Kiryuu Manor is relatively quiet this evening. Touga is off taking care of some Seitokai business. Tsuwabuki was been given the honour of having the evening off. Nanami lies quietly on a large couch in the main living area, toying idly with a yellow rose. Dressed in a pair of baggy shorts and a golden t-shirt, she's obviously just lounging about, relaxing after a long day of classes and practice. ) Utena walks slowly along the gravel path that runs past the courtyard and along the side of the school toward the back where the various dorms and student houses are.. walking slowly because, frankly, she's NERVOUS of what's around her now.. and is jumping at small sounds... In her hands, carefully folded and washed with care, is the woolen yellow sweater that Nanami loaned her; now that she has her jacket back, she's going to fulfill her agreement to return it. Within the Kiryuu Manor all is docile and quiet. Nothing to take notice of..everything is perfectly as it should be... the ticking of the clock on the wall..the casual beeping of the kitchen appliances in the distance...the rattling of chains nearby...the sound of air being pushed through the ventilation system...the...wait a sec... Kiryuu Nanami blinks, raising her head, peering about curiously, as, in the silence, she begins to notice the strange, yet familiar noises. She shrugs it off, and continues playing with her rose. clink clink clink...the sounds of links of metal grinding against eachother softly is distinctly audible.. a rather harrowing noise as if a ghost from an old mystery novel was visiting the manor...an eerie sound becoming louder with each passing minute.. Utena's feet crunch along the small stones in the path... eyes watching the shadows as she advances through the circular path-lights... it's a well-lit path, and she chose it specifically for that reason.. but she still bites her lip and is still anxious as she draws up to the elaborate front gate of the Kiryuu Manor.. a place that has never been particularly kind to her ANYWAY... Kiryuu Nanami suddenly sits up, now hearing a sound different from the others.. and disturbing sound that bothers her greatly. Not frightens.. just annoys her. She peers around, searching for the souce. source Clink clink clink... you train your eyes to follow the sound...at first you can't believe what your hearing..because it almost sounds as if ....behind you? As you turn to look you spy a fluttering shadow and feel something cold and heavy rain down about your shoulders! Utena steps up to the front gate and extends a slender finger, pressing the door bell.. Kiryuu Nanami blinks, squirming, having no idea what these cold, heavy things are.. she hears the doorbell, but does not react to either, just yet. Utena hms and tries the doorbell again... frowning slightly. She has no reason to suspect anything other than that neither of the Kiryuu are home... but at the same time she wonders... Kiryuu Nanami, upon realizing what the object is -just- in time, ducks.. escaping the chain just barely. Now acknowledging the door, she screams. "Whoever it is, get IN here!" Utena blinks! hearing Nanami's cry from inside, loud enough to come through the wooden door... her silver-ringed hand shoots to the knob and tries it to see if she can just get in that way... The object now identified as a thin link chain SNAPS just where Nanami's slim neck was...as the figure who was hunched up silently on the couch..with IMPOSSIBLE stealth... leaps after Nanami trying to slam a foot into her retreating back while she's yelling for help.. The door is, fortunately, unlocked. Nanami has no other choice but to dodge.. not having her weapons.. or enough wit to try to fight back. She does have agility on her side, and she uses that, the foot only knicking her as she runs, then turns, edging her way back quickly, but keeping her eye on the assailant. Utena turns the knob and PUSHES into the Kiryuu house, crying out, "Nanami!.." as she darts forward swift, a streak of black and pink.. "Where are you...?" the Figure is swathed all in black..almost ninja-like except wears a modernday conventional black mask with twin eyeholes...the figure spins a black chain over his head before SWINGING it wide and down low...trying to twine it about her legs... Kiryuu Nanami yelps. "In here!" she cries, her voice coming from just down the hallway. She turns to run again, but isn't fast enough. One of her legs is snagged by the black chain, and she crashes down. The Figure YANKS back on the chain...sliding her back on the floor towards him as he tries to SLAM one of his knees down on Nanami's back to pin her...while still yanking on the chain... not paying attention to Utena who is