The ghost of the forest "My bonny is over the ocean My bonny is over the sea My bonny is over the ocean Oh, bring back my bonny to me." Utena sang with all her heart. Some birds flew terrified away, but she didn't care about them. Tightly she held the stick she found some hours ago and declared to be her hiking stick. She already told Anthy that she would carve some symbols into it in the evening. Her voice was happy and a wide grin laid on her sweaty face. She had bound her pink hairs together to a ponytail and put a dark cap on her head. Proudly she showed all animals of the forest that satan was stupid and some spots already covered her cut jeans. From the sandwich she ate for lunch while the bus had to break hard. Anthy was some steps behind. She always was. Utena had a well trained body and walked very fast. It was hard for the smaller girl to follow, but she didn't want to be a burden. So she kept silent and tried to keep up. Or at least not to fall too much behind. The boots Utena gave her were fantastic. Hardly she stumbled over a stone or a root and when she did it didn't hurt. But even them couldn't make her go faster. The rucksack on her back was heavy, but she knew that it wasn't even nearly as heavy as Utena's. Anthy only carried some more clothes and a little bit food. Especially for Chuchu. Her pet could eat a lot. Right now Chuchu sat on her shoulder and ate noisily a biscuit. Most of the food Utena had in her rucksack. Just like their sleeping bags and some bottles of water. And their tent. And a fishing rood. But the taller girl didn't complaint. She didn't even make a face as she lifted her bag for the first time. She only put it on her back and smiled. And started to hike in an incredible fast speed. During the past four or five hours she didn't slow down. They left the school early in the morning. It was the first time that Anthy saw Utena awake in the morning. Awake at five o'clock when the sun was slowly raising. The pink haired girl took a cold shower and they ate something before they went to the bus station. No one saw them. Especially not the duellists as Anthy feared the whole night. Not even Toga was there to hold them back. It really seemed as if the duellists had to see that they all had their right for summer vacations. Or did Utena confuse them so much? Anthy didn't know. She was simply happy to escape. Even if it was for just one summer. She put the exchange diary down in the most far corner of her desk. The bus left at seven in the morning and took them through half of the country. They saw some big cities passing by. A lot of farm land and finally the beginnings of the forest they hiked through now. Why did she take me with her? Anthy rested for a moment and took a deep breath. She glanced over to Utena who continued to sing while she walked over another root. The way through the forest was very small but Anthy liked it here. Here there could nothing be heard: No cars, no people shouting at each other. No honk. Nothing. Only the wind playing with the leaves of the trees. Only birds singing. Only some other animals hunting through the bushes around them. It was fantastic here. Peaceful. The sun still shown from the cloudless sky, but the trees gave them enough shadow to take her and there a small break. To drink or to eat something. And in Utena's case to dirty her dark shirt a little bit more. In the duels no one could beat her. The pink haired girl was a nature's talent in fighting with the sword. She even beat Juri, no one else could beat. But whenever she had to fight with a sandwich or with a sausage covered with ketchup she lost. At school she had to wash her uniform almost every second day. She was happy that she had more than just one uniform. Here in the forest it was alike how many spots were on her jeans. Her cheeks were redden and dirtied, too. She looks beautiful. Anthy felt how she blushed and moved again. Her legs started to hurt, but she didn't say a word. She only stroke over Chuchu's brown fur and the little pet purred. She is so wild and independent. She makes no compromises. She always walks her own way, is never influenced by anyone else. I wish I was like her. Just a little bit. But she knew she wasn't. She was the Rose Bride. A prisoner in a golden cage. A cage she just escaped. This morning. Even if this flight was limited. Anthy sighed slightly and blinked as a ray of sunlight shone directly into her eyes. Of course Utena gave her sunglasses, too, but the bronze girl couldn't use them. She had to wear her normal glasses, otherwise she would be too blind to follow her friend. My friend? Hai, my best friend. "Oh, bring back, bring back Oh, bring back my bonny to me, to me Bring back, bring back Oh, bring back my bonny to me." Anthy didn't know why Utena sang one fisher song after another. Because they were in the forests near the Fujiyama. When the smaller girl raised her head and blinked through the tree's crowns she could see a little bit white sparkling in the blue sky. The sea was away. At least fifty miles in each direction and Anthy hoped that Utena didn't want to walk this distance. At least not all today. It sounds funny. Utena didn't have the perfect voice. She wouldn't become a star in the show business. Even when she wanted to. But she sang with all her heart and changed the character of the old folk music songs by using a faster rhythm. Even when she missed a note time by time or sang in a complete different melody, it was nice to listen to her. To the giggle in her voice. And to watch how she sometimes jumped over a root in the rhythm. To see how she started to dance when she repeated the refrain for another time. She is so funny. So lively. Anthy corrected her glasses and glanced shortly at her watch. It was now almost seven in the evening. The bronze girl was very tired and her stomach growled. Of course they made some breaks, but the last one was now already two hours ago and the chocolate bar was long eaten. Anthy knew that Utena didn't mean it. She simply forgot time while she sang one song after another. Surely she didn't remember that her friend was weaker. But Anthy didn't want to disturb her. She didn't want to destroy Utena's fantastic mood. Surely she'll be tired soon, too. Utena swung the stick through the air and repeated the last refrain. Dancing over the little path. She turned around to Anthy and grinned openly at her. The bronze girl smiled shyly back while Chuchu leaned against her neck and started to snore. Well, maybe not that soon. The pink ponytail hopped through the air as Utena spun around and kept walking. "What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor? What shall we do with the drunken sailor? Early in the morning?" Utena reeled as if she was drunken and Anthy couldn't hold back her giggle. She stroke some violet strands out of her sweaty forehead and followed her. I am on vacations! I am really on vacations! For the first time in my life! The bronze girl smiled about that thought and her hurting legs kept silent for some moments. She speeded up not to lose a sailor Utena on the little path. I am on vacations with her. My best friend. The first weeks Anthy had seen her groom in Utena. As she was told by the other duellists before. But Utena told her that she didn't want a bride. That this was impossible, because they both were girls. And that they were too young to get engaged. Really engaged. For those weeks Anthy didn't quite understand why Utena fought all those duels. Why she won, although she had planned to lose on purpose. Until that special duel she lost. Against Toga. Anthy couldn't help Utena. Not even when they met at school and Utena wore the girl's uniform. She looked strange. Almost weird. In the evening there was another duel. Utena won again. A fight that seemed to have been impossible for her to win. But nevertheless she defeated Toga and got the Rose Bride back. While they walked home together from the secret place Utena didn't talk a lot and Anthy didn't want to say a word, although thousands of questions burned in her soul. Shortly before they arrived their room, the pink haired girl turned around and told Anthy that she wanted to be her friend. Not a duellist, not a master and especially not a groom. But a friend. A very good one. Since that day they were. For the first time someone listened to Anthy. Really listened and remembered what she said. Utena protected her as often as he could against Nanami's girls and against the other duellists. And they both bought a cook book and tried to cook something else than ice cream and chocolate cake. With a lot of ketchup it was even eatable. Now she even took me on vacations. My best friend... Although Anthy still didn't know why Utena did this. Simply taken her with her in the forest. Carrying so many