Utena, Revolutionary Girl Fan Fiction ❯ Rebirth My Heart ❯ Duel For Her ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Rebirth My Heart
A Shojou Kakumei Utena story
By: Echan2
Chapter Five: Duel For Her
Warnings: language and fighting
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their proper owners. All rights reserved. "Shoujo Kakumei Utena - La Fillette Revolutionnaire" (C) Be-PaPas, Chiho Saito / Shogakukan, Shokaku Iinkai, TV Tokyo (or (C) their respective copyright holders). The US version of "Revolutionary Girl Utena" belongs to (C) Central Park Media.







+*+*+*


Bundled up in her bed sheets, Tina sat, leaned up against her pillows, reading a book at eleven o'clock, but her thoughts kept traveling to Shiroi. Why exactly was she in her dorm and taking a bath in her tub? Was she trying to do something to Tina? The blonde turned her eyes to the window, gazing at the stars and the moon hanging in the eastern sky, like a silver opal, shinning its brilliance and glory. The light reflected off of the school's fountain and on a shadowed person. Curious, Tina slid out of the warmth of her bed and approached the window, feeling the graze of her curtains against her bare hands and wrists. The wind tossed back her hair, giving her a better look at the person.

It was a female, no doubt. Tall and poised, the moonlight showed orange curls that hung around her shoulders and sharp eyes that stared out towards the entrance of the academy. She wore a student council uniform with dark red pants, black dueling jacket, and white gloves, with gold glittering here and there off her jacket. It was Juri.

Tina cocked her head to one side, puzzled of why Juri was outside so late of the night. And then- she knew why. Shiori was approaching her, her dark purple hair visible from Tina's distance. The two stared at each other for awhile and started to talk in hushed voices. 'Secret lovers meeting in the night, all in a midsummer's eve...,' though Tina, smiling. Then, her memory got the best of her, thinking about how badly Shiori treated Juri and messed up her delicate feelings. Sobering, Tina leaned against the window frame, a sad frown on her pale face.

'What are we thinking about? Touga?'

'... I don't know.'

'Before hand, before it all happened, you two were in love.'

'Were? I don't remember... Himemiya?'


A warm breeze wrapped around her, making Tina feel drowzy and heavy. She collasped on the floor when another vision came before her from the past.
**

"Oooo, look, Touga!"

"I know... they're yellow. Like your dress. Pretty."

"Ohhh..."

And with that, the small girl latched herself to Touga and kissed his cheek lovingly and giggled softly, walking arm in arm with him along the river bend with the tiny baby ducks, watching nature and her beauty. Tina watched this from the distance, wearing white pants and a navy blouse with white lining and sharp-looking, black dress shoes, like that a man would wear. Tina saw the familiar red hair but the young, fresh face of Touga, who appeared to be older that 14 years old. But the girl beside him was petite with a pale dress with cream fringes and shoulder-length, bubble-gum pink hair and wide, sky blue eyes and looked to be 12 years.

"She looks like me."

"Of course she does..."

Tina turned her head to see Himemiya standing there in a rose pink dress and white hat upon her dark purple head, green eyes shinning. The Indian walked towards her, hands folded in front of her, the white, high-heeled shoes making no sound in the lush, green grass. "These two children had a bond that could not be broken- not even by Death," she whispered, her gaze soft and caring on the children. Touga and the girl now stood side by side, pointing and laughing at the baby ducks who were now swimming upon the rippling surface of the river, making quacking noises that carried into the wind with the girl's laughter. "But one day... he left her to save another's life. The girl was only eleven. Touga had given her his Ohtori jacket and said he would be back. A promise. He touched her cheek briefly and dove into the lake by the school where a little girl was drowning. He tried to save her... but he never did... Both children lost their lives, leaving behind a sobbing eleven year old with no love and no security."

Tina gaped a bit at Himemiya, eyes wide and stinging with unshed tears. "Wh-what ha-happened t-t-to her?," she whispered lowly, her throat forming a lump to big to swallow. "She grew up with no love still, but a fierce heart of becoming a prince, not a princess. She wanted to be strong and not let her feelings show. That's what happens to someone who does not want to be loved," Himemiya said softly, eyes locking onto Tina's. "But what does that have to do with me?," the blonde asked, pointing to herself.

"Look at the girl once more."

Tina did so, only seeing a happy, pink-haired child with happiness and health in her young life. But why did she look so much like her? Tina was confused and started towards the couple, only to walk into a sudden darkness.

