Aishuu Offers:
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Disclaimer: Shoujo Kakumei Utena - la fillette
revolutionnaire" (C) Be-PaPas, Chiho Saito/Shogakukan,
Shokaku Iinkai, TV Tokyo. The US version
"Revolutionary Girl Utena" is (C) Central Park Media.
AN: Dedicated to Gerald Tarrant, who some would say is
my better half.  Previously published under the
penname Quicksilver- parts are available at ff.net
under Aishuu Shadowweaver and the UFR.  I'm gradually
changing pennames due to some... philosophical
differences with one of my major fandoms.

Credit where credit is due.  This monster fic needs a
lot of help, and I've been blessed by some wonderful
people:
Ekaterina- concept editing
Lyra Stormrider- initial editor
Charles Werness- technical editor 
Allyn Yonge- editor
*******************************

Part Three: Scales of Mystery


I always wanted to be someone special.

For a while, I sought this through my oniisama...after
all, he is perfection in male form.  No one else has
ever come close to making me doubt that...or so I
believed for the longest time.

I lived in a dream world for most of my younger years,
possessively jealous of my oniisama's affection.  He
didn't need any of the hussies who draped their bodies
over him; they didn't love him like I did.   They
didn't know what made him happy.   They wouldn't give
him what he needed in the long run - only I could do
that.   Only I knew the real Kiryuu Touga.

Then things changed.   

Touga graduated from Ohtori Academy; after two years
at the University there, he chose to continue his
education at a different school, claiming that Ohtori
simply wasn�t the right place for him.

�Nanami, I'm sorry, but� Ohtori isn't where I belong
anymore.�

�But oniisama!� I protested.   �Ohtori has one of the
best university curriculums in the country!   You
can't be serious!�  I placed my hands on his chest, as
though that could stop him from leaving.  He simply
didn't know how much I needed him to stay.  How much
my definition of myself depended on him.  He simply
didn�t understand how much my very existence was
balanced upon his presence.  Without him, I was�
ordinary.

He looked down at me, and his eyes held that gentle
light that Touga only ever showed me.   Many people
claimed I was a parasite, feeding off his glory, but
that wasn�t true.   Touga loved me; he needed to know
that no matter what, I would always be there for him. 
 The other women in his life would come and go, but I
was eternal.  With a graceful hand he brushed a lock
of hair out of his eyes; his face was determined, yet
gentle.  He was trying to think of a way to tell me
something I didn�t want to hear.  I knew every nuance
of his expressions by heart.

�Nanami, this place is like a cage to me now," he
said, raking the hand now through his red hair, red as
blood, redder then the reddest rose.  "I don�t know
why that happened, or when my perspective changed, but
it has.   I must shatter the cage and find something
else - something different..  Nanami," he paused, the
second hanging eternally between us,  "you�ll
understand someday.�	

A shuddering sob wracked my body in response to his
gentle explanation, and then another.   I fell forward
into Touga's arms - the arms that had always been
there when I needed them; the arms that were soon to
be taken away - and cried until it felt like I had
shed all the tears I had to shed.  My fingers gripped
his pristine white uniform tightly, but there was
nothing I could do aside from mourn.   He held me
tightly as I cried; for some reason, that just made
things worse.

I tried to delude myself, tried to deny the reality of
his leaving until the day of departure by telling
myself that he really wouldn�t go, that he really
wouldn�t set foot on the train to Tokyo; yet he did.  
He waved to me once from his window, and then never
looked back.

Without Touga�Life without Touga.

Touga was gone.

There were so many ways I could have put it, but it
all boiled down to the same thing: Touga was gone.  
He had stepped beyond my reality.  Even when he came
home, I could only catch fleeting glimpses of him.

Still, I learned the hard way that life went on, no
matter how I may have detested that fact.  

I went into my next class with my usual coterie of
admirers.  No one was special to me, though.  Miki
might have been, but the year Juri left, he took a
pass as well, transferring into some college of a name
I can't remember.   He was doing something with
mathematics I couldn't even begin to understand, which
was a pity.   He had been such a wonderful musician -
I wondered why he didn't become an actual
professional.   He had always been lauded as a child
prodigy, and it was a tragedy indeed for him to not
use and develop his talent.