more things she wouldn't need to if she was alone. But maybe, maybe that was what good friends did for another. Simply like that. Anthy was nervous whenever she thought at Utena's aunt. She didn't know her and was not sure if she was welcomed. She was a stranger after all! But whatever that aunt would say, before that very day they would spend two weeks in the forests. Two weeks Anthy was very keen on. Mostly she had to accept whatever the other duellists told her and didn't care much if she liked their ideas or not. But right now she knew that she was happy. As happy as she hadn't been in a long time before. Maybe as happy as she hadn't been in her whole life before. Arigato, Tenjoh-san. Utena... "Are you coming, Anthy?" The bronze girl blinked because she didn't realize that she stopped again. She nodded and speeded up. To reach the pink haired girl who still grinned over her whole face. "Hai." "Ohaiup, we're sailing Ohaiup, we're sailing Ohaiup, we're sailing Early in the morning!" *** It was a nice place. A river jumped over some stones not far away. Threes surrounded it and here was a little bit grass growing on the forest's ground. Utena stopped and looked up. Through the green crowns she could see how the sky changed its colour. Soon the sun would set. In the forest itself it was already a little bit darker. The shadows grew longer and Utena's stomach protested growling that she shouldn't go any further. That tomorrow was also a day to hike. A place to set up the tent, some fresh water and wood for the fire. Hai, that's good. "What do you think of, Anthy? Shall we stop for today and have supper?" All that answered her was the sound of a rucksack falling down. Utena spun around and saw the bronze girl sitting on the ground. Panting hard. Chuchu still slept on her shoulder. Anthy had closed her eyes and held her right hand on up her chest. She really looked exhausted. Oh... Utena raised her eyebrows and felt suddenly guilty. She didn't take much attention about her friend who followed her the whole day in silence. The whole day? How late is it? The pink haired girl glanced at her watch and felt even more guilty. It was now past eight in the evening. What meant that they walked for the past eight hours without so many pauses. She's surely not used to so much exercises. Utena was. Of course she was. She loved it to do sport. All kinds of sport: Basketball, volleyball, running, swimming. Simply everything. She was very good and played every day in different sport teams. Most of them were dominated by boys, but Utena never cared about that. Her father once told her that she could achieve everything, if she only wanted to. But Anthy did hardly any sport. Mostly she spent her afternoons by taking care for the rose garden. To be the Rose Bride in the duels. And to tidy up their room. But sport? She liked it to swim. But then she mostly laid on the surface and enjoyed more the water than swimming some competitions. "Oh... gomen, Anthy." Utena laid her stick on the ground and came over to her still panting friend. "I didn't notice that you were tired. Gomen." She went on her knees next to the bronze girl and looked into blurred purple eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that I am too fast? You know, you have to stop me when I start to run." Utena smiled and gulped. Still Anthy didn't react. Shimatta! That was only the first day! Hope she didn't already regret it to go on vacations with such a baka like me! Finally, after some more minutes of gasping for breath, the smaller girl smiled one of her shy smiles and corrected her sun glasses. "I didn't want to interrupt your singing, Tenjoh-san." Anthy woke Chuchu up who stared interested around. This was a new territory for him and of course he started to explore it in the very instant. No Tenjoh-san! Utena made a face, but she knew that it was too early right now. Maybe in one or in two weeks Anthy would forget the silly tradition. That she was only the Rose Bride, Utena her groom. "I didn't know that there were so many fisher songs in the world." "Ups." Even in the twilight of the trees Anthy could see how Utena blushed deeply. She really forgot that she hadn't been alone in the forest. The way she had been the past year before she came to the strange school and became a duellist. "Hope your ears aren't deaf now." "My ears are fine, Tenjoh-san." Anthy giggled softly and Utena blushed even deeper. "But my stomach..." she didn't have to finish her sentence, her growling stomach finished it for her. "You are right! Let's eat!" Utena rose and pushed her heavy rucksack down next to her stick. "I'll make the supper and you set up the tent, okay?" With those words she walked around and searched some old, dry branches to make a little fire. She heard something jingling and knew that Anthy really emptied the bag with the tent. It's not so hard to set, is it? Utena frowned while she put the branches in a little circle and searched in her pockets for the lighter. Just once Kei tried her to make fire with two sticks. After three hours and a lot of arguing he did it and in the next village he went through, he bought her that lighter. Of course it was black, but Utena kept it. As kind of a talisman. She never had a bigger brother. And somehow he had filled the empty place in her heart very well. No wonder that she missed him now a lot. "I also know some songs about the mountains. Even a German one. I only know that it's about a special mountain flower or so." Utena giggled while she cared for the fire. The flame was still tiny, but she learned a lot during all the camping vacations in her life, that it wouldn't die away during the next minutes. "My aunt has some crazy CDs and I listened to them all when I was young." Young and often very ill, because I missed my parents so badly. "So I know them all by heart." Utena laughed and searched in her big rucksack for the pan and the eggs. Surprised she saw that not even one egg was broken. How did I achieve that? Normally half of the eggs are broken by my way of walking. Fresh water was right next to her but she decided to wash herself after the meal. Her stomach protested almost as loud as Anthy's. "Guess it's all my aunt's fault. She always encouraged me to sing although I really have a terrible voice. If you can't stand it any longer, say it, okay? Before you are deaf or before you faint." She grinned as Chuchu suddenly stood right beside her and looked begging at the toast. She stroke over his brown fur and gave him one. Happily he hopped on top of Anthy's rucksack that laid still untouched on the path and started quickly to eat. He seemed to be as hungry as the two girls. Again something jingled but Anthy said no word. She didn't even respond Utena's questions. The pink haired girl put the water bottle down and turned around. And saw how the tent fell down with a loud noise. Partly because a pole hit a stone, partly because Anthy screamed out loud. She had sat inside the tent when the green walls came down. Now she didn't find the exit and fought hard with the cloth. "Anthy! Wait!" Utena was by her side the next moment and pulled the tent away. A pale Anthy appeared again and looked confused around. Some more hairs escaped her hairdo and hang into sparkling eyes. "But I read the description..." stammered the smaller girl and let Utena free her completely out of the tent. Then she heard the pink haired girl's bright laughter she loved so much to hear. Utena had a kind that let her know that she was amused. That she was happy. That the scene was funny. But she never laughed over Anthy. "That's what I did the first time, too, Anthy. After I tried to set the tent we had to repair it." Utena raised her right hand and stroke those wild strands out of Anthy's face. "You got it almost done." For a moment the hand stayed on the smaller girl's cheek and purple eyes grew wide. But before she could say anything more, the moment was gone and Utena stood on her feet again. "Let's set the tent together, Anthy. And then let's eat something. I am starving." Nani? Anthy only nodded. Ten minutes later the tent was really set and it seemed as if it would keep standing. First the bronze girl had been unsure if one tent was big enough for them, but after she had seen it from the inside, really set and filled with two sleeping bags, she was convinced that it was okay this way. "You have never been camping before, have you?" Utena handled Anthy the roasted toast and a plate with two fried eggs. She tried her best, but still one lost it's egg yolk. But the smaller girl didn't complain. She simply started to eat and gave a little bit of her toast to Chuchu who looked still hungry. The little pet sat now on her right knee and nibbled happily at the prey. "No." Anthy shook her head and drank some gulps out