"She was reborn again, along with Touga and the drowned girl. A prince gave her a special ring when she herself tried to drown herself after losing her parents. Who-so ever recieved this ring would be important later on in life to help 'revolutionize' the world," echoed Himemiya's voice. Tina kept walking in circles, trying to find the woman. " Himemiya? Where did you go!!? HIMEMIYA!!!"

"She tried to find her prince in secret while obtaining to become one herself. She thought it was a man she could trust, but wrong in every direction. Deep down, it was all along Touga, but she took him for granted when he offered her his love-

but this prince loved another...

and died for her other lover."

Tina stopped walking and covered her head with her hands, blood pumping angrily in her head, along with the echos, creating a large headache and too much sorrow. Clenching her eyes shut tightly, she fell to her knees, ragged breaths emitting from her mouth from the pain. "But WHAT does it do with me?! TELL ME, DAMMIT!"
+*+*+*


Three weeks passed, and Tina was feeling quite under the weather. She did find out, however, that she, Miki, and Annei and some other friends of hers made the Honor Choir, including Touga and Nanami.

Wakaba sat down next to Tina at lunch one day outside, opening her bento, revealing brown rice, a covered, small bowl of misu soup, some ramen, and octopus. Tina made a face at the squiggly-appearing fish and chomped into her chicken sandwich, and staring at the sky, shoes off her feet and her school jacket off.

"Wow, I like your shirt, Tina!," exclaimed Wakaba, pointing at the short, pale blue t-shirt with blue-glitter prints of butterflies on the surface. "Thanks." Tina laid down, sighing for no apparent reason and nestled her golden head into the sweet-smelling grass, trying to relax and forget about her situation with Akio plus Touga. She felt somebody lay next to her and start talking lowly. "You know... if you just look at the clouds, it'll make all your troubles go away," said Wakaba, hazel eyes gleaming and the wind tossing back her oak brown hair, tied back in her ponytail. "Really?," asked Tina, looking at her friend and smiling lightly.

"Yes!"

The two looked up towards the sky, staring away at the fluffy, white clouds, talking to one another quietly about their days and whom they liked.

"So, you like Saionji?"

" ... for a long time, yes..."

"Well, that's cute.. but I thought I was the only one for you!"

Wakaba giggled and sat and started to clean up their lunch area while Tina put on her jacket and shoes. Soon, as the two girls walked back into the school building, a sight of a large crowd of girls and boys crowded around the academy bulletin board made Tina suddenly remember something like a jolt of lightning-

the love note...

Wedging into between people quickly, both Tina and her compainion made it through to the front, where some guys were laughing at it. Wakaba stared at it, eyes glazing over, giving them a maple-syrup appearance that wasn't quite normal looking. "No..." Tina felt anger push up in her chest, along with the other troubles she was going through with love and being fed up with it all, reached up and snatched off the paper and whirled around, eyes aflame.

"Have you no shame doing this to a person? Go away!", she ordered, gesturing with her arm. The crowd boo'ed at her and diminished somewhat. Tina then saw that Wakaba had dissappeared. "Oh, shit. Wakaba!" Tina stared running outside, piting over the poor girl. "Where are you, Wakaba?!," she yelled, her voice echoing over the large area. Sniffling and muffled sobs reached her ears as the blonde ran towards a large birch tree where her friend cried under it, head in her hands. " Oh... Wakaba," Tina whispered, clenching the note in her hand tightly, the thin sheet crinkling loudly. "It's okay... I'm fine... please, go on...," came the distant reply. But Tina didn't stay to listen-

she went straight to the whole source of the problem. Saionji himself.
+*+*+*

In the kendo practice room, the sage-haired young man was already practicing with Touga while Nanami made tea near the changing room, humming to herself lightly as she sprinkled in the green-tea powder in the traditional cups, waiting for the water to boil beside her. Saionji was working hard with his katana whereas Touga was slipping some, his mind on other things. Particularly a certain blonde who started to haunt his dreams every night, reminding him of 'her.'

SSCCCCEEEEECHHH!!!

Saionji's blade scraped against Touga's harshly, creating sparks to fly everywhere and making Touga stumble and his partner to slice off some of his red strands of hair. "Jeeze, Touga, what's wrong with you? You're usually not like this," complained Saionji a bit, violet eyes searching imploringly in his friend's sapphire ones. "Aha... I'm sorry... I'm just not feeling quite right. Possibly a cold?"

"Could be."

