Truth is a Many Fanged Serpent "Alright, you're all the group Chrysanthemum Ecstasy? Please follow me...a representative will be with you shortly." There was a blazing good-natured smile, a bow of respect, and a cheerful arm sweep as the woman ushered the quiet group of young people into a posh lounge setting. If her cheerfulness was grating on any of the solemn people's nerves, it didn't show. No one else spoke a word, so Utena gave her a warm smile, "Thank you very much for your assistance." Within moments they were greeted by a host of interviewers and people from the magazine, and ushered into private rooms to speak their piece before they were photographed. With varying degrees of enthusiasm and charisma. An hour or so passed, lunch was served graciously, and the group reformed at the site of the shoot. Deep in the bowels of the sleek company building, Juri Arisugawa waited, her blouse sleeves pushed up and her camera around her neck. Despite her somewhat casual business attire, and her curled mane sweeping loose down her back and shoulders, she looked every inch the professional. When introductions were out of the way, a lot of bowing and scraping from the Japanese managers, Juri set to work setting the stage. With a subtle glance, her eyes narrowed at a see-through panel in the wall to the side. It was there Touga and Anthy waited, to see what they could covertly learn. Where they waited for Juri's verdict. Juri's full attention returned to the group. They were short one. That girl...the younger one who played the keyboard...it would seem she hadn't yet arrived from her session with Miki. Juri had been surprised somewhat to learn this. She hadn't known Miki was playing a duet with one of these...these punk-rockers...Then again, it had been some time since they had spoken...a week and a half to be precise...she would have to invite the Kaoru siblings to dinner sometime. Shiori would be glad to see them again she was sure. That brought a slight smile to her lips. She would play it by ear for now, and take the individual shots, leaving the group ones until the girl arrived. Miki was quite punctual after all. The owner of Cultivated Elegance finished placing one of the young gentlemen on the stool, and set to snapping photos while arranging his body...he had a mohawk of all things! Shaking off her distaste, she posed him and continued on. Best to save Tenjou till last. Of course...with her skills...that didn't seem to last nearly long enough. The orange curled woman had been careful...oh so careful not to glance too much in her direction. Not to look up and gaze at the thing that had given even Kiryuu himself pause. Hadn't wanted to see the utter transformation. But when she finally came over to grasp a hold of that perfect pale skin...she halted. My god but things had changed...the piercings...the short cropped hair...the leather and black...and was that a tattoo? Where was that cheerful and naive girl who had shone with a purity and grace? Those eyes...soulless and dead...it was chilling. But even as she gazed thoughtfully on that curve in the jaw, and that slender build...she still couldn't get past how damn striking she was. Despite the drastic change in wardrobe and apparently music taste...nothing could hide that dignified air that was all Tenjou. It really was her... Memories of moonlit chats and fountains flooded her mind. And with difficulty she kept her features smooth. This wasn't Tenjou...not at the moment anyway. She shook her concentration back to the task, and was about to open her mouth to get the pink haired woman to stand under the lights and against the backdrop, when it hit her. A slithering chill that creeped up her spine. Her senses were suddenly on high alert, her hackles raised. The panther was once more on the prowl as Arisugawa mentally sniffed the air. Something was off here... She stepped back, so as to take the group of band members completely in her view. The managers had left at some point. She stared at the silently waiting men and women, Utena looking at her curiously with an uncertain smirk on her lips. "Something wrong?" Yes...her mind said...yes, what's wrong is YOU...but something else, more so... She couldn't put her finger on it, but something wasn't right with this picture. She wanted to shrug it off and get back to what she was doing...and that feeling disturbed her all the more. She wanted to ignore it...badly...and that was not something Juri did. Something was afoot here. But she was startled out of an answer when the door behind her suddenly banged open. Like a