invariably watching this... Utena stil has Nanami's sweater in her hands as she wheels toward the source of the voice; as she hears (sees?) Nanami crash down, she snarls and cries out, angling to attack WHOEVER the hell it is.. Utena braces and pushes powerfully from the floor, unfurling the sweater in her hands... diving directly for Nanami's attacker she holds the article of clothing tightly in her hands, and tries to aim in such a way that she'll come SLAMMING down on the guy with the sweater pressed against his face.. hoping to buy Nanami a few seconds to extricate herself.. not even bothering to waste time talking or to look at him.. just *LEAPING* into the fray with her whole heart. Kiryuu Nanami squirms on the floor, but can't move at all.. so the knee connects with her back. There is a rather loud crack, and a scream of pain as Nanami tears up. The Intruder makes an ERMPHing sound as Utena plows into him...luckly deflecting him before his full weight could be pressed down on Nanami... he flops back on the ground with Utena ontop of him... but before he can be pinned on his back he then rolls with the force..trying to flip himself over atop Utena instead..but the sweater bound around his masked face probably keeps him from managing to turn all the way over...so instead he simply tries to scramble away...his chain leaving his hand resultingly freeing Nanami's leg... Utena whips her head back, her light weight not enough to keep the spry man pinned down.. but she fights to keep the sweater choking him down.. "Nanami, RUN!" Kiryuu Nanami let's out a loud sound.. a low.. rumbly cry. A growl, you'd probably crawl it. She knows she has broken bones.. but that isn't going to prevent her from tearing this person a new bellybutton. Ignoring the pain, and raises to her knees, and begins to crawl over to Utena and the figure. Utena struggles still, and screams out, "GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!" ... The Intruder manages to get out from beneath Utena and tries to lightly place a foot on her and PUSH her away...but not in a bone crunching manner..a simple shove...the sweater finally tearing.... Utena gets the foot in the stomach and emits a harsh 'wfft' as your 'simple' shove still sends pain ripping through her gut; she's knocked back onto her back a couple of feet away.. Kiryuu Nanami hisses through her teeth. "NO!" she responds stubbornly, yanking a vase from the table as she stands shakily. Emptying the contents, she holds the newly created weapon in her hands, ready to strike. Utena struggles back to her feet and shakes her head.. goddamn stubborn Kiryuu... she rises again, coughing with a horrible pain in her stomach... she staggers on her feet, stumbles forward... then breaks into a run and tries to grab Nanami around the waist and PULL her away... not wanting to see what happened to Juri happen AGAIN... The Intruder tosses the torn sweater from his masked face and then turns to where Nanami was...then noticing she isn't there anymore looks up to where she is...staring dully at the vase..wondering if she's ACTUALLY serious... Kiryuu Nanami squirms. "Let me GO, damnit.. I'll KILL him.." she cries.. trying to free herself from Utena's grasp.. Utena strains to pull Nanami toward the door, screeching, "FORGET IT! GET OUT OF HERE before you get KILLED, DAMMIT!" It's not easy with the berserking Nanami fighting her, but by god does she TRY, exerting every ounce of her small body's strength. The Intruder chuckles at this act of bravery..which actually proves rather foolish..as Utena very nicely holds Nanami still for him...he steps in..and spins a full 360' and DARTING his almost blurring heel for Nanami's face in a wheel kick... Kiryuu Nanami actually TRIES to reason with Utena.. "We.. you and I.. can GET HIM! This is probably the one that got Juri." she blurts out, before she *DIVES*, pulling Utena with her.. evading the kick. Utena yelps! as she falls to the floor closely tangled with Nanami.. she shakes her head, her eyes locking on the figure.. "He'll get US if we don't get out.... *PLEASE*..." Utena swings one of her OWN long legs out trying to trip up the man as he's coming down from that roundhouse, and only supported on one leg... The Intruder was mostly down on the ground as Utena's foot swung out to trip him..but that does force him to stumble back..to regain that one unbalanced foot... promptly realizing the rule of the mugger..do it FAST. This has taken far too long...and decides that the overall purpose has been acchieved...he leaps over the tangled heap of girls and DASHES out the door...the sound of jingling chains following.. Utena says, "Son of a *BITCH*..." Utena attempts to de-tangle from Nanami, a