One Chance In A Life Time

Chapter: 4 The Heart Of A True Prince

Disclaimer: I don't own the Utena characters and since this is a fan fiction site..You should have already figured that one out,if not..I am very sorry..you aren't a very bright individual.


Warning: I don't really see as to why I should warn about Yuri in this chapter.

Author's Note:
There are feelings of love and confusion in both parties.
Shiori has hurt Juri before in the past and it is causing Juri to be afraid of her feelings instead of mentioning them.

The idea of Shiori actually changing to most people would be very slim but in life anyone could change and I felt in ways it could be possible for her if she began to observe and understand things better.Perhaps find the importance and value in certain things in life.

Anyways, I hope this chapter makes an alright addition to the story.You may continue on to read it if you like and submit a review if you feel like it as well.

-Kiros Razer

It was a new day at the Academy..the students were walking all over the campus talking to one another as they were walking to their classes.Shiori was in a big hurry trying to find Juri and talk to her about things but before she could even find her..a male student approached her.

"I didn't know you liked me that way..Shiori.."

She turned around and looked at him funny.

"I don't know what you are talking about,Keiichi..I have to find Juri and talk to her."

"Oh.." he said as she ran off to look for Juri.

She never did find her that morning and decided to check after each passing class.

Juri was is in class and was avoiding Shiori as much as possible.She over heard the students talking behind her.

"Apparently..Shiori sent Keiichi a love letter!"
"Really?"
"Yeah..he spoke to her about it but she just left him in the dust."
"She is such a mean person.."
"I know,right?"
"Maybe it was sent to him by mistake?"
"I doubt it."

The students started to whisper more quietly.
"I thought maybe it could of been for Juri."
"Shiori would have been too much of a coward to do that."

Juri sat there and thought about what the girls behind her had said.

"I wonder what Shiori was trying to talk to me about yesterday..was it about Keiichi? Someone else? Or was it..about me? I guess..I should go and apologize after class..I cannot hold how she feels against her."

After class had ended Amaya and a few girls pulled Shiori outside and away from everyone.

"You had better stay away from Juri,Shiori!" Amaya threatened.

"I can be around Juri if I want to!" Shiori replied.

"You have Keiichi and everyone knows that!" Amaya replied.

"I'm..not with him.." She replied with confusion in her voice.

"I didn't know you liked me that way..Shiori.."

Shiori then realized that the reason Keiichi was asking that earlier was because of something Amaya must of done.
----------------------
Juri looked in Shiori's classroom and continued looking on for the girl and even viewed her next class and noticed that she wasn't there either.She stood thinking about everything carefully.

"I have a bad feeling about all of this..."

----------------------

Shiori and Amaya were swinging at each other and the other girls were pushing Shiori around from time to time.
Finally the two women started yelling at each other.

"I HAVE PUT UP WITH YOU FOR WAY TOO LONG,AMAYA! I CARE ABOUT JURI AND I DON'T WANT TO HURT HER ANYMORE.."

Shiori took a few breaths and continued,
"THAT IS WHY I HAVE BEEN TRYING HARD TO CHANGE! SOMETIMES IT IS FOR THE BETTER..."

She had to stop once again to catch her breath and finished.
"WE HAVE TO CHANGE IN ORDER TO FIND AND HELP THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TO LOVE!" Shiori shouted all of this and Juri had overheard her and came closer to where the two women were.

"I WOULDN'T HURT JURI AS MUCH AS YOU HAVE!"
Amaya shouted back with tears in her eyes.

"That might be true..I doubt anyone could have hurt her as much as I have through out our lives together.."
Shiori responded sadly.."She is a very important friend of mine."

"Friend?" Amaya questioned.

"I'm not Juri's..girlfriend if that was what you were thinking.."

There were no words except for the physical fighting that still continued after Shiori had spoken.

A familiar voice then called out,
"To become someone's girlfriend..I think it would be better if you didn't mess with their loved ones to get to them..it tends to piss them off.."

Amaya turned around and realized that Juri had just spoken to her.

"Juri-San.." Amaya responded.

Shiori quit fighting with the girl and turned away a bit to let them talk since Juri had spoken to Amaya first rather than her.

"Juri is here..I really want to say something. to her..."

"Is she still mad at me?"

