The dueling platform was breaking up, chunks of stone tearing themselves away from each other and then crumbling into dust, shards of glass and polished granite. Her hands were wet with blood, Utena's blood from where she had stabbed her Prince in the back, and that treachery was betraying her now as she struggled to hang onto Utena, to keep her from plummeting with the stones as the platform broke up around them and the roses died, scattering their petals in the wind. "UTENAAAA - !" she screamed as her grip slipped, and she saw her love falling away from her into the mist, leaving her with nothing but blood on her hands. "Don't worry, Anthy," Akio purred behind her. "I'll comfort you... " Her skirts made a puddle around her the color of blood as she looked up at him, resplendent in white and gold. "Never again!" she whispered, and dove over the edge of the platform into the frothing sea of salt tears and betrayed blood. The whirlpool sucked her down, and she struggled to keep her equilibrium, to reach the bottom where the blood red rose would be healed if she could only prick herself on its thorns... ...and she had it. As her hand closed over the rose, Utena's blood sank into the stem, and silver light poured out of it, washing the taint away, cleansing the blood from the petals. Anthy stared at the strange rose, and for an instant, she felt two hands on her shoulders. Wildly, she looked up, into Utena's face, and into the face of a young man she did not know. His hair was coal-black except for a single lock of silver, his eyes were pale, icy blue, and above his eyebrows was an indigo circle, centered with a pip like the one on her own forehead. They smiled at her, and for an instant, everything was right. Then the icy wind tore the rose out of her hands and she was staggering through the snowdrifts, fleeing from something that she did not dare name. The pounding of sleet against the glass of her windows dragged her from her nightmare-dream-nightmare, and Anthy sat upright in bed, panting and drenched with sweat. I have a message from another time... Dragon Mage Enterprises in association with Eyrie Productions, Unlimited presents UNDOCUMENTED FEATURES FUTURE IMPERFECT - SYMPHONY OF THE SWORD No. 2 - Intermezzo: Tower Shrouded in Frost Anne Cross with Benjamin D. Hutchins (c) 2002 Eyrie Productions, Unlimited Anthy leaned on the ramparts of the white stone Tower, staring out across the forest blanketed in white. It was late enough in February that the snowdrops should have been showing in the areas of thaw, but there had been no thaw yet this year. What is Emeraude thinking of? she wondered to herself, not for the first time. Normally, Cephirean winters were mild, beautiful, and largely harmless. But this...this meant that the Pillar was focusing her prayers on something other than the weather. It was not a good sign, for the Pillar or for Cephiro. But Anthy had learned in her first month in the Tower that whatever else she might do or say, Zagato would have -no- ill words spoken of the Pillar in his presence. /-- "You will not speak of her so!" Zagato roared, as Anthy stared at him wide-eyed. She had never seen him lose his temper before. "But - " she began, but the look in his eyes silenced her. He stared at her angrily until she whispered, "Yes, Priest Zagato." "I will teach you nothing else today," he growled. "Get out of my sight, and remember that she keeps this world in existence through her sacrifice alone. If she cannot be everywhere at once, it is because even she is only human." Anthy scrambled backwards from him, but as she left the room, she heard him whisper, "Oh, Emeraude... " in a soft, unhappy voice she was sure she had not been meant to hear. --/ Anthy stood up straight, and looked out at the snow. I wonder, she thought, if Akio has anything to do with this unnaturally long winter? He still hasn't made an attempt on me. That makes me more worried, not less. The longer he takes the plan, the more likely it is that he will succeed when he does try. I won't believe that I'm safe until Utena comes back and beats him - thoroughly, and finally. Utena, will you be home for my birthday? I'm still waiting for you... Several hours later, as Anthy was deep in chapter twelve of _The Theory and Practice of Magical Warding_, Ascot stuck his head in the door of the library. As usual, his bangs were flopped down over his eyes, but he looked rather better pressed and dressed than usual. "Anthy? If you see Priest Zagato, will you tell him Caldina says she's taking me out to see Snow Unicorns?" That explains why he's actually looking presentable, Anthy thought. Caldina's taking him outside the Tower. But Snow Unicorns? That's not good news for the people, not if I remember right. "Isn't he in his study?" she answered, not ready to put the book down. "No he isn't," Ascot said, sound a bit miffed that she'd assume he hadn't checked. "He's up in the high part of the Tower again, and hasn't been down, not even for lunch." Despite Ascot's great respect for Zagato, his nine-year-old sensibilities were horribly offended by the idea of skipping lunch. Anthy blinked, closing the book over her thumb. She looked steadily at Ascot long enough that he started to squirm. "Look, Caldina's waiting, I'll see you later, Anthy... " And he took off at a run. Anthy stared at the doorway instead, and frowned. She watched Ascot come skipping out of the doorway a story below her, and join the pink haired mage in the courtyard. She watched Caldina stand, unconcerned and clothed in her cloak and not much else, as Ascot summoned one of his friends. She watched both of them mount and ride off, the Chizetan dancer-mage seeming perfectly comfortable in her skimpy two-piece and cloak, Ascot somewhat uncomfortable in his dress robes but happy to be out. She watched until she couldn't see them anymore. Then she tried to go back to her book. When she realized that she had reread the same passage four times without even seeing it, she sighed. Then, putting a bookmark into her book, she set it down and went to the shelves. After a little searching, she found the battered copy of _The Bestiary of