hurricane, a brown haired form suddenly swooped in and ran across the space separating them all. Shocked, Juri distantly registered Saionji hurriedly chasing after the woman. Wait...was that....Wakaba Shinohara? Seems she had finally decided to trade in that ridiculous bouncy ponytail and was now wearing a very clean cut shoulder-length style. What on earth...how did she clear security? Kyouichi looked flustered and worried. The girl shoved a couple of bodies out of her way and all but tackled the shocked pink haired woman. "Utena-sama!! Utena!! How could you?!" The woman looked utterly baffled, "What are you--" The brown haired girl was sobbing, hitting her tiny fists against the taller woman. "You know what! You made us forget! You made us all forget! Everything from back then! From Ohtori! W-why?! You were my best and only friend...and I didn't even remember your face!" Utena Tenjou for her part had gotten a funny look on her face. Juri was still feeling it...that tension in the air...the feeling of wrongness. She moved slightly to get into a better position. "The dreams!! I-I started having them...right after I heard your songs! When they came on the radio...and on t.v....and then I remembered everything!" She clung to the taller woman like a drowning man. The pink haired woman stood immobile and blank. From another side door, Anthy and Touga rushed to join the stricken Saionji. Juri wanted to slap her forehead in disbelief. Looked as though the gloves were being taken off early. "Saionji, what is going--" "I don't know! I had came home and she was crying and murmuring to herself about dreams....about black roses and castles and elevators...I tried to calm her down but--" Utena's expression took on a look that could have frozen water. "Well well...if it isn't the trouble makers...looking to play more games are we?" Juri was taken aback by the hatred in that face. It twisted a beautiful angelic facade into something dark and evil. It wasn't natural...Juri's shoulders tensed for battle... Anthy looked over, pleadingly at her once Champion and closest friend. "Please! Utena! Why won't you remember?! Why won't you remember your promise...we promised to drink tea together again in ten years! I've been looking all over and--" "...eight..." "--no matter what I did I....w...what did you just say?" The most cruel and seductive smile Juri had ever seen outside the Chairman suddenly spread across Tenjou's lips. It chilled every duelist's bones when they saw it. Wakaba had stopped crying and took several steps back. The leather bedecked woman began slowly pacing forward, her movements graceful and swirling with an alien energy. "I said...eight...it hasn't been ten years yet...it's only been eight. A bit early for our 'appointment', aren't we?" Anthy was floored, her violet eyes wide with incomprehension. "W-what? How did you remember that? Do you...?" Utena gave a laugh, a gorgeous rippling sound that rubbed like velvet on the ears of all in the room. Her band mates stood unmoving, expressionless. That throaty voice matched the dancing light of amusement in those robin's egg eyes. "Of course I remember...I remember everything." It was Touga who broke the dead silence of that answer, "So you mean to say...you--" "Lied? Yes. Obviously." Juri's eyebrow arched, and Utena swung her attention onto her. "Oh little Arisugawa...do we find that really so hard to believe? You're not a very good actor by the way...I knew you recognized me from the moment our eyes met. You've softened quite a bit...all of you have." Her next words were like acid, "...Pathetic." When Utena moved to touch Anthy's cheek, Saionji strode forward with Wakaba safely behind him. Casually Utena lightly backhanded him, sending him skidding across the floor. Touga reached into his jacket and pulled out a black handgun, aiming it at that coy smile, only to be tackled by two of the men standing there like dolls. The pony-tailed girl moved over and disarmed him easily. It was over before Juri could react. What was going on?! "What is going on?" Utena asked, seemingly reading the company owner's mind. "Why...a new little game is beginning...that's what is going on." She grasped Anthy's cheeks in one hand, catching the swinging fist in the other hand. She held the struggling Himemiya as easily as one held a child. "Let her go, Utena!" Utena snarled like a beast, and snapped her head to glare at Wakaba who was crouched over her lover protectively. "MY NAME IS NOT UTENA! UTENA IS LONG SINCE DEAD! MY NAME IS TEN!!" Wakaba winced at that stinging reply. A harsh cry of