of the water bottle. They didn't have tumblers but they didn't care. Even their plates were made out of plastic so that they wouldn't break. "But I like it." She smiled that soft smile and Utena felt how her heart beat increased. At least she likes it! "Tomorrow we won't go that far, Anthy." Utena wolfed down her two eggs and her toast and looked in the rucksack for some sweets. After a short while she found a chocolate bar and rolled her eyes as Chuchu sat now begging on her left shoulder. Of course he got a little bit of the bar, too. "Only two more hours and we'll be on a lake, well, it's kinda more a pond, but the water is nice fresh and I'd like to take a bath. Guess I stink like a skunk." Anthy only giggled and started her second egg. Utena wondered silently how the smaller girl could eat so slowly. She mostly ate with high speed. She knew that no one would take away the meal from her, but her stomach often growled so loud and it didn't have that knowledge. "Do you know that forest?" Anthy raised her head and looked around. She relaxed her hurting legs and stared for some moments in the dark red sky above them. It was now dark inside the forest, but the fire lightened up their sleeping place. Besides Utena cared for torches so that they would never stumble around in the darkness. "Hai. It's the same route as every year." Smiled Utena with a brown mouth and took herself another chocolate bar. She knew that they would arrive a small village in three days and that they had new bars there. "When I was very small, my parents went camping this way with me." Her smile deepened and with glassy eyes she stared into the flames. Not noticing Anthy any longer. But seeing someone else. Surely the family she lost ten years ago. Of course Anthy knew about that tragedy. Utena once told her about that. Why she had chosen to become a prince. Where she got the ring with the rose seal from. Why her aunt always had to sign her reports and not her parents. Why no one came to the school when they had a festival. "Okay, I didn't go that time. Mostly my father carried me on his shoulders." Without noticing Utena brought her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees. The chocolate bar fell on the ground and disappeared into the shadows. Together with a grinning Chuchu. "We had a lot of fun these days. My parents didn't want to go in expensive restaurants and so we always went camping in the summer. I learned swimming in the pond that was for me as big as a lake when I was little. One year before my parents died they bought me a bike and here on this small path I learned how to drive it. It was great." Utena sighed deeply and took a little branch in her hand. To stir with it in the flames. Again she saw the beautiful woman before her eyes. Her strong, unafraid father. Again she felt how they took her in her arms. How she sat on his strong shoulders and laughed happily. How they started to sing funny songs while they hiked. How she helped her father to set the tent. How her mother let her grill her toast all alone over the open fire. How they had so much fun in the evening when the first stars sparkled above. Telling fairy tales in the fire's shine. Shimatta! It's now ten years and I still miss them so much! Anthy didn't say a word. She only sat there and ate silently her supper. Looking sadly over to her best friend. She knew that Utena thought of her parents. That she thought now at her lost family. Anthy herself couldn't remember her own parents. Nor did she ever experienced a vacations in the forest. Any vacations at all. But now I am on vacations. With her. Anthy took a deep breath and tried to smile. I shouldn't be sad about the things that had never been. I should be happy about this time I am allowed to spend -with her. Utena blinked and it looked as if she did awake from a deep, deep dream. She glanced over to Anthy who just ate the rest of her second egg and finished her toast. "The following years I could convince my aunt to camp with me. Until I was old enough to go camping with Kei." Utena grinned now in other, in happier memories. "He was a total baka and a real devil. Just like me. We did a lot of nonsense. He always told me horror tales and afterwards I couldn't sleep and was afraid." She giggled and searched for her bar. Disappointed she had to see that it had vanished. Probably forever, because Chuchu's belly was bigger and his mouth more brown. "He scared me so much that I had to wake him up in the middle of the night because I was too afraid to go for little girls alone." Her eyes sparkled in the fire's light and she laid her head on her knees. With half closed eyes she glanced over to Anthy who listened her silently. As she mostly did. Even at school. At the long evenings when there was no duel to fight. No sport competition to win. No ball to avoid. "If you want to hear one of his stories, just tell me. He knew a lot good ones." For a moment there was silence. But it was a pleasant silence. No one searched for words or felt uncomfortable. They simply sat there. Both looking in the flames. Anthy drank more water while Utena remembered so many things she hadn't thought about the past months. Maybe even the past years. "As I told you, he has now a job and a girlfriend. He had to work the last year and I guess his girlfriend wouldn't let him go camping with me. Not alone." She shrugged her shoulders as if she couldn't understand that girl. Maybe because she had never seen herself as a girlfriend. Especially not of him. "Wakaba was in Greek with her parents, so I went alone. It was very nice, but lonely." Anthy turned her head a little bit and yawned slightly. "I am very happy that you really come with me, Anthy. It's simply more funny go camping with a friend, not alone." Utena blushed as she earned one of those soft smiles she didn't understand. But she simply liked to see. With them Anthy looked beautiful. Like a princess. A real princess. "If I am too fast or if I start to freak out, just say some sharp words or knock on my head, okay? It's hard enough to survive it." Anthy's smile deepened and she simply nodded. *** It was in the middle of the night when she woke up. No, when she was woken up. She needed some moments to orientated. To remember where she was. The ground was harder than her bed and the blanket was completely wrapped around her body. It was dark and as she sat up, she felt cloth on her head. Nani? The next moment the memory returned. How she went by bus through half of Japan. How she walked the whole day through a deep forest. How she sat down on a fireplace in the evening and ate the most delicious fried eggs in her life. How she washed her face and her arms with the nice fresh water of the near brook and crept tiredly into her sleeping bag. Just like her best friend. "Anthy?" The girl pushed the warm blanket away and shivered. She stripped her jeans and now she only wore a white shirt she would misuse as a night gown for the next weeks. Although it had been a very hot summer's day, the night's air was now chilly. Chuchu laid on her pillow and slept deep and tight. He ate a lot chocolate the evening and not even a bomb exploding would awake him now. "Tenjoh-san?" "Don't call me this way, Anthy!" She saw how the cover was put away and the air was even more chilly. A shadow moved into the tent and the next moment Anthy felt how someone grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. The girl shivered as a slight breeze plaid with her now open hairs. "What's wrong?" She looked around but could only see shadows until someone put her glasses over her nose. Now she could make a difference between the high trees and the bushes. But only some inches away there was darkness. Impenetrable darkness. "What are we doing here?" "Come." Was all Utena said as she grabbed her hand again. Anthy yawned slightly but didn't protest. The hand was wonderful warm and she knew that she couldn't escape. That was surely one of Utena's crazy ideas and during the past months the smaller girl got to know that it was better to tolerate that or to listen to Utena's complaints for the next days. Sometimes Utena could be like a small child. When her ideas weren't taken notice of, she could sulk for hours. And even longer. They walked upwards a small hill. Suddenly the trees were gone and they stood on a small meadow. It was like a little island in the sea of the forest. The grass was wet under her naked feet and Anthy winced as she stumbled over a stone. But Utena didn't stop. She only pulled her with her. "Aren't you tired, Tenjoh-san?" But Utena didn't answer. She simply stopped and Anthy who didn't take attention, crashed into her. The taller girl didn't mind. She only pointed to the sky. "Look, Anthy." Her voice was very silent and a little bit shaky. Anthy stepped