Ummmmm….disclaimers…well you'll have to forgive me..i'm new at this…..Let's see. I don't own any part of Revolutionary Girl Utena or any of it's counter parts. I don't own any part of the company it's from either…..i guess that's about it. But please read and give reviews…thanx a bunch!

The Separate Bloom

Chapter 1

DING! DING! DING! The alarm clock rang out noisily breaking the silence as well as the pleasant dream of the teenage girl sleeping in her bed.

"Ughhh" She grunted. She slammed her hand on the boisterous machine pressing the button to silence it. Slowly she rose from her bed and crossed the room to turn on the blinding light so as to begin her day. Sitting at her mirror she gazed at her reflection. She had long flowing pink hair, blue eyes, and a lovely bone structure. She was well proportioned in her curves and had an athletic body. Her name was Utena Tenjou.

As she began to brush her hair she thought about the long day she had ahead of herself. Three tests, one in English, one in history, and one in math. Math was quite possibly her worst subject and she was quite convinced it had placed on the planet just to prevent her from passing school. Then this afternoon she had to write a paper on "Why Girls Should behave Like Girls" given to her by the guidance counselor. She was often seen playing sports with the boys and wasn't exactly the most feminine thing.

"Utena, how do expect to grow to be a normal girl and get a good husband if you keep acting like a boy?" Utena mimicked her counselor's whiney voice. She sighed.

"How many times do I have to explain to them that I am not going to be normal?"

No one really understood her. Sure her friends understood the way she dressed and acted, they understood her domineer, but they didn't understand her. She had always felt separated from the rest in a way she could not explain. It was something she could never quite put her finger on, but she knew it was there. Her parents had died when she was young, and she had lived with her aunt until attending a private school which had led her to become a duelist in the Revolution of the world. She had defeated the enemy and saved the rose bride. Many had thought she had died, but really she had slipped away from the scene severely wounded. If she had made it known that she was alive, she would have been put on a pedestal and treated like a queen, and she wanted nothing to do with that. So she slipped off to Osaka, where she could begin life all over again. She had bought her own apartment and had entered Waiki High School as a sophomore. She did miss the one thing she had regretted leaving behind, her beloved Anthy. Utena looked at the picture of Anthy sitting on her dresser. At least Anthy was given the chance to start all over again and become a normal person. And she wasn't in the way to disrupt that.

A loud scratching noise interrupted her thoughts as she was dressing.

"All right, all right Serena! Geez!" Utena yelled to the dog scratching at the door to go out. Serena was a German shepherd that was jet black with a white muzzle that Utena had bought to keep her company at the apartment. She grabbed her bag, a poptart, and then took Serena to the apartment's backyard where she left Serena during school.

"Bye Serena! Be Good!" She waved. She then turned and began her walk she took to school.

"Tenjou! Why are you late?" called Toji, the kendo team captain. "Did you get held after class again?"

"What can I say? That teacher's got it in for me." She answered.

"Well whatever just suit up and get ready for practice. We have competition soon!"

"Yeah, yeah."

That was one good thing about school. No matter how horrible the day had been, kendo class always made things so much better. She loved the sent of the locker room as she changed. Its smell made her feel at peace. She emerged from the locker room fully suited.

"You ready Tenjou?" Toji called striking the dueling stance.

She smiled as she too took the dueling stance. "Always." She smiled and the duel began.