Utena: TRIGUN
Once upon a time, not too long ago, a noble prince battled a dark prince in the duels. The noble won, and gained the power to revolutionize the world. And everything went so very, very wrong...
Utena: Trigun
The massive train came to a shuddering stop at the old, broken down train station. The two young women stepped down quickly to the platform, and scanned the horizon for trouble.
"Do you really think she's here?" Asugawa Juri said, frowning and looking around. She wore a plain brown dress, but still managed to look stylish.
Himemia Anthy just shrugged in reply. "That's what the rumors said," the shorter young woman in a ladies suit said calmly.
"You would think she'd travel more quietly. I mean, there is that massive bounty on her head." Juri fretted.
"Has anybody managed to collect it yet?" Anthy said dryly.
"Touché." Juri answered, smiling.
"As the head insurance adjusters of Ohtori Insurance, we must keep the fearsome Utena the Stampede from cashing in any of the many insurance policies in this region!" Anthy said firmly. She paused for a moment, before continuing "Literally and figuratively."
"Yes, sempai!" Juri agreed.
Utena quickly dodged the flying bullets, rolling and leaping across the tavern floor, reaching and reaching until finally grabbing the flying sandwich, even as bullets struck all around her. Ducking behind a table, she scarfs down the sandwich, while calmly pointing her gun up over her shoulder and firing towards the ceiling.
A loud crash and swearing is heard, as an overhead lighting fixture falls on the main group of gunmen. Utena suddenly gasps out, "You got me!" She staggers out, a spreading red spot on her long black duster coat, and collapses on her back. The remaining goons walk over to take a look at the fallen figure with short, spiked pink hair.
"Do you think we got her?" the older man asks worriedly. Utena's eyes pop open, she grins up at them and fires again, and the other light fixture pins the remaining gunmen.
Picking herself up from the ground, she looks down at the red stain on the black coat, and sighs softly. "I ruin more coats this way." Utena pulls out a burst ketchup packet from her coat and tosses it in the trash. Picking up a respectably sized bottle of booze from the nearby bar, she walks outside. Popping it open, she takes a long pull of the drink.
"Here's hoping it's a little quieter in the next town." she said, raising the bottle again and drinking a toast to the setting sun. She pulled her gun for a moment, dropping the used shells onto the ground and reloading. Utena slows; looking at the stylized rose pattern along the barrel of the gun, then puts it away.
Anthy and Juri were eating their breakfast at the old hotel when they saw the tall, lanky woman walk into town. Her long black coat showed her thinness, and the bright pink buttons caught the morning light. Her short, spiked hair was clean; as was she, though somewhat beat up looking.
"Do you think it's her?" Juri asked quietly, looking out the window.
Anthy quickly unrolls an older, battered wanted poster. Utena's face stared out calmly, with the words "Utena the Stampede, Wanted Dead or Alive. $1,000,000,000 Reward!" Anthy looks at it, then out at the young woman.
"It certainly looks like her," Anthy said quietly. "Let's keep an eye on her, and see if we can confirm her identity," she said, frowning out at her. 'Where have I seen her before?' Anthy mused, looking down at the poster again. She looked up, only to gasp out in surprise.
Utena had plastered herself up to the window, staring with longing at Anthy and Juri's breakfasts. Both Anthy and Juri cautiously edged their chairs away from the manic figure staring into the window. "Do you think we should invite her in?" Juri asked with a slight smile.
A few moments later, and Utena was sitting beside them. "So you want to follow me around?" Utena asked dubiously.
"As head insurance adjusters of Ohtori Insurance, we want to try to minimize the damage you do. If we can't stop the stampede, we at least want to lessen the destruction," Anthy said calmly, only to be pinned under Utena's gaze.
"I don't do the damage lady," Utena said bitterly, "it's the nuts after that fool reward. Every town I go, a fight starts, and I try to defend myself." She looks out the window with haunted eyes.
"Maybe so," Anthy acknowledged quietly. She sweatdropped a bit, watching Utena pack the food away. It looked like she was eating for three. "Haven't you eaten much lately?"