back and did as she was told. Her chin dropped and her eyes grew wide as she saw the shooting stars. Flying through a cloudless sky. Passing all those other sparkling stars. Falling to earth like an angel. Anthy recognized some constellations. Even the Milky Way. "There..." Utena's voice was almost inaudible. Other shootings stars crossed the firmament. There were ten of them. Or twelve? Or even more? Anthy couldn't count. They were too fast for her eyes. Too fast to catch. Too fast to hold. But the same time so beautiful. Anthy wished to be able to let them stay. To make them rest. Only for her. To watch them a little bit longer than just some seconds. Some tiny seconds that were over too soon. "My father once told me that if you wish something from a shooting star, it will be granted." Whispered Utena after a long time and crossed her arms before her chest. She only wore a T-shirt, too. A yellow one with a dragon on the front. It wasn't crumbled. Just like her hairs weren't messed. Didn't she sleep the last hours? Anthy couldn't remember. She fell down in her sleeping bag and was fast asleep the next second. "You should wish something nice, Anthy." The smaller girl looked shortly at her best friend whose face was covered with shadows before she watched the rain of shooting stars again. They sparkled silver and looked like diamonds. Wish? What shall I wish? Anthy frowned and gulped. She had wished so many things in her life before, but nothing happened. Nothing changed. She was the Rose Bride and whoever won her in a duel was her groom. He could do what he wanted with her. Just like Saionji who beat her. He didn't want her to be his girlfriend as she thought the first time. He wanted to have someone he could control completely. Whenever she was too slow or had to remind him that there were some rules - some bloody rules in a cursed game - he slapped her right into the face. To let her feel that she nothing. Only the Rose Bride. That her task was it to hold the sword. Nothing more. In those days she stopped wishing anything. But now... one wish was granted. Some months ago... Anthy glanced again over to Utena and sighed slightly. Hai, finally there was someone there who cared for her. As a person, not as a thing. Suddenly there was someone who made her smile. Who made her giggle. Who made her feel so light. So happy. Suddenly there was someone she could talk to. Or at least listen to. To very serious but also to very funny words, to total nonsense. Suddenly there was someone who defended her against the other duellists. Someone who took care for her and didn't let her down like all the others had done. Anthy gulped and felt how her eyes watered. Suddenly there was someone who liked her. Her, the girl inside, not the sword. Again the bronze girl watched a shooting star and closed her eyes. Feeling how the wind got stronger and blew harder through her opened hairs. Some strands flew over her shoulders and touched her burning cheeks. I want this person to stay. It was a silly wish. She knew it. Some day Utena would lose. Or she would get bored and leave. Or she would go insane when she would receive her first letter by the end of the world. One day. Not today. Not tomorrow. But maybe the first day after their vacations. Utena didn't believe in the revolution as she didn't believe in the engagement towards the Rose Bride. She didn't know how much it meant for Anthy. That Utena was the groom and no one else. Stay forever. It wouldn't come true. One day she would lose that friend. But until that day, maybe it was possible for her to believe in that dream. As she opened her eyes the shooting star was gone. It was replaced by other ones. "This is a special night, Anthy. It only happens once a year that you can see so many of them." Utena's voice was still so shaky and the smaller girl wondered if her friend cried. Crying? Wild Utena crying? She had never seen her cry. Not during all those crazy duels. Not when Utena got injured. Not when Toga screamed at her. Not even that strange day when Utena behaved like crazy. When she wore the girl's uniform and looked weak. As weak as Anthy hadn't seen her before. As weak as Anthy didn't want to see her again. Because that picture had almost made her heart break. "Did you wish something, Anthy?" "Hai, Tenjoh-san. And you?" There was the sound of a shaky laughter. A very sad laughter that made Anthy look again at the taller girl. Still Utena's face was hidden in the shadows, but Anthy saw how the taller girl trembled. "It's alike how hard I will wish, some wishes can't be granted." Utena seemed to tremble even more and she lowered her head. Her long, pink hairs fell over her shoulders. Suddenly she looked like a small child. A lost child. Left by its parents. "They are gone and they will never return again." There was the sound of a silent sob. As if Utena cried but didn't want anyone to let notice it. "Tenjoh-san?" "It's okay, Anthy. It's okay." But as Utena raised her right hand quickly to wipe over her cheeks, Anthy knew that it wasn't okay. That Utena had thought the whole evening, maybe even the whole night of her parents. And that the memory hurt a lot. Maybe even too much to bear it. All alone. No one should be alone. Anthy gulped while five more shooting stars made their ways over the dark sky. Between sparkling stars. She knew too well what loneliness meant. Without thinking too much about it, Anthy stepped over to her best friend and embraced her carefully. To comfort her. To show her that she was there. That Utena wasn't all alone. *** "I JUMP!" Utena curled herself up in a ball while she flew through the air. The next moment water splashed around her body as she fell into the water. It was crystal clear and very, very cold. But the pink haired girl didn't care about it. The day was hot and she sweated the past hours. Utena waved her arms and came back to the surface. Her wet hairs hang into her face and happily she smiled over to Anthy who stood at the rim of the pond. Holding her right feet into the water. Her face showed that it was too cold for her. They woke up when it was already light outside. And hot. After a long breakfast Utena needed to wake really up, they put the tent again into the bag and walked on. Anthy didn't complain but Utena knew that the smaller girl had aching muscles. So she didn't want to exaggerate today with their tour. They would stay here for the rest of the day. Relaxing. Maybe reading the book Utena wanted to finish during the past months. But whenever she held it in her hands she had to put it away because of a silly duel. Some hours after they left the little place near the brook, around noon, they arrived at the pond Utena learned to swim in. A lot of years ago. Without thinking much she stripped her shoes, her jeans and jumped into the water. She didn't care about her T-shirt. It would dry quickly in the summer's heat. "Come in, Anthy! It's nice fresh!" "Fresh? Freezing!" Anthy stood now with both feet in the water and goose flesh covered her arms. Chuchu looked down from his secure place on the smaller girl's shoulder and shook his head. He didn't seem to be keen to froze, too. A biscuit seemed to be better. A lot better. "Come one! Don't be such a spoilsport!" Utena grinned and waved her hands. Anthy jerked back as the water touched her legs. "You'll like it!" Anthy sighed deeply before she let Chuchu down. The water looked nice. The smaller girl really sweated and felt dirty after the long walk yesterday. But it was so cold! It was only a pond and it wouldn't be too deep. Anthy could swim, but she wasn't very sure in it. She learned it when she was a child but no one really cared if she could do it well. Maybe I should listen to her. She sighed again and stripped her shoes and the jeans. "Great! I have a small ball in my rucksack. A yellow one. Can you bring it with you? Then we can play." Shouted Utena from somewhere from the water and splashed a little bit with her feet while she swam on her back. She spread her arms and looked up to the sky. There were only a few clouds. White clouds that blurred in the blue sky. Somewhere there was the Fujiyama, but she couldn't see it right now. Wind played with the threes and the water crimped. Then it moved as someone jumped past her. There was a little scream and then a wave made Utena cough. She stood again and blinked as Anthy came back to the surface next to her and shook her head. "This is COLD!" she squeaked and the ball escaped her hands. It danced on the surface and she squinted to find him back. She didn't wear her glasses any longer and her purple eyes seemed to be brighter now that they weren't hidden any longer. She kept her hairdo, but water sparkled in her hairs like pearls. Some strands escaped and curled up around her neck. Utena gulped as