pain sounded, and Utena reared back holding her hand. Blood dripped down the corner of a dark-skinned mouth. Defiantly Anthy glared back at her once savior, a hate and anger and power searing in her own eyes. "No you are not Utena...but I do know what you are!" Utena's lips curled in a dark smile, "You are the Million Swords!!" Several pairs of eyes were locked on the two women, each with varying degrees of emotion. Utena gave that throaty laugh again, and her eyes changed to a shining silver. The air seemed to rasp about her. "Very good little one...ah, but then who would know better than you? We did have such fun slicing into that delicate flesh again...and again...and again...for so many years..." Utena rotated her hips and sent a charging Juri down into the tiled floor with a grunt. Her smile never wavered. "Ahhh, so we are all in the know at last...you understand the implications then, do you Witch?" Ten chuckled as Anthy swore under her breath violently, "That's right...I control this Prince's body...But not just I, but nine of my siblings. Well...five now...four of us have found delightful new homes..." The formerly human members of Crysanthium Ecstasy lined up on both sides of the short haired singer, like a row of generals for a daimyo. Juri pushed herself to her feet as she gave a snarl of anger. That's why they seemed off to her. A glance at Himemiya told her the situation was bad...very bad...They were about to find out just how bad. Touga moved to stand alongside the Juri, a bit behind Himemiya. He was soon joined by Saionji and his soon-to-be bride. The tension in the air crackled electrically. His smooth calm voice broke the ice again, "So that's the meaning behind the name...it's not a shortening of Tenjou...it is the number of swords in her body. My, how poetic..." He drawled, trying to keep his fear and rage out of his voice and face. How dare this thing take over the body of his Utena! His fellows seemed to carry his sentiments. Anthy spat out her next words heatedly, "I take it Utena is still inside her own mind? You've just buried her temporarily?" The red haired man felt a flash of hope and triumph. If they could somehow get rid of the swords... The one known as 'Ten' scowled, her silver eyes flashing dangerously. When she spoke, her words hissed and scraped "Yessss...that false Prince is here...but that does not mean she is here." "Stop speaking in riddles!" Sly now, "Oh, but we learned from the very best, Witch. I suppose you wish me to go on and on about the details of our stay here, and what our grand plans are? You'd like that wouldn't you...that you could plan and strategize how to stop us and save your precious woman. Well...I'm feeling generous today, why don't I indulge you? Ha ha haaaaa...you reek of confusion and distrust, Witch. You don't trust us?" Himemiya scowled hotly, "Of course not! I know well your lies!" The swords frowned darkly, eyes unreadable. "Yesss...I suppose you do. But I will speak, if only to see the look of pain enter your face." It's tone was harsh and biting. "The Prince is still deep within her mind, but she is not conscious of that which goes on around her. She is in a coffin of her own making." "Lie." "Fine...she is not conscious all the time. She has her moments of rebellion, brief as they are. A will of iron in her core...something we swords can grudgingly respect. Ah, but we still hate her oh so much...that pompous naive fool...she can never be truly forgiven. Not after the way she hurt us. We will never let our hatred go...cannot...we embody that human trait after all. It is how we were brought into existence." A cold smile, "We were born to hurt you...because the world refused to accept your existence after your sin. You imprisoned the light...and in doing so opened Pandora's box of horrors, little Anthy." Touga and Juri each simultaneously laid hands on Anthy's shoulders to keep her from taking a step forward. Saionji was holding Wakaba like she was going to disappear. A brittle harsh tinkling laughter rose up from the punk rockers, all who stood waiting with infinite patience. Juri was calculating which one she'd be able to take in order to get to the gun. God how she wished she had her foil right now... Utena took another step forward, "Ahhh...but you still don't know...and don't truly feel the hopelessness of your situation little ones...Allow me to enlighten you all, while time permits. Do you think after she unleashed that disgusting power at the final battle...that all important duel named Revolution, that she walked away unscathed? Fools...she