"Sure! MY brother never gets sick!," exclaimed Nanami, giggling some at the end, stirring her brother's tea. All was silent afterwards as the two boys paused for a breath, wiping down their sweat. Then, the door opened loudly, smacking against the wall. "SAIONJI!!!" A whirl of fast blonde movement and a practice, wooden kendo stick up against his long, slim neck said it all.

The note.

"I challenge you to a duel for Wakaba's honor and dignity!," shouted Tina, gritting her teeth hard. The girl glared up at him with such passion that Saionji started to chuckle. "Whatever for?"

"You god-damn well know," she growled, pushing the stick up more, pressing down on his throat, aqua eyes dark and forboding. Saionji then swung up his right arm that held the katana and tried to aim for her own throat, but Tina moved away quickly, jabbing her elbow in his stomach. He doubled over, eyes wide as Tina moved back from him, eyes staring at him rather coldly.

Nanami appeared to be worried and moved to her brother, gaze on Tina and Saionji. "Brother... shouldn't you do something?" Touga shook his fine head slowly, blinking slowly. "This is Saionji's battle- not mine." The blonde then tensed up some and looked partially over her shoulder at Touga, her face set and blank, a hard-on glaze of hatred on her face that seemed impecable to stare at. Touga gave Tina one of his looks and walked out of the practice room quietly, Nanami following him quickly like a rabbit out of its own hole.

"F-ffff- FINE! I a-a-accept y-your ch-challenge!!!," screamed Saionji, eyes ablaze and face stretched with pain. Tina smiled and bowed, right arm swept out. "Good. Tell me where to go and I'll meet you there. 6:00 P.M. sharp," she instructed and stalked out, brushing past the slowly walking couple of brother and sister. Touga caught a scent of pear and vanilla and soaked that into his memory, not wanting to forget that smell. "Brother, I thought that to challenge was wrong."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we aren't allowed to duel! Unless...?"

"Since when have you start concerning for Tina's health and what matters of dueling?"

Nanami made a choking, insulted noise in the back of her throat and looked away, her face red with anger. "You tease me, brother, and I do not appreciate it. I don't care for HER, for Saionji's sake and reputation!," sniffed Nanami, closing her eyes and tossing back her hair. Touga thought this over in his mind to himself, eyes down-cast on the ground. Something was happening with Tina. Why was she reminding him of 'her'?
+*+*+*


Tina hummed to herself while brushing her hair in her dorm, staring at her reflection. She had grown thin and her hair was beginning to reach down to the middle of her back, a brilliant blond color from being outside all the time and her body was getting used to its new muscles and transformations since being at this school. The girl placed down her hairbrush and sighed, wanting to feel Elijha hold her again. Leaping up, she grabbed her princess phone and dialed in his number.

"The number you have just dialed does not exist."

"...what's going on?"
**

Walking outside, towards the forests near the academy, Tina held a pale pink envelope, bearing a broken rose seal with the whereabouts of the dueling grounds. Looking around her, she then saw a gateway with a spiraling staircase going as high as Tina could see. Swallowing hard, the girl stood up tall and gripped her kendo stick, making her way to the neverending-looking top. When she got there, before her laid a field of glorious, blood red roses swaying gently in the wind with a large arena in the middle. Saionij stood there in his dueling uniform. Standing beside him was-

"Annei?"

The black-haired girl with the large, emerald eyes looked up in sorrow at Tina, dressed up in a familiar princess gown with a full red skirt, but it only attached to her waist partially, revealing a slimming, white gown underneath with gold lining and black accessories and red high heels. Two roses were clutched in her hands- one green, one white. "What are you doing here?!," Tina shouted, puzzled, confused, and then it hit her like a ton of bricks. She was the Rose Bride like...

"Himemiya."

It made full sense to her now.

With the little girl, rebirth, re-revolution of the world, Touga, and then Akio.

With the T.V. show and movie, this was an neverending cycle like those stairs. No matter how hard it seemed, when you DO revolutionize the world and find peace for yourself, with or without sacrifical matters-

you are are always reborn into this world because of one man... because he wouldn't give up-

Akio.