Cephiro_ that was Ascot's favorite book of late. Flipping through the pages, she found the entry for Unicornis, and then the subsections that covered the various types. She skipped over most of them, going straight to the Snow Unicorn section, though she did pause to admire a couple of the beautiful illuminated illustrations in the section on the Vrair Unicorn. Skimming, she found the passage that she was looking for, and read it with a sinking heart. The Snow Unicorn has been seen only in the deepest winters in the recorded history of Cephiro. In all five fully documented sightings, the Unicorn was seen carrying the soul of a dead child who had frozen or starved in the unusually deep cold or protracted duration of a blizzard. Snow Unicorns are not in and of themselves dangerous; however, they are considered to be an early warning sign of some imbalance in Cephiro, and magi are warned to be more vigilant during winters in which they are seen. /* The Bangles "Hazy Shade of Winter" _Less Than Zero_ */ Picking up the book, she started for the stairs to the tallest part of the Tower, where Zagato had been spending his time lately. Regardless of what important thing he's found to occupy him up there, he needs to know about this, Anthy thought. Emeraude should be told too. If the Snow Unicorns have appeared, she should be warned. She crossed the courtyard, shivering as the cold of the winter air bit through her light housecoat, and went to the doorway that led to the tower itself, the only entrance to the spire that was both observation post and isolated workspace for dangerous experiments. She put her hand to the latch, and pushed. It didn't budge, and beyond that, she got the distinct feeling of unease, as if the latch itself were warning her that she should not try to pass. Anthy blinked. That's odd, she thought, and tried the latch again. The door remained firmly closed, and this time, the latch and the handle felt cold, the icy cold that burns, enough that she jerked her hand back. That's -very- odd, she thought unhappily, recognizing the magical "signature" this time as belonging to Zagato. I'd think he'd tell -me- at least if what he was doing was dangerous and was locking the tower as a precaution, so that I'd know - Her thoughts stopped dead as she turned and saw two people entering the courtyard through the shimmering curtain of magic that barred Akio and his minions from entering the Tower. One was a tall man with a long blond ponytail, shining golden hoop earrings, half-plate armor, a billowing cloak, and a heavy, ornate broadsword. His face was marked with the four triangular tattoos of the Chief of the Pillar's bodyguards, a rank that existed only when the old Prince had died and a new one had not been invested. The other was a tall, slender woman in a black-and-violet cloak, wearing violet jewels and dressed in a black leather catsuit. She bore an orb-topped walking staff, and her long black hair blew in the wind. Anthy recognized her as Alcyione, the chief of Master Clef's students, and Mistress of Cold Spells. She had disappeared just before Master Clef himself had, and hadn't been seen since. Anthy had never had much to do with the Master Mage's students, Akio had seen to that; but the one time she had met Alcyione while the other was still a teenaged girl, the sorceress had been quite smitten with Akio and incredibly rude to Anthy. That, combined with something about the expression on the Chief Bodyguard's face, made the hair on the back of Anthy's neck stand straight on end, so she did -not- go to greet both of them. Instead, she started running for the entrance to the main body of the Tower. Please, please, let me - Alcyione raised her orb. >Sharpness born of crystal,< she whispered. >Shatterer of stone, thundering over all in your path, answer your Mistress's call and tear free: GLACIAL FURY!< The explosion rocked the Tower's walls and sent Anthy rolling to fetch up against the stone box that contained her rose beds, with a loud ringing in her ears. Gasping, Anthy pushed herself upright to see the Chief Bodyguard - Lafarga, that was his name - holding Alcyione upright. It appeared that her spell had drained most of her energy. The stones were cracked, all around the gateway, but the arch still stood, one on top of another, and held the spell in place. Anthy saw motion in the clearing outside, through the rippling distortions that were caused by the shimmering curtain. I -can't- let her bring the Tower down. Anthy reached into the window box that she had rolled up against, and breathing a silent apology to her roses, tore a branch free. >Drinker of blood, tearer of flesh,< she screamed, not even sure where the words came from, >born out of love, rise from the cold earth with my strength: HAVEN OF THORNS!< and she flung the branch at the two figures in front of her. A huge thicket sprouted in the center of the courtyard, engulfing the two figures. Only one of them screamed, though: Alcyione. Anthy heard the high sound of metal on metal, and knew Lafarga had drawn his sword. The rose-tangle screamed in Anthy's mind as the sword cut through them, and she heard the shrill fury in Alcyione's voice as the Sorceress screamed, "You'll pay for that! My lord Akio will see to it!" Anthy shuddered as she scrambled to her feet and began to run for the main part of the Tower again, and then the roses screamed again. >ICE DAGGER!