It made me sad.   If I had been able to play even a
fraction as well as he, I would have given up all
other pursuits.   Then again, he was so talented at
everything he tried that I couldn't help but be
jealous.   I wished that I wasn't...ordinary. 
Couldn't I have someone care for me as Nanami rather
than as Touga's little sister?   Wasn't there someone
who could understand my loneliness, and perhaps soothe
it somewhat?

It was tenth grade before I found one of my answers,
and it came in startling shape.   That year, Kaoru
Kozue walked into my life.

I had known about her since we were very young - there
were few families as wealthy as ours, and fewer still
had children our age.   Still, we had never had much
to do with each other.   She had been wrapped up in
her brother, and I in mine.  As we aged, she had
become more outlandish and promiscuous, as well as one
of the few girls in school who didn't want to be a
part of my retinue.  It wasn't that we disliked each
other; we merely had nothing to talk about

I became aware of her slowly.   For a few weeks I felt
like someone was watching me.   I assumed, naturally
enough, that it was another male admirer, or perhaps
even Tsuwabuki cutting class to be closer to me.   

Since Tsuwabuki had taken Miki's place on Student
Council (quite an accomplishment for a fifth grader!)
he had become too busy to serve as my lackey.   We
were still close - as close as I let anyone, at least.
  Every now and then he would make me a lunch,
surprise me with a flower, or do something else
special, but those times were becoming fewer and
further between.

I wouldn�t admit it, but I missed him.   Part of me
hoped it was him who was watching me.

Then there came a day when I was able to shake off
Keiko, Yuuko, and Aiko to spend some time by myself in
the greenhouse.   I was tired of having them praise my
every decision without thinking for themselves - their
mindless devotion was irritating.   I didn�t trust
them as far as I could throw them.  As for the
greenhouse, well, it has always been a place that has
raised ambivalent feelings in me.  I don�t know why.  

I wandered among the roses, drawn to the yellow ones. 
 They were so pretty, but that wasn't the only reason
they appealed to me.  Every year on my birthday, my
parents would send me a bouquet of two-dozen yellow
roses - the only gift I would receive from them.

�You seem uncomfortable here," a voice said, and I
spun around, meeting the person who had been shadowing
me.   "I wonder why you keep coming back?"

My eyes widened as I recognized the girl on sight.  
"Kozue?" I asked, surprised.   

She was perched on an overturned flowerpot, her
slender legs stretched out before her, crossed
demurely at the ankles.   In her left hand she was
twisting a white rose that she had apparently plucked.
 She reminded me of her brother - he was always eerily
perceptive at the weirdest moments.  "Hello, Nanami,"
she said, smiling at me.   "I've been watching you
lately."

"It was you?" I asked, shocked.  

Her smile was shy, rather then sly as I had been
expecting.  "Yes."

"Why?" I demanded.   She wasn't the type to want to
become one of my followers.

"I'll tell you tonight."   She tossed me the rose she
had been holding.   "I'll meet you tonight at your
house."

"And why should I go along with your whim?" I
demanded.

Kozue's smile widened slightly.  "Because you're
curious."  She came to her feet with practiced grace
and left.  I was so shocked that I couldn't think up a
decent retort before she left.  What shocked me most
was the fact that she was right.  I was curious.

She hadn't mentioned what time I was to expect her,
and that annoyed me as I worked on my homework later
that evening.   Hour after hour passed, until I looked
at the clock to see that it was nearly eleven.   I was
about ready to call it quits and go to bed when the
doorbell rang and my butler showed her in.

Kozue stood silhouetted in the doorway for a second
before entering.   She was wearing simple clothes that
flattered her figure and coloring well - a short
lavender skirt paired with a light yellow sweater.  On
her feet was a pair of three-inch heels that made me
wince to see.   Usually they wouldn't bother me - I'd
wear them myself - but the time of the day made me
think of the potential backaches associated with
heels.   I ignored my random thoughts, focusing on the
issue.   "Well, Kozue?   Are you going to tell me
what's up?"

