Note: The characters in this story are the creation and property
of Be-Papas, Chiho Saito and Ikuhara Kunihiko.

This story takes place roughly between episodes 24-25 of the
anime, placing it between the "Black Rose Saga" and the "Ohtori
Akio Saga" (also sometimes known as the "car arc"). Be forewarned
that there may be spoilers ahead.


The Shadow Council Saga
by Shinobu - shinobu@fanboy.org
Part Three: "A Dome of Many-Colored Glass"
(third of three parts)


In the darkness, rain pelted the glass as she stared into the
twin storms: the downpour outside and the unrest shown in the
reflection of her face. Watching in the window, she knew the rain
would ease and tomorrow would be a fine day. The forecast for her
heart- uncertain.

A chime broke her meditation as the phone rang. Giving her mirror
image one last look, turned away from the window, brushed a swath
of her honey curls back over one shoulder and pressed the
receiver to her ear.

"Hello. . .ah, yes, er, sorry, I'm just a bit surprised to hear
from you. What can I do for you? . . . I don't think so . . . How
can you do anything? . . . Oh, that's right- you are." She
shifted in her chair, her body leaning forward.

"Really? That's most interesting . . . Meet? Where are you? . . .
Of course, I should have guessed. I'll be there in ten minutes.
Good-bye."

She turned to take one more look out the window and into her
soul. The storm might just be passing, she thought to herself.
She rose to get dressed. "I'd better take an umbrella."

***       ***       ***       ***

Three silhouetted figures rode in the ascending elevator car as
the earnest voice of Shinohara Wakaba spoke. "If it cannot break
out of it's shell, the chick will die without ever being born. We
are the chick; the world is our egg. If we don't crack the
world's shell, we will die without truly being born. Smash the
world's shell. . ."

The others joined in ". . . for the Revolution of the World!"

Wakaba, Takatsuki Shiori, and Kaoru Kozue sat on three armless
molded plastic chairs. As they talked, bowling balls were rolling
by them and the sound of pins being knocked over filled the
Student Council veranda.

"Well, I see the President couldn't make today's meeting- again,"
observed Kozue.

"You know the President's a very busy person," replied Wakaba.

Kozue pressed ahead. "Yes Wakaba, I know, but the new letter from
Ends of the World. It's, well, exceptional."

"Unparalleled," put in Wakaba.

"Unprecedented," said Shiori indifferently.

More bowling balls rolled by and in the distance someone yelled
"Strike!"

Wakaba smiled. "It is exceptional, I'll grant you that. As I
understand, this is completely unique in the annals of Duelist
history. However it IS our best chance at defeating Utena."

"Still, all four members of the Student Council should be here to
discuss it, including the President," asserted Kozue, "don't you
think so Shiori?"

Shiori looked up blankly. "What? Oh. Sorry, but I have to excuse
myself today." With that, she rose and proceeded through the
door.

"Is she still pouting about losing her duel with Utena?" asked
Wakaba as she bent down and lifted a bowling ball.

"No," responded Kozue, "it's not that."

Standing straight and making her approach, the Vice-President
released the ball. Kozue got up and stood behind Wakaba. Both
girls seemed to try to guide the ball with "body English", and
the sound of pins dropping echoed across the porch. Wakaba
grimaced.

"Seven-ten split," said Kozue as she placed her hand around
Wakaba's shoulder, then her mouth close to Wakaba's ear and
whispered, "Nas-ty."

Wakaba bit her lower lip and giggled nervously.

***       ***       ***       ***

"All I'm saying is that if you'd just learn the stuff yourself,
you wouldn't have to go to the trouble of cheating, that's all.
You probably put more work into finding out the answers that you
would if you just learned how to work the problems," Utena said
as the pair walked up the steps to the Ohtori library.

"Oh, look whose giving me academic advice, Miss Ohtori Honor
Student herself," countered Nanami. "I don't cheat, well, at
least not all THAT often. And when I do, I really don't have to
put much work into finding out the answers."

The pair reached the top of the steps and paused. "That's because
you have Mitsuru or your little goon squad do it for you. Really
Nanami," Utena said, but was cut off by a distant call. "Speak of
the devil."

"Wait up! Wait right there! I have something for you," called
Mitsuru as he ran up the steps.

Utena turned to Nanami, "Probably test answers," Utena teased.
Nanami stomped her foot and muttered something under her breath.
Mitsuru made it to the top of the steps, collected himself, then
her out a long-stemmed white rose with a note attached to it.

"I was asked to deliver this to you," he said still a bit
breathless from his pursuit.

Nanami reached for the rose. "Thank you Mitsuru. Who is it
from?", she asked smiling.

"Not you, Nanami-sama. It's for Tenjou-sempai," he replied, wary
of the blonde's reaction.