nearly died...our little puppet Akio had done a wonderful job battering at her mental defenses...and yet she still drove him back. She fended off we swords as well as we swooped in as one!" The monologue was becoming fragmented, Ten seemed to be lost in it's own train of thought. Passionately with a sick anger, she began chewing off her disjointed words. "We were so angry! We hated her! How dare she! She ruined everything! She broke the natural order of things! Miserable whelp! Naive whore! False Prince! The Rose Bride was OURS to punish for all eternity! The Witch was to be punished for locking away the Prince of Light, a sinner of the highest order! And that fool stepped in! Freed her from us, took her place! We did not want that spindly girl...we wanted the true sinner!! And she stood in our way! Broke the connection! We HATED her!!!" Flecks of foam were flying out of that ugly contorted face. The lesser swords standing behind her made motions of anger and frustration, grabbing their hair and faces in mockery of human characteristics. "And we would have KILLED her a thousand times over if we could, but that bitch shattered us! We were shattered by that filthy compassion...that loathsome caring. She thought only of you as she fell, Anthy Himemiya! You and these other Ohtori fools...she wanted to protect you all from us...so she broke us again and again as we fell. Falling...we fell for so long...broken hilts...torn uniform...blood raining about...sharp splinters of steel pelting the earth. It hurt...ah! Such exquisite pain never felt before! But she was in pain too...we managed to cut her to ribbons as we died...she was bleeding and broken and forgotten...as it should be! But the Million Swords...our brethren...gone! Reduced to a weakened few...about to perish in the earth we were born from!" Anthy's eyes widened in shock and pain. The image the sword painted was terrible...what had her poor Utena gone through? She must have been in such pain...and yet Anthy had looked for her after the battle...searched for her victor. Only to find nothing. Just crumpled rusted cars like broken teeth sticking out of the rubble...but no swords...and certainly no Utena...what then...? The swords continued their tale. "So we decided to call a cease fire...we were soon to die, something that was completely unacceptable! The girl was weakened...hurting...wallowing in her own pain and self-pity. As she lay bleeding on the rocks, she began to doubt. And in that way we were able to whisper in her ears..." The sword's voice took on a rasping throaty quality...low, as if in confidence. "We spoke to her Anthy...and we made a deal." The violet haired woman jerked as if struck by lightning. She seemed to struggle to speak, only able to squeeze out a tiny whisper. "N-no..." That cruel triumphant smile, "Yes. Tenjou made a deal with us, in return for allowing us the use of her body. And we have kept our end of the bargain. We made you all forget her existence...allowed you to lead normal lives...haven't hunted you like the animals you are. She was near to bursting with her newfound power...but lacked control. We were weakened, but had the tempered existence of a millennia. And so we joined as one, and she left that shell. She disappeared into the outside world." The sword blew her a kiss. "Oh she hated you Anthy...as time went on, and she retained her memories, she began to hate her own existence. And she began to see how you betrayed her. We communed with her...broke bread at the same table, and showed her your true nature. The manipulative, lying, cruel side of you that we know so well. And as we showed her over and over...whispered sweet promises in her ear...the wedge in her heart was hammered in a little deeper each day. She began to forget what life had been like before us...began to appreciate living with us. And now here we are...together...on the brink of a new era." "What are you talking about?! You're lying, Utena isn't like that!!" "Stop opening your mouth, Shinohara, or I will sew it shut. A new era! A glorious vision about to come into existence...a new game about to begin." Anthy took on a contemptuous look, "Enough empty words...hurry up and stop wasting my time so I can obliterate you." The sword gave her a smirking smile, and licked its lips. "Oh my...such false bravado...you have no power here. You'll be punished for you impudence in good time, I assure you. Ahh...but time is growing short...best to tell you how you are going to die. You and these pigs standing beside you..." Touga frowned at such blatant insults, and