Kozue advanced on me until she could trace my face
gingerly with the very tips on her fingers, so lightly
that I barely felt her touch.   My breathing quickened
in surprise as she tugged me closer and rested her
head against my shoulder.   I smelled the light
jasmine fragrance of her hair and wondered why it felt
like the other half of my soul was embracing me. 
Suddenly, it hit me: Kozue was someone who could
understand.  She was someone as alone as I.

"Kozue..." I whispered, trying to find something to
say that wouldn't sound too idiotic.   I hate idiots,
especially when I'm one myself.

She pressed closer, and before I realized what was
happening, I lost my balance.   We fell, her arms
still locked around me, and plopped onto the couch.  
She snuggled on top of me like a child seeking
reassurance.   "Nanami, you know," she whispered, and
I felt a warm moisture against my collarbone - the
warmth of tears.

And I did know.   She didn't have to say anything
else.   I automatically locked her in an embrace, and
we lay there for a while, listening to each other's
heartbeats.   

"Will it ever get better?" she asked.

"Not until we can live without the regret," I said
bitterly.   "Sometimes I think it'd be better to never
have been his sister then to know this pain,"  I took
a deep breath, and then my voice softened as I
continued,  "and then I remember him saying my name,
and I curse myself for ever regretting a moment."

"At least Miki still lives with me," Kozue said.  She
spoke against my chest, and I half-felt the vibration
of her words throughout my torso.

"Yes, at least you still have that," I replied,
managing not to sound too jealous.   "But I bet it's
worse in a way."

"It is," she said.   "He's not mine anymore; I can't
understand what he is.

"When I was little, Miki and I did everything
together.  He's always been shy, so I've protected him
his entire life.   Usually with twins there's a
dominant one, and most people automatically assumed
that I was it.   I would take the lead, and he would
follow.  Or so it seemed.

"I've always been in Miki's shadow.   I don't mind,
honestly.   I wouldn't know what to with talent,
anyway.   He can do anything - he's an eidetic, a
savant.   He's not just a genius, Nanami; he's so
intelligent that he's already been offered dozens of
jobs.   College is just a formality - I think he's
doing it because that's what is expected.

"I held him back.  Miki wouldn't leave me.  He waited
as long as he could, stayed at Ohtori for me, but he
finally ran out of classes.   My father finally forced
him to leave last year - he said that Ohtori didn't
offer the specialized education Miki was entitled to. 
 He was right, of course."

She sniffled slightly, and I petted her hair
reassuringly.   "Miki could have gone anywhere, done
anything - he was seriously considering Julliard, but
he didn�t go.   He stayed here to be near me - he
doesn�t need me anymore, Nanami, but he knows I need
him.�

She lay on top of me for another moment before I was
able to shift her slightly so that she wasn't weighing
me down anymore.   She allowed it, but maintained a
loose grip as she snuggled close to my side.   I
petted her hair a few times, and suddenly realized
that it had been a long day, and that I was tired.  
Almost unconsciously, my eyelids drifted shut, and I
was lulled to sleep by the even rhythm of Kozue's
breathing.

It was the sweetest night's sleep I ever remember
having.

After that, Kozue was the only one I could find
comfort in.   We weren't lovers; no, physical intimacy
paled beside what we had.   What we had was a link
between souls, a knowledge that someone the other
understood what it was like to be in the shadow of a
brother who was so much more then she or I could ever
hope to be.

She would come to my house sometimes and do nothing
but cry.   Miki wasn't cruel to her; Miki was
incapable of that.  No, she was cruel to herself,
wallowing in her self-perceived inadequacy.  Other
times she would arrive to drag me out and party all
night.  Though I wondered where she had procured the
fake ID, I didn't ask.   Sometimes it was best to just
accept.   I learned quickly not to condemn her, not
even for her most outrageous exploits, for she would
only become more outlandish and take chances that were
downright dangerous.   As I remember it, it amazes me
how lucky we were.  

