Imaginary Living Bodies

"Hey…Hey! why did you tell us that story?"

Why indeed? The other members of the council avert their eyes at Nanami's question. Each had their own stories to consider this evening, even if no one else shared theirs.

Juri had remembered hers suddenly, and like most things at Ohtori, it seemed to hold a gravity all its own, as if by telling the story the hidden rules of this secret game they were embroiled in had altered somehow.

Memories…

"Arisugawa," Saionji says, his directness not unkind, "who did you say it was? The boy who drowned?"

The boy…?

A boy had

drowned?

She hesitates, the unusual nature of the action bringing Touga and Miki's eyes back onto her as she struggles to remember. The first drops of rain hit the grill in the centre of their circle, the sizzling sounding to her ears like the rush of a river.

A sodden hand grips her forearm tightly and her eyes meet Touga's, flickering.

"You died," He declares, and the heavens open.

"Mama!"

She's shrieking, tugging desperately on her mother's arm, the shouts from the river growing louder as she cries.

"Mama please! Mama!"

He mother laughs at no one, her mind far away. Juri watches, slowly sinking beneath the deep waters, throat convulsing as the little girl on the riverbank continues to plead with her (their? my?) mother to save her.

"I'm downing mama! Please help that girl! She's drowning!"

"Nonsense Juri," her mother scolds, gaze pinning hers even as she thrashes to stay afloat, hands reflexively gripping to find purchase even as she slips downwards.

On the riverbank, Juri's eyes fill with tears.

The door to the classroom slams open, and Juri pays no heed to the sudden quiet, striding with purpose until she reaches one student in particular.

"Utena Tenjou."

The younger girl looks up at her with an uncertain smile.

"Yes?"

"You may not remember, but you saved my sister from drowning, as a child. I didn't forget your name."

Behind them sits the Rose Bride, wringing out her socks as her bare feet slide gently though the ankle deep water streaming between the desks.

Utena says nothing else, eyes opaque and unseeing as the water laps gently at her coffin's edge.

It's a proud day.

Juri stands before the chairman, heedless of the chatter and bustle of the crowd behind them. She wants to admire the grand star projector dominating the centre of the room, but she knew it was best to make introductions first. How she hated the frivolity of social gatherings.

"A pleasure Arisugawa-san," he nods to the girl cowering behind her, "and just who is your lovely friend?"

Juri urges her forwards, expression darkening slightly as she wondered if the girl was bigger than she'd remembered.

"This is my older sister, she drowned when she was twelve."

Her sister says nothing, fidgeting, and the chairman takes a sip from the glass in his hand.

"Your younger sister who drowned hm?"

"Yes," Juri says, growing bored, "my younger sister who drowned."

"Older," her sister corrects, hair still damp with water from when they'd pulled her out.

"Delightful."

"No wait, aren't you the one who drowned?"

Touga smiles rakishly and Juri frowns at his dead body, drenched and bloated.

She thinks it's rather absurd, the way the Rose Bride's face remains fixed into that polite smile as the water from the arena's fountains continued to flow.

The water has risen past their waists now and Juri's soul feels heavy with it as she pounds her fists on the door to the arena, begging it to open.

The light glints from Anthy's glasses as she waves down to the koi nibbling on her uniform scarf.

She stands in the duelling arena, letting the rain wash over her. Feeling free despite the sorrow in her heart and the feeling of loss at her throat.

"Arisugawa-senpai," Tenjou says from behind her. She doesn't turn, "I'm sorry, about your sister. What was her name again?"

She can't respond, rain choking her lungs.

"Ah, I guess you don't remember either? It's okay, I'm still thankful to her, for saving me."

The Rose Bride's fingers grip tighter at the top of her skull, palm of her hand pushing down. Her smile remains serene as Juri's hands claw weakly up from beneath the water.

Touga crouches down next to her and extends a hand.

It's both terrible and wonderful, the way Shiori holds her, draws the sword up from her breast beneath the setting sun.

She's screaming in agony and Shiori coos softly-

"The Lady of the Lake."

-water surges forth from the gaping hole in her heart and as life leaves her, her gaze remains fixed on Shiori, dragged beneath the water by the weight of the sword in her arms.

"Arisugawa-san!"

She almost doesn't turn, having grown used to students calling out to her in the hallways for some nonsense or other. The hurried clattering of feet and an arm on her shoulder stops that notion and she faces the culprit- a heavily panting Utena Tenjou- with the same carefully neutral expression she'd adopted when she'd first talked to her, before their duel.

"I wanted…*huff*…to thank you…*huff*…"

Juri raises her eyebrow, what Utena felt the need to thank her for is a total mystery.

"You," she straightens up, finally, "I recognized you before but I couldn't put my finger on it, but you…that same orange hair as back then, you saved my sister from drowning. You jumped in after her."

"Tenjou…you don't have a sister," she says slowly.

"But I do! Here she is!"

And reaching next to her, she pulls Anthy Himemiya forward, who smiles pleasantly.

"My thanks."

The nameless boy dives gracefully into the water, more so than the situation seems to call for, and makes strong strokes towards her sister's wailing form, struggling to stay afloat.

He dives, then reappears a moment later. Many arms reach forwards to pull him out, patting him on the back and throwing up cheers. He stumbles forwards, coughing, and hands a golden locket to Juri as her sister finally slides beneath the water.

She pops the locket open and the lake rushes out to meet her.

"This probably isn't real," the chairman says as she struggles to grab his thrashing form.

She agrees with him, but they both remember that they're supposed to drown anyway.

"Hey…Hey! why did you tell us that story?"

Why indeed?

She says nothing, leveling her gaze at Nanami until the younger girl looks away and the world seems to jolt back into focus. The night air is crisp, dry, and Juri stares long into the night, waiting.

-END-

AN. This is supposed to make exactly as much sense as you think it does.

Hope you liked it~