relatively simple task at this point but it drags her back for a few seconds.. fully intent on chasing the man as she gets to her feet, she sprints in pursuit... Kiryuu Nanami stares at the door angrily, before suddenly collapsing.. the pain returning. As you run to the door...total silence...he's gone...you don't see movement anywhere..only the howling wind blowing through the vast architecture of the Academy... Utena exclaims, "DAMMIT!" Utena literally pounds at the air with her fists in frustrated outrage, before she remembers.. and turns back to dart back into the Kiryuu house... she can't chase him, he's probably well away with even those few seconds of lead on her... she'd better see how bad off Nanami is instead... Kiryuu Nanami is lying on the ground, on her back, writhing in pain.. She clutches her chest. Utena's eyes widen.. once more, she runs to the side of a fallen Duellist... kneels down.. "Dammit.. DAMMIT!" She bolts to her feet again, and searches the room with her eyes, searing anger boiling in her mind as she looks for a phone to call the doctors in... Kiryuu Nanami says, "Shit.. I coulda gotten him.. too.." Utena snaps, "No.. you COULDN'T have... If Juri couldn't you couldn't have. Not without your swords.." Kiryuu Nanami growls softly, almost snarling, before making a wild gesture to a table near the corner of the room. "There's a phone.." Utena is still looking for that damn phone; she finds it when you point her at it and dials quickly, punching the school's internal emergency number and barking a commanding order into the phone relaying the situation to the student manning the switchboard.. Utena slams the phone down. "20 minutes. Dammit..why the HELL does it take so long...?" Utena blinks at you. "Don't *move* for god's sake.. you've probably got broken bones..!" Kiryuu Nanami rolls her eyes. "No *shit*. My ribs ache like hell. Damnit.. why would anyone want to hurt *me*?" Utena suppresses the first couple of thoughts that come to mind, and sighs, as she slumps down beside you. "Because you're breathing and wearing a rose signet?" Unable to keep the anger out of her voice.. Kiryuu Nanami blinks, and turns to Utena.. "They're after the duellists?" Utena nods grimly. "Himemiya was kidnapped last night... while we were getting Juri to the hospital." Utena says, "Since I'm not hearing about anyone ELSE being hurt on the campus.... I have to assume they're after at *least* the Student Council." Utena bites her lip for a moment, thinking, and VERY unhappy with her thoughts. "Kidnapping Himemiya.. that makes it personal.. Miki was right, it's the Duellists they must be after.." Kiryuu Nanami nods slowly. o O ( They can't be all bad... they kidnapped the Rose Bride. ) she thinks, inwardly, but doesn't show this thought.. Utena sighs.... finding herself at a loss for words.. uniquely uncomfortable in this situation. She certainly can't... and wouldn't..just walk away and leave Nanami here.. but they're certainly NOT friends either.. a fact hammered home when she glances to where the torn yellow sweater lies on the floor nearby... Kiryuu Nanami, still not knowing about the sweater, having not noticed it in the whole ordeal, asks softly.. "Why were you coming here in the first place?" Utena laughs weakly, a pale, empty sound. "I was bringing you back your sweater." Kiryuu Nanami raises her eyebrows, and can't help but giggle.. quietly.. "Arigatou." Kiryuu Nanami slams her fist down on the floor, still lying on her back. She's unmoving, but still in terrible pain. "WHere are those people?" Utena sighs deeply. "Maybe I should have just stayed at home.." as she leans forward, pain crossing through those huge, guileless eyes.. "I don't know. They should be here soon.. I hope..." her head bowing. "This is my fault, I'm sure.." Kiryuu Nanami shrugs. "If you hadn't come, I might have been dead. Unlikely, but still.." she murmurs.. too weak to argue or act like her usual smartass self. "Your fault? How?" Utena says, "I'm the Victor... it's always about me, isn't it..." Meanwhile..back at the Hospital.. A Nurse idly plays with the phone cord..whistling to herself as she's obviously at her post. A Doctor strolls by and asks, "Wasn't there a phone call recently?" The Nurse hrmms? "No...why?" The Doctor hrmms, "Ooh...just that I thou...heh. Nevermind.." walks on.. the Nurse smiles pleasently..before going back to waiting at her post. Obviously no call was made... Utena says, "Dammit.. they're NOT coming.. it's been at LEAST 30 minutes.." Utena asks, "WHAT THE HELL IS *WRONG* WITH THIS SCHOOL!?" Utena waves off any reply you might make to that. "Never mind.. dammit... alright.. I don't want to do this, because you could get hurt