Wakaba's wide forehead crinkled in determination, even if she wasn't exactly sure what on earth everyone was talking about. "The game we are about to play is one with rules of course...my rules. The world is our playing board, and you are all my pawns...you and everyone who listens to my music." Ten made a broad gesture as it spoke, "Imagine...millions...soon to be billions of people are being captivated with our songs...with our words and voice. Like a siren We've been whispering to them across space and time...coiling about their hearts and minds...and implanting the seed." Ten gave a lewd smile, "Yesss...as they listen, it becomes like a drug...they are encouraged to listen more...to watch us...think of us...pay homage through sales and production...fantasize about our touch and our taste. A true cult in the making...fanatics already in existence. We have a following...and it grows larger every hour. We are worshiped by these fools...and they will soon live to serve us. I have to admit...Utena having met Jared two years ago was the greatest thing that could have happened. A change in luck...and the beginnings of our plans." Ten paced away, and her sword generals fanned out to surround the group of ex-duelists. "And when they've reached the peak...obtained a certain amount of desire and loyalty to us...then the change begins. Then...a new sword is born." Anthy's eyes widened as truth clicked into place. "You're breeding swords...you're resurrecting the Million Swords...out of innocent people!!" "Ha ha ha...innocent? Hardly...Not when I'm done with them...Simply think of it! The Million swords will be reborn...only it will be the 6.4 Billion Swords..." Saionji and Touga gasped in understanding. Juri had heard enough. Suddenly darting toward one of the larger men, she twisted out of the way of his counterattack and hooked her leg around his own. With a sharp roundhouse to the head she dropped him and darted for the girl with the gun. Touga and Saionji took on two other charging Sword Generals (as they had started thinking of them) while Juri gave a right hook at the girl. Before she could raise the gun, Juri managed to twist it out of her hand, and point it at Ten. The short haired woman watched with amusement as Juri squeezed the trigger. An eternity in a moment. As if looking through a crystal filter, Juri watched the bullet slowly leave the recoiling barrel, and fly faster and faster at Ten. And then...stop. The piece of lead hung suspended in the air, in front of the creature's heart, and then dropped harmlessly to the ground. Ten never lost her smile. "It seems Tenjou isn't the only one to lack control. I think I will have to deal with you now." Juri felt an invisible blade slice out of thin air through her side. A gasping cry, a splatter of blood on the carpet, and she was down. Wakaba was over in an instant, trying to stop the bleeding of the very nasty slice. It ran from navel to back. "T-ten...what are you doing?! W-what's going on here?!" A soft spoken voice cried out tearfully from the doorway. Everyone looked to see Miki and a gothic girl standing there stricken and baffled. Ten got a strange look on her face, her eye twitching oddly. The silver in her eyes seemed to flicker, and blue eyes shone for a moment. Then they were silver once more as she put her forehead in her hand. She winced in pain, as if she was suffering from a bad migraine. Touga couldn't be certain...but...Ten's hair looked....longer now... "V-violet...a bit late for the photo shoot aren't we?" Violet seemed scared and confused. Touga wondered how much she had seen. "W-we got delayed...and Mr. Kaoru bought me lunch..." Ten seemed to be making some sort of internal dance. "Well then, Violet. We were just discussing how we're going to postpone the photo shoot. Some issues came up. Shall we leave?" Ten swept out of the room, with her puppets in tow. Violet cringed and followed meekly. Miki looked as though he were about to say something, but a deadly look from Ten silenced him effectively. Opening the door for her group, and waiting till the last one had left, Utena gave a slow creeping smile, her hair brushing past her ears now. "I do so hope you all can come to our big concert tomorrow night. It will mark the debut of a special cd we will be releasing...and our partnership with the platinum metal group, Steel Razors. I'm sure you will find it very entertaining...as will all of our very loyal fans..." She blew one last kiss at the fearfully smoldering Anthy, and went out the door.
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