Juri continued speaking to Amaya.
"I am not much for the popular types..I like the quiet and shy types that are still determined to try their best."

Shiori felt herself wanting to just cry because she had remembered the things written in the girl's journal.

"I'm so sorry..for everything Juri-San.."

"I am so sorry.."

Maybe a tear or two had dripped from her eyes while she stood thinking to herself.When Juri finished speaking to the other girl she walked over to Shiori and put her hand on her shoulder.
"I want to apologize to you..I am very sorry about yesterday."

Shiori's hand lifted and touched the hand that was placed upon her shoulder very gently.
"It's okay.. I understand."

Amaya and the other girls stood and watched in confusion as Juri and Shiori walked away together heading towards their next class.
-------------------------
Lunch came and The two girls sat together on a hill.
Juri was quietly looking up at the clouds and all at once drifted off to sleep while Shiori continued to eat her lunch.In her sleep Juri moved her head into the smaller girl's lap and found comfort there.Shiori rubbed gently around the sleeping girl's ear.

"Can I really talk to Juri about all of this?"

"Even if she accepts this..will it last?"

"I seem to be having second thoughts.."

"I'm so scared that I could hurt her even more.."

"If she rejects me and decides that would be for the best it would hurt me as well.."

"I don't know what to do..What would you do,Juri-San?"

She looked down at the angelic and content face resting in her lap and a smile spreads across her face a long with confusion.

"You would never allow yourself to be like me.."

"In the past seeing Juri so..vulnerable would tempt me to do something that always ended in both of us getting hurt in the end."

She then pets Juri and runs her fingers through the girl's lovely orange flowing hair.With a loving smile upon her face and holding her tears back.

"So relaxed and so peaceful with a content smile upon your face, my Prince."

A smile then takes over Juri's sleeping face.

"Those stupid girls will never have you, Juri..
If one was to ever take you away..I will have my revenge.."

She takes Juri's hand and kisses it gently.

"Those girls will wish that they had never been born..
because Juri-San is MY Prince..and my prince ONLY!"

A smile resembling pure evil had taken over Shiori's features for a short while until she looked down at the stirring sleeping beauty in her lap.

"Sh..Shiori..." Juri said as she yawned and began to rise. "I didn't mean to.. um.. sleep on you."

Juri was now between the girl's legs with her back facing her.Shiori began to massage her friend's back and shoulders.Juri continued to yawn and stretch.

"I don't know how things ended up like this..I can't say that I mind it too much.."

"It's alright, Juri-San."

"I want to apologize again about last night.."

Shiori then silenced the taller girl with her finger to her lips.

"I have already forgiven you."

"What..has happened to you?" Juri questioned the girl.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you.. truly changed, Shiori?"

Juri rose up glancing at Shiori and then looking up in the bright afternoon sky.

"I..would like to think so.."

"What caused your change,anyway?"

"I guess, I could tell you.."

She held her head low and thought for awhile until she had found the words to tell Juri.

"For years..I wanted nothing more than to be your equal..
It pissed me off to hear the constant praises directed towards you..while nobody seemed to notice me..When you showered me with attention I felt you were..just feeling sorry for me.."

"Shiori.."

Shiori was beginning to feel guilty within
over her thoughts and feelings.She then tried to change the subject.

"I think everyone has already went to their classes..Juri.."

"This.. is more important.. I want to know."

"Alright.. I will continue then."

"My jealousy still burned..maybe it always will.. however lately..I have come to understand many of things.."

"Such as?"

"I could understand how you felt at times about certain things..When we talked it really helped me and also our fencing practice that we shared just the two of us."

"I'm.. glad."

 "It felt really good..just being with you..Juri..
I'm also sorry that I got jealous that day and hit, Amaya."
Shiori said as she turned away feeling a little embarrassed.

Juri's eyes opened wide while she was beginning to remember that day.
Shiori had became angry at her without a given reason.The intense practice that day showed Juri that she meant business.She also remembered seeing Shiori hit Amaya very hard and looking very surprised as she took off.They talked a little and decided on doing some extra training together and also she remembered the mention of her old locket.

"Is she beginning to understand..?"

"I'm a bit scared to ask too much now."

Juri pulled herself from her thoughts and replied,
"It wasn't good of you to hit her in the first place..
It caused a lot of unnecessary problems between the two of you."

