{Once upon a time, there was a princess-} [That's not how it goes.] {Hey, will you let me finish? Okay, once there was a princess, who decided that she wanted to become a prince-} [I don't think she was ever a princess. And besides, that isn't a good place to start.] {Fine. If *you're* so smart, then *you* tell the story.} [All right, I will.] {Fine.} [Once upon a time, there was a prince who strove to fill the world with light, and made it his goal to bring joy to all the princesses everywhere. However, a prince can only ever truly be a prince to one princess, perhaps saving a few more along the way. The world scorned his efforts, and in a fit of anger, took his most precious jewel from him, his sister. And the fallen prince decided that since he couldn't make the world happy, he would make the world his. But with the loss of his nobility, his greatest power was broken.] {What power would that be?} [Love. Pure, true, undiluted love is the most powerful thing in the world. But his had been weakened by being spread too thin, and then was finally lost. You can try to save all of the princesses of the world, but if you do not ever truly know them, how can you love them?] {Point.} [Anyway, so the fallen prince tried to use the dreams and hopes of others to regain his power. But since he had forgotten what love was, if he had ever really known, he couldn't see that their emotions were selfish and flawed, and incapable of ever accessing such power. But then one came along with a truly noble heart; one he was sure could regain his power for him.] {And *that* is the princess who wanted to be- OW!} [*I'm* telling the story, remember?] {You didn't have to *hit* me!} [However, because of her purity, she detested everything the fallen prince stood for, and they fought an epic battle in the sky. The prince's power was released in order to save the princess, who was set free and lived happily ever after. The fallen one never understood what had happened, and spent the rest of his days trying to regain that which no longer existed.] {And the prince? The real one I mean, who freed the power. The girl.} [Ah yes, her. The world she had lived in forgot her. No one knew what ever became of her. And that is where the story truly begins.] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Shatter A Shoujo Kakumei Utena Fanfiction By Lady Brick www.mindeclipse.com Part 1 - The Page Turns ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ He watched them from his perch above the world. They milled far below, indistinguishable, insects. Yet he knew each one, their name, their mind, their soul. This was his world, and they were his creatures. Each one was so trapped amidst their longings and desires, they never realized how weak it made them. Impure, cracked, some even broken beyond repair. He reveled in it. Yet in the end, they were all useless. Even the strongest, those consumed, fused by their longings, were still so easily shattered. Nothing more than toys, really, played with for a while, and then discarded out of boredom. Except for one. He could see her in his mind's eye, shining, pure. In all of his long existence, he had never seen another quite like her, so innocent, untouched, unbreakable. Well, perhaps he had, but he didn't care to remember that one. It was a paradox really. He hated her purity, it repulsed him, and yet he needed it to reach the power that had been lost to him. And yet again, he would have to burn away just a touch of that strength, that nobility, before he could fully utilize it for his own means. Just to bend her, a bit. The breaking would come later. He stepped away from the window, the wind outside giving his pale hair one final tug. Strolling behind his desk, he immersed himself in the boring, mundane paperwork that had been waiting patiently for him all morning. Of course, his power was such that he would never be forced to resort to such lowly means to truly run the school, his world, but it amused him to play according to their rules, and still come out on top. Or so he told himself. One memo caught his eye. A note from the head teacher about meeting with a new student later that afternoon. Student transfers were not that unusual, even this far into the term. And he often did meet with the new students, both as a friendly gesture to show that those in charge of the school were accessible, and for his own purposes of learning if there were any new candidates worthy of wearing his rose seal. The odd thing about it was, this was the first he had heard of it. Ohtori was his world, nothing ever happened without his knowledge of it. Normally he would not be concerned, but his plans were beginning to ripen quickly, and he would take no chances that anything would disturb them. It was possible that, concerned with more important matters, he had simply let a few things slip by. But he wasn't willing to stake all he had worked towards on it. The Revolution was quickly approaching. And, under his watchful eye, nothing would stop it. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Do you think he will figure it out?" "He is too blinded by the power he believes he possesses. He won't realize anything until it is too late." "But he..." "He is trapped within his own illusions, as much as those he manipulates. He won't even consider it a possibility." A pause. "Does he love her? Even a little." "He doesn't know what that means anymore." "I had hoped that perhaps... no, I knew. