This is a story based on Revolutionary Girl Utena. The characters are all from the anime except for Airen, who is my own creation and is based on myself. This takes place after the end of the Black Rose Saga. It has a few similarities with the remainder of the series, but I will not reveal any of the anime or manga conclusions, so consider it a sort of amateur alternate ending. The Utena characters I use have certain similarities with people I know, so parts of my story come from real life. I do use certain aspects of the anime’s symbolism, and for those of you who know how the anime ended, it should be easy to spot what came from the original story. For the rest of you, if you don’t want to spoil the story, it’s better for you not to read it..
Thank you for reading my fanfic.
Rouresu Airen
The sunset cast an orange glow over Ohtori Academy. On one wall displaying a mural of roses, three shadows moved in an intricate dance. All had feminine shape and appeared to be wearing formal gowns. Around them flew shadows of paper cut outs of dancing couples. Holding fans in front of their faces, they leaned in close to each other.
"Do you know? Do you know? Have you heard the news?" asked the first.
"A ball is being given by a new girl in school," said the second, spinning to the music.
"She appeared out of nowhere, like a rabbit from a hat," said the third, acting like a magician.
"To give such a grand ball, she must be very rich," said the first.
"Like a princess from a fairy tale. Is she here for a prince?" asked the second, wearing a crown.
"She’ll have to take a number, it’s a long waiting list," said the third, lining up behind the other two.
Anthy stood in the greenhouse, watering the roses. The sun shined through the windows and Chuchu snoozed on a bench. She looked up to see a man, who looked very much like her, approach.
"Good morning, Anthy," he said, his voice low and seductive.
"Good morning, Brother," said Anthy, putting her watering can down. Akio moved close behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leaned his head to her ear.
"I will possess Utena Tenjou, just as I possess you," he said, sliding his hand along her arm to rest at her shoulder, "And you will help me."
"Yes, brother, I will do anything you wish." Anthy replied, her eyes strangely menacing.
Touga slipped away from the greenhouse without being seen. He was frowning as he thought over what he had heard. Utena was in danger of being in Akio’s claws. He knew well what "End of the World" was after, and he was of two minds about where his loyalty lay. Ever since their last duel, his feelings on that scale were leaning toward Utena. He reached his home. Entering through a back door, he went to his room, glancing about to make sure Nanami wasn’t around. She was a little too attached to him for comfort, and he wasn’t in the mood to be amused by her obsessions at the moment. He had to dress for the ball. He’d received an invitation from some new student, a girl by the name of Airen Oberon. An odd name and a complete unknown to him, but he wasn’t the type to turn down a lady’s invitation. He chose an elegant suit in red, much like his dueling uniform, only more formal. He daydreamed of how striking he and Utena would look together. He remembered how she looked at the first ball. The rose colored gown she wore had been chosen by him. His eyes darkened as he thought about Akio’s plans. He would have to warn her tonight. He knew everyone had received an invitation, and all were likely to attend. Anthy would be sure of her attendance. On her brother’s orders, she would be very persuasive, and as always, Utena’s devotion to her friend would get the better of her.
He was occupied with his thought and didn’t notice Nanami enter the room. She brought herself to his attention with her usual brand of greeting.
"You look very splendid, Big Brother!" she said worshipfully. "You look just like a prince."
"Ah, little sister, you look very elegant as well. I wonder if any of the other men would be able to resist you," he said to her fondly.
"Would you be unable to resist me, Big Brother?" Nanami wrapped her arms around one of his and laid her head against it. Touga smiled. Her obsessed devotion was amusing, and as he looked at her from head to toe, her full length gown of pale saffron edged in white roses, he wondered at his ability to resist Utena in such a gown.As if she could tell he was thinking of someone else, she tugged at his arm possessivly.
"We must leave for the ball now, Big Brother," she said.
"Very well, Nanami, let us go," he answered, smiling as they left the room together.
Entering the dazzling ballroom, students dressed in their formal best stood in awe as they observed the elegant hangings and sparkling glasses. Beautiful violin music drifted from a corner of the room, where a small orchestra was stationed. Many couples had already begun dancing and the entire school was expected to attend. Utena, in a pale pink gown with small roses fixed in a crown around her pink hair, walked very shyly next to Anthy, who wore a dark violet gown with lace edging. Both immediately removed to a corner, where they hoped to be unseen, but no one missed their arrival, and they were ambushed by Utena’s many fans. The last ball having been a disaster, Utena was not about to let Anthy accept another strange gown, and they had both dresses made specially for them at a local shop. It took a lot of guilt to persuade Utena to attend, but she felt Anthy needed as much help as she could get. She was surprised to feel hands on her shoulders and barely suppressed the urge to pull away. Touga whispered into her ear.
"How lovely you look. Did you have that dress made just for me?" he smiled as he saw her blush. Moving around to stand in front of her, he kissed her hand, "I dressed for you, Utena." Utena blushed darker and moved away slightly. Even knowing he wasn’t her prince didn’t make her feel less shy around him. He bowed to her and held out his hand.
"Would you care for a dance with me? As you know, circumstances prevented it at our last formal ball together," he smiled at her again and his eyes roamed her from head to toe. She couldn’t refuse and they moved to the dance floor. Taking her hand in his, he placed her other hand on his arm and laid one hand on her waist. Moving around in circles to the music, the room blurred and the two felt like they were in their own little world.
Watching from the other side of the room, Juri, dressed in a formal men’s suit in orange, stood beside Miki in a matching formal blue suit.
"He’s obsessed with Utena Tenjou," she said blandly.
"In that dress, I would be too." Miki answered, but he wasn’t looking at Utena and Touga. He was secretly observing Juri. Even in men’s clothing, she was a beautiful specimen. He was too shy to ever approach her, but he admired her. He was jolted to reality and decided to move away from her for a time, before he became too bold.
"I’m thirsty, I’ll be back in a few minutes." Juri merely nodded, focused on the couple on the dance floor.
At the refreshments table, Miki was met by Kozue. They looked at each other for a moment, a silent message passing between them. Both moved out to the balcony, which was deserted.
"What do you want, Kozue?" Miki asked, his voice barely civil. Kozue was in a light blue gown, which swayed as she moved to his side.
"Ah, Miki, that’s not very charitable a greeting. We used to be so close," she brushed his neck with her lips, "Very close." Miki did not seem affected, so she took his hand and placed it on her own chest. She became angry when he pulled away, a dark look on his face.
"I don’t feel like we’re close anymore, Kozue. You’re a slut. A worthless whore to any and all who strike your fancies for the moment." This brought a surprised expression to Kozue’s face. Even Miki was shocked by his bluntness, but it was too late to turn back now. "I want nothing to do with you anymore. I have people I care more about, and I don’t need you." He turned and left her standing on the balcony. Heading back for Juri, he looked over to see Shiori standing in his place next to her. They weren’t facing each other, but from the smug look on Shiori’s face, and the blank one on Juri’s, he knew that they'd been talking. He reached them and inserted himself between them. This brought annoyance to Shiori, but Juri didn’t change her expression. They stood in silence for several minutes before Juri turned suddenly and bowed to Miki.
"I would be honored if you would join me in this dance," she said formally, smiling just for him and offering her hand. Shiori looked like she swallowed a lemon. He smiled back and accepted her hand. Moving out onto the floor, he took the lead and placed his hand on Juri’s waist. Both felt slightly shocked for a moment, and they stared into each other’s eyes, feeling like they were alone in a warm place. Then they began to dance.