More guilt began to fill within Shiori.

"I don't even understand why I felt that way at first.."

The taller woman did her best to think of something to make her words weigh a little more lighter on her friend.

"There are times when we all get angry and do not understand why.."

"I know why I acted that way now..Juri."

Juri looked down at her feet and continued thinking.
"I think am beginning to feel very awkward and nervous right about now.."

Shiori wrapped her arms around the taller woman's slim waist and held her tight and close.Juri felt a bit nervous with the sudden surprise of contact but pretty soon couldn't help but to wrap her own arms around the girl.They remained within their embracing hug for quite awhile.Soon they began to notice some students heading off to their dorms while others headed off to after school clubs.

"Shiori-Chan.." Juri said as the girl began to look up at her with a smile on her face.

"She called me.. Shiori-Chan again.."

"Neither of us is going to miss practice today."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
The smaller woman pulled herself tighter around her partner.

"Team training is very soon and you need to pair up with someone today."

Shiori began to feel a little upset about the idea.

"Why..?"

Juri took a deep breath and explained.

"I want everyone to have a partner today to practice with since the routine will begin to become a little more strict and demanding pretty soon."

"Who..will be your partner..Juri?"

She released her arms around Juri and looked up at her and waited for an answer.

Juri then made her response,
"Miki and I always practice together during this part of the routine."

"Oh..I guess..I will ask Keiichi then.."

"Keiichi..?" Juri said with a frown upon her face.

"It's only practice..and there is no reason for me to get jealous of her practicing with him..There isn't really a reason for me to become jealous in the first place.."

"Something wrong, Juri-San?"

"It's nothing."

Shiori began to think to herself.
"I see how it is.. hmm.. maybe I should try to find a way to make her jealous during practice today."

----------------------------------
Practice began and all of the fencing team were in pairs.
Some practiced intently while others stopped to rest with their partner at times.

Miki and Juri's practice wasn't like they usually had done.He could see that his sempai's attention was elsewhere and not fully on what she was doing.

When she finally had stopped and began staring he then followed her gaze to a pair of students that were practicing and talking.

"She always seems to hold great concern over that girl."

Juri listened to the conversation the two were having while practicing.

"You are becoming pretty good, Shiori."
Keiichi said breathing heavily.

"Oh?"

"I like this side of you.." He said with a wide smile upon his face.

"Thanks." She said as she glanced over toward Juri and then forced a blush.

"I don't know if this was really what I had in mind but it is getting her attention."

A small devious grin appeared on her face but soon was removed by the next question.

"I heard that you received some special lessons." He said as he cupped her face looking into her eyes with a loving gaze.

"You could say that.." She turned away feeling a little embarrassed.

"This isn't really what I had in mind.."

"I was surprised to hear how you felt in that letter."

"What in the hell?!"

Shiori's eyes opened wide and then she remembered Amaya had tricked him some how.

"Well.. I.." She just couldn't find the words to say and she was beginning to feel really embarrassed and confused because Juri was staring straight at them and Keiichi was hitting on her.Soon her thoughts were taken away by a kiss.

Miki looked up at Juri when he noticed that she was trying to take her eyes off of them and her fists were clenched.

"Could it be that Juri loves this girl?"

Juri then broke up the practice routine.
"We're done for the afternoon."

Miki continued to watch his surroundings.
He noticed that the others had walked off to go and change and Juri was picking up around the area.
His eyes wandered over toward the two that Juri had been looking at.It looked as though an argument was about to errupt at anytime considering the expression on the girl's face and the comments the male student was making towards her.

"I.. I.. I AM JUST NOT INTERESTED!" Shiori shouted angrily and frustrated.

Miki's eyes raised and he realized that Shiori was very upset and then he heard Juri drop the things she was gathering and looking towards them with her eyes wide open and then they were narrowed.He could tell she was trying to read the situation before her.

"WHAT ABOUT THAT LETTER THEN!?" He questioned angrily

"I DID NOT WRITE IT! AMAYA DID!" She shouted and Keiichi was just about to slap her but his hand was suddenly caught tightly by the grip of another.

"Arisugawa-Sempai!" He yelled out in surprise and then he began to remember who and what was around him again. He then lowered his head and gave his apology
"I am very sorry..Shiori."

