The Counterfeit Dios Saga
Chapter 3 – Until We Can Shine Together….
"Are you…sure you'll be alright?" Doctor Hajime questioned, studying the determined girl before him with a worried eye. "You just became stable a few days ago. You can't be sure you can take the stress of school work yet."
"I'll be fine." Anthy smiled, fingers curled around the handle of her suitcase, head tipped to the side slightly. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Hajime. And thank you very much for the ride." Leaning down into a polite bow before straightening again.
Hajime sighed. "I suppose I can't get you to change your mind. Alright. Well you know where my office number is. You be sure to see me if something goes wrong. Now you've got your bags, just go right through this door and up those stairs and the main office is to your left." He said, gesturing towards the huge, glass and gold doors before them before climbing back into his car and started the engine up. "Good luck." Before pulling away into the street and off down the road.
Anthy lifted a hand to wave till her was out of site and then turned, smile slipping away into a thoughtful sight as she studied the academy building before her. It was huge, a structure of stone and marble that extended far out, an arch roof gleaming with gold lining on the roan tiles. Beyond the school were two smaller buildings, student dorms she surmised, less regal and detailed then the school building itself but no less imposing. And beyond that at the very edge of the school grounds there were three towers. And obvious at the top of each were curled metallic sculptures of toothed creatures, starting from left to right being a bronzed tiger, a silver wolf, and a gold dragon; all three images poised and snarling, maws gapped to bear harsh fangs.
Anthy's attention shifted as a pair of laughing students moved passed her, watching them walk towards a farther door and into the building before she moved her gaze away and started up into the school itself. The glass doors opened into an expansive hallway, her shoes clicking softly against the marble of the floor. A staircase opened before her reminding Anthy of something that belonged in a ballroom, not a school. She laid fingers on the polished mahogany railing and walked up into the second floor, a balconied hall with doors lining the far wall, stretching far as could see to the left and the right then disappearing around the corner. The door nearest to her left had a brass nameplate with 'Main Office' glittering in metal letters. Anthy lifted fingers to wrap on the door lightly.
"Come in!" A voice snapped and Anthy pushed the door open to reveal a busied woman seated behind and oak wood desk. Her hair was frayed and sticking up in all directions, papers scattered across the floor crazily as if some machine had broken down and scattered them about. Pencil shavings and eraser curls littered the floor around the woman's chair, and 7 of her 10 fingers were wrapped in orange band-aids. She turned hazel eyes on Anthy and smiled. "Hello. Hello. Sit down and he'll be right with you."
"Thank you." Anthy murmured glancing around then extended a hand to brush papers of a wooden chair before sitting down, the small room reeking of aged coffee and printer ink, the click of computer keys coming from one of the tight cubicles that broke the room into sections. Her eyes trailed over the mess. "Do you need help?"
"What?" The woman blinked as if she hadn't noticed the disastrous state of her workspace. "Oh no, no. What a nice girl but no. This here's an organized mess. Can always find exactly what I want. Sometimes not when I want it mind you but always sooner or later." Anthy smiled in the face of the woman's sunny laugh. "My. You must be Miss Himemiya. Doctor Hajime called to tell us what a fine young lady you were. Isn't that man just the bee's knees? Why if I weren't already attached…." She laughed again.
Anthy smiled indulgently then glanced away to the tiny one window of the room thoughtfully. So Utena was in this place? If everyone was this nice Utena may not want to leave with her. Anthy opened her hand and looked down at the rose crest in her palm, the ring that had slipped from Utena's hand that day. What if she didn't want Anthy anymore? And who could blame her? Anthy shook her head then slid the ring back onto her finger. A ray of light slipped through the window and glittered off the gleaming surface of the ring.
The woman at the desk looked up and smiled, eyes falling on the ring. "Oh how pretty! Was it a gift from someone?"
Anthy looked up and smiled, nodding. "Yes. It belonged to someone very special to me."
"Oh how sweet. I remember when I was young. Not that it was too long ago but now…" she sighed dreamily. "Ah romance. Now you just don't by shy to come and talk to me. I'd be more then happy to give you advice. Why I broke a few hearts in my day."
"I was actually wondering…" Anthy spoke. "If you'd gotten any new students recently besides me."
The woman frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. Usually they aren't in the office unless they transfer in the middle of the year like you have. Why? Are you looking for someone?"
Anthy jumped and shook her head. "No. I was just hoping there were others who didn't have a lot of friends here."
"Oh there's no need to worry about being left out. I'm sure a sweet girl like you has no trouble making friends."
Anthy glanced down at her hands as the words struck home. Friends. Utena had always wanted her to make friends. How ironic. She closed her eyes gently, opening them only when she heard the woman start to speak again.
"In fact, if you're really worried you could try joining clubs. I'm sure that would start you off on good footing with your peers. I'm sure there's a list somewhere here…." She started scrounging around the stack of folders and papers on the desk till finally she pulled out a crumpled sheet knocking over a whole tower of books, which tumbled to the floor. The woman ignored them however, smiling triumphantly. "Here it is. Here you go, dear." Extending the paper towards Anthy.
Anthy reached out, accepting the sheet and glanced down at the list. Cooking club, book club, diversity club, and duelist's club. Anthy set the paper face down on the seat next to her. Was Utena in any of these? Was she even here at all? But what about Anthy's dream. The one where Utena was trapped in the coffin.
"Utena." She murmured softly. "How am I supposed to save you? I'm not like you…I'm not a prince. I'm just the Rose Bride."
More rays of light glimmered of the ring and Anthy brushed her fingertips over it gently. But I'm…I'm Utena's Rose Bride. I'm Utena's princess. To save her I have to…I have to do what I've always done! I have to do as she told me to. I have to shine. I have to shine until my brilliance brings her back to me.
Anthy lifted her head as the door at the far end of the room swung open and a grim looking man stuck his head out. "Where's Anthy Himemiya!?" Anthy stood up obediently, lifting her bag with her, gripping the handle in both hands again. He gave him an accessing look. "Come in." pulling his head back in the office.
The woman behind the desk gave Anthy another friendly smile. "Don't worry. His bark is worse then his bite. Good luck."
Anthy bowed to her. "Thank you." Before walking into the office.