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little scared." "I know. I'll be here, though. Don't worry." "I'll worry until this is over." A pause. "I know. And perhaps you are the wiser of us for it." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A pale-haired girl stepped through the gates of Ohtori, barely avoiding being trampled by a herd of excited elementary school students heading to class. She took one glance around, absently smoothing her long gray skirt, tucking back a strand of hair that had escaped its tidy bun, then spotted a group of middle school students. Hesitantly at first, and then with a slightly more assured step, she approached them. "Excuse me," she began, "I don't mean to bother you, but I just transferred to this school, and I-" One of the younger girls turned towards her, a brunette with a jaunty ponytail pulled far back from her face and a smile that shone through her bright brown eyes. "Do you need help at all? I, Shinohara Wakaba, will gladly assist you!" Seemingly forgetting her friends, she latched onto the older girl's arm. Staring at the enthusiastic middle schooler, the girl in gray struggled with herself for a moment before finally relaxing and revealing her own small smile. "Thank you very much, Shinohara-san." With her free arm, she retrieved a sheet of paper from her blazer pocket. "I am supposed to meet with the school chairman, according to this." "The Chairman? Wow, he's so incredibly cu- I mean, my best friend lives with him and his younger sister... I can show you the way." "Your best friend?" Wakaba nodded vigorously. "Utena-kun is my best friend. Although she hasn't been around much recently..." Her eyebrow spasmed momentarily, then calmed. "And that is why it is up to me to work hard to maintain the bonds of our precious friendship." The pale-haired girl frowned slightly. "Hasn't been around? Did she leave the school?" "Oh no! She is in class and everything, I just don't see her as much otherwise. And she never seems to hang around much with anyone else either. Even Hasukawa-san asked me the other day why Utena-kun never plays the basketball team anymore." Wakaba's somber demeanor suddenly fled. "Utena-kun is one of the best athletes in the school! She can beat the *whole* basketball team by herself. And she's so tall..." she craned her neck up at the pale-haired girl. "But I think you are even taller... Are you in the high school?" "Yes, 11th grade." "Ah, so that explains it. You're taller because you are older. I bet Utena-kun will be at least as tall as you when she is in 11th grade- oh, here we are." Wakaba led her through an ornate wooden door emblazoned with the school's rose crest into a small, elegantly decorated lobby. There were a few small doors surrounding an elaborate metal grating. At a touch of a small button, the metalwork pulled apart, revealing an elevator. "Isn't this cool?" bubbled Wakaba as the elevator slowly rose. "Utena-kun is so lucky she gets to live with- I mean, in such a amazing place." The other girl nodded absently. She twisted her hands together in a somewhat nervous manner, fiddling with a gold ring on one of her fingers. The elevator gave a gentle chime as it arrived on the top floor, the doors separating to reveal a cavernous room with a giant planetarium projector seated in the center. "This has to be the coolest office ever, don't you think?" Wakaba asked. "I mean at the top of a tower, with a planetarium... it's like a fairy tale or something." The older girl didn't answer. She slowly stepped into room, leaving Wakaba alone in the elevator. "Good luck! And see you around!" Wakaba waved vigorously as the metal doors wove shut in front of her. She hoped she could still make it to class early enough to talk to Utena. She could tell her about- It was then she realized she had forgotten to ask the girl her name. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Mawahisa Kyoko." Ohtori Akio glanced at the paper caught in his hand, then at the pale girl in the gray uniform seated in the chair in front of his desk. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny. It was almost refreshing to see someone who wasn't immediately drawn in by his presence. There were so few at this school who could sense something unusual about his presence, who seemed immune to his charms. It meant little to him if she was. Adoration and fear: both served his purposes equally well. "It says in your file that you spent that you have spent the last few years studying abroad?" Kyoko nodded once. "Yes. I found it necessary to return to Japan a few months ago. I have... a heart condition. It was too much of a strain away from home and my doctors." "Yes, we recently lost a student with similar condition." In his mind's eye, he saw the lanky, enigmatic duelist. He had had such high hopes for the boy, but in the end, he had relinquished his desires for another. Weak. "He insisted on pushing past his limits, despite warnings against attempting any strenuous physical activities. I hope that you will be more attentive