Anthy stood up and wrapped her arms freezing around her body. She only wore her underwear. White underwear that was wet now and had a strange contrast to her bronze skin. She is beautiful. Utena felt how she blushed and frowned. She didn't know why she blushed now. She had seen Anthy often only wrapped in a towel when she came out of the shower. Or when they went home from school and it rained like hell. So that they were soaked up to their bones. Or when Anthy dressed up in the morning while she tried to get a complaining Utena out of her bed who pulled desperately her blanket over her head and wished that it was still deep in the night and that school wouldn't start in less than an hour. But now Anthy looked different. Completely different. Without that school uniform. Without her sun glasses. With a sweet smile on her face while she said again and again that it was cold. Cold but refreshing. "Ah, there's the ball!" finally Anthy saw the yellow something and grabbed it. "Do you really want to play with such a blind mole like me, Tenjoh-san?" But the taller girl didn't react. Anthy frowned and looked up. But she couldn't see the other one's face. All she saw was a blurred shadow of a pink colour. Surely of Utena's hairs. The taller girl was standing there next to her. Only some inches away. I am really blind! Anthy couldn't see anything without her glasses. Only shadows. Moving shadows. That was why she always wore her glasses. Even when not only one boy told her that she looked stupid with them. That she should put them down. Anthy didn't. She knew that Saionji or Toga would laugh over her when she would stumble over a big chair everyone saw. Everyone except her. She even went to take a shower with her glasses until Utena noticed it. She asked her and looked disbelieving as she heard Anthy's explanation. She promised her not to laugh and the next time as Anthy took a shower, she put her glasses away. Blind as always she had almost overseen her shoes, but Utena was there to hold her when she was about to fall. "Tenjoh-san? Catch!" Anthy is a beautiful girl. Why don't they see it? Why do they have to press her into that Rose Bride nonsense? Don't they know how wonderful she looks when she smiles so softly? When she giggles and even tries to make a little joke? When she argues with her Chuchu and cares for other people? For a total baka like me who falls asleep during the literature lesson and she's busy to wake me up? Don't they know how much fun it can be to cook with her? Even when the rice is burned and the curry inedible? Don't they know how great it is to set a tent with her? To go with her up a hill in the middle of the night to watch shooting stars? To roast grill over the open fire and to talk to her about all different things you just have in mind? To listen to her soft voice when she tries to explain something? To see the sparkle in her purple eyes? Don't they know? Utena sighed deeply and watched how the smaller girl raised the little ball. Water fell down and it sparkled like diamonds. Valuable diamonds. Diamonds only for her. Anthy threw it and giggled as it fell down shortly before Utena. How it splashed the taller girl. No, they don't. "Tenjoh-san? Everything alright?" Utena blinked and now Anthy looked concerned. She squinted but surely she couldn't see a lot without her glasses. The pink haired girl took the wet ball and held it high into the air. "Can you see it?" "What? Your hairs standing up in all directions or the yellow something in your hand?" It was a joke. Anthy started to giggle, because Utena made a puzzled face. Then she raised her free hand and could feel all the knots and the curls in her hairs. She blushed deeply before she started to laugh. A joke. That was really a joke! Anthy made a joke. She threw the ball gently towards the bronze girl. "You'll regret your cheekiness, Anthy!" she shouted before she dived. Anthy grabbed for the yellow ball and giggled even more. "First you have to catch me, Tenjoh-san." Of course Utena was faster. Of course Anthy was ticklish. Chuchu only watched them while he allowed himself another delicious biscuit. *** "Ouch!" Utena tried to brush her hair but it was as wild as always. The whole afternoon she tried to avoid it. She bound her hair more or less to a ponytail and ignored it. They left the water when the sun was already setting and their lips started to turn into blue. They set up the tent, cared for some wood and laid on a blanket to relax. Anthy was fast asleep and Utena got finally a little bit time to read the book she wanted so badly to read during the past weeks. It was indeed as good as she had expected. While the shadows grew longer and longer and the air got pleasant fresher, their stomachs reminded them again that it was time to eat supper. Utena lightened up the fire and now water stood in the flames to boil. Or at least to get warm enough to make some instant soups. At that moment Utena remembered her hairs and searched for a long time for her brush. Finally she found it and now she fought hard with the defiant strands. When she had been younger she wanted to have short hairs, but her aunt didn't let her cut them. Over the years she simply got used to it and in the winter they were a nice warm scarf. For her who often lost her gloves and her scarves during December. Right in time to get new ones from her aunt for Christmas. But in such moments she wanted to have short hairs. As short as Miki's or even shorter. Right now she wanted badly to have a bald head. No matter how stupid that would have looked. "Shimatta!" Again she fought the brush through her hairs but all she earned was pain as she ripped out some strands. Tears burned in her eyes and she blushed in anger. "This... can't... be... true..." she groaned and threw the brush on the blanket. Insulted she crossed her arms before her chest and stared at the brush as if it would change when she was angry. "May I help you, Tenjoh-san?" Utena raised her head and looked at Anthy who put the two instant soups down and came over to her. She had no problems when she corrected her hairdo again after they left the water. But it seems as if her hairs were softer than Utena's. And that Anthy was more patient than the taller girl. A lot more patient. "No one can help me. I have straw instead of hairs." Sulked Utena desperately but didn't protest as Anthy took the hairbrush and knelt down behind her. Carefully she brought the wild strands in order and started gently to brush them. Utena raised her eyebrow because it didn't hurt. No single strand was ripped out as Anthy brushed the pink curls. It was as if the smaller girl was stroking them. Stroking, not brushing. Not torturing them as Utena would have done. "You have fine hair. You only have to take care for it." "Oh, yeah. Me and taking care for hairs. You know me, that's not me." "But it's easy. A nice shampoo and a little bit patience." "I am the most impatient person on this earth, Anthy." "I know." "Nani?" Utena wanted to raise her head but Anthy held her determined back. She hadn't brushed all hairs yet and there were some difficult knots she wanted to solve without scalp the taller girl. "I can remember what you did with the make up your aunt gave you last Christmas." "Oh..." Utena's shoulders hang and she blushed deeply by that thought. Anthy only giggled. They both remembered too well how Utena tried to use it. Only once. Because she had no idea how to handle the pencils and the lip stick she looked afterwards like a circus clown. Maybe even worse. Anthy had looked really shocked and one look into the mirror let Utena burst out into laughter. It didn't occur to her to use the mirror while taking all the different colours up. She hardly used a mirror. She knew how to brush her hairs and often she did that during dressing her uniform and drinking her milk. It was always too busy in the morning to take care of her looks. She often said that she liked the natural style and that she was simply too lazy to use anything else than water, soap and shampoo. Just that one day she had time. She got bored and she used it. It took her ages to wash it off again. Even two hours and three showers later she could still taste the lip stick on her lips. So she threw the whole make up in the dustbin and never talked about it. "It was one of the worst moments in my life. I am happy that no one else had seen it." Utena closed her eyes as Anthy took a special big knot. But it didn't hurt. There was only a gently touch while Anthy stroke some hairs away from her neck and the taller girl shivered slightly. "Imagine Toga's face when he would see me like that." "Hai." Anthy giggled and finally dissolved the last knot. Again she brushed all hairs and started to curl them up. Utena let her. She let her eyes closed and enjoyed