It may sound like she was a parasite, latching onto
me, but she wasn't.   I, in return for my patience,
received something just as valuable.   She gave her
friendship to me, and it was a precious gift.  I had
someone to speak to freely, someone who understood how
I could love my brother almost to the point of
obsession�someone who could care for me as an
individual, yet still understand the ties that bound
me so tightly Touga.

I would have done anything for her, and she for me.  
She made me laugh at her wildness, and reminded me
that life was a game, one not to be taken too
seriously all the time.  We would do everything
together, and sometimes it seemed like she lived over
at my house - I didn't get too close to hers, though,
for I understood that it was still sacred.  Miki lived
there, sometimes, though I had never once run across
him.   Other times he would be away for days or even
weeks at a time, though Kozue would never tell me why.

So it wasn't a big surprise when Kozue called me over
to her house one night to weeks before we were due to
graduate.   What I did find shocking, however, was
that she told me that it was "urgent."  Anyone who
knew Kozue knew that she wouldn't consider Armageddon
itself urgent, so, needless to say, I was concerned.

I walked into her house without waiting to be let in. 
I found her in the living room and took a seat across
from her, studying her pale face with concern.

�Kozue?� I asked.   �Did something happen?�

She was nibbling on her lip nervously and her eyes
looked haggard.  �Last week, I received a package in
the mail.   I didn�t think anything of it - after all,
I am graduating, so I assumed it was some kind of
gift.�

�Naturally enough.   What was it?   A spiteful little
trinket from an old love?�  God knew she certainly had
enough of them, and not all of them had parted with
her on the best of terms.  Some would relish the
chance to upset her.

�I only wish.�   She shivered, even though the room
felt almost tropical - the heat was cranked up so high
that beads of sweat were forming on my brow.   �It was
something much worse.�

She bent down and slid something I hadn�t noticed
before from under the couch.  It was a long, slender
box made of a deep brown wood, a wood that almost had
a tint of red to it.  Her hands trembled as she placed
it on the table between us.   �It doesn�t look like a
bomb,� I replied lightly, trying to soften the mood.

�I guess you could call it one,� she said softly.  
�It certainly blew my life to hell.�  She looked at
me, her eyes heavily shadowed from lack of sleep.

"Well, what IS it?" I demanded.

"Heaven and Hell," she replied.   "Salvation forged
through damnation."

I scowled at her, not in the mood for word games.  
Without waiting for permission, I reached over to open
the box.   She whimpered, but made no move to stop me.
 As soon as I lifted the lid, my mind exploded.

A sword, nestled in a pile of yellow roses.  

Ambition...desire for escape from terrible knowledge.

/You didn't seem like anything but a kind older
brother./

/That was just an act.  My parents told me: "Think of
her as your sister and treat her well."  If not for
that, there's no way I'd hang around her.  That
commonplace, boring woman.../

Siblings entwined in each other arms, incestuous love,
and my horrified reaction at the sight.

/Are you and Touga-sama maybe not related by
blood...?/

My lackey, my friend, coming closer to me, too close,
gazing at me with eyes that were shadowed with
something that was far beyond either of us, a
marionette.

/W- Wait! That's too close, Tsuwabuki!  Tsu-
Tsuwabuki?/

Pain.   Terrible, dreadful pain.   Physical,
emotional...being spun around by forces I didn't even
begin to understand.  

With a trembling hand, I picked the blade up.   I had
never held this before, and the blade felt awkward,
not right, in my hands.   I knew it on sight, though. 
 The Sword of Dios...the sword that could grant the
power to incite revolution, the power to change
everything.

The power to destroy a life�or save it.

�Nanami?   Nanami?�  A voice spoke, seeming to come
from a great distance.   �Nanami!�   A sharp sting
across my face, and then I was aware of my
surroundings.

Kozue knelt before me, her hand still raised, prepared
to deliver another slap should it prove necessary. 
Her eyes were locked on me, and I was reminded of her
twin for a second.   Her coloring had a slightly
lavender edge to it, but otherwise it could have been
Miki kneeling before me, worried about a friend.  

�Dios�� I whispered, dropping the sword like it was a
snake.