"Humph," Nanami grunted, folded her arms and looked the away
feigning disinterest.

"Thank you Mitsuru," said Utena as she took the flower. Reading
the note, her face turned somber.

"Well," cooed Nanami, "Who is it from? It's not from Tanaka or
one of those creepy guys is it? Well? Well?"

Utena handed the note to Nanami and she read aloud: TO THE ONE
WHO IS ENGAGED- THE DUELING ARENA, THIS EVENING.

"Who asked you to deliver this Mitsuru?" Utena inquired.

"One of the Student Council members. I don't remember her name.
It was, it was the girl with the big forehead," Mitsuru
recollected.

Utena smiled. "Well, Nanami's not on the Student Council anymore,
and you know her name, so I take it you mean Wakaba," she joked.

Nanami's face turned red. "Very funny. Very funny. You're not
only an academic whiz, you're also a comedian," she fumed,
turning to Mitsuru who was laughing. "And what do you find so
humorous."

"Nothing Nanami-sama!" responded Mitsuru putting on his most
serious face, "Nothing at all."

Nanami picked up her book bag and turned. "I can't stand around
here all day being insulted, I have some STUDYING to do. Come
Tsuwabuki!" she said as she stamped away.

Mitsuru looked at Utena and silently mouthed the words "good
luck", then followed behind his boss.

Utena leaned back against the handrail and stared at the rose.

***       ***       ***       ***

SHADOW PLAY

C-ko walks across the stage.

C-ko (shouting): "Gogai! Gogai! Gogai!"

B-ko is seated at a table in a restaurant looking at a menu. The
waiter, A-ko, enters.

A-ko: Welcome to our restaurant. And what would you like to order
today?

B-ko: I don't know. (points with finger) What's that man over
there having?

A-ko: Wafu steak, our house speciality!

B-ko: Fine, I'll have that. No, on second thought, what's that
woman having?

A-ko: Spinach and bacon salad with shiso dressing.

B-ko: Sounds tasty. I'll take that. No, no, wait a minute. What
did the person at that next table order?

A-ko: Deep fried octopus and asparagus with sesame vinegar sauce.

B-ko: Excellent, an order of that if you please. No, wait! Oh!
There are so many choices. How will I know if I've chosen
correctly?

A-ko: Why don't you just order what you're hungry for?

B-ko: I can do that?

A-ko: Certainly.

B-ko: But I'm not really very hungry at all. (Raises hand.) Check
please!

A-ko: (in sarcastic tone) I hope you're a big tipper.

END SHADOW PLAY

***       ***       ***       ***

In the Dueling arena, Anthy had prepared her champion and the
Sword of Dios was at the ready within Utena's hand. Under the
Floating Castle, the Arena contained television sets of various
sizes and styles. Several sat on the floor; others rested on
tables or in cabinets. Drifting above the edges of the Arena were
four giant video screens. All of the displays held the same
image- a blue background with flashing gold words: PRESS START TO
BEGIN GAME.

On the other side of the Arena, not one but three figures made
their entrance. Kaoru Kozue in her white tunic with light blue
pants and a dark blue rose pinned to her chest; Takatsuki Shiori
in her maroon pants and white top sporting a maroon rose; and
Shinohara Wakaba outfitted in her brown pants with a white tunic
decorated by a brown rose.

Utena glanced at Himemiya, who remained expressionless. "Well,"
said Utena to the trio, "I suppose I ought to feel honored that
you feel you have to gang up on me like this."

"I'm sorry Utena," said Wakaba meekly, "One at a time you ARE too
good for us. This is the only way we can possibly win, so, three-
on-one it is."

"No- it isn't," spoke a female voice from behind Utena. Everyone
save Anthy looked in that direction. They saw Arisugawa Juri
dressed in her regulation school uniform, but wearing a tawny-
colored rose on her chest and carrying a sword. Kozue gasped when
she looked behind Juri and saw her brother Miki in his standard
male student uniform and blue rose on his chest. He also carried
a sword.

"Sempai! Miki!" called Utena. The two came to a stop on Tenjou's
left, then Utena heard a male voice coming from her right, near
Anthy.

"Understand Tenjou that we're not doing this for you," said
Saionji brandishing his sword, "it's just that we don't like the
idea of anyone else getting what we, or at least what one of us
is so justly entitled to." Saionji wore a green rose on the
Student Council uniform he had refused to discard.

Utena looked to Juri and then Miki, who gave her a small wink.
Turning back, she said, "I understand Kyouichi-san, but my thanks
anyway."

Everybody stood still for a moment. This was clearly not in the
plans of the three Student Council girls, and their frozen fear
was broken only when yet another voice came out of the darkness.

"Starting the party without me? How rude," called Kiryuu Touga as
he walked to Utena's side. Wearing his regulation student uniform
pinned with a red rose, he too carried a blade.