the gentle touch. "Guess his face would have been worth it. To come like that to a duel. I would have won without a single move, because he would have died of the laughter." Anthy giggled again and Utena enjoyed every single touch. "Maybe I should keep the next make up I get as a last weapon." "Hai." Anthy's voice was amused and Utena felt how her hairs were lifted up. She sighed relieved as a light breeze of evening wind cooled her shoulders. The day had been very hot and even after they took a long bath and haunted each other and played for hours with the yellow ball, their freezing bodies were quickly heated up again by the burning summer's sun. Utena relaxed completely and her thoughts drifted away. Away from the little pond. Away from the fire near the water. Just in the case that they would lose control that they had enough wet to erase it. Away from a brown pet who sat down on her right knee and nibbled noisily another biscuit. Her thoughts returned to the other night. A long night she had hardly slept. Her parents were dead now for over ten years. She had thought that she was over the pain. But somehow one got never really over the pain. Okay, she could live without them. She learned it. The same she learned to think of them, to talk about them without crying. But sometimes... sometimes there were moments when the memory hit her. The feeling of being alone. Of being left behind. Last night had been such a moment. Anthy was fast asleep the moment her head hit her pillow. Just like Chuchu who rolled up next to her. But Utena couldn't sleep. She looked for a long time in the dying flames and remembered everything she knew about her parents. Her mother's smile, her father's laughter. How they had rested right at that place. How her father woke her up in the middle of the night and showed her shooting stars. Utena didn't know what came over her, but she erased the rest of the fire and climbed up the small hill. This time alone. Her father wasn't there any longer. It had been like a miracle when she saw the stars falling. Just like she had seen them in the night so many years ago. She didn't look into the calendar to see when the special day would return again. It was chance that the rain of shooting stars had been that night. Chance like destiny. For about an hour Utena stood there and watched them fall. Hearing again her father's voice that she should wish herself something. She had wished herself a hamster. She had been very small and such a normal thing had been a big wish for her. A dream. A secret. Just one year later her whole world changed and since then she had only one wish: That her parents would return. A wish that would never come true. She knew it. After so many wishes that weren't granted she knew it. She grew up and hope died away. But she didn't want to waste that night. Her wishes wouldn't be heard by the gods, but maybe Anthy's. So she climbed back to the tent, woke the smaller girl up and showed her the sparkling night sky. The falling diamonds. She had seen how astonished Anthy had been. How shy she had smiled as it was her turn to wish something nice. The smaller girl had closed her eyes and one of those soft smiles laid on her face as she wished something for herself. Form the depth of her heart. Utena hoped that it would be granted. Deep sadness came over her when she heard Anthy's innocent voice next to her. She didn't want to cry. She hardly cried because she knew that tears didn't change anything. Besides she wanted to be a prince. A noble prince. Brave princes didn't cry, she knew. Nevertheless the tears simply escaped her burning eyes and ran over her cheeks. She didn't want Anthy to let to know it. She was her prince, well, kinda. She had to win all those duels. She wasn't allowed to show any weakness. So she wanted to push Anthy away as she felt suddenly warm arms being wrapped around her waist. As she felt the warm body being pressed against her trembling one. She didn't want Anthy's comfort. But the same time she couldn't refuse it. She had needed it that moment. Badly. And so she simply kept standing and took it. Anthy didn't say a word for the long time they stood there. No silly words like "Everything's alright" or "It's okay", because at that moment nothing was okay. Nothing. All she did was to hum a sweet melody. Very, very quietly. It calmed Utena more down than all the words her aunt spoke to her during her parent's funeral. After a little eternity, Utena couldn't define if it had been one or even two hours, they separated and walked silently back to their tent. Chuchu jumped off her knee and Utena opened her eyes sleepily. Anthy just put the brush down and glanced over to the water. "Guess our supper is ready, Tenjoh-san. Shall we eat?" "Hai." Utena's stomach growled in agreement and she only grinned as she rose and walked over to the fire. To get some warm water and to heat up the instant soup. It was not as good as real soup, she knew it, but that was all they could create right now. Just some more days and they would arrive a real lake, not a small pound. There she would try fishing. Maybe she was lucky and would catch a fish. To roast it and to eat it with great appetite. That was something she was able to do. To take care that it would taste. Fish was exactly the only thing that didn't burn under her hands. Fish and water. Okay, mostly fish and water. When she was happy. "Do you want mushrooms or tomato?" Utena read the package and glanced over to Anthy. "Somewhere we have a little bit of cheese. To melt it in the soap is simply delicious." She put the packages down and searched in her big rucksack. "Hope it's still okay. We have no fridge and..." she put some sockets out and a pullover and almost disappeared in the big bag. At that moment she realized that her hairs didn't hung into her face as they normally did. They didn't even cover her neck or her shoulders. Nani? Utena grabbed the cheese and bowed back. Confused she raised her free hand and felt that Anthy had put her hairs up. To the same hairdo the smaller girl always used. Nani? "Do you think that suits me, Anthy?" she asked laughing and turned around. Anthy who gave Chuchu something to drink frowned and her eyes grew wide. Then she giggled silently. "Gomen nasai, Tenjoh-san. I didn't take attention." She giggled even more. "Do I look so strange?" Utena put the cheese to the packages and robbed over to the water. To stare at the surface and to burst out into loud laughter. "No, only different." Admitted Anthy. Utena only shrugged her shoulders, wiping away the tears of laughter from the corner of her eyes. "It looks better than the make up, anyway. But don't dare to take a photo. And to show it to my aunt. Then I'll have to punish you." "To punish?" Anthy looked suddenly very concerned but the sparkle in her purple eyes betrayed her feelings. During the past months she learned that Utena would never hurt her. Not intentional. "To tickle you until you beg for mercy." The taller girl grinned and turned towards her friend. Anthy was quick enough to raise the two packages and Utena's stomach growled again. "Would your aunt be shocked about such a photo?" Anthy filled her cup with water and stirred in the soup. She thanked Utena as she cut the cheese and let some bits sink in her cup. "Shocked? She would freak out because of luck. I hardly go to the hairdresser and she wasted three years to convince me to get a perm. She said that I would look great with it." Utena shook her head and it was a strange feeling that no hairs fell into the soup. Maybe she was able to eat without dirtying her clothes today? She ate a spoon and knew better when some spots covered her T-shirt. "But I know that I would look even worse." Anthy frowned and reached for the toast. "No, don't say that this would be a good idea, Anthy! One crazy person is enough in my family. I am simply not the type for complicate hairstyles and skirts." ... in my family... Anthy ate silently her toast and decided that a perm would really look silly. Utena's hairs had natural curls and didn't need chemical help. But a skirt... The smaller girl was sure that Utena would look great in a short skirt. Maybe a dark one. Together with the white dragon T-shirt she would be beautiful. With a mini skirt, not with the silly one of the girl's uniform. Anthy drank some gulps out of the bottle and decided to keep quiet. Surely her friend didn't want to hear her advice. And surely she wouldn't believe her. Whenever some other persons talked about clothes, make up or other typical girl's stuffs Utena tried to change the topic. Because she had no interests in it. Anthy on the opposite couldn't afford all those things and so they hardly spoke about it. "If you want to take some photos, the camera is in my rucksack." Utena served