to your health. I assume that you will not be participating in any of our intramural athletics." "No." Kyoko paused. "Actually, I have recently started taking horseback riding lessons... my doctor said that it was alright. I heard that Ohtori had a stable?" Akio gave a warm smile. "We have a first-class stable out by the forest. I often go riding myself. I'll contact the head hostler and let him know that you are to have full access." "Thank you." The words were barely a whisper. "Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to accommodate you," Akio said, studying her rather delicate features. She was really a lovely girl. Too bad she was of no real use to him. But at this point, he had more than enough pawns in his little chess game... too many pieces inevitably led to disorder. "I assume that the head teacher already gave you your room assignments and class schedule?" "Yes." "Well, I believe that is all for the time being then. Feel free to stop by again if you need to discuss anything, no matter how small. I am at your disposal." He held out a long-fingered hand, and she hesitantly clasped it. Her fingers were cold, and a gold ring she wore with some sort of raised motif bit somewhat painfully into his fingers. She withdrew her hand quickly, and looked at him with large, almost frightened eyes. They were an odd shade of gray, with hints of blue or hazel, he wasn't quite sure. "Thank you," she repeated, turning sharply and retreating towards the elevator. He watched her leave with some bemusement, then turned his attention back to more important matters that lay at hand. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ She crouched against the wall, her body wracked by sobs. She slipped a handkerchief out of her blazer pocket, wiping the tear tracks from her cheeks. "I can't do this," she whispered, seemingly to herself. "Coming back here, seeing everyone... it's too hard. And I didn't think she'd be here. I'll have to see them together... I don't want to! Why do I have to? Tell me!" She paused, silent, as if expecting answers to drop from the wind. Judging by the way her expression calmed, it appeared that they quite possibly had. "You're right, as usual. I do have to finish this, the whole stupid fairy tale game. The prince and the princess must live happily ever after, and the world's shell must be broken, and all of that crap. I'm sorry. I know what this means to you." She returned the handkerchief to her pocket and stood, quickly smoothing her uniform. In the back of her mind, she wondered if she would have to get one of those ridiculous Ohtori uniforms, or if her own would serve for her time here. She was about halfway to her dorm when her vision began to waver. She slowed down, took long, deep breaths. However, the pain began to come, first slowly, then in waves. The world fluttered in and out of focus. "Damnit," she gasped, feeling the papers slip from her shaking fingers. She had been feeling so much better as of late, to have another attack now... She stumbled, lost her balance. A hand clasped her shoulder firmly, steadying her. Gradually, the pain ebbed, and her eyes cleared. She knelt to get the papers she had dropped, but found they were already being held in front of her. "Thank you," she murmured, turning to see who her rescuer was. Her throat locked at the sight of the white uniform, sharp blue eyes, and long, red hair. "Always glad to assist a damsel in distress," Kiriyuu Touga replied, a slight smirk on his face. She only gaped in reply. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "Himemiya? Something wrong?" Utena paused, noticing Anthy's attention was drawn outside the classroom window. Glancing out into the bright afternoon, she noticed the Student Council President speaking to a tall, elegant blond in a strange gray uniform. "Who is that?" Anthy finally snapped out of her brief trance. Turning to Utena, she gave a small smile. "Something different," she replied. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ {Are you sure you're telling the right story? I'm pretty familiar with this one, and I don't remember her. Hey, you aren't adding new characters all of a sudden, are you? That's cheating!} [The story is never the same. Endings always change, because once you reach the end, who wants to live the whole thing over again? Puppets cut their strings, shadows spring to life, and masks are traded. New faces can be old in disguised. After all, the story never ends, and never begins.] {...... was that supposed to make sense?} [It always does, at the end.] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Author's Notes: Whatever you are thinking about this fic, it is probably wrong. With that said, "Shatter" should end up being five parts long... I'll go as far to say it WILL be five parts long, as carefully as I have plotted this out. Please don't form any mindsets about this story until all of the parts have been released and read. After all, "that is where the story truly begins." I'd say more, but I have probably already said too much. Comments and critiques are welcome and encouraged. Lady Brick lady_brick@yahoo.com Disclaimer: I did not create Utena and do not own any of the characters. Though I doubt anyone thought I did.