He was controlling everything, making Tina take a step back, her breath in sharp gasps and her chest hurting from lack of air. "I... I'm not her!!! I CAN'T DO IT!!!" Saionji smiled wickedly and narrowed his amythest eyes. "Oh, we all know you can't. Everyone is happy in this place, but the bitch keeps bringing back someone with 'her' soul to try and free us. But this time, no... this will not work." Annei casted her eyes on the ground shamefully, gripping her folded hands painfully while bitting her bottom lip. Tina dropped her kendo stick and started to shake. "I-I... I th-thought that it was... was all a dream! But no... NO! YOU took my boyfriend away from me, my mother, my LIFE! All because of some stupid REVOLUTION for the world- when it does SHIT for me when I need it the most! IT'S A FUCKING DREAM THAT WON'T END!," Tina howled, gripping her head.

"If happiness is what you want, and everyone wants it, you have to fight for what you believe in. No matter what the concequences are," murmured Annei, her green eyes filled with tears, staring at Tina. The blonde stared back, crying softly, her face slight pink. "Enough of this. Come here, Annei, and prepare the duel." The girl did so, slowly, but willingly. She placed the soft green rose on his breast and walked to Tina, pinning the imperial white one on hers. The blonde stared after her as Annei turned to her master, hands cupped in front of her chest. Saionji waited as the girl made a chant below her breath. Soon, a illuminating light erupted from her chest and Saionji plunged his hand in her breasts, pulling up a sword that gleamed with incredible rainbow light. "TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE WORLD!," he yelled, and swung the sword down. There, in his hand, was the sword of Dios. Magestic bell tolls rang throughout the arena, starting the duel. Annei gasped, eyes wild with fear, and clunged to the man. "Please, Saionji. She doesn't know how to do this and-"


SMACK!


Saionji slapped Annei across the face, making the poor girl fly sideways and land heavily on the marble arena, ebony hair splashing around her, loose petals following after her.


CLANK!


Tina and Saionji pressed this weapons against each other when the blonde then rushed forwards with raw, burning rage for protection of this girl... this beautiful creature who wanted nothing more but freedom not for herself, but for everyone trapped invisibly in this academy. With a shout of fury, Tina pushed him back and lunged again, the two going at it powerfully. Swords clashed dangerously as grunts and yells echoed off in the air. "Don't you have heart?! First, Wakaba, and now Annei!!! What do you have to do to get some sense knocked into your head?!," Tina shouted, blocking his hits. "Annei has no feelings left inside of her! Akio sought to it that Annei will forever stay as a doll and MY Rose Bride!," Saionji bellowed madly, swinging the sword upward.


CCRRRIIIICCCKKK!


The stick broke in two and Tina stared at it the handle dumbfoundedly, her face paling right there on the spot. "Perfect. Time to end this little waltz," muttered Saionij crazily and with a cry, he swiped his sword forward again to cut her rose. "NOOOO!!!" Pushing him out of the way, Annei leapt in the air, arms outstreched towards her friend. Tina, remembering fastly, caught the girl in a swift movement and Annei, as if for a slow period of precious minutes, smiled truly, her eyes shinning with warmth. Tina swallowed once more and allowed the Indian to kiss her. Their lips met briefly-

A light burst forth from Annei's chest in a amazement of color and superiority that was more blinding than the first time. Saionji stared in shock, an arm covering his face. Bending Annei's back, Tina placed her right palm inbetween her breasts and pulled out the actual sword of Dios, eyes closed and concentrated. The silver blade shone in the power light and Tina's school uniform changed into a red one with white linning, a pale pink skirt underneath the jacket, and black and gold accessories as before hand in her two lifetimes. Annei fell softly to the ground in a flurry of red while Tina stood there in her brilliance, blonde hair now long and curling and her face set in determination. Saionji made small choking sounds, staring down at his sword, realizing that IT was a fake that Annei had pulled before in her past life, fear making him freeze in place. "N-no..."


With a mighty leap, Tina brought down her sword of Dios onto Saionji, cutting his rose in half, spraying the green broken petals everywhere. The man continued to stand there in shock as Tina looked at him on his other side, standing proudly in the wind, her hair billowing out. "Now... she is mine," the girl said loudly, indicating to Annei, who sat up with a dazzled smile on her pretty face. She stood and ran to Tina, embracing her, crying out in rejoice. Tina smiled in her friend's hair, holding her close. "I did it... happy, now?" A joyous laughed rang in her ears. "Of course! Oh... I knew you could do it!," whispered Annei happily, nuzzling in Tina's neck contently. The two girls stood there in each other's arms in the rose arena, the wind tossing petals carelessly in the wind as it had done before.













Whoa... long chapter, ne? Yep... wow... um... PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW!!! I promise it'll get much, MUCH better!!! ^________^
- Echan ^_~