Utena smiles and shrugs, "I never know when my next meal might come, so I usually stock up." Finally, she sighs happily and pushes away from the table. She looks out the window and groans loudly. "That nut's found me again." She stepped quickly out the dining room door and out to the street.
A tall, red headed man shambles up the road, dragging a sword behind him. A dusty red rose is in his uniform pocket. He stops nearby Utena, even as Anthy and Juri rush outside. "I challenge you to a Duel, Tenjou Utena," the figure said in raspy tones.
"Crazy bastard," Utena murmured, raising her pistol, "you know I'll just shoot the sword out of your hand."
Anthy found herself moving, her hand on Utena's arm. "No, Utena- sama." she said. 'Where did that come from?' Anthy thought. She looked down at her hands, and saw a glimmering white rose. She looked up at Utena, and said in awe struck tones "We've done this before, haven't we? You have to fight him fairly."
Anthy put the rose in Utena's pocket, even as Utena whispered "We have done this before, Anthy." She looked over at the other man, and raised her pistol. He charged, and Utena raced towards him. Ducking below his swing, she rakes the muzzle of the gun across his chest, and the rose petals blow in the breeze. And suddenly, she remembers....
"Touga!" Utena cried, cradling his head in her lap. "What happened?!"
"I won the duels," the battered Touga Kirryu said weakly, "and the power to revolutionize the world. But it was too much for me. Some stray thought, somehow, reshaped the entire world. Set it right, Utena..."
From his chest, a glowing light shone forth, and suddenly, the hilt of a shining blade thrust forth. Utena took it in her hands, and felt a tiny bit of the power he must have wielded. With a single pull, she drew it free into the morning light. It flared brightly, and then faded from view, into Utena's heart.
"I'm too weak to go any further, Utena. Gather the duelists, and go to where it all began. Go to Ohtori..." he whispered, and then slumped in Utena's arms.
"Don't leave me alone with this, damn you!" Utena roared. "You were supposed to be my prince! Don't leave me!" Utena cried out, shaking his body and weeping. Anthy and Juri stood apart, leaving her alone in her grief.
Drying her tears, Utena picked him up off the dusty street, and gently carried him over to the board sidewalk. Without turning she asked Anthy and Juri "Do you remember too?"
Anthy answered quietly "Yes, Utena-sama."
Juri was more tentative. "Some bits and pieces. I know I'm not who I was, but..."
"Will you go with me to Ohtori?" Utena asked them quietly.
"Yes," Anthy and Juri said, nearly together.
Once upon a time, not too long ago, a noble prince battled a dark prince in the duels. The noble won, and gained the power to revolutionize the world. And everything went so very, very wrong...
Utena: Trigun
The massive train came to a shuddering stop at the old, broken down train station. The two young women stepped down quickly to the platform, and scanned the horizon for trouble.
"Do you really think she's here?" Asugawa Juri said, frowning and looking around. She wore a plain brown dress, but still managed to look stylish.
Himemia Anthy just shrugged in reply. "That's what the rumors said," the shorter young woman in a ladies suit said calmly.
"You would think she'd travel more quietly. I mean, there is that massive bounty on her head." Juri fretted.
"Has anybody managed to collect it yet?" Anthy said dryly.
"Touché." Juri answered, smiling.
"As the head insurance adjusters of Ohtori Insurance, we must keep the fearsome Utena the Stampede from cashing in any of the many insurance policies in this region!" Anthy said firmly. She paused for a moment, before continuing "Literally and figuratively."
"Yes, sempai!" Juri agreed.
Utena quickly dodged the flying bullets, rolling and leaping across the tavern floor, reaching and reaching until finally grabbing the flying sandwich, even as bullets struck all around her. Ducking behind a table, she scarfs down the sandwich, while calmly pointing her gun up over her shoulder and firing towards the ceiling.
A loud crash and swearing is heard, as an overhead lighting fixture falls on the main group of gunmen. Utena suddenly gasps out, "You got me!" She staggers out, a spreading red spot on her long black duster coat, and collapses on her back. The remaining goons walk over to take a look at the fallen figure with short, spiked pink hair.
"Do you think we got her?" the older man asks worriedly. Utena's eyes pop open, she grins up at them and fires again, and the other light fixture pins the remaining gunmen.