herself another toast with a big piece of cheese and bite hungrily in it. "But don't... ah!" The tall girl screamed as the lightening flashed through the shadows. Anthy only smiled innocently and hide the camera behind her back. She just took the cutest picture she could imagine: A hungry Utena with curled up hairs eating half of her toast while the other half went on her jeans. "Photos of me are forbidden!" Utena put the soap away and walked over to Anthy who stepped slowly backwards. "Why?" "It's an old Tenjoh law!" "But it's not written anywhere." "It doesn't have to." "Then it's Himemiya law to take photos!" Utena blinked as Anthy showed her her tongue and held the camera saving over her head. Just two days and she starts to change. Just two days and she forgets temporary that some people only sees the Rose Bride in her, not Himemiya Anthy. That's great! The pink haired girl grinned diabolically as she came nearer and nearer. "You know that I have to punish you, right?" Anthy shook her head and giggled again softly. "I don't think so." "Why?" "Because you'll have to starve otherwise." Utena frowned and turned around. And screamed out loud as she saw how her cheese toast run quickly away. On two brown feet. *** The moon shone friendly down at the dark forest. Night fell over the country some hours ago and the only light shining were the stars. And a little fire next to a small pond. Two girls sat near it. Both being wrapped up in their sleeping bags. Talking quietly to each other. "Do you know that this forest is enchanted, Anthy?" Utena stirred with a little branch in the flames and her face was looked red in the fire's light. "Like the castle of the sleeping beauty?" "Don't tell me that you read fairy tales, Anthy!" "Only the book you hide under your pillow." Utena groaned and shook her head. Some strands escaped her hairdo and tickled her in her neck. She stroke them determinedly away. "I knew it! I should have never begged you to make my bed in the morning!" "But you begged so nicely, Tenjoh-san." "Oh..." Utena groaned again and wondered herself when Anthy would stop to call her by that formal name. They had have a lot of fun during the past two days. They, well, indeed only Utena tickled the smaller girl. They swam in the pound, ate supper together and stared at stars falling from the sky. They were best friends but nevertheless Anthy kept to call her so formal. Hope she forgets it soon and starts to call me Utena. "I can't let you miss your breakfast in the morning, Tenjoh-san." Utena groaned again but had to grin. She was sure that Anthy would forget the rules about the revolution and her being the Rose Bride very soon. She smiled more often and giggled happily. She even started to get very, very cheeky. Behind her still innocent facade. "But this forest is really special, Anthy." Started Utena again and her low voice was now silent and rough. She looked around as if she feared that someone would listen. Or something. Then she continued to talk. "There's an old myth about this forest. The old people can still remember when it happened, Anthy." The smaller girl helped a half asleep Chuchu on her lap and stroke the brown fur. The little pet was fast asleep. He didn't even start to purr. Only to snore silently. "What did happen, Tenjoh-san?" "It is now about sixty years ago or so that a young lumberjack lived here in the woods together with his family. His beautiful wife and his little son. A sweet boy of just two years." Utena stirred again in the flames and the branch crackled mysteriously in her hands. "These days the forest around the Fujiyama wasn't explored very well. But the lumberjack was a brave young man. He only wanted a good life for his family and wood was needed in the big cities to build new houses. So he built himself a nice hut and lived her. The next village was these days about three days away and time by time he came to bring his wood with his strong horse. To sell it and to buy the things they couldn't plant and reap themselves. As the very old people in the village can remember, he had always been a nice young man. Always friendly. Talking with them about his life and asking them how they were doing." Utena looked over to Anthy who listened interested. It was very hard for her not to grin and so she kept her serious face and moved on. "Then there was a long winter. A very long one and the brave lumberjack didn't come. For about four months he didn't return. And when he finally did, the villagers didn't recognize him first. He looked old. Very old. As if his whole life passed during those winter months. He was confused and very pale. His eyes were redden and he stammered the whole time strange things. About a monster. That his little son ran into the woods and that his wife and he searched for days. That they couldn't find him. All they found was his cap. It had been covered with blood." Utena stopped for a moment and saw how Anthy's eyes grew wide. She takes it for real! The tall girl had to smile but forced herself back to look serious. She lowered her voice again and looked again around. To gave her story the touch of reality it needed that Anthy would believe it. "He told them further that he and his wife didn't gave up. That they had to see that an animal probably caught and killed their son, but at least they wanted to give him a funeral. So they searched and searched and searched, but didn't find him. When the snowfall increased shortly before Christmas they had to give up. Until one night, the snow was almost as high as a small tree and it was bitter cold, they heard footsteps outside their hut. His wife, so he told the villagers, believed to hear her son shouting for her. Shouting for help. He wanted to hold her back, but she ran outside the hut. Into the deep snow. Into the dense snowstorm. The brave lumberjack believed to have seen the shadow of his son standing there. Together with a bigger shadow. An animal, as he thought. He took his axe and tried to follow his wife, but suddenly she was gone. The same his little son was gone and the big shadow. Simply gone. He searched for them the whole night and almost froze in the winter's bitter cold. One day later he decided to go to the village and to get a gun to hunt that animal and to get back his family." Utena reached for the water bottle and took a gulp. She glanced over to Anthy who looked into the fire and wrapped her sleeping back tighter around her freezing body. She really believes me! That's great! "So the brave lumberjack bought a new axe and a gun and walked away. The villagers wanted him to stay, because they believed that a wolf had killed his family and they didn't want him to get killed. Wolves had been a real problem during that long, hard winter. They came down from the mountains and killed a lot of people, because they were very hungry and very desperate to get food. But they couldn't hold him. He took his weapons, said goodbye... and was never seen again. When the snow melted away some months later and spring let the cherry trees bloom, some brave villagers went together to the lumberjack's hut. But it wasn't a hut any longer. It was a ruin. A hill of smashed boards. There was no trace of the lumberjack nor of his family. All they found was the print of a foot. A very large foot. Too large for a human being." Utena shrugged her shoulders and looked again around as if she awaited someone. Or something. "The villagers decided quietly that it must have been a wolf. They destroyed the foot print and returned to their houses. They didn't want to think over the tragedy again. It happened and they couldn't change it. But never again there had been another lumberjack in these woods. All the other brave men who followed, chose another forest to care for fresh wood for the bigger cities." The tall girl pushed the branch completely into the fire and saw how Anthy winced as it burned loudly. "Some of the old villagers say that in a clear moon light, just like that one, Anthy, that they can still hear the poor lumberjack call for his family. For his wife and his little son. There had never been another lumberjack in this forest again, Anthy, but in such a nice night the old villagers say that one can hear an axe cutting trees. The whole night. But in the morning when they looked, no tree was missing. Not a single branch. Only sometimes in very special nights they could see those large foot prints again. The old villagers call it the ghost of the forest who takes innocent people with it who don't take attention. Who are too careless. Just like the poor lumberjack and his family." Utena rose and stretched her body. Then she yawned. She really believed me. Yeah! That will be fun! The tall girl turned around because she couldn't hide her diabolical grin any longer. Then she yawned again