worse... but we don't have a choice. I'll take you there myself.." Kiryuu Nanami sighs.. "Damnit. That's it." she states firmly. She nods to Utena, and raises a hand.. "I can walk.. just let me lean on you.." She speaks in an almost reluctant tone, but she *does* need to get to the hospital. Utena takes a LONG breath... bracing herself for a difficult transit... and reaches out her hand to Nanami.. "Careful.." Kiryuu Nanami grabs the hand, and jerks herself up quickly. She winces, and slowly begins to walk.. Utena winces too, as you pull on her arm she has to exert countergravity from her stomach.. which she is suddenly reminded HURTS LIKE HELL. She slips your arm over her slender shoulders and hesitantly puts one arm around your back just to bolster you up... moving with you as you limp along... Kiryuu Nanami can't believe she's letting Utena, of -all- people, help her right now. She's weak and vulnerable. a side of her that she does not usually show to anyone. She grits her teeth, and walks along with Utena. Time passes.. Utena and Nanami arrive at the infirmary. Utena leads Nanami through the door and shoots DIRTY, ANGRY looks at EVERY SINGLE PERSON on the staff that she sees... A male Nurse is at the reception area...blinks and stands up..hurrying over, "here..." offers to help Utena carry Nanami, "What happened?" A few others prepare a gurney just incase... Utena says, "WE *CALLED* a goddamn HOUR ago, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED...." Utena releases Nanami into the hands of the staff and snarls, "Same thing that happened to Arisugawa-sempai.. she was attacked by a man in black clothing wearing a mask." Utena coughs, her anger churning up her hurt stomach... her hand pressing to her waist for a moment.. "You'd better have some WORDS with your staff, I was connected to the switchboard here and told it'd be 20 minutes to get someone out to where she was injured.." The Man blinks, "..I just got on duty 15 minutes ago I don't know...umm.." helps Nanami onto a gurney to be wheeled into ER a Nurse inspects her and asks where does it hurt....meanwhile the Nurse answers, "Well...you look hurt...are you alright miss?" advancing on Utena.. Utena says, "I'm *FINE*. See to Nanami.." Kiryuu Nanami is pretty dazed right now.. not really knowing what's going on around her. Utena too is showing a side FEW people see.. under incredible stress, her anger is almost at a boiling point.. now TWO people have been hurt, probably because of her.... she quivers with the pain in her stomach and outrage. (Nanami is admitted; time passes. When Utena hears that Nanami will be alright, she once more heads for home..) Utena.. basically.. is *limping* away from the infirmary.. her hand pressed to her stomach, which sears her at each step.. taking a heavy kick to her midsection earlier did NOTHING for her state of mind.. as she moves on, through the dim walkways and into the better-lit but completely empty school pathways... ... well, not completely empty. Wakaba stands there, tapping one patent-leather-shoed toe impatiently, the look on her face not boding well for Ye Victor o' Ootori. Utena nngs softly and pauses, looking.. well, rather pathetic... tired, upset, almost in tears as she's had time to be alone and blame herself for what's happened of late... her hand brushing over her stomach.. ".. wakaba..'" *tap* *tap* *tap* Wakaba grabs Utena by the arm and bodily drags her into an empty classroom. "U-*te-*na*!" Utena ERKS and yelps in pain as you yank her around, her eyes widening, stammering, ".. h.. hey!" Utena says, "Go easy on me, Wakaba... -.-" Wakaba-chan pushes you up against the door and leans in, "Oh, my, god, Utena..!! Where've you been? What's going on??" Utena sighs. "There's been two attacks on Student Council members.." Utena groans as you push her into the door; eyes squeezing closed with pain.. "Don't.. slam me around like that.. I had to fight earlier... drove off some jerk attacking Nanami.." Utena winces, undoing the lower two buttons of her jacket. "I got kicked.. in the stomach." Wakaba-chan @.@ "You... you defended Kiryuu Nanami?" Uber-dramatically, she places a hand to her forehead, "... I thought you two hated each other?? And what's this about this Yamaguchi Kei???" Utena says, "Look, I won't just STAND there while someone I know's getting attacked by some huge man dressed in black with a mask, okay?