In the center of the courtyard of the prestigious Ohtori Academy, a round marble podium rises from the cobblestones, and upon it rests a statue of a beautiful young woman. In a long, swirling gown, the figure kneels there, her body arched backwards and a sorrowful expression on her noble face. From between her breasts a sword hilt protrudes. A disturbance moves through the crowds, a single figure causing a stir. Confidently walking, ignoring whispers and admiring glances, she walks out a hallway to join the group in front of the podium. In the small crowd gathered nearby, she is the single figure that stands out: a young woman dressed in the school's boys uniform. Nanami stopped in front of the upper floor window that overlooked the courtyard. She looked outside and gasped in surprise. "Tenjou Utena! I can't believe she actually made it," she murmured softly. Juri looked out the window beside Nanami, with a quizzical expression that grew very interested. "Who is that? And how do you know her?" Juri asked Nanami, intrigued. Nanami pointed her out. "She's been a friend of the family for a long time. She and my brother were best friends about ten years ago, almost soul mates." She smiles slightly, remembering. "They dreamed of the future together, and what they would do when they both grew up. Touga always wanted to be a heroic prince, and Utena wanted to be his princess." Her expression grew sad, and she spoke softly, without anger, just with regret and sorrow. "Utena fell into a river, and nearly drowned. Touga pulled her to the embankment, and she was rescued, but he lost his grip on the shore. The current was too strong for him, and he drowned." Juri placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Nanami smiled back to her. "It's been a long time, but thank you. Utena was determined to make Touga's dreams come true. To go to the schools he wanted to, and try to be the prince they both dreamed of." Juri raised an eyebrow even as she continued to gaze at Utena with an odd look on her aristocratic face. "That doesn't seem to terribly healthy." Juri commented dryly. "Has she thought about seeing a psychiatrist?" Nanami laughed softly. "She was very determined." Nanami looked up at Juri's staring at Utena and smiled wryly. "Shall I start up another betting pool on how long till you get her to go out with you on a date?" Juri blushed, and shot Nanami a wounded look even as the younger girl laughed. Outside, Miki lead the group of students closer to the podium and the statue. "All new students at Ohtori are asked to attempt this: to pull the sword from the stone. Legend says this is the princess of a lost kingdom who was enchanted by her evil half-brother, and sealed away in the stone statue. Only her true prince would be able to pull the sword free and release her from the spell." Utena raised her hand. "Excuse me, but I'm not a boy and therefore can't be a prince. Can I go now?" Utena asked. Miki laughed softly. "It can't hurt to try." Miki commented. A small group of the female students went by, seemingly casual but wanting to get a look at Utena. "Good Morning, Utena-sama!" they said in kawaii tones to the object of their adoration. "Good Morning," Utena answered, waving back, even as Miki rolled his eyes. The students got into line and each took a turn. The first was a tall man, with long forest green hair. 'Did that come from a bottle or what?' Utena thought. He struggled and pulled, huffing and puffing. Finally he declared "If I, Saionji, can not pull it free, no one can!" He then stomped off in a huff. Miki watched him go, shaking his head. "He does that every year," he sighed. "Of course, I try too, but not in a way that makes me look like an idiot." Utena, last in line, watched with a bit of amusement as the rest tried, some quite dramatically, to pull the sword free. Finally she stepped up, and took the sword's hilt in her hand, finding that it seemed to fit like a glove. When she was asked about what happened later, Utena said that it had felt like she was trapped in a dream: smoothly sliding her arm behind the girl's back to catch her even as she pulled the brightly shining sword up and out into the air. The statue was awash with light, and suddenly a flesh and blood girl gazed lovingly up into Utena's face. "My prince," the girl murmured to Utena softly, and fell into a dead faint.
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