Author's Note: Why do I even bother apologizing these days? Updates are irregular, this is a fact of life. I work and go to school and practice the koto like mad, while working on another story that may someday actually be finished and published. I don't have much time to write and when I do, I'm always tired so I have very little motivation. As always, I'll try. Feel free to encourage me, but please don't pester me, it doesn't help.

Also, the dream sequence gave me fits like you wouldn't believe. It was originally three pages long, but I couldn't get the effect I was looking for so I scrapped it. Then, I gave the shortened version to a friend, with no details or background, and pestered her for impressions. I think I got it across this time.

Kagayaku Means to Shine
Anime: Shoujo Kakumei Utena
Primary Pairing: Utena x Anshii
Rating: PG-13
Written: 1 Feb 2007
Chapter Twenty-One

Flushed and sweating, their faces glowing with pride, the twins held aloft their new black belts for inspection. With grins so wide that the tops of their heads looked fit to fall off, they exchanged hugs and chatter with a big crowd of family and even some classmates, sharing in their jubilation. It wasn't long, though, before the party began to wind down and they were gently herded off to the baths by Anshii, with gentle kisses on the forehead.

"Go and get cleaned up, loves. Your father and I will see everyone off and get started on dinner. I already put some clean clothing out for you, also."

"Yes, mama," they chorused and, with one more round of hugs, they went off to scrub the sweat off.

Nishiki sat quietly as Nishiko lathered up his hair, working expert fingers through the thick locks.

:What will we do if we ever need to wash our own hair,: she mused thoughtfully as she begin to rinse it out.

:Cut it all off, that's what.: Nishiki's mental voice was sardonic, even as he closed his eyes in anticipation. Nishiko laughed and gently moved the hand-held shower unit down, carefully rinsing out the thick locks.

:Good idea, but I kind of like my hair.:

:Then I guess we'll just have to not get separated.:

His voice was uncharacteristically somber, and Nishiko tried to lighten the mood up again, her mental voice gentle and teasing.

:And I'm sure our future wives won't mind us bathing together, right?:

It didn't work, and Nishiki's reply was solemn.

:I don't know about you, but I wouldn't marry a girl who couldn't deal with us being close. You are the other half of my soul, you know.:

:Yeah,: she said softly, :I know. I feel kind of bad for whomever we love in the future. No matter how much affection we might hold for them...we'll always be each others' soulmates. We can't ever be that to someone else.:

They bathed in silence, after that.

The next day at school, both of the twins were oddly silent. Even Nishiki, not normally talkative, seemed exceptionally quiet somehow. Nishiko's friends tried to get her out of what seemed to be a simple bad mood, but failed time and time again. It wasn't until lunch that they finally gave up, at her request.

"Guys," she said with a small, sad smile, "I'm just not really...feeling very cheerful today. It will pass, I promise, but for the moment...I'm just caught in a rut, you know? I hope you understand that I would just really like to be left alone right this second."

Most of her friends dispersed after her impromptu speech, but Eriko simply gave her a long hug and then sat beside her, silent, for the rest of their lunch break.

Nishiko smiled sadly as she ate her lunch. It's times like this that make me wish...well, for hopeless things. Eri-chan...

That afternoon, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the school, waiting for the car to arrive. When it did pull up, only a few minutes late, they climbed in automatically and relaxed into the familiar comfort of the back seat. There were two thermos of hot tea sitting snugly in the cupholders, and they each took one, sipping the warming liquid as they read a small note from their mother.

To my little princes, (it said)

Your father and I have gone out to the shop for a while this afternoon and evening, so don't expect us at home. You can cook if you would like to, or you can have the driver bring you for take out, whichever you prefer. Be sure to drink all the tea I left for you, it's very cold out and I don't want you to catch a chill.

All my love,

Your Mother

With a quick, silent conference they decided against cooking for themselves, and so Nishiki reached up to tap the driver on the shoulder.

'Odd,' he thought, 'He seems smaller today. I wonder why.'

The driver inclined his head questioningly, and Nishiki took that as his cue to speak.

"Would you mind taking us to that ramen stand across from the big arcade? Our parents won't be home tonight, so we're going to eat there."

Just then they had to navigate around a sharp curve, and the driver gave him a simple thumbs-up to indicate that he'd heard, and so the young man subsided into the back seat, relaxing quietly with his twin as they dutifully downed the warm green tea.

After five minutes, they began to wonder if the driver had somehow gotten lost.

After six minutes, Nishiki resolved to lean forward and ask the man.

After seven minutes, he started to do just that. He reached forward, but fell back into his seat, feeling bogged down in both mind and body, his thoughts moving like molasses. There was something wrong, they could both feel it, but their fuzzy minds couldn't manage to put things together.

After eight minutes, the thought began to form. 'That's not the driver.' It moved between the twins like stretched-out clay, thick and slow, and they could not seem to grasp the implications of it.

After nine minutes, they opened eyes that they had not realized were closed, and looked up into rear-view mirror, only to see smug purple eyes, terrifyingly familiar, looking back at them.

After ten minutes, they were dragged into unconsciousness, one last thought echoing between them. 'Caught.'

And then, they dreamed.

Princes exist to save princesses. Princesses exist to be saved by princes.

There is no sound but silence. There are no faces but the blackness of shadow. There is no colour but the pale pastels of dreams and children's books.

A beautiful boy, cape fluttering in the breeze, guides an equally beautiful grey stallion across a snow-covered field so flat and clean that it seems unnatural, the moon illuminating his journey. His sword is held low, and he draws it as he charges into the midst of a bandit group, laying about him, waging battle. And though his sword strikes, over and over, there is no blood.

In short order, the wolf lays dead and the boy, his skin untouched but his white horse and clothes dripping blood, dismounts and makes his way over to a young girl, kneeling at the river's edge with her short hair arranged in loose ringlets, bare feet showing from beneath her short, fluttering skirt. With one hand to his chest, the boy drops to one knee and bows, pale hair falling over his eyes as he does so.

Standing once more, he brushes back the end of his immaculately clean cape and offers his hand to the girl. She refuses it and, with a single movement, he guides her safely to her feet while bending to kiss the gloved hand in his. A tiara sits atop her long, tightly-bound hair, and feet in delicate palace slippers can be glimpsed briefly under the hem of her elaborate, floor-length gown.

Grasping her by her slender waist, the boy lifts the princess up onto his dark steed, taking the reins and beginning to walk up the steps to the castle under the light of a warm spring day, unstirred by even the faintest of breezes. He leaves the fallen roses where they lie.

When princesses cannot be saved by princes, they must become witches. When princes cannot save princesses, they must become the end of the world.

They woke, gasping, to the sound of a low male chuckle.

"Welcome to Ohtori, my dear, dear children."

END CH.21