>" Utena coughs and stumbles to a desk to sit down before she FALLS down... wincing again as she examines her stomach, finding a spreading purple bruise there.. Wakaba-chan winces. "That looks ugly..." Utena says, "It hurts like hell, too." Wakaba-chan says, "Look, Utena, I gotta know what's goin' on. The rumors flying around the school are bad..." Utena nods grimly, ragged pink curls clinging to her cheeks, "It's worse than the rumors, Wakaba.." Utena says, "Whatever you've heard.. is probably only half the truth." Wakaba-chan says, "Rumors usually are..." SHe shakes her head. "You wouldn't believe half of them. You're supposedly sleeping with this Yamaguchi girl." Utena gets.. well, that's an expression you've only seen on her face once before.. a kind of horrifid embarrassed molten shock.. the last time you saw it, was after you told her that Akio was a playboy... she shakes her head, color rushing to her cheeks. "It's not like that.." she murmurs. Not really helping the situation by not outright denying there's SOMETHING going on... you can tell, with your girl-sense. Utena says, "I did sleep on her couch last night.. because someone broke into my room.." Wakaba-chan asks, "Why would anyone break into your room?" Utena sighs. Utena says, "Wakaba, I promise I'll tell you whatever you want to know.. but not here." Utena says, "I'm hurting and I *need* to lie down somewhere, anywhere, and rest." Wakaba-chan says, "My room. If yours really has been broken into..." Utena says, "Right now.. I can only trust you and Kei.. and I'm scared to death for all of us.." Utena nods and stands up slowly, pushing up from the desk. Utena murmurs softly, "Believe me. the blood on the floor.. wasn't mine." Utena fights back a small sob. "C'mon.. " She moves toward the door of the empty classroom. Wakaba-chan nodnods, and leads the way... Wakaba-chan points. "My bed. Lie down." Utena blinks and transfers herself, sighing in a kind of guilty pleasure as she rests her head on the pillow and stretches out flat along the bed, resting her hands at her sides. Wakaba-chan drags a chair over. "Okay... look... Utena..." Utena turns her head and looks at you, those wide lambent blue eyes begging for understanding.. "There's just.. so much... " Wakaba-chan says, "Too much." Wakaba-chan asks, "What's this rose signet ring deal?" Wakaba-chan asks, "Why'm I enrolled in fencing?" Utena takes a long breath. "For the sake of revolutionizing the world." She says it formal like that, like a recitation... "And to get to me, because I'm the standing Victor of the Duel of Ootori Gakuen.." She holds up a hand, knowing you don't really know what she means yet. Utena asks, "We've been here two years, plus a little, right, Wakaba?" Wakaba-chan says, "Hai." Wakaba-chan asks, "Revolutionizing...? What?" Utena says, "Well, they've kept it hidden well.. but the Student Council likes to play a little game.. they call it the duel game, or the game of revolution.. it's a game of sword-duels being endlessly fought to determine who will be the one to unleash a power called world revolution." Utena says, "But it's more than just a game being played by bored students.. it's a lot more.." Wakaba-chan makes a face. "Right. That's why I've got that?" She points at the shortsword leaning, sheathed, by her desk... Utena says, "it's this.. this huge NIGHTMARE..." Utena lifts her head a little, nods, her expression hardening. "Yes. As a member of the Student Council, you're automatically drafted into the duel game." Utena says, "Whether you like it or not, as long as you bear the Rose Signet, you're part oif it... and if you ever duel.. god help you, because you'll never escape." Wakaba-chan makes another face. 'This is -stupid-. It's like something outta some weird show, 'tena-sama! You expect me to believe that? Utena says, "They play in the Arena that's buried inside the Forest of Challenges.. you know, the place that's been cordoned off for years..." Utena says, "yes, I *DO*, Wakaba." Wakaba-chan exclaims, "Well, I -don't-!" Utena asks, "You want me to PROVE this to you?" Wakaba-chan asks, "C'mon! I mean.. what sort of insanity is this?" Utena sits up suddenly... swings her legs over the bed, and reaches for your hand. "Alright.. I'll prove to you what I'm talking about. And I hope you forgive me when it's done.." Wakaba-chan blinks; the sudden movement catching her by surprise. Utena tugs on you, not to hurt, just to urge you to come with her; she would NEVER hurt you, not even unintentionally. Her grip is light, but compelling nonetheless. Wakaba-chan stands up, "Now, wait, Utena.. your stomach--" Utena says, "It's alright.." Utena's face transforms again.. a kind of stoicness, almost statuesque beauty suffusing her features... the Victor of the Duel is speaking now... the Utena that bore up under many challenges. Wakaba-chan, quietly, nods... ".. lead on..." Utena gently, and with no small amount of sadness, takes you through the school courtyards and toward the dark, giant circular forest at the back