< she heard from behind her, and something whipped through the air with a sound like shattering crystal and embedded itself in her leg. Anthy fell with a gasp, clutching at her thigh and pulling the shard of ice out as it began to make her leg go numb and dead. The pain was nothing like that the Million Swords of Human Hatred had caused her, but it was enough to break her concentration and wipe the next spell she had been trying to think of clean out of her memory. She rolled over in time to see Lafarga, still utterly silent, rip through the side of the thicket with his sword, decimating the foliage and clearing a path for Alcyione. He was completely untouched, without even a minor tear in his cloak. Then the sorceress came out, scratched and bleeding, and fixed her hate-filled gaze on Anthy. "Little witch," she hissed, and raised a hand. "You presume too much on your relationship with my lord --" Lafarga siezed her arm, and wrenched her around to face the gate area again, and Alcyione looked up into his face with rage for a moment - and then with fear. Anthy swallowed hard. Lafarga's eyes were a blank, solid blue, almost without pupils. He has seen the End of the World, Anthy realized. Akio has shown him the End of the World, and his mind... He's broken the Bodyguard's mind - ! She dredged her memory, searching for something to undo Akio's insidious, deranging power. Alcyione raised her orb again. Again, she spoke the words of the spell, while Anthy tried to gather her concentration, to muster her will to do -something- to stop the sorceress. And then, >GLACIAL FURY!!< And the front of the Tower's archway began to crumble. Anthy was suddently on her feet, not certain how she had gotten upright with the stones shaking under her; with her hands locked together in front of her face, she closed her eyes and whispered, >Shadows of velvet, midnight whisper in the heart of the sky, obey my words and answer.< Her eyes snapped open, focusing their angry green gaze on Alcyione, who had destroyed her sanctuary: >DEATH OF DREAMS!< Black rose petals swirled from the ground around Alcyione's feet, encircled her with a black hurricane, and her screams went on and on and on. Lafarga left her side and crossed the courtyard with long, silent strides and clubbed Anthy, who was staring in amazement at the effect of her spell, on the side of the head with the hilt of his sword. She moaned and dropped to her knees, and the rose petals fell to the ground and melted away into nothingness. Alcyione was crouched in a huddled ball in the center of where the hurricane had been, and when she raised her head, still whimpering in terror, every single one of her jewels was cracked clean through in at least three pieces, and her hair was snow white. Her eyes were sunken, and shadowed with green, and didn't see anything that they looked at. Anthy gasped, and then Lafarga siezed her by her hair and dragged her to her feet -- making Anthy yelp -- just as the door to the tallest tower opened and Zagato stared astonished into the ruins of his courtyard. And Akio Ohtori, caparisoned as the Prince of Cephiro with his white cloak billowing in the wind, strode into the courtyard of the Priest's Tower with Touga Kiryuu on his heels. "Well, sister, you seem to have made a mess of things as usual," Akio said serenely, looking around at the devastation, his gaze taking in the whimpering Alcyione (who turned toward the sound of his voice and made little pathetic mewling noises) and skimming over Zagato as if he were of no consequence. "Let go of her," Zagato growled. Akio nodded to Lafarga. "Let go of her hair." Lafarga's hand dropped from Anthy's hair to her shoulder, to rest lightly there. Anthy guessed that if she struggled or attempted to escape, however, she would find it clenched quickly. "Now, Ohtori, you will take your minions and -leave- my Tower in peace." Zagato's voice was an angry rumble, all traces of his smooth, suave nature wiped out by the fury involved in his voice. Akio smiled. Anthy flinched, recognizing that particular smile. "Why should I?" he asked calmly. "It seems to me that you've abdicated your responsibilities as Priest some time ago, and I see no reason I should listen to a pretender." And then he drew his sword from his hip and launched himself at Zagato while the Priest stared at him in white-faced shock. /* Steeleye Span "Boys of Bedlam" _Please To See The King_ */ "No!" Anthy shrieked, and whipping her hand back, she flung the rose that was suddenly in it at Akio. It whipped through the air, striking him across his left cheek and scoring four thin, bloody lines across it. But Akio had not been the Grand Duelist for nothing; he ducked aside before the rose did more than scratch his cheek. Still, it was enough of a distraction to allow Zagato to overcome his shock and draw the Black Sword from his Lens, the focusing gem that was to be found on any mage armor worthy of the name. Shimmering black steel, edged like a broadsword but with an odd, solid basket hilt to guard his hand, this weapon was famed for being unbreakable, and was one of the marks by which the High Priest was known. His lips pressed into a thin, furious line, Zagato advanced on Akio as the dark Duelist leapt back to his feet. "Touga!" Akio barked, jerking his head toward Anthy, as Lafarga clamped his hand on Anthy's shoulder, and forced her to her knees. The slender, redheaded man moved to Anthy and, catching her wrists in his grip, dragged her to her feet. He nodded once to Lafarga, who drew his sword and moved to second Akio. "Did you miss me, Himemiya?" Touga whispered in her ear, and then planted a firm, possessive kiss on the side of her face. Anthy ignored him, too rapt in horrified attention to what was happening between the three duelists. Lafarga was standing, sword drawn, waiting. Zagato's first, furious assault had driven Akio back to the edge of one of Anthy's rose beds, but Zagato had his back to Lafarga now. Akio's eyes flickered once, towards Lafarga, and the big man moved. "Behind you!" Anthy cried, and Zagato whipped his hand around. Black magic swirled in his gems, then surged outwards and drove Lafarga backwards, his boot heels skidding on the icy stones of the courtyard. But it did no visible damage, no more than Anthy's earlier spell had. He still has the protection of the Pillar, Anthy realized with a sinking heart, and then she saw Akio start to surge forward. >ROSES!