/I want to surpass everything./

It /was/ a snake, the very snake that had tempted Eve
with the forbidden fruit.

�I�m so sorry�I shouldn�t have�� Kozue said.  �This is
my problem.  But when I saw it, I thought you might
know what to do - I can�t drag Miki into this - he�d
never forgive me��

I smiled at her.   �You did the right thing.   I don�t
know who sent this to you, but they were wrong to.  
You barely had anything to do with it.�

�Do with what, exactly?� she asked.   �I can�t
remember�something about seventh grade.  And Miki�and
the other members of the Student Council.  You took
Touga�s place for a while, didn�t you?�

/It's all right, Oniisama. I'll look after the Student
Council./

/From now on, I will act as my brother's proxy./

�Yes.  But Miki will need to know.�

Her eyes were haunted.   �I can�t - I betrayed him
somehow.�

I took her hand and squeezed it gently.   �It will be
alright, Kozue.   I promise to do my best - I will
treat him as though he were my own brother.�

She understood exactly what I meant by that promise.  
Only she could have understood what a firm vow that
was.  "Nanami..."  Her eyes were full of reluctant
relief.  She hated putting this burden on me, but was
relieved it wasn't hers to bear anymore.

I smiled at her gently.   "Let me take this.  I'll
deal with it," I promised.

She squeezed my hand back in thanks, a grateful
expression on her face.

I had my chauffeur drive me home.  All during the ride
home, my mind was working automatically, starting to
form plans.

What could I do with it?  The damn sword?  Where was I
to start?

Touga.

I could call oniisama.

But...I didn't want to get him involved.  And by that
token, Saionji would be out as well - he and oniisama
were too close. This was something I would do for
myself, something to prove to myself that I didn't
need him - that I could function without him.

Juri?  A possibility.  Juri had always been clever,
but she didn't like me.  She would never agree to see
me...the only one of the Student Council she had liked
was Miki.  We had all liked him.

I blinked as it came to me.  If I hooked Miki, then
Juri would follow...she wouldn't be able to see him
involved in Ohtori's past without trying to protect
him.  And it wouldn't be breaking my promise to Kozue,
either; she would want Miki to know the truth, as I
would tell oniisama once it was all done.

So how to get Miki to talk to me?  He must have been
at least subconsciously - if not actively - avoiding
me ever since leaving.  So that meant...I'd need an
excuse.

My graduation party.   He owed me a favor for the time
I'd bailed Kozue out of jail (a rather interesting
story; a misunderstanding, really), so he could play
at my party.   And then I'd give him the Sword of
Dios, and see what resulted.

As soon as I arrived home, I went upstairs to the room
that contained my mementos.  I had almost forgotten
about it, but there was a certain ring that I'd
carefully put away with Touga's senior yearbook, a
ring that I now intended to reclaim.

/Nanami, give me your left hand./

/Oniisama.../

I thought my hands had grown, along with the rest of
me, but the ring still fit on my left hand perfectly. 
I stared at it, amazed at how the seal could be so
simple and so intricate at the same time.

/Have you forgotten, Nanami?  The Rose Signet is the
only piece of authentication that allows you to fight
Duels here at the Academy.  Now show me your power, as
a chosen one of the "Ends of the World."/

Two weeks of anxious preparation and weird dreams
passed until the day of the party.   I dreamt of a
girl, a girl I hated and envied, kittens and yellows
roses.   I dreamt of Tsuwabuki and Keiko, oniisama and
Saionji, Miki and Juri.   I dreamt of a girl with
purple hair from my seventh grade year, and our
Chairman Ohtori Akio.

The party went almost as well as I could have
expected.   I hadn't expected Miki to lose his temper
and hit me - he had never been the violent type - but
it happened. 

I called Kozue's house after the party to speak to
Miki.  She was rather surprised, but said Miki had
spent the night at Juri's, as he often did.

So I called Juri.   After one of our infamous
catfights, I made plans to see her at seven that day
for dinner.   Then I went to bed.

