A New Threat

Author: For many years I did not like the ending of the anime Revolutionary Girl Utena. I thought it ended to abruptly with too many unanswered questions, I finally have decided to write a fic as a continuation of the series. WARNING: This fic DOES involve some original characters, due to the nature of the series, AND contains yuri and yaoi of all sorts. Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy the fic! Please R&R.

Author's Insert: By the way, in this chapter I will be describing what happened at the end of the series when (SPOILER ALERT!) Utena fails to save Anthy and the swords come after her. I hope you like my interpretation. Thank you for reading and stay loyal! More shall be uploaded soon!

Chapter 5: Among the Sky and Trees

It was the next day. Utena was standing at her locker, which was located in a small room next to the greenhouse where she had met with the K.O.M.A. members. It was the end of classes for the day and the sun had glazed the campus in orange. She turned the lock, holding her gym clothes in her other arm. When she finally set the dial on the third number of her combination she opened the locker and inside sat a note which had probably been slipped in some time earlier today. She took the note into her hand and set her clothes inside. She closed the locker and opened the note. She reads it to herself in the quiet.

"I bet you haven't noticed the fliers around school so I decided to write you another one of my little notes. Don't you love the stationary I have been using lately?! Isn't it so cute?! I use it a lot because it's my favorite and that is because it has a little frog at the bottom that reminds me of my pet frog Peron!" Utena paused, her eyes meeting the bottom of the page. A cute little cartoon frog was sitting on a large stone with a fishing rod. "I didn't know she had a pet frog..." Utena scratched her head. She continued reading the letter. "There is going to be a school picnic tomorrow starting around 10:30 a.m. and I want to share my bento with you! If you don't show up I'll find you! Your Wagashi provider, Hamako." She read to herself. "She never seems to call me her friend..." Utena put the note in her pocket and went downstairs to her room.

Night soon fell and Utena was at her desk in her pajamas, working on some math homework.

"I will never understand math..." Utena said, putting down her pencil in frustration. She decided to take a break. Her thoughts then wandered to Anthy. "How am I ever going to find you?" she sighed. She rested her head on the desk and yawned. "If only I had a clue..." She closed her eyes. She was tired after a long day. Not much later Utena had fallen asleep and began to dream...

...Nothing could save her now. She was not a prince and never could be. She had intervened and tried to save the Rose Bride from her fate. The swords' anger was now pointed at her. The swords were coming for her now and it was truly the end. Utena closed her eyes when suddenly a shield surrounded in a bright light had appeared. The swords encountered the shield, the blades breaking and crumbling. They cried out in hate. Just then a familiar voice spoke from the shield, one that had made her a promise long ago...

"You do not hurt this child. She is not to blame, for I gave her the ring and your quarrel is with me!" Utena opened her eyes and out of the light came Dios. He kneeled down before her. "They cannot hurt you." Dios said. "Their anger is long dead. Flee, my child--leave this horrid place." He placed a gentle hand on her cheek. Utena looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. The swords continued to try to pierce the shield. The light around it grew dimmer and dimmer. Utena knew that he did not have the power to keep shielding her.

"But what about you?!" Utena cried.

"Don't worry about me. Remember, this is my world. Now go!" Dios said.

"But!" Just then Dios lightly pushed Utena back. She lost her balance and then began to fall into darkness. Utena called out to him.

"May loyalty never forsake you." Dios cried out to her. Suddenly the shield that Dios had created broke and the swords began stabbing Dios. Her tears followed her, faint droplets among the darkness. She cried out once more but Dios didn't answer. All she could hear was the sound of a thousand swords clashing, slowly growing quieter as she fell further away. Utena turned away now, her eyes burning with tears. Just then she saw Anthy, who was a bit further down.

"Anthy!" she cried. Utena tried her best to reach her.

"Utena-sama!" Anthy cried. They strived to reach each other. Utena's hand was about to meet Anthy's when suddenly everything had faded to black.