< she screamed, too frantic to try and stop the blade from plunging into Zagato's back to even think of a proper spell. Rose vines erupted from the soil behind Akio, tangling his arm and piercing his flesh with their thorns. He let out a yell of pain, and turned his hate-filled gaze on Anthy and Touga. "Shut her -up-!" he roared to Touga, as Zagato spun and delivered a vicious slash to Akio's arm. Bleeding freely, he ripped his sword arm out of the tangle as Touga clamped one hand around Anthy's waist and slapped the other across her mouth. She bit him. Touga let out a grunt of pain, and whispered, "Don't make me beat you unconscious, Himemiya." In the time it took for him to say those words, Akio switched his sword between hands, and attacked again. His sword flashed silver, spinning in the air and pressing Zagato's defense. Thirteen strikes - and Zagato blocked twelve and bled from his cheek. Another thirteen, another missed block, and he bled from his thigh. Anthy opened her mouth to scream, and then struggled against Touga's hand over her mouth as she saw what Akio was doing: he was pressing Zagato backwards, towards where Lafarga waited, patient and balanced, with his tremendous sword poised to strike Zagato full in the back. "You've let your skills deteriorate since the last time you faced me, Zagato," said Akio in a tone of mocking familiarity. "I've -never- faced -you-," snapped Zagato through his teeth. "Tut, tut," Akio replied. "That's no way to talk to your brother-in-law." He smiled and stepped up his attack. "You've gotten soft, High Priest, since our schoolboy days. And you couldn't beat me then either," he added, his voice sharpening. "We'll see," Zagato snarled. Another dozen strikes, eleven blocked, and Zagato's arm was bleeding. Akio was the greatest swordsman in Cephiro, never beaten except by Utena Tenjou - and Zagato was losing. Anthy struggled, trying to free her arms from Touga's grip so that she could pull his hand from her mouth, but he was too much stronger. And then, as she finally got an arm free, with Touga snarling in her ear that he would beat her, baby, yes he would, she dragged his hand away from her mouth. She was too late. As she got her breath to scream, Lafarga moved with that deadly, quickstrike grace of his, and plunged the sword full into Zagato's back, just under his left shoulder blade, and through one lung. The Priest crumpled to the ground as Lafarga drew his sword out and stepped back. "NO!" Anthy screamed. And then, in a blinding rush of wind, the world - and a horrified sorprano voice - screamed in pain for the fallen Priest. "No... no... NO! NO!! NOoooooOOOOOOOO!!!" /* Rush "Bravado" _Roll the Bones_ */ When the winds were finally cleared, in the center of the courtyard, over Zagato's prone form, hovered Princess Emeraude. Her shining face was covered with tears, but beneath them it was contorted with rage, and the emerald gem in her coronet blazed her fury for all the world to see. "You have laid hands on my Priest, Akio Ohtori," she shrilled in a voice that could shatter glass, "and for that," she added, raising her hand, "you will pay!" But her face had far more rage in it than a furious princess should have had for the felling of a vassal... In a flash, Anthy understood. Emeraude and Zagato were -lovers-. Of course they were married, but that was a formality, outcome of the long-ago Grand Tournament that had made Dios the Prince and Zagato the Pillar. Emeraude had been the Rose Bride for that one, and of course she couldn't marry the winner, her own half-brother - so her hand had gone with the Priest's robes to the runner-up, Zagato. But with Emeraude's investiture as Pillar following, the marriage had been rendered symbolic - it wasn't meant to be taken literally! The one thing the Pillar could not do, must not do - put her love for one single thing of Cephiro above her love for Cephiro as a whole - Emeraude had done. The long winter, Ascot's parents, Anthy's own suffering, even Dios's overwork, all were because Emeraude hadn't been paying attention! She had abdicated her position... without abdicating her powers. She had let her love for Zagato override her love for everything else... and now all of Cephiro was suffering for his sake. Anthy let out a low groan. Akio smiled. "Princess, you honor us with your presence, but must I remind you what will happen if you give in to your rage? To kill me will take your mind from your duties. I have merely made it possible for you to return to them." He nudged Zagato with a toe. "Your unworthy servant was distracting you." Emeraude's face was stricken suddenly, and she lowered her hand slowly. And though Anthy wanted to cry out, "No, kill him!" she didn't, because for Emeraude to act in that fashion would destroy Cephiro. Akio's smile never wavered. "I knew you'd see reason," he purred, but the look Emeraude turned on him was pure venom. "Now, if you'll step away from him," Akio said, moving forward, "I'll see to it that he does not distract you again." "No," Emeraude said - but it was more of a plea than a command, and Akio knew it. Anthy opened her mouth, and Touga slapped his hand over it again, this time wrapped in a handkerchief so that she couldn't bite him. "Be silent, Rose Bride," he hissed in her ear. "Remember your station." "Princess, I cannot leave this man with you," Akio said, sounding eminently reasonable. "He distracts you from your duty. Cephiro will be destroyed if it continues on its present course. I have no choice but to remove him." "No!" Emeraude moaned, kneeling to cling to Zagato's hand. The green-and-pink of her magic enveloped him, healing the bleeding wound in his chest, before Akio shook his head. "I had hoped it would not come to this," he murmured. "Lafarga!" The big man stepped forward, and gently - so gently, it was almost a mockery of tenderness - he drew the protesting Emeraude away from Zagato. "No, no! Lafarga, don't! I command you - No! NO!" Her screams were accompanied by little flashes of power, but they affected the Bodyguard no more than Anthy or Zagato's spells had. "No!" she screamed, throwing herself against his strong arms, as Akio knelt and picked up the unconscious Priest. "Do not allow her to follow us," Akio said to Lafarga, and the silent man nodded, and still gently, clamped his arms around the beautiful little girl who was the Pillar of Cephiro. "No - NO! NO!!" she shrieked, nearly hysterical. Beneath their feet, the ground trembled as if Cephiro itself had flinched. Akio nodded to Touga, who nearly hauled Anthy off her feet, dragging her with him as they left through