The next day was one of the slowest I can remember - I
kept checking the clock every fifteen minutes, wishing
I had some way to make time go faster.  The doorbell
finally rang at almost eight that evening.   I
muttered as I went to get it.   I should have let the
butler get it, as had been my original intention, but
I was too irritated to bother.   As I swung it open I
saw Juri and Miki standing there, and I could tell
from the collected look on Juri's face that she had
been late on purpose.

"You're late," I said.

Juri's eyes were cold.  "So?  I don�t have to let you
order me around."  She stepped in, carrying herself
like a queen.   If I had believed in reincarnation, I
would have wagered money that Juri had once been
Cleopatra herself.  Miki followed behind her, slightly
subservient.   His blue eyes flashed warningly at me,
and I didn't snap the quick retort that was on my
tongue.  If Miki was in a bad mood - and I couldn't
blame him for it - there would be no intermediary
between Juri and myself.  And Juri and I had never
been the best of friends.

"Dinner is waiting to be served," I said.

"We ate before coming," Juri replied, apparently
deciding to speak for Miki as well as herself.

"I invited you for dinner," I said firmly.   I wasn't
giving ground to her this early in the game.   "If you
already ate, you can watch me eat while we have a
civil conversation.  You�ve not spoken to me in a
while, you declined my invitation to my graduation
party, and you�ve reacted in a hostile manner to every
one of my overtures of friendship - so you�re damn
well going to behave like the civilized person I know
you are, Arisugawa Juri!�

She blinked at me, then nodded graciously.  �Very
well.  We will eat first.�

I led them to dining room, and Miki, ever the
gentleman, pulled out our seats for both of us and
carefully made sure we were comfortable before taking
his own place.   His startling blue eyes watched me as
I rang for the servants to bring the first course.

Conversation was stilted.   I tried to draw them both
into discussion about themselves, but their one-word
answers discouraged me from pressing.   I didn�t bring
up the Student Council, and both of them seemed
disinclined to as well, picking at their food.  

We were on the cheese course when Juri apparently
decided she had had enough.   �Nanami, where did you
get the Sword of Dios?�  Her voice contained the same
frightening intensity that had once caused one of her
weaker-willed teachers to quit his job in terror.

I wasn�t weak, though.   I wouldn�t be cowed by her -
I was strong.   �We�ll discuss this after dinner,� I
told her firmly.   

She glared at me, but finished quickly.  Juri�s glower
followed my movements as I went to the sideboard after
finishing my own meal.   �Would you like a drink,
Juri-sempai?   Perhaps a brandy?�

�No.   What I want is for you to stop avoiding the
question and give me a straight answer.�

�Miki, a strawberry daiquiri, right?� I asked
breezily, pretending not to hear her.

�Nanami...� he said softly, his voice firm.

I was pushing, and I knew it.  �Wait for a second,� I
ordered, preparing three drinks - brandy for Juri, a
strawberry daiquiri for Miki, and a red wine for
myself. As the blender crushed the ice, I hummed
quietly, ignoring their eyes on me.   The drinks were
ready all too soon, and I knew I had put the
conversation off as long as possible.

I placed the drinks on a tray and carried it over,
setting it down on the coffee table after distributing
beverages.  �I think I remember what you guys liked -
if I made a mistake, let me know.�

�Nanami!� Juri snapped.   �We�ve had nothing but
evasions from you all evening!   Now you�re going to
give me some straight answers, or I will personally
pull out all your hair, one strand at a time.� 

I didn�t doubt that she was quite capable of what she
was threatening.   Juri had never been one for idle
threats.  �Fine.�

�To start with, where in the world did you get the
Sword of Dios?� she demanded.

�I got it from Kozue - someone mailed it to her, and
she gave it to me.�  I looked at Miki, watching for
his reaction.

�Kozue?� he whispered.   �What does she have to do
with any of this?   Didn�t they put her through
enough?�

�I don�t know.  But it was sent to HER, not one of us.
 When I saw it, everything came back to me.�

�So?� Juri demanded.   �You should have let it lie!  
For all we know this is one of Akio�s schemes��

�So?� I taunted back.   �He managed to put a pretty
good hole in our memories already - I say it�s damn
well time that we got them back!�

Miki leaned back into the plush velvet, apparently
still wise enough not to try to separate a brewing
catfight. 
	