of the campus.. a place long hallowed as a no-man's land.. unsafe for humans to go into.. its main entrance cordoned off by old wooden barricades that Utena simply ignores or steps around.. the wind blowing eerily through the trees and creating a low moan of the branches.. Wakaba-chan mutters softly, "I almost wish I'd -brought- that sword..." She moves a bit closer to you, obviously unnerved and just as obviously trying not to show it... Well Room (Forest Of Challenges) A complicated, ornate sculpture of marble and concrete rises up before you as you approach. The floor here is better described as a walkway, which moves around a large square pool set into the center of the floor, full of still water. It's fairly shallow, but reflects the current color of the sky. At the back of the room is a wall, arranged around a rose-motif. Two panels, to left and right of some kind of trigger (perhaps this is where water is drawn?) are heavily stylized panels featuring the Ootori rose; these and the trigger are set below a sculpture vaguely resembling that of a bird with outstretched wings, whose carved feathers cover the entire rest of the wall. Utena lifts her left hand and wraps her fingers around the 'trigger' handle, the only feature protruding from the otherwise apparently dead-end wall.. pulling back, you hear a click of some veiled mechanism, and a stirring of the ground pool.. until a single droplet flies from a round opening in the wall, colliding neatly with Utena's duellist ring... the droplet shattering into a hazy ring... and then.. well, the only way to describe it is that a WALL of water opens up around you, curtaining you away from the world... you can hear vast mechanisms of some kind at work.. and through it all, Utena just stands there calmly.. Wakaba-chan @.@ Wakaba-chan asks, "... wha...?" Eventually the rearranging ceases and the water curls up into some hidden passage.. leaving a GIANT concrete rose-carving hanging over an ornately-edged doorway.. and behind that doorway in the distance you see a curling, bone-white stairwell. Utena steps forward, silently and without hesitation through the door. Duellist's Arena Wow. This is surreal... like being in another world altogether... it's cold up here, and you have no idea how far up you are, except that around you in all directions stretches the blue sky with its streaks of white cloud. A vast circular field with the school's rose emblem etched into the ground in red lines opens before you; there's no railing to speak of and the area is bounded by a toothy stone edge. There's little to stop you from falling off the edge if something pushes you... Above your head hangs a spectacular sight, the multicolored spinning towers of the Castle of Dios, glittering spires pointed downward like that of a massive crystal chandelier hanging magically suspended in the sky. The sight is breathtaking and makes you wonder if this is even a real place, or if you've somehow been transported to another reality all together. Utena enters, carrying Wakaba with her. Wakaba-chan says, "...." Utena leads you up the caracole, her expression continually becoming more and more... distantly beautiful as she ascends with determination... until finally you reach the top, and step into the Arena itself.. overhead, a dark rotating shape.. Utena looks up toward it, and rings of light from the inverted castle, in a rainbow of colors and sizes, slowly lights the shape of the overhead structure with ethereal brilliance. Wakaba-chan says, ".... uh.. I guess.. I believe you now ...." That rainbow light also plays down over the dim, circular Arena, casting a spell over the scene, with the night sky and its stars visible in all other directions Utena shakes her head slightly, is that a smile? Perhaps. But her eyes are sad. So sad. "Wakaba, I tried to keep you out of all this.. I really tried.. I didn't want you to end up being drawn in like me.. but I guess it's too late now." Wakaba-chan says, ".. s'not your fault, 'tena..." Utena points upward. "The power to revolutionize the world.. none of us know exactly what that means.. but it's up there.. in the Castle of Illusion.. and I've been inside it.'" Utena says, "The signet rings are the key to the castle.. but at the same time.. only the signet belonging to the Prince can open the way to the castle." Wakaba-chan asks, "So... what you're saying is...?" Utena says, ".. more complicated than you think right now." Wakaba-chan says, ".. that's pretty impressive." Utena paces a bit.. she steps deeper into the Arena, thoughtfully. "The prince on a white horse that I've told you about.. the one that came to save me when I was sad.. the ring that he gave me was the ring that