the ruined gateway, leaving Alcyione, Lafarga, and Emeraude behind. As they reached the edge of the forest, Emeraude's screams spiralled up into despair, and the Tower began to shiver and quake. Akio paused, and the entire party turned to watch the Tower of the Priest demolish itself in the fires of Emeraude's misery. And then, with a small smile on his face, Akio nodded to Touga; each with his prisoner, the two men made their way to the train station in Tenchuu. Do you wonder Do you know... Do you wonder what I know? What is it that you know? "Is there ever going to be a duel in the Forest again?" "I heard that there was a terrible thing that happened to the last person who fought in the Forest." "So?" "So there were no more duels." "Oh." "But now? Now there can be duels again!" "Why can there be duels again?" "Because... Because they found the prize!" "And now all the duels Will be safe... " "...hygienic... " "... and worthwhile again!" "But what if the prize doesn't want to be the prize anymore?" "Oh, um... " "And what if the person who won the last duel comes to claim the prize?" "What will happen then?" "I wonder what will happen then." I wonder, I wonder, do you know what I wonder? /* Dido "Hunter" _No Angel_ */ Once they had boarded the private coach on the train that Anthy expected had been arranged for in advance, the two men appeared to relax somewhat. Good, she thought. Touga knows I'm not pretending to be pliant anymore, but I expect Akio thinks I will go back to being his timid, meek sister. Perhaps I'll be able to get away from them next time the train stops, or sometime in the night. Throwing myself from a moving train will hurt, but pain is transitory. "Well, little sister," Akio said, having settled indolently into the leather-covered chair in the coach with a snifter of brandy. "You led me a merry chase. I might almost think you didn't want to see me again." Anthy considered whether it was worth her effort to lie to him, whether it would make her escape easier. "I don't," she answered finally. "I was looking for Utena, and once I found her, I had hoped we could live someplace far, far away from you and your schemes." Akio laughed, but it wasn't his friendly laugh. He glanced at Touga, who, prompted, also laughed. "Silly girl. Without you, the Grand Tournament can't be completed. And until that happens, you'll be unable to leave me. No matter how much you might wish to be with your precious Rose Knight," he added, his voice thick with mocking hatred. "And Priest Zagato?" she asked quietly. "Well, of course we couldn't leave Princess Emeraude with such temptation," Akio answered. "That would be very bad for Cephiro." "Of course," Anthy murmured, trying not to be sick with rage. She went to the small area that had been set aside for her 'room' and waited, patiently trying to recall every spell she could think of, trying to think of variations that might further her escape. Eventually, she heard Akio and then Touga slide the curtains to their portions of the coach closed. Anthy counted to a thousand, silently. And then, shoes in her hand to make her as silent as she could be, she slid the curtain to her area aside. She paused at the curtain that led to Akio's 'room', and then shook her head and continued on down the corridor. She had seen Zagato bound with some kind of glowing restraint, held unconscious. Her meager knowledge of spellcraft would be unlikely to be sufficient to rescue him as well as herself. I'm sorry, Zagato. I'll find Caldina and Ascot if I escape unscathed, and maybe we'll be able to free you then. She reached the door of the car, and put her hand to the latch. It was locked. Anthy bit her lip, and then knelt next to the lock. As softly as she could, she breathed the words to the first spell she had learned from Zagato: >Binding of Walls, heed my words. Be unsealed by my power; by my will, I command you: OPEN!< The door unlatched with a click just as Akio whipped the curtain to his chamber open and stared down the hall. "ANTHY!" he roared. She didn't wait; her hand slammed down on the latch, and snatched up her shoes and threw herself through the door and into the open area between cars. Akio was hot on her heels. The countryside was blurring past at speed, but Anthy saw huge snowdrifts on either side of the track. She didn't give herself time to think, she just flung herself off the train and into the snow. It gave under her, and she was buried in snow and freezing cold in an instant. The impact drove the wind from her lungs, but she scrambled up out of the drift as fast as she could, and began to flounder away towards the forest. The train's brakes screamed, and she heard Akio's furious roar as he followed her into the drifts. Ascot, I wish you and your creatures were here right now! Anthy thought frantically as she waded through the freezing snow, trying to find someplace she could conceal herself. She made it to the less heaped snow beyond the drifts and began to run, ignoring the dull ache of the already-healing wound in her leg and the cold pain in her feet. She heard footfalls behind her but didn't stop to look - and then Akio was upon her, driving her into the snow. "You... YOU!" he roared, dragging her upright by the front of her dress, so angry he couldn't even think of anything to call her. "How -dare- you! You run from me, your brother, how -dare- you, you who owe me loyalty and obedience!" Her temper, held by the thinnest of threads since she had seen him walking into the courtyard, broke free. For an instant, all of the softness and gentleness of the Rose Bride was wiped away by the screaming fury of an abused and enraged witch. With sudden violence that shocked him wide-eyed, she struck his hands away from her. "I owe you NOTHING, Akio Ohtori!" she screamed back at him, all traces of civility and meekness gone from her words. She felt her rage burning in her eyes. In that moment, had the strength of her body been equal to the strength of her will, she would have crushed the mocking semblance of life from him with her bare hands. As it was, she could only rail at him, showering him with all the abuse she'd bottled