Juri, Miki, and Saionji looked at each other, and Saionji
remarked, "About time you showed up."

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything," Touga said as he
placed his arm around Utena's waist. Slowly, Utena raised the
Sword of Dios until its tip rested on Touga's cheek.

"A scar would probably not be good for your womanizing, so if you
know what's good for you, you'll take your hands off of me- right
now," she said looking straight ahead.

The redhead complied. "Still won't let me be your Prince, eh?" he
said grinning as he walked over to his best friend.

"Well," blustered Saionji at the opposition, "you're outnumbered
and woefully overmatched, so you might as well give up and go."

"Overmatched yes," Kozue snapped back, "but NOT outnumbered.
Actually, it's four on four."

No one spoke or moved for a moment, then Utena asked the trio,
"You mean the President is here? Your President?"

None of the girls had a chance to reply. Miki spoke up, "Yes,
he's here." The young man's eyes were fixed in the direction of
where Saionji and Touga stood. "Why don't you explain yourself,
Mister President?"

A flustered expression sprang to Saionji's face. Touga looked at
Utena, Juri, and Miki, then smiled and turned to Saionji.

"Go on Miki," Utena demanded.

"It's simple," Miki continued in a firm voice, "Juri-san arranged
for herself, Saionji, and I to enter the Arena without our Rose
Signet rings. I'm not sure how she did that, but the point is
that Touga was NOT with us. So Mister President, how DID you get
in?"

All eyes turned to Touga as he drew something out of his pocket.
"Why, with this naturally," he said as he held up his Rose Seal
and slipped it over his ring finger. "No one ever said that ALL
of the Student Council members had been replaced."

Saionji spoke under his breath, "I've known you a long time, and
this is a new low- even for you."

"Oh, Touga," Utena said disappointedly.

"Sorry my dear," Touga responded, "however, we have business to
attend to. As the senior Student Council representative present,
I challenge you, Tenjou Utena, to a duel for the Rose Bride. As
the Engaged One, you have no option but to accept."

Utena raised her sword and grasped it with two hands, but as
Touga made ready, Saionji shouted, "NOOOOO!" and stepped in
between them. Raising his sword, he lashed out at Touga, and all
hell broke loose.

Immediately, everyone paired off with an opponent. Kozue and Miki
faced each other and Juri found herself opposite Shiori. To her
left, Juri could see Miki wavering- it would be hard for him to
fight his sister; almost as hard as it would be for her to strike
at Shiori. Arisugawa, seeing the situation for what it was,
grabbed Miki and pulled him in front of Shiori while she switched
places with him.

As the students clashed, the television screens in the Arena
displayed the event, but not as a live camera presentation.
Instead, the participants were represented in a type of computer
graphics art form, as though they were characters in a video
game.

By default, Utena wound up confronting Wakaba. The two had faced
off once before, but that was when Wakaba was under the "Black
Rose" spell. She was nowhere near as competent, or confident,
this time around.

"Why did you do this Wakaba?" Utena shouted at her friend as she
pushed the attack. "Why did you join the Student Council if you
knew it would come to this?"

"Oh Utena," whimpered Wakaba as she defended herself as best she
could from the Sword of Dios. "I look at you and Juri and Nanami
and you all seem so cool. I thought if I could be on the Student
Council, I could BE somebody."

Utena smiled as she held her sword steady. "You ARE somebody
Wakaba! You're as good of a somebody as this school or any other
has to offer. No one, not me or anyone else at Ohtori is any
better than you are, and I love you very much- and always will."

Wakaba smiled as tears crept down her cheeks. "Oh Utena, I don't
want to be Vice-President anymore. Please cut this dumb flower
off of me and let me go back to just being my old self!"

Utena's sword stuck gently and the two girls hugged each other as
Juri and Shiori flew by.

Somehow during the fight, Kozue and Shiori had manage to switch
partners again. Miki and Kozue were facing each other and it
seemed to Utena that Kozue was almost letting Miki attack at her.
Then she recognized what was truly happening: Kozue was taunting
him.

The girl smiled at her twin, sword lowered to her side. "You
would never strike down your own sister, would you Miki?" Kozue
asked him.

Miki looked at her lovingly. "No, never," he said in a tender
voice, "but that flower you're wearing isn't my sister."

Before Kozue's eyes could widen fully, Miki's sword swung upward
and blue pedals floated across the Arena.

Meanwhile, Shiori was lashing out violently at Juri, screaming a
non-stop tirade at her, most of which Utena couldn't make out. It
was obvious in so far as the sword fight was concerned that
Arisugawa was toying with her. It was also clear to Utena that
Juri was paying yet another emotional price for this
confrontation. Finally, the fencing captain had reached the limit
of her tolerance, even toward the one she loved.