opened the gate to the castle." Utena says, "And I became the Victor of the Duel.. the owner of the Rose Bride, who has the power to admit the prince to the castle.. but it was all a mistake.." Utena asks, "Do you remember... when Saionji pinned the love letter you wrote him to the board for everyone to see?" Wakaba-chan follows you, so she can hear you... then freezes, the memories rushing forward. "... yes." Utena says, "I challenged him for you after that to a duel." Utena says, "he told me to meet him here." Wakaba-chan asks, "... you what...?" Wakaba-chan asks, "For me?" Utena says, "I just thought.. we'd probably use boken or shinai.. but... the first thing I saw was that castle... and Anshi was here wearing a red dress... Saionji was slapping her around like he always did then... and he didn't have a sword.. so we started to fight.. but.. he *drew a sword from Anshi*... I didn't know it, but she was the Bride of the Rose.. the 'prize' of the duel game." Utena says, "He thought I was challenging him for control of the Bride, because I wore the rose signet.. but I was really doing it just to avenge you..." Utena says, "So it all was a mistake at the beginning." Wakaba-chan asks, "Anshi?? Himemiya??" Utena nods, her eyes light with memory. "I couldn't believe it either. And.. when I won.. I won 'control' of the Rose Bride.. n.n" Wakaba-chan says, ".. of Anshi. So she follows you around..." Utena nods. Utena says, "I've been trying so damn hard to set her free.. but she really doesn't want it.." Utena says, "She LIKES being the Bride, I guess. She likes serving me." Utena says, "And I won't let her do that... so I guess it's been unhappy.." Utena says, "She moved herself into that dorm room of mine.. you know, the haunted one? the next morning..." Utena's voice almost breaks. "That's why we're always together.. I've been *protecting* her from the other duellists..." Wakaba-chan says, "..." Wakaba-chan asks, ".. other duellists?" Wakaba-chan asks, "Me?" Utena says, "When I became 'engaged' to her... I became the Victor of the Duel.. and as the Victor, I have to answer every challenge given to me... or lose Anshi... and they all treated her like CRAP." Utena sighs, meeting your eyes; she nods. "You're a Duellist, too." Utena says, "But it doesn't matter now.. becsuse she's *gone*.." Wakaba-chan looks around her. Utena's voice cracks. "When I went to my room last night.. there was one of her dresses on the floor, torn up.. and blood.." Wakaba-chan asks, "... blood...?" Utena bites her lip, nodding. Utena says, "I'm certain that the person who attacked Juri did it to cover and keep us all distracted while .. whoever they are.. kidnapped Anshi." Wakaba-chan asks, "Juri... Arisugawa-san?" Wakaba-chan asks, "She's really been hospitalized?" Utena says, "Yes. Arisugawa-sempai was beaten up last night.. Miki and I took her to the infirmary. And this evening, Nanami was attacked..." Utena says, "I happened to be there, because I'd left my jacket in the alley last night moving Juri, and I was cold, so Nanami had loaned me a sweater. I just wanted to return it.. " Utena hugs herself. Utena says, "I don't understand who's doing this, or why.. but they're targeting the other duellists and the Student Council.." Wakaba-chan says, "..." Utena says, "Nanami's in the infirmary now too..." Wakaba-chan says, "Kiryuu... she tried to ... she -did- put you there once..." Utena shakes her head.. "It doesn't matter to me, Wakaba.. she's still a person that needed help... I couldn't hold that back from her." Utena adds, "I don't have to like her.. but I couldn't just stand there and let her scream and be hurt, either." Wakaba-chan says, "... yeah..." Utena says, "Now... as for how I got into the castle.. and why.." Utena says, "Kei is another Duellist.. but she wasn't originally an Ootori duellist.. we're not the only group that plays this revolution game." Utena says, "She was part of the Shinsei group.. they challenged Ootori under the rules of engagement. They wanted to prove that we were wrong, and that revolution wasn't something we could wield.. they believed in rebirth, and thought that we all had to accept that our ways of thought were trapping us." Wakaba-chan says, ".." Utena shakes her head. "I told you there was too much... it's a lot even for me." Utena moves toward you and tries to give you a hug.. "I'm so sorry." Wakaba-chan looks dizzy. "Uh... yeah..." She hugs you back quietly, "... let's go get some rest...?" Utena says, "Alright.. but I need to call and check in on Kei.." Wakaba-chan says, "From my room... we'll be fairly safe there..." Utena nods... gently guiding you back to the stairs away from the Arena. ["Utena" logo- 'to be continued']