*Warning* Beware all ye who read ahead- spoilers await thee, forsaken, in the depths of Hell.
(Or at least the glove compartment of Akio's Car...)

The screen pans wide, and a herd of elephants stampedes past. When the dust settles, a daring young man on a flying trapeze swings by and several sequin- and top hat-clad monkeys do a small tap routine. Karen walks down the busy pathway munching on a very large wad of cotton candy. Becka examines the odd scenery and is about to say something when... a brightly dressed man with large nose, shoes, suspenders, and tie smacks her in the face with a banana cream pie. Karen stares around her cotton candy, "Haven't you learned not to open your mouth by now?" Becka just glares as bits of pie slide down her face.

Becka is about to respond to that comment when she finally decides better of it. Frustrated, she grabs a hapless man in a white T-shirt who just happened to walk past. She also seizes a bottle of ketchup from a nearby hot dog stand and writes on his shirt, "Why the HELL are we in a circus!?" Karen leans over to better decipher the message before all the ketchup smears, as the man was not entirely happy to have someone write on his shirt.

Karen sweatdrops and then responds, "Do we need a reason?" Becka does not seem satisfied, so Karen continues, "Well, I'm sure there's a reason. I mean, circuses have a lot of symbolism, and most of the people we've mentioned so far belong in one..." Karen sighs a sigh of defeat, and pulls out a ticket, "The lion tamer talked me into it."

Becka facefaults, and then growls, "We are SUPPOSED to be introducing the character page, Ka-chan!"

Karen blinks, "But... the lion tamer guy is really hot."

Becka tilts her head, "The lion tamer guy talked you into what?"

Karen fiddles with her ticket, "Oh… um… that…"

Becka blinks, "Ka-chan…?"

Karen sighs and a admits, "I get the free ticket if he gets to use you in his act…" Becka facefaults... again.

"Ka-chan," Becka sighs, "We're going back where we SHOULD be." With that, she snaps her fingers and the two girls appear in the Kendo room of Ohtori Academy.

Karen (who coincidentally didn't get to keep her cotton candy) pouts and mumbles, "This is supposed to be better then the circus?"

From the far corner of the room, Saionji snorts, "First, you trespass on my domain, and then you dare to insult it? You two have some nerve."

Becka speaks up, "Two? Wait a minute, I never said anything! I like it! Really! Nice décor... early Spartan, or something like that."

Saionji steps forward and says, "You'll have to do better then that. Only members of the Kendo club are allowed in here."

Karen thinks fast (for once), "What if Becka duels you... for a moment of your time? If she wins, we stay; if you win, we leave."

Saionji considers the offer, and then nods, "Very well, if you think you're that good."

Becka seems surprised, "You have that much faith in me, Ka-chan?"

Karen shakes her head, "Not really. I'm tired of beating you up all by myself. Besides, since you have so much difficulty whenever you try to say something, I'll just introduce the page while you fight."

Becka is about to reacquaint Karen with her spatula, but Saionji interrupts, "Well? What are you waiting for?" Becka walks over to the rack of practice swords, and throws one last glare over her shoulder at Karen.

Karen just smiles and waves sweetly before beginning HER task, "Besides, while he's busy kicking your ass, I can run." Clearing her throat, she begins, "This is the character page. Here you have the wonderful honor and privilege of listening to our own descriptions of the characters in Utena."

Suddenly, Saionji kicks Becka to splatter at Karen's feet. As she peels herself off the floor yet again, she vows, "You WILL regret this, Ka-chan."

Karen watches Becka walk back toward Saionji before turning back to the readers. "Anyway, the characters are all below, with a picture and a little paragraph all their own. They are: Utena, Anthy, Miki, Juri, Touga, Saionji, Nanami, Kanae, Kozue, Shiori, Wakaba, Keiko, Tsuwabuki, Akio, Dios, Mikage, Keiko, Aiko, Yuuko, (yes, Keiko is in here twice. Funny, she's not all that popular...) Suzuke, Yamada, and Tanaka." The brunette looks over toward the duel. Since it doesn't look like they'll be finished anytime soon, Karen sighs and decides to go on without Becka, who currently peels herself out of a Becka-shaped dent in the Kendo room wall. Karen pulls out a rather large, dusty, Academy yearbook and sits down on the floor. She reads:

Tenjou Utena and Himemiya Anthy

"Utena Tenjou: Utena is a fourteen-year-old girl in the eighth grade. She stubbornly refuses to wear a 'girl's' uniform, preferring instead an all-black uniform with tight little red shorts. All the girls are in awe of her, and the Student Council President..." Karen is about to wonder aloud when Becka sneaks over and whispers behind her, "I wonder. I wonder. Do you know-" *WHACK* "Ow!" "Ahem." Karen wonders aloud, "This is funny. It has a multiple-choice part... 'The Student Council President (a) loves her. (b) wants her. (c) lusts after her. (d) has a certain part of his anatomy set on her. Or (e) All of the above.'" Karen pulls out a random writing utensil, circles (e), and quickly moves on.