Juri, though, didn�t retaliate.   She looked at me
angrily, then glanced down thoughtfully at the ring
she once again wore on her hand, twisting it around a
few times.   �Now that I know, I can�t go back to what
I was.   But I�m not grateful to you, Nanami.   I was
happy in my life.�  Her expression was wistful and
pained.

�Happy?   How can you be happy not knowing who you
are?� I snapped.  �Without your memories you�re not
who you should be!   We are shaped by the sum of our
experiences!�

�You�ve said that before.�

�And I�ll say it again until you accept it as the
truth!   I do not lie, not even to myself!�	

�We�re going to talk to Touga,� Juri said.   �And
you�re coming with us.�

�I-I�� This hadn�t been what I was expecting.

�None of us can beat Akio at his own game; if he was
the one who sent the sword - and that�s what I think
is most likely - then it�s damn likely Touga has some
inkling why he�s trying to pull us back into Ohtori�s
web.   And if it wasn�t Akio, then Touga would be my
second guess,� Miki said firmly. 

�I would have said�that girl sent it.  Maybe she
wanted to let us know she�s alive out there, and
looking for us.�

�Tenjou Utena, the Victor of the Duels,� Juri said
softly.   �No.  That�s not her style.  She would have
confronted us directly - she was never one for
subtlety.  But perhaps Anshi��

For the second time, my head exploded.   I was
falling�. Falling�

/It's your fault my brother got hurt! Your fault! 
I'll never let the likes of you have my brother!/

Continuing the duel after I had lost, not caring about
the rules.

/This fight is for real, Tenjou Utena!/

Her standing there, defending the witch.  The long
pink hair blowing in the wind, as she thoughtlessly
won my brother�s heart by simply being herself.  My
jealousy, and my determination to get her out of his
life.  Both of his lives.

/Nanami... There's no need for you to fight anymore./

�Nanami!!�

Again, a sharp sting to my cheek, and I became aware
of my surroundings.  This time it had been Miki who
had slapped me back to myself.   I fleetingly wondered
if there was something about the Kaoru twins and
slapping me, since Kozue had slapped me once and this
was the second time Miki had in less then a day�s
time.

I stared into his worried blue eyes, eyes that
reminded me of a girl with pink hair.  A fierce girl
who fought for what she believed in.  �I�m okay, Miki.
  It�s just that finally hearing Utena�s name brought
back a lot of memories��

�You were staring at nothing for five minutes, and
nothing we did got your attention.   I am sorry for
hitting you this time,� he said, placing special
emphasis on this, �but I really didn�t see any other
option.   Surely this isn�t normal - you and I didn�t
react so badly,� he stated, looking at Juri.

Always Miki looked to Juri for answers.

�We�re all different,� Juri said, shrugging.   �Nanami
may simply have repressed the memory more firmly then
either of us.�

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.  �I
don�t want Touga involved,� I stated stubbornly.  
�This is something I�m going to do for myself.�

�No, Nanami,� Juri said firmly, �Touga�s already
involved.   Are you going to contact him, or will it
be me?�

I was so tempted to let her do it, but I knew that
would be cowardice on my part.  �That won�t be
necessary.   I will speak to him tonight.�

I will deal with Touga.

I will call my oniisama on something that was a
forgotten secret.

/That simply...can't be.  That my brother and
I...aren't really siblings.../

I will discover the truth.

/It's cruel, not being siblings all of a sudden./

I will find Utena.

I will reclaim my past.

I am coming for you, Tenjou Utena.  I need to know who
I was, so I can discover who I am.  And you are the
one who holds the key to that mystery.

END PART THREE

Up Next:
Touga: Sealed Darkness



=====
"No matter what the bible says, the battle always goes to
the strong. And I am strong. I don't need to prove that to
anyone anymore."
-Excerpt from Sainan no Kekka- Act Seven, Scene VII

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Quicksilver/
http://www.midnightrevolution.org/gundam

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