provoking. "I'll go to bed, Anthy." She grabbed her sleeping bag and went over to their tent. "Have nice dreams, Anthy." "Arigato. I wish you a nice night, too, Tenjoh-san." Answered Anthy and raised carefully Chuchu who slept deep and tight on her lap. The bronze girl watched for a while the moon above them. It's light was reflected in the calm pond's water. The whole scene was so beautiful, so peaceful, Anthy simply had to take that picture in her mind. To have something to remember when she would be forced to return to her place in the school. To have something nice to think of during the next duel she would fear to lose Utena. Anthy smiled while she picked up her own sleeping bag. I didn't know that Tenjoh-san is such a good narrator. *** A regular noise woke her up. It was still dark outside. She couldn't find her watch right now, but as sleepy as she felt it was maybe two or three in the morning. She hadn't slept very long. Tuck. Tuck. Tuck. The noise got even louder and Anthy frowned. Nani? She sat up in her sleeping back and stroke her open hairs on her bag. It was chilly outside but she didn't freeze. The sun heated the tent up the whole afternoon and she sweated a little bit in her blankets. Tuck. Tuck. Tuck. Suddenly someone started to groan outside. It sounded painful and was very, very low. Almost a growling. Anthy's eyes grew wide and she turned her head quickly. Because she knew that groaning too well. She had heard it often before. During the past months. Whenever something went wrong. Whenever someone special got a bad note or had problems with a stupid or even boring teacher. Utena! Anthy was outside the tent the very moment she realized that the sleeping bag next to her was empty. Tuck. Tuck. Tuck. The groaning even increased and Anthy looked desperately around. Different visions filled her mind. The vision of Utena who wanted to watch the stars again. Who oversaw a root and fell hard. Who broke her leg or her arm or even more. Who was now in great pain and couldn't move. Nor shout for help. Another vision of Utena who had to go for little girls in the middle of the night and didn't see the big stone. Who crashed against it and fell down a deep, deep gorge. And the worst vision of Utena who wanted to take a night bath and oversaw a branch when she got out of the water and fell down. Hit hard with her head on the stone and did bleed now. Maybe she was deeply injured? Maybe she was even dying? Panic filled Anthy's mind as she stumbled herself, blind without her glasses and totally disorientated in the night's darkness, through the forest. Only hearing the strange sound and the groaning. Utena's groaning. It was everything that still existed in Anthy's world as she ran towards the sound. She ignored her hurting feet as she stumbled through the red fire that still glowed. She ignored how a deep branch wiped into her face. She ignored everything except that groaning. "Tenjoh-san?" she screamed and her voice was shaking. The groaning even increased and it seemed to move. Without thinking Anthy changed direction and ran blindly towards it. "Tenjoh-san? Say a word!" she shouted and felt tears burning in her eyes. What shall I do when she's really inured? Whom shall I call up? Who will come in the middle of the night? Will the doctor be fast enough to save her? Is she in big pain? "Tenjoh-san? Are you alright?" Again no answer. Just another groaning. Tuck. Tuck. Tuck. At that moment Anthy saw the white shadow dancing only some inches away. Swinging something in its hands. It looked like a stick, but Anthy couldn't define it. Without her glasses she was really as blind as a mole. "Tenjoh-san?" "Buh! I am the ghost of the forest!" groaned the voice and the white shadow jumped around her. Making some more frightening noises before Utena couldn't hold her giggle back any longer. Anthy's terrified look in her pale face was too funny. She had to let go off the stick and burst out into laughter. "Buhu... the ghost..." it wasn't possible any longer for her to be the scaring ghost she talked about in her ghost story just some hours ago. Planning to scare Anthy. Just the way Kei had scared her some years ago. When she was little and too naive to believe in such stories. Just like Anthy was right now. "Be horrified... human..." she held her belly and laughed even louder. "Gomen, Anthy, I wanted to make it more scary, but I am a bad ghost." She shook her head but there was no response. Anthy only stood there, turning her back to her. At that moment Utena heard the silent sniffle. Nani? Is she crying? Utena's laughter died away and unbelieving she blinked. She plunked at her white T-shirt as she went over to the bronze girl. Anthy had lowered her head and clapped her hands before her chin as if she was praying. But she didn't say words to an invisible god. She really cried. Big tears were running down her cheeks and she trembled. "Anthy..." Utena gulped and bowed to see directly into blurred eyes. "Hey, I didn't want to scare you that much." The pink haired girl made a guilty face and laid her hands on shaking shoulders. "Hey, Anthy, little one, it was only a joke. It wasn't real. The whole story about the ghost and so, I invented it. It was only a story, nothing more. The ghost right now, that was me." Anthy only shook her head and cried louder. "I knew that this groaning was you, you baka!" she sobbed and her sad face looked... angry? Anthy is angry? About me? But she already knew that I was the ghost. So why... "I thought that you are deep injured. That you oversaw a stone or a branch or whatever and broke your leg. Or your arm! That you are bleeding and that I have no idea how to call help here!" Anthy covered her burning face with her hands and sobbed harder. "I was so afraid that you would be injured or even dying! That you would leave me..." Nani? Utena gulped and suddenly what had been such a great idea just a few hours ago turned out to be the worst one she had since she destroyed the ugly pullover her aunt knitted for her. And even the pullover story was harmless against a sobbing girl. Her best friend she wanted to scare with a ghost. Not with her own health. Shimatta! "Anthy..." Utena gulped and stepped a little bit closer. Not knowing what to do. Not knowing how to make it up again. She saw the red line on Anthy's cheek, saw that the smaller girl only stood on her right leg. Because the left one seemed to hurt. Shimatta! You knew that she's blind without her glasses! "Anthy..." Utena simply opened her arms and brought the sobbing girl to her chest. Held her tight and rocked her gently. The way Anthy had comforted her only twenty four hours ago. "Gomen nasai, Anthy." She whispered and ran her hands through opened strands. "I only wanted to fright you, but not to scare you to death." Utena sighed deeply. "I wanted it to be a funny joke, but I guess it's been a bad one, right?" "Hai." Sniffed Anthy and calmed slowly down. Her Utena was safe and alive! She was right beside her. Breathing and sounding really, really guilty. "Never do that again." "I won't. I promise." Anthy nodded against Utena's chest and finally raised her head. Still tears ran over her blushed cheeks, but there was again that soft smile on her face. "Do you forgive me?" asked Utena silently and wiped those sparkling diamonds away. As Anthy nodded slightly, she embraced her again and brought her again nearer to her body. The smaller girl still trembled and Utena knew that she would let her sleep as long as she wanted to sleep the next morning. That she would take care for Anthy's injured foot and then silently decide how long they would walk the next day. If they would walk or of they would stay for another day near the pond. "Gomen, Anthy. Gomen..." Again Anthy only nodded. She knew that Utena was a real tomboy. That she often did things she didn't think much about before. That it was simply normal for her telling ghost stories and then playing the ghost. Surely it had been a great fun for her to groan and beat with her stick against the trees. Surely she thought that Anthy would be scared about a dead lumberjack and a ghost with extremely big feet. But she didn't think that the bronze girl wouldn't believe in the story. That she would recognize her voice the very instant and be scared about other things than a silly lumberjack searching for his long dead family. "You know what your behaviour means, Tenjoh-san?" Anthy's voice was still husky from the crying but Utena believed to hear a silent giggle in it. "No more chocolate bars?" she asked concerned and the now really desperate expression on her face made Anthy giggle loudly. "Nope. Punishment!" One second later the smaller girl attacked. Utena's laughter could be heard all over the nightly forest.
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