"ENOUGH!" roared Juri, taking Shiori by surprise. "Shiori," said
Arisugawa readying her sword, "My sources tell me that you took
some fencing instruction at your last school," Juri said as she
advanced on her antagonist. "You have promise. When you decide
you want to get better, JOIN OUR TEAM!!!"

Maroon flower pedals scattered.

Saionji and Touga were fighting furiously and with all other
conflicts resolved, they now became the focus of everyone's
attention. Saionji was like a man possessed, swinging and
hacking, but Touga managed to turn back every sortie. Suddenly,
Saionji thrust at Touga, who spun to avoid the charge. Saionji
fell to the floor- hard. His sword went flying out of his reach.
Touga stood over him, poised for the coup de grace.

Wakaba screamed Saionji's name. Utena had no love for Saionji,
but on this day, she had even less love for Touga. And what would
a his victory mean for her? And for Himemiya? No, Touga must not
win this particular duel.

"Saionji!" Utena shouted. She quickly knelt and slid her sword
across the floor into Kyouichi's grasp. He grabbed it and raised
the blade just in time to block Touga's attack. Rolling to his
left, he rose and the battle continued until the two swordsmen
charged each other in a decisive moment.

Red rose pedals flew on the breeze and there were sounds of bells
in the distance. The television screens in the Arena all flashed
the same message: GAME OVER. During the next few seconds, one by
one each of the monitors dimmed to an empty, darkened screen.

Touga looked shocked, but only momentarily before righting
himself. He stood, ran his hands through his hair, and
straightened his uniform. "Well Saionji, he said in what could
have passed for good humor, "you finally managed to defeat me."

Saionji, still trying to catch his breath, managed to speak.
"Yes, I did. And it feels glorious. A feeling I shall carry with
me for- eternity," he said and laughed.

Touga started to leave with Shiori and Kozue, then stopped and
turned back around toward the others. "My guess is that the three
of you will be reinstated to the Student Council after this, that
is if you still wish to belong. Oh, and by the way Saionji, while
you're remembering your victory here today, consider this- you
beat me with Tenjou's sword. It's not just any sword, you know-
it's the Sword of Dios. It really does beg the question: did YOU
beat me, or did the SWORD?"

The President turned and walked away, calling out behind him "See
you three at the next Council meeting."

Saionji yelled at Kiryuu as he departed. "I defeated you Touga!
Kyouichi Saionji- not the sword! The victory was MINE and you
know it! IT WAS ME!" He turned back to the others and spoke in a
low voice. "It was me."

"If you're reinstated," asked Utena, now flanked by Wakaba on one
side of her and Anthy on the other, "will you all go back to the
Student Council?"

"Of course," shouted Saionji.

"Yes," answered Juri, followed by a nod of Miki's head.

"But why?" asked Utena. "Why would you do that after all that's
happened?"

Juri, Miki, and Saionji walked to the center of the Arena,
directly underneath the spinning Castle, which hung majestically
overhead. The three looked upward, staring silently at it.

Utena closed her eyes for a moment, fighting back an emotion she
couldn't identify. Disgust or Pity? Fear or Envy?

"Let's leave this place," she finally said to Himemiya and
Wakaba. Hand in hand with each, she and her two best friends left
the Arena. Remaining behind were the three former and future
Student Council members who stood transfixed, gazing skyward. The
Castle seemed to respond to them, to glow brighter and more
brilliantly than ever. Surely this was the place where Something
Eternal, the Power of Miracles, and Shining Things all dwelled.

***       ***       ***       ***

In the final moments of dusk, the sun reflected in Himemiya
Anthy's eyeglasses as she looked out the window of the Ohtori
observatory. Akio sat on the couch behind her finishing a glass
of wine and talking aloud, not so much to his sister, but more to
himself.

"Well, perhaps the original Student Council aren't as weak as I
believed. I'll take Touga's recommendation to reinstate them,"
Akio said while pouring himself one more, "Good boy, that Touga.
He has potential. I like him,".

"Yes, big brother," acknowledged Anthy as she watched the nearest
star set and waited for the appearance of others she knew so
well.

Akio sat the bottle down hard in frustration. "But how? How did
they get into the Dueling Arena without their rose signet rings?
It just isn't possible. They had to have help. They had to," he
asserted.

Himemiya stood passively watching the sun linger a few minutes
more. She barely flinched as Akio slammed his hand down on the
coffee table.

"Dios! He must have helped them some way. He agreed not to help
Tenjou, so this is how he interferes with me. Damn him!" cursed
the Chairman, "He's probably laughing about it all right now.
Damn him! I will win this game Anthy, I will!"

"Yes, big brother," said Anthy, her glasses glinting with the
day's last light.

ZETTAI UNMEI MOKUSHIROKU. . .

FIN