up, all these years she'd wrongly thought that she was suffering to help her beloved brother. "You FILTH! You perverted, undead MONSTER! You are NOT my brother! You are the corpse of the brother I loved, but you do not have his soul, and I will NEVER do your bidding again!" He struck her, drove her to her knees, and then came a crushing darkness that snuffed the light out of her and sent her spiraling into unconsciousness. She woke in the chamber that had been assigned her on the train, feeling the dull ache at the corner of her mouth and the lump at the back of her skull, and she felt some small, grim satisfaction along with the pain. I drove him over the edge, she thought. He hates to use physical force. She rolled over, and found Touga sitting in a chair next to her, watching her warily, sword unsheathed in his lap. "What you did was very foolish," he began, but she gave him a cool look. "You have nothing to say to me, Mr. Kiryuu. You're just another worthless puppet of that power-mad corpse. What's more, that you still speak tells me you bound yourself to him willingly." Touga's eyes narrowed. "And you are the Rose Bride, a doll without a heart," he snarled. She smiled, a nasty, feral smile, and he drew back in fear. "I," she said in a voice to match the smile, "am a witch, and my heart is very much my own." The sword moved in his lap, came to point at her. The curtain swished aside, and Akio, looking cool and suave, breezed in. "Put that away, Touga," he ordered, and then he turned his green eyes, snapping with fire, to Anthy. She just looked back at him, utterly unimpressed, her own implacable loathing for him clear in her eyes, and after a few useless seconds he turned around and stalked out. /* Suzanne Vega "Widow's Walk" _Songs In Red and Gray_ */ They arrived at Ohtori Academy Station nearly a week later, on February 28th, near sunset. Akio left it to Touga to carry Zagato, because he still treated Anthy like a snake that might bite him when he wasn't looking. Anthy he dragged to the Tower himself, and deposited her in her old room near the top without a word. There, he left her. Anthy, who had refused to bathe in front of Akio, and who hadn't been allowed out of the men's sight since her escapade on the train, had a bath. She knew she was expected to try and escape, so she disobliged both men by not trying. When she finished her bath, she reluctantly changed her dress for one of her old school uniforms. Her dress, she wearily admitted, was filthy, and she was clean and preferred to stay that way. She found her glasses set on top of the uniform, and stared at them with a small frown. Pawns and symbols, maps and legends... such endless theatrics... Eventually, reluctantly, she put them back on. It was all, she reasoned, part of this deadly game she found herself playing. Let them think she was once again an unwilling catspaw of her brother's corpse... perhaps it would make them sloppy. She went to the parapet and stared out over Ohtori Academy, blanketed in white for the first birthday she could remember. "Cephiro grieves," she whispered softly. The snow eased the harsh lines of the campus she remembered with both fond and unfond memories, blurring things to a degree that was almost bearable. A whisper of fabric behind her made her turn slowly. Akio was coming out of the elevator area, wearing long black robes and a spiky black breastplate, covered in black jewels. They were the robes of the Priest, not the battle garb of the Prince. Anthy pressed her lips together in a thin, tight line. If he is wearing those robes, then he's killed Zagato. I will -not- cry in front of him. "What? No word for the new Priest of Cephiro, Anthy?" he said in that horribly melodious voice that was so close to her brother's. Anthy turned away in disgust without a word, staring out at the crenelations of the parapet. "Anthy, come here," Akio said firmly. "I've had enough of your foolish behavior. It's time to remember that you are my sister, and owe me some respect." "No," Anthy said, surprised at how calm her voice was, when she felt like turning and clawing at his eyes. "Anthy," came the reproachful voice, but even without the Crown, Anthy could feel the angry fire in her heart. She stared at the scars on her wrist, clenched her fist over Utena's silver signet. "Anthy, -come here-." There was a snap of power in his words, and Anthy jerked, turning against her will. Struggling against that power, she walked slowly toward him; she stared angrily at his face as he forced her to come to him. His eyes widened in surprise as he actually had to expend effort. If I make him waste his efforts on me, he'll be weaker when Utena comes, Anthy thought, feeling a kind of grim satisfaction in her heart. When he let her stop, an arm's length from him, he growled, "Remember, I control you, Anthy." Anthy allowed herself a tiny smile. "No, you don't," she replied sweetly, as though explaining something simple to an idiot child. "You can only -compel- me." He glared at her, frustrated. Against her, his mind games no longer worked, and he knew it now. If he ever wanted anything from her now, he would have to take it by force - and that hurt his pride. In his twisted view, such a thing was an automatic failure. Women gave themselves to Akio Ohtori - they didn't make him take them. He narrowed his eyes, put his smile back on, and tried one last time. "Don't make me hurt you, sister," he purred. Anthy shook her head. "After all that you've put me through already," she replied insolently, "do you really think you -can-?" He slapped her, snapping her face around. Her cheek burning, she turned back to him. "Now you're no better than your puppet Saionji," she said with harsh merriment. "Did that make you feel better? Where is your much-vaunted power now, End of the World?" She laughed - LAUGHED at him - bitter and sharp like the frost of this unnatural winter. "The master manipulator," she said mockingly. "Hah! I will never fear you again." He raised his hand again, but she did not flinch, didn't even put a hand to her cheek. If he hit her, he hit her. If he didn't, he didn't. Her cold green eyes told