"Anthy Himemiya: Anthy is an upperclassman. She is the sister of trustee chairman Akio Ohtori (see '101 Reasons Why We Hate Akio')." Karen blinks, "Wow. This Yearbook is really thorough." She continues, "Anthy is not a very good student, and is easily distracted. She is quite fond of small animals, and she takes care of the roses in the Student Council's Greenhouse." Behind Karen there is a loud 'umph.'

"Miki Karou: Miki, affectionately known as Micky, is a seventh-grader on the Student Council. He is a true genius who is studying a college curriculum. He plays the piano and fences at a national level. He and his twin sister Kozue wrote the famous piano composition 'The Sunlit Garden' when they were little. Miki also carries around a stopwatch which he clicks at dramatically appropriate times." As if to emphisize this point, someone is slammed into the nearest wall. Karen can't tell who, because slamming does not sound masculine or feminine, but she assumes that it was Becka, "No one really knows why, although he seems to be timing people's conversations, especially Touga's. Touga has been known to consider Miki both 'pretty' and 'agreeable.' Miki is also extremely polite and has a crush on Anthy Himemiya."

"Juri Arisugawa: Juri is a tenth grader on the Student Council, as well as Captain of the fencing club. She is realist who refuses to accept the existence of miracles, even as miracle after miracle is presented to her. She lost that chance for faith forever when she lost the woman she loved to a man, Ruka Tsuchiwa." Karen blinks, "Tsuchiwa? He sounds like a Chia Pet!" She quickly runs off to patent her idea, returning just as quickly, with a lot more money.

"Touga Kiriyuu: Touga is the eleventh-grade Student Council President as well as a member of the Kendo club and winner of this year's official Playboy of the Campus Award (and every OTHER year, for that matter... ). He becomes smitten with Utena Tenjou very early on, and tries to be her prince. (Please notice that we have not asked you to see '101 Reasons Why We Love Touga'- wait a minute... )"

"Kyouichi Saionji: Saionji is the one character who is called by his family name as opposed to his given name." Karen nods, "With a name like 'Pod One,' is there any surprise?" She suddenly remembers that the same "Pod One" is behind her with a weapon in hand. She cringes and hastily continues reading, "Saionji is the Vice President of the Student Council as well as Captain of the... illustrious... Kendo Club." Behind Karen, there are several *whack*s and one surprised manly *umph!* Karen stops cringing, "Saionji appears to be a savage wife-beating brute at first, but he really can be sweet if he puts his mind to it. He just has a little problem with losing." There is a desperate battle cry of agreement from the other side of the room. Karen flips the page. *note* In case you didn't know, "Kyouichi" translates to "Pod One."

"Nanami Kiriyuu: Nanami is the little sister of Student Council President Touga Kiriyuu. She is thirteen years old and in the seventh grade. She is the most vividly imaginative of everyone, and her antics bring delightful, if redundant, humor to their daily lives. Nanami is often downright stalked by various animals with evil intentions to scare her half to death, or to outright KILL her. Nanami, after being saved by the cute and adorable Mitsuru Tsuwabuki, makes him her faithful servant. It's believed that because she has affection for the little blond trooper, she has the right to treat him like crap. On another note, she is also extremely jealous of the attention Touga gives to all the other girls. He is her brother, after all."

Kanae	Kozue	Shiori	Wakaba	Keiko	Tsuwabuki

"Kanae Ohtori: Kanae is betrothed, and later on married, to Akio. This evidence alone leads us to believe that the woman has very little intelligence (See '101 reasons why we hate Akio')." Karen blinks and flips forward three pages, "Damn…" She continues reading, "Kanae simply can't get along with Anthy. She confesses this to Mikage in Nemuro Memorial Hall and tells him that she is suffering, because she wants to please Akio. Mikage uses this to make her a Black Rose Duelist."

