On Unions Civil and Otherwise

by Kita-Ysabell

Ten years have passed- ten years to the day- and when Utena and Anthy's engagement party goes somewhat awry, Saionji finds that some things are not so easily forgotten, and faces the bitter possibility that to make good his escape from Ohtori, he must rescue his oldest and closest friend- whether that friend wants to be rescued or not.

6. Limit

The Rose Bride. The Castle Where Eternity Dwells. The Ends of the World.

So many lies. So many layers of deception. You started to understand, sitting beside him in the back of a speeding car, possibly illusory, and watching his hair stain the night like blood. You started to understand, and to realize how powerless you really were: powerless to escape, powerless to protect, powerless to choose. And when you finally left, when you finally found a way out, (or at least, when Utena found it) there was one last layer of deception underneath, lying in wait.

The Ends of the World.

The funny thing about that name is how literal it is. The Ends of the World isn't Akio, and it isn't Ohtori; it isn't the truth and it isn't the lies. It's the last deception, the lie that revealing a lie also reveals the truth.

It isn't Ohtori that is Akio's power, his domain, the source of his strength—and Anthy's as well? —it's the line between the two, the border between Ohtori and the outside. It's the ring laid around the Academy and all that entails. It's believing in that line. It's thinking that you can leave.

You aren't out of this yet. Maybe there's a way out, a limit to his control, but it's invisible to you. You're not sure what that means, or if it means anything. You'll keep looking, though, even if you don't trust what you can see.

Did the others make it? Did they find a way out of this final illusion, or were they caught as well? Was it this that pulled Touga back to Ohtori? Was it this that made Anthy seal the engagement announcements with the Rose Crest? How much does this poison all of your lives? How much of your suffering is because of this? And how much has nothing to do with it?