"If you dare to ever hit her again--" Juri was cut off by Shiori.

"It's alright now... Juri-San..Thank you."

Keiichi nervously watched how the cold expression on Juri's face had suddenly melted away by the simple words of Shiori.He also noticed that the girl had wrapped her arms around their Captain's left arm bringing her head to rest against it.

"Shiori is Arisugawa-Sempai's--"

Miki watched Keiichi leave and then waited for Juri to come out of the locker room with Shiori still attached to her arm.He continued to watch over everything until he was certain that everything was alright again.

"Juri?" He looked at her with a question in mind.
Juri contently smiled

"I know, Miki."

"What it is it..?"
Shiori detached herself from Juri and was very confused and wondering what was going on between the two of them.

The taller woman then informed the girl,
"We're going bowling."

"Bowling?" Shiori was rather confused.

"Juri and I like to go bowling sometimes..would you like to join us, Shiori?"

"I've..never went bowling before."

"Why not learn then? Learning something new is always a wonderful challenge!"

Finally Juri pulled herself into the conversation and gave the girl a look that she had not seen in years.It was a look that showed love and care.

"Shiori-Chan..I would really like for you to come with us..please do not judge how good or how poor you do,just try to have fun with us."

"Alright, Juri-San."

The three walked on to go bowling.

Juri was finding herself unable to shake off certain thoughts and feelings she had going on within.

"She read my journal last night..I heard her words today..
is it safe to trust her? We even held each other close..
What is she thinking and feeling right now..?"

Miki noticed that Shiori was starting to fall behind and He noticed Juri thinking deeply to herself.He thought about what they could be thinking and finally he whispered quietly to Juri.
"She loves you.."

Juri heard Miki's words and her head rose up and she looked back and noticed Shiori looking out of place and staring down at the ground as they walked.Juri noticed the confused and pained smile on the girl's face.She allowed Miki to walk on ahead of them and she decided then to drape her arm around the girl.Shiori glanced up at her with a look of surprise and then it quickly turned into a look of one who is feeling comfort and security by another.

Miki looked back at the two girls and a warm and happy smile came across his face.
"Well, at least the two of them seem content."

Juri picked up her pace a bit to bring both her and Shiori closer to Miki.He then stopped and asked,
"Do you think we will get there first?"

"Probably not."

When they arrived at the bowling area they were waved at by Wakaba,Nanami,Kozue,Saionji and Touga.

"I didn't expect anyone besides Nanami,Saionji and Touga." Juri commented.

"I have practiced with Kozue a bit..lately and maybe someone invited the Wakaba girl." Miki mentioned.

Touga walked up and knelt and kissed upon the hand of Shiori.
"So, Juri finally decided to bring her--" he was then interrupted.

"We're here to play." Juri added.

"So, how are we going to play?" Nanami questioned.
"There are eight of us."

"I definitely want to play with you Nanami." Wakaba said with a smile upon her face while the blonde found herself to become very embarrassed to the point of laughing out loud."Alright.."

"I want to compete against Touga." Saionji added and then Touga shook his head. "Alright we will compete."

"Miki!" Kozue yelled out.

"Yes!" Miki replied nervously.

"You and I!" She demanded.

"Alright." He agreed.

"Doubles it is." Juri nodded and looked over at Shiori and smiled.
"That just leaves us,doesn't it?"

Her partner smiled and Juri took score for them and did her best to teach her how to play.

Miki,Wakaba and Saionji took score for their teams.


Everytime it was Juri's turn.
Shiori watched carefully just how skillful she was.

"I'll never understand just how she manages to be so perfect.."

They all played until they finished two games for each team.

Kozue was rubbing it in Miki's face that she had beat him.Wakaba had beaten Nanami but it didn't seem like the blonde was too angry about it considering that they seemed to share a happy look on their faces.
Saionji and Touga shared a very close game. Even though Saionji had won the game they both acted rather professional about it by shaking hands and complimenting one other afterward.

When it came to Shiori and Juri..there was a bit of jealousy on the smaller girl's part but when Juri placed her hand upon her shoulder and said,
"This was your first time..the more we practice in time you will improve and one day you will shine brighter than any star in the sky." She couldn't help but to smile after hearing Juri's words and feeling a little more confident in herself.