"Kozue Kaoru: Let's just say, she gets around. Kozue often frequents music rooms, cafeteria tables, broom closets, and white leather couches, not to mention the all of Student Council's pants. She loves her brother, Miki, though not quite to the extent she would like to. When Miki and Kozue were young they played piano together. Kozue's piano playing was terrible, but Miki was good enough that he could cover for her no matter how badly she preformed. One day, Miki fell ill and Kozue was supposed to play by herself. She hid, and to this day Miki thinks he is responsible for ruining Kozue's musical 'talent.' Because of Miki's love for Anthy, Kozue is uncontrollably jealous, and Mikage takes advantage of her, turning her into a Duelist." A sword whizzes by one side of Karen's head, and she hastily moves to a safer location.

"Shiori Takatsuki: Shiori is the reason Juri is such a closed in and brooding person. When Juri and Shiori were younger, they were inseparable friends. Shiori fell in love with a boy from their school and Juri became angered. Shiori originally thought that Juri also loved the boy, and that was why she was so angry. Later on, Shiori discovered that Juri loves her, and not the boy." From behind Karen, a patern develops. *WHACK* "Oww!" *WHACK* "Oww!" *WHACK* "Oww!" Karen smiles, "Later on, Shiori knows of Juri's feelings, but keeps sending mixed signals. When Shiori finally makes her mind up, Juri ignores her. Mikage takes advantage of her confusion and turns her into a Duelist."

"Wakaba Shinohara: Wakaba is Utena's best friend. She glomps onto Utena frequently, causing Utena to lose her balance around windows and various other open spaces. She jokingly refers to Utena as her 'boyfriend,' because they have known each other since they were children. Wakaba is an annoying onion-headed spore," There is a voice from outside the kendo club walls, "Hey, I'm not annoying!" Karen blinks, responding, "The prosecution rests." Becka pauses in the duel, "Prostitution…? What?" Karen answers as Becka is spliced into a wall, "No, that would be Kozue…" Karen continues, "After Saionji is expelled from school, Wakaba sneaks him into her dorm, because she loves him. Mikage tells Saionji to give Anthy a present he made for Wakaba. This causes Wakaba to realize that Saionji has always loved Anthy, and that she can never be 'special.'" Karen blinks, "Special? Like... The Gallery?" Shaking her head, she continues to read: "Wakaba goes to Nemuro Memorial Hall, telling Mikage that she wants to beat 'special people.' And so, she becomes a Black Rose Duelist."

"Keiko Sonada: Keiko is the slapping force of Nanami's brute squad. Her trade mark, like all of Nanami's minions, is a really bad hairdo. She loves Touga, like most of Ohtori academy's female population, but she realizes that he views her as 'lower class'." Karen yawns, listening to the clashing of swords and the frequent thumps, yells, and shouts of pain for a moment before continuing, "Nanami, being very 'protective' of her brother, discovers Keiko's infatuation with him. Nanami vows to destroy Keiko, and turns her other followers, Aiko and Yuko, against her. Heart broken, Keiko visits Nemuro Memorial Hall."

"Mitsuru Tsuwabuki: Tsuwabuki is a young boy, about 8 years old, who saves Nanami from a stampeding horse. He becomes Nanami's squire and wants to be her prince. Nanami treats him like a servant most of the time. One day, Tsuwabuki realizes that he is being treated as a child. He goes to Nemuro Memorial Hall and confesses that he wants to grow up 'right now!' Mikage's solution is to turn him into a Duelist. His uniform consists of knickers and tights." Karen blinks and shrugs.

Ohtori Akio	Dios	Mikage Souji

Karen begins to read once more, "Jesus Christ: known as the Messiah,and also the King of the Jews. Christ has died, risen, and will come again, and in the years (many they have been) between his resurrection and second coming, he's gathered a horde of followers, almost as fervent as a true Otaku..." She blinks, "Umm... No. Not that kind of God..."

Karen tries again, "Hitokiri Battousai: Himura Kenshin was once known as the Hitokiri Battousai, one of the most famous killers of the Meiji Era. As the Battousai, he is strong, beautiful, and completly leathal..." She smiles evilly as she knows Becka stops and drools. Karen listens for the sure-to-follow, satisfying *WHACKS* behind her, then continues, "Anyhoo, back to the gods of UTENA..."

