This Is Dawn

---

Morning can be a beautiful event. The sun rising over the misty
bay, the rays of light hitting the side of the massive buildings,
reflecting the image of the life-giving star. So many things to
appreciate, so many things to fill the heart with wonder. She sat
at the cafe, a simple streetside affair in the Venusian city of
Secunda, right on the edge of the bay. Patrons took the many
small tables, enjoying their breakfasts, drinking and socializing
before the day began. Streetcars glided down their tracks set in
the busy street, cars and taxis drove along. She became absorbed
in this spectacle of humanity at its best, as a shadow fell over
her.

"Juri?"

Looking up, the sun blocked most of the woman's characteristics
from her weary eyes, yet the voice sent a million bells off in
her head. Her jaw fell, and she found she could not control her
speech, nor the rest of herself. She simply gaped as the figure
sat in a chair, along with another feminine figure. Bright pink
hair reflected the sun, each strand like that of a silken weave
from a star. The other's violet hair absorbed the sun into
itself, before casting a beautiful hue around them. Juri stared
at these figures from her distant past just sitting in front of
her.

"Are you okay Juri?" the violet haired figure asked.

"U-U-Utena?? ANTHY?! How-"

"It doesn't matter how my dear. Are you well?" Anthy replied.

"I...I...I'm we-NO, Not well. I'm...dying, now."

Utena's face became downcast hearing this. "I'm sorry to hear
this. You do not look unwell, but it seems that your soul really
is growing thinner now. The ages have been kind to your body but
not your center."

Juri sat amazed. These were the last words she expected out of
the woman that she had not seen in over four thousand years.

"Truly Juri, Utena and I are very sad to hear that you are
unwell. No one should have to go through what you are now." Anthy
replied.

"It's okay. I really have had a good go at it. It's taken a long
time, but these last five hundred years, I took the time to
really see the worlds I have so sorely missed. It...it was not
easy when I realized how shut in I'd been. But...I- I wanted to
see things one more time. I knew I was nearing the end, and I
couldn't let him win."

"Akio." It was not a question.

"Yes. After all that time at Ohtori, and his influence upon us
all- except for you two, you were the only ones to truly break
free of him- I realized that by being so shut in and spiteful
that I was giving him what he wanted. If I stayed that way, it
would only become worse.

"I finally found love somewhere. She was great, full of life,
young and impetuous, and amazingly gorgeous. We had such a grand
time, traveling and seeing what there was to see. We went so far
as to leave the rim. We headed to Rupert's Cloud- you know, that
resort inside that small nebula above the galactic rim, over the
6th spiral arm- and we stayed at the planet Endara for nearly two
hundred years. We even had some children. They are all long gone,
off living their own lives now, but it was great to finally
live." She found herself leaning towards them, her eyes full of
tears and her breathing quick, having relived the memories of
what she felt was the only truly happy time in her life.

Juri looked at her two companions, saw their hands entwined and
realization dawned within. "You see now, do you not?" Anthy
stated. "Akio controlled us all by denying us the will or ability
to forge a true connection. He denied us love. When Utena and I
finally found it, he no longer could hold us."

"Don't blame yourself Juri. Anthy and I are here because we want
you to know that you proved it. You won and he has no power over
you, even in death."

Juri felt the tears flowing from her eyes, powerless to stop
them. She could not help it. The memory of the time by the
fountain, the only time she had ever known true peace, staring
into Utena's eyes. She saw something new in Utena's eyes this
time. There was a timeless knowledge, a depth of emotion and
caring she never knew existed. She felt the link to Anthy as
well. They both were there, both contained in each vessel before
her. They were no longer what she saw, they had passed beyond, to
some place she never knew. That place was sunlit and bright, a
large grassy slope, with a single oak tree upon the top. They lay
at the base, holding hands and reaching out to her. She flew
towards them, her arms outstretched, feeling the warmth emanating
from them. Her soul sang, a melody both sorrowful and joyful,
finally passing beyond this mortal coil. She flew, and fell
within their eyes. She saw the light of the sun, *The* Sun, warm
and loving. The Sun was joined by many, and more and more, they
formed systems, then Galaxies, then Universes, many upon many,
stretching out into an infinite space, so massive and yet so
artistic. A piece of art formed around a system that only the
creators knew. A structure only those with the ability to create
such things could possibly understand. She accelerated outwards,
the light building and building until she pulled out of the
vision, the mass of stars contained within a small glass ball,
sitting on a shelf. Companions joined it in all directions, more
than she could ever count, and still she pulled outwards. It
continued until she had no idea how many there were, only that
she could no longer tell they were there, for a massive
bookshelf, stacked with books lay there, the bindings labeled
with names she could not hope to read, yet were strangely
familiar, the small globes contained within each volume.

She came to rest in a chair, a fireplace across from her. Looking
around, she saw a large set of french doors, open to a huge
landscape, the curtains billowing in the gentle cool breeze. She
arose and stepped out, finding the hill she had seen off in the
distance. Looking at it, she could see a pair of figures, one
with hair so pink that it shone like the Sun overhead, and the
other with chocolate skin and violet hair, silklike and flowing
like a river through the plain. Her heart swelled as she
recognized Utena and Anthy, both asleep in a loving embrace, in
the shade of a single oak tree.

Juri walked out into the sunlit landscape, knowing that she was
now at peace.

-----------------------

"Tonight on Secunda Nightly News.

"Juri Arusigawa, four thousand two hundred and twelve years old,
the former owner and President of Vecantas Inc., died today at
her regular breakfast cafe, 'The Waterfront', from natural
causes. Two of her oldest friends, Utena Tenjou and Anthy
Himemiya-Tenjou, gave a small memorial service for her this
evening.

" 'Juri was a good friend and a loving person. She went through a
voyage of discovery and insight throughout her life, and we are
saddened to lose her. She spent many years of her life denying
miracles, never allowing anyone but herself to accomplish
something for her, denying herself peace for ages. Yet in her
passing, she finally found peace, and she found that miracles are
made by onesself as much as they are made by others. Our dear
friend has journeyed to her place of peace, and we will forever
carry her in our hearts until the day we meet in the place of
dreams.' "

-----------------------

Ok, thats done. I hope you liked it. I loved writing it.

From curbwatcher, die hard anime fan.

Disclaimer: Shoujo Kakumei Utena is owned by its creators, etc,
am not profiting, don't sue me and all that. And I own the ideas
I came up with for where Juri is going, etc, (C) by Keith Posehn
1996, 2001, all rights reserved.

C&C to anime@daegon.com