...The dream changed now. Anthy was among flowers, watering the roses like she always had. Utena stood by her. Anthy turned to her.

"Even if we are separated, our hearts will always be together." Anthy said. "Like a rose and its thorns." Utena frowned, a bit frustrated.

"But how am I ever going to find you?!" Utena yelled. She put her hands on Anthy's shoulders, gripping tight. She stared into Anthy's green eyes. She then lowered her head, avoiding Anthy's glance. Tears of frustration formed in her eyes. Anthy frowned.

"Utena-sama, a new pathway has been drawn. Ours will unite again. I am closer than you think." Anthy answered. She planted a kiss on Utena's cheek and smiled. "You will always find me in a sunlit garden."

Suddenly Utena sat up, snapping awake. She panted as a cold sweat ran down the back of her neck. It was night and she was still seated at her desk in her dorm. She sighed.

"A dream..." She paused. "But some of that actually happened!... And I remember Dios saying that now! Didn't Sasame say that yesterday at the meeting?! Perhaps..." She wiped away some sweat from her forehead. "Are you trying to tell me something, Anthy?..."

It was the next day. Utena had fallen asleep again sitting at her desk. It was later in the morning when she finally lifted her head up from the desk again. She yawned and stretched back.

"Ugh, what time is it?..." Utena mumbled. She got up from her seat and staggered to the bathroom. She looked up at the clock, located next to the mirror above the sink. It read 11:31 a.m. She jumped. "11:30?! Hamako will kill me!" She sprang up and left her sleepy state and began to quickly freshen up. She quickly changed into her uniform, took the wagashi that Hamako had given her out of the fridge, and ran out the door.

As fast as she could Utena ran to the courtyard in front of the main building where the picnic was being held. It was filled with students who had set blankets out and were eating and chatting with her friends. Utena looked around for Hamako but saw no sight of her. Just then she felt a tug at her uniform from behind. Utena turned around.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Hamako yelled. Utena looked at her, ashamed. Hamako was only mad for a second, for her frown now turned into a smile. "But I'm glad you decided to come!" Hamako offered her bento proudly. "Because I was afraid that Hamako's cooking was going to go to waste!" Utena took it from her. It was wrapped with pink paper that had the same cartoon frog all over it.

"Thank you, Hamako." Utena smiled. Hamako smiled back.

"Come! Lets go eat!" Hamako said. She took Utena's hand and lead her to her spot on a pink blanket underneath the shade of a tree.

As they ate, they chatted.

"So, you have a pet frog, Hamako?" Utena asked, drinking some tea.

"Yeah! You see, one day during biology class I heard one of the girls screaming. I ran over to see what was going on and heard that she said she saw a frog. We were outside that day so I took a look into the bush where she said she saw it hop into and there was this cute little frog hiding! He looked so scared, so I picked him up and after class I took him back to my dorm. He and I are good friends now!" Hamako explained.

"Friends?"

"Yes! Along with all of my other friends!"

"Oh..." Utena was reminded of Anthy and how she always referred to her "friend" Chu-Chu. "Hey Hamako, where are all of your other friends?"

"Well, I told them I just wanted to have lunch with Utena-sama today, so they are over there!" Hamako pointed to a group of kids who were out sitting in the sun. She waved to them. Utena waved also, smiling. Just then Utena remembered what she was going to ask Hamako specifically.

"Hamako, how come in all of your letters you don't refer to me as your friend?" Utena asked.

"Oh..." Hamako paused. She frowned. "Well, I thought that since you are part of the elite... Umm, you see I don't want to... I mean, maybe I should go..." Hamako's head lowered. Utena placed a hand on Hamako's shoulder. She looked at up at Utena, who was smiling at her.

"I'll have lunch with whoever I want. I don't care what anyone says. You are my friend, Hamako." Utena said. Hamako smiled shyly, her uneasiness melting away.

"Okay, Utena-sama." Hamako said quietly, blushing lightly.