"Akio Ohtori:" Karen blinks, "Wait a minute... what the hell is he doing here..." She then recalls that Akio is the Dean of Students, and it would not be very hard for him to manipulate the editors of the yearbook to his... will. She continues, soothed only by the sound of the painful and sharp wacks of a sword, "Ohtori Akio is the Dean of Students and Acting Chairman of Ohtori Academy. He is engaged to Ohtori Kanae, whose father owns the school. Akio is, well, evil." Becka shouts over to Karen, "Yeah, that about sums him up!" Karen sweatdrops and calls out, "But there's more!" Becka blinks, "I don't think so… really. He's evil. That's it." As Becka is splattered again by Saionji, Karen holds the yearbook over her head, "No, look. Really, there's more." All Becka can offer is an incoherently mumbled, "Damn." Karen continues, "Akio was Dios, but then his sister was stabbed by the million swords of hate and the good prince known as Dios died. Thus, Akio, who is what's left of Dios, is EVIL. He fully manipulates anyone and everyone, and his only weakness is his desire for Utena."

There is a soft murmur behind Karen, and its voice belongs to the aforementioned Akio. "One which I fully intend, and have thoroughly indulged..."

Karen jumps and scurries for the other side of the room, narrowly missing being hit by the flying Kendo swords as Becka and Saionji continue to exchange heated... blows.

"Dios: Dios is, well, the god. He IS the Prince of Roses and he lives in the Castle of Illusion, which is his tomb. He's eternally 11 years old and offers his strength and power to Utena through the Sword of Dios. He is the one who gave Utena her Rose Seal Ring." Karen blinks and reads the side note from the editors, "He was unavailable to answer any further questioning by the yearbook staff."

"Mikage Souji: 100 years prior to present time, there was a brilliant man names Mikage. Mikage worked as a researcher under Dean Akio's supervision, but he had no insentive. Sensing that, the Dean supplied the 'proper' incentive needed, in the form of a frail, sick boy named Mamiya, and Mikage set about his task with new fervor. He organized the Black Rose Duels to gain the Eternity for Mamiya. Mamiya died of the disease that had robbed him of his health, and grief stricken, Mikage decided to bring the World Revolution by setting fire to Nemuro Memorial Hall. The fire killed 100 male students who were also researching the revolution." "We aren't sure if Mikage died, but we do know that, because Dean Akio found Mikage useful, he kept the researcher around, creating a false Mamiya to control him. Mikage created the Black Rose Duelists under Akio's manipulations, and the rings which are used to make a Black Rose Duelist are Rose Rings of the duelists who have died. The rings turn black when the wearer is killed. Known as a 'Computer man' to his peers, and even those who are supposedly his superiors, Mikage is both calm and rational, with a charismatic personality when he chooses. He is best known for his research papers and his overwhelming precence in a room often leaves people standing (or sitting) in awe."

Suzuke, Yamada, and Tanaka	Aiko, Keiko, and Yuuko

"Suzuke, Yamada, and Tanaka: Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles, Suzuke, Yamada, and Tanaka are always seen around campus… together. It's no small secret that this trio has a collective 'thing' for Nanami and her henchwomen. Literally inseparable, this bland bunch is a reliable sort of comic relief. They are reported to be one of the only people to actually see C-ko, the shadow girl, and fear her." Amidst the thwacks, Becka calls, "And rightly so!"

"Keiko, Aiko, and Yuuko: Keiko, Aiko, and Yuuko form Ohtori's other main threesome. They are Nanami's bitches (and no, really not like that). They serve Nanami in every way, from simple errands to simply agreeing with everything she says to harassing Anthy. For more information about Keiko, the only girl who is developed into a duelist, see the 'Black Rose' section of this yearbook."

*note* The yearbook staff was unable to seperate The Triplets for individual pictures.

Karen puts away the Yearbook from wherever she got it to begin with. She notices that the battle sounds have stopped in the background. She jumps up and braces herself to run as she turns around. Becka is smiling smugly and Saionji is splattered against the Kendo Room wall. His arms, legs, and various bits of hair are at odd angles, and his eyes are dazed swirls. Becka drools and mumbles, "Ooooh... I win."

Karen looks back and forth between Becka and Saionji, and blinks several times. Then Karen realizes something, "Hey, wait a minute. If you're so good at fencing and stuff like that, why don't you defend yourself against Akio, or me, or everyone else who frequently beats you senseless???"

Becka blinks in surprise, "But, Ka-chan, it's not right to harm the weak..."