him that it was all much the same to her now. With a growl, he turned away, stalking like an offended cat around the perimeter of the room. "Zagato can no longer protect you," he began, turning to see her reaction. Her flat, bored expression patently told him that this was far from being news. "I am the Priest now," he said, taking some apparent pleasure in that fact. "Oh, it took some pain on his part before he deemed me his heir, but he was unused to that sort of agony. Not like you, sister. But then, he apparently intended to make -you- his heir." He shook his head, apparently amazed that anyone could think of such a thing. Zagato, I'm sorry I brought that down on you, Anthy apologized silently. "Perhaps it's not the usual means of choosing the Priest," he continued, "but I've been one of the Trinity before, and Cephiro remembers me." "Cephiro hates you, Akio Ohtori. You were never part of the Trinity; that was Dios's gift to Cephiro. It's only Emeraude's despair that lets you get away with this." "Indeed," he laughed. "And it is Emeraude's despair now that will bring this to a close and put me in control of this world." Now, Anthy was worried, and it showed in a sudden pallor that was visible even through her dusky skin; but then she smiled grimly. "You couldn't control her now, not after killing Zagato. She'll never listen to another word you say." "Of course not," Akio said offhandedly, looking out at the endless white blanketing the Academy. "Since she can't kill herself, she'll summon the Rune Knights of legend now, to kill her. And then there will be a new Pillar invested." He turned to look at Anthy, and smiled slowly. He said nothing; his smile spoke for him. Anthy abruptly found that she could still be afraid; not of Akio, but of what that smile implied. She felt as if she'd swallowed a stone, so cold was the pit of her stomach, but she refused to let it show in her face or her voice. "Just as you expected to regain the power of the Prince by defeating Utena Tenjou? Even you aren't such a fool as to believe that possible, are you?" Akio's face tightened, and he raised a hand again, but when Anthy didn't flinch, he forced a laugh. "Well, we shall see," he said. "But in the meantime, I've arranged for you to have a handmaid, so that you can become reaccustomed to your station. Oh, Nanami?" It was with a sinking heart that Anthy watched Nanami Kiryuu step from the shadows. Her eyes glittered like chips of grey-blue ice with a strobe light behind them, her smile was manic and almost feral. In that instant, Anthy found that she could be terrified of a human being again, because the light behind Nanami's eyes was frighteningly clear, and totally insane. Nanami hadn't seen the End of the World, she wasn't a mindless puppet like Lafarga. Her mind had been shattered the old-fashioned way, with brute force and agony and horror. What remained of Nanami now was pain, so much more pain than Lafarga would ever feel - and that made her a great deal more dangerous. Rather than put a fist to her mouth - which she wanted to do - Anthy clenched her fists in the folds of her skirt. She would not let that foul creature who was now Priest see how terrified she was of the remains of the vivacious, angry, but sane girl who had helped her reach Zagato, nor how she grieved. Like Lafarga, Nanami spoke no word, but unlike him, Anthy suspected that all that held her back was the wary, feral caution instilled by Akio's presence. She looked at him like a rabid puppy, wanting dearly to bite but too afraid of the consequences to dare. Akio smiled - that mockingly benevolent smile that he had turned on Utena Tenjou when he'd told her dryly, "You're a good woman; you should have stayed a girl" - and turned back to Anthy. "I know you and the Rose Knight were accustomed to sleep together, Anthy, so Nanami will make certain that you're not lonely. Won't you, Nanami?" Like a puppet's, Nanami's head jerked up and down once, her eyes never leaving his face, her smile like broken glass. Akio laughed, and turned, Zagato's robes swirling around him, and strode out of the room, still laughing. At the door, he paused. "Happy birthday, Anthy," he chuckled. Anthy was glad there wasn't anything in range to throw at him; she wasn't sure her self-control would have held if there was. Instead she composed herself through an effort of will that would have astonished her only a year ago, and called to him as he turned to go: "A moment more, Priest Akio." Akio turned, his face puzzled at this sudden reversal. "What is it?" he asked. "If I'm to be your witch again," said Anthy coolly, "I must speak your truth for you. It's my duty." Akio tried to look patient, as if he were humoring her, when the truth was, for all that she'd enraged him this day, he was eager to hear. If she -were- a true witch now, then the chances were that this was serious. "Go on," he said. Slowly, Anthy walked up to him, removed her glasses, looked up into his face. A peculiar fey light came into her gaze as she regarded him. "Know this, Akio Ohtori," she said to him softly. "One day soon, the Knight of the Rose will return to this world to claim her Bride. And when that day comes, you will know pain... and you will know fear... and then, at long last, you will finish dying." A cold, cold smile stole across her features (making her resemble him in a fashion which she would have found quite alarming, had she only known). "This is the telling of the witch you have made of me," she said; and then, her eyes clearing, she added in a voice more her own, "I look forward to that day with all my heart." With an angry sound, he struck her again, knocking her down to her knees; but as he left, he felt no satisfaction in that, because even sprawled on the floor with her eyes slightly unfocused by the blow, she looked... -bored- by him. He would never realize the effort it cost her to look that way. She remained where she had fallen, keeping her face resolutely neutral, until she heard the quiet 'ding!' of the elevator. Nanami turned her insane smile on Anthy for an instant, and then faded back into the shadows of the room, leaving her "alone" again. Anthy got to her feet, went back to the parapet, and stared thoughtfully at the drop below. Once before, Utena, you stopped me from throwing myself over this edge. Now your memory stops me from trying again. But if you are not here before Akio brings his plans to culmination, I will not be here for you to return to - because the alternative would be worse for you and Cephiro than losing me altogether. I promise, Utena. When she finally began to feel the chill in the bones behind her ears, Anthy went back inside. Nanami was nowhere to be seen. Anthy considered this, and then began to move quietly toward the elevator. Nanami, with swords drawn, materialized from the shadows, and placed herself between Anthy and the elevator. "No, no, you can't leave yet," she said in a chiding, sing-song tone. "Big Brother told me to keep you here, and so here you stay." Anthy's nails dug into her palms; Nanami's voice was back to the fawning, nasal whine that she had always affected when she doted on her worthless playboy of an older brother. "I haven't thanked you yet, anyway," Nanami continued, her eyes bright, her smile brittle, her voice just slightly shaking, in time with the little muscle twitching at the corner of one eye. "If it wasn't for you getting out of his life, my darling Touga wouldn't -ever- have paid attention to me again." She gave a rapturous sigh, but there was an almost terrified subconscious whine under the sound, a sound Nanami didn't even seem to realize was there. "Now, he makes sure I'm not neglected anymore. No... he'll never neglect me again. Never. Never leave me... " Nanami's voice cracked, and her gaze dropped to her swords for a second, then shot back up to bore into Anthy's face. "And I owe it -all- -to- -you-!" She was smiling, technically - a horrible rictus plastered across her face, madness seething just under that pretty facade. With a jerk, Anthy pulled away, horror plastered on her face. Against Akio, she could pretend... but against this? "Thank you, Himemiya," Nanami almost chanted, taking a step forward, raising her swords as if she were uncertain what to do with them again. "Thank you thank you thank you... if it wasn't for you, my brother and I would never have been together again. My life's dream would never have come true... " She turned away, then spun back. "But if you -ever- come between me and him again - if you ever!" She raised her swords, more threateningly this time. "Then the last thing you see will be my sword in your heart!" Laughing manically, she slid back into the shadows by the elevator as Anthy fled back to the bedroom. The split-circle bed that she had shared with Utena (and Chu Chu) was still there, neatly made up and waiting. Her nightgown was laid out across the pillow on her side, just as she'd left it. In a hollow, aching sort of way, it was as though she'd never left. Buring her face in Utena's pillow, Anthy bit her knuckles, trying not to scream her sorrow for the ravages Akio and Touga had wrought on Nanami. All that came out was a muffled sort of wail, and she moaned into Utena's pillow until her glasses were drenched with tears and she couldn't see anymore. When she finally sat up, her she realized she had broken the skin on her knuckles. With a dull resignation, she ran the other hand over the wound, healing it instantly, and stared at the sodden pillow and the bloodstains she had left on it. Then she slipped her hands under the pillow. From that hiding place, Anthy drew out a pair of pink satin pajamas. For a moment, she stared at them, and then slipped out of her uniform and put the pajamas on instead. Utena's scent - tea, roses, and a faint hint of the sunshine smell that came from her hair - rose around Anthy as her body heat warmed the pajamas. She unbound her hair, brushed it out, and then slipped into her own side of the bed. The silence that was the top of the Ohtori Tower descended upon her, and she turned her face against her own pillow and cried herself to sleep. /* Suzanne Vega "Penitent" _Songs In Red and Gray_ */ Eyrie Productions, Unlimited Once I stood alone, so proud presented Held myself above the crowd UNDOCUMENTED FEATURES And now I'm low on the ground Symphony of the Sword, No. 2 From here I look around to see Intermezzo: Tower Shrouded in Frost What avenues belong to me I can't tell what I've found The Cast (in order of appearance) Now what would you have me do? Anthy Himemiya I ask you, please Priest Zagato I wait to hear Ascot, Mage of Creatures Caldina, Mage of Illusions The mother and the matador Lafarga, Chief Bodyguard The mystic, each were here before of the Pillar Like me, to stare you down Alcyione, Mage of Cold You appear without a face Akio Ohtori, Deputy Chairman Disappear but leave your trace Touga Kiryuu, fmr. President of the I feel your unseen frown Ohtori Academy Student Council Princess Emeraude, Pillar of Cephiro Now what would you have me do? Nanami Kiryuu, Student Council Member I ask you, please I wait to hear Written by Anne Cross Your voice The word Edited & Original Concept by You say Benjamin D. Hutchins I wait To see your sign Ending Credit Theme Song Would I & Editorial Nitpicking by Obey? John Trussell I look for you in heathered moor Assistance by The desert and the ocean floor The Usual Suspects How low does one heart go? Looking for your fingerprints "Revolutionary Girl Utena" I find a new coincidence characters by Saito/Hasegawa And make my faith to grow "Magic Knight Rayearth" Forgive me all my blindnesses characters by CLAMP My weakness and unkindnesses As yet unbending still Spare time and bandwidth provided by Struggling so hard to see USENIX & LISA 2001 My fist against eternity http://www.usenix.org/events/lisa2001/ And will you break my will? (even if the pipe was too small) Now what would you have me do? Really cool friends of the author I ask you, please who live in San Diego I wait to hear Leanne & Mark Opaskar Your voice With an apology to The word J. Michael Straczynski You say I wait There were an awful lot of songs To see your sign that belonged in this story Would I and not enough space to use them. Obey? The Symphony will return