Revolutionary Girl Utena: Generation 2 - The Rainbow Rose

Within the hour, I'd returned home, hungry and tired as anything. The door busted open, a little harder than I would have intended it to be, and then closed with the same amount of force. Was I getting stronger?

"Hey Mom."

I greeted as I walked in the door tiredly. Aiko followed behind me suit, come to think of it, I'd only been thinking about myself up till now, how selfish. She must be hungry as well. I turned to her and tried to suck my fatigue enough to bring about a kind and bright smile onto my lips.

"Are you hungry too Aiko? Forgot to ask, sorry."

I rubbed the back of my head and looked down at the carpeting, suddenly finding it interesting. There was a faint blush in my cheeks, most would assume for embarrassment.

"And anyway once we do eat, I'm going to bed straight after. I'm soooooo tired! I dueled what's his name today? Oh yeah Ryuu! He was tough, captain of the fencing team, thank goodness I beat him. Now that's what I call a miracle."

I smiled and replayed the moment in my head over and over, obviously still caught in that state of mind of disbelief. I was just happy that I was doing so well, and perhaps having this miraculous power on my side wouldn't be such a bad thing. Maybe I'll use it to ace finals, that way I don't have to study. Or maybe I could use it to win the world dance competition. Or maybe I could use it to find out who that guy was who gave me the ring that day.


Meanwhile with Utena...

I was shooting hoops, reliving the old days, thinking about them as well. I found myself gazing at my ring now, after making the shot. I sighed, and the crisp night air blew. Normally, I'd expect the ball to have bounced back to me, or be bouncing at all. But, it wasn't making a sound. No, the only sound I could hear right now was a thunderous silence.

"So, do you miss those memories?"

A baritone voice spoke to me, standing right in front of me, and surprisingly holding my basketball out in front of him. He was tall and muscularly built, about my age. I blinked, a little startled that someone was here besides me, but then surprised all the same when I snapped up to look who was talking to me.

My eyes went wide with disbelief.

"Touga....?"

"Hello, Utena."

"How did you....Where did you come from?"

"I see you still play basketball, you haven't changed a bit from last I remember you. Well, your personalty that is. But your form has improved greatly. And your voice too, so much more refined and mature. You almost seem like you really could be a prince, the way you stand."

He spun the ball on his finger and leaned against the fencing behind him, smirking. I crossed my arms and laughed lightly, just shaking my head.

"You haven't changed much either Touga. Still the same old flirt. You know, even though you're older now, it's like when I look at you, I see the younger version of yourself, the funny student council president who chased after me so... persistently."

He smiled and looked up at me, since his head was bent downward.

"So you think I'm funny?" Another short laugh came out of my mouth before he remarked back to me on that same subject.

"You haven't changed at all either. It's funny, the chemistry between us. We could never be together, but we did always make the best pair of friends. Tenjou, I think we make a good team. And it's the same for you too. Whenever I look at you, I can almost picture yourself younger and more... innocent than you are now, of course. But Utena, you know I'd do anything for you right?"

I nodded and smiled, he was back to being his old self. I could hear it in the tone of his voice, attempting to mimic that of when he was 18. I did it back for pure amusement, trying to sound like I was 14 again.

"Oh really? Well, could I have my ball back then?"

He chuckled and bounced it over to me. I caught it and made the shot no problem. However, he was still here. Did he perhaps have something he wanted to speak to me about? His eyes found my finger, could he be thinking about the past as well?

"Nice shot. You've still got it. Now... there is something I want to talk to you about Utena."

"Sure what is it?"

"Well, I see you still wear your ring. That thing really is special to you isn't it, even after that whole fiasco with Akio and finding out who he truly was and all that? Whatever, I'm just glad you stopped him and did not heed to my warning. Otherwise the world we live in might be a whole lot different today."

"Well, if you're thanking me, you're welcome. Though, I don't know what for. I intended to fight that duel from the beginning, I knew what was going to happen and well, in the beginning of everything, yes I intended to reason with him. But Akio's not the type of man you reason with, so I had to fight him. And regardless if I lost or won, I wouldn't stop trying to save her. Anthy didn't ask to be the rose bride and she's a person too. A girl who has feelings and she has a right to express those feelings."

"So, you really love her, don't you?"

"Well yeah, with all of my heart, Touga."

"It's okay. I am happy for you too. It's how I used to love you. And laugh all you want, but I used to think that you were the one for me. That my fingers would fit perfectly in between the spaces of yours. But, there's someone better suited for that, isn't there? Well, cherish it. And I don't doubt that this love you've found in her, can be something worth being eternal."

He smiled and I did as well, looking at my ring once more.

"Yeah... something eternal..... ..... So what is it you had to speak to me about?"

"Oh well, just that your daughter is just like you. It's refreshing actually. How old is she?"

"Hm, how did you know that I had a kid? She's 14."

I laughed as I said that, and he laughed. We both knew that he was always watching over the academy and the safety of everything. Though Touga was a spirit to everyone else, he was as real as real could be to me.

"So the same as you were when you entered the dueling arena and fought for your right to protect Anthy. I have to let you know she's doing well, just as well as you did. She's already won against a boy named Saito, a girl named Akari and another boy named Ryuu. But, so far as I see it, there is no danger in her future."

"And you came all the way here to tell me that Touga?"

He nodded, and crossed his arms, not able to say anything back. I hugged him.

"You're really a kind person, despite what appearances say. You know that?"

And then I felt his arms coil around me as well, finally realizing it was his strength I needed at the moment, and wished to remember.

"And you're a totally normal girl when it comes down to it, despite what appearances say."

"And you were the only one who could see that. Well, who wanted to see that ... side of me."

"Yeah, but we both turned out alright I think. Look at you Utena, you're a prince. And look at me, I'm... dead."

"I don't think so. You're guarding us. You're... the protector of the world as we know it. Well, my world. And for as long as you are protecting my world, you are alive to me."

"That means a lot to me to hear you say that."

And the hug ended as my arms fell from being around his body. There was silence for a few moments more before he continued to speak to me.

"But Utena, be warned. Things may not always be as they appear. You and I were perfect examples, and those examples still exist to this day. I just don't want anything to happen, or you to get hurt or anything like that. You understand right?"

"Yes, I understand. Thanks, I'll be more careful. But, if I can ask... what do you mean? What are you warning me about?"

Touga looked out on the horizon and took a breath before he did anything else. And when he looked like he was about to tell me, he turned away from me and began to walk away.

"I'm sorry, Utena, I have to go. But, we'll meet again."

He smiled softly and then disappeared into the darkness as he walked. I looked up at the moon briefly and sighed, thinking about what he had talked to me about. I walked over to my basketball and placed it under my arm, starting on my way home. Tonight was certainly eventful.