did was seal Dios, then how could you be responsible for Akio's actions? It seems to me that they were two different people."
Utena nodded in agreement with what Wakaba was saying. "If anything, the one responsible for Akio's actions and yours was Akio himself."
Anshii sighed as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. "I still feel somewhat responsible."
Utena stepped through the doors and held them open for Anshii and Wakaba. "Tell you what, Anshii. You ask Dios. Ask him who he holds responsible."
Anshii wasn't sure that she wanted to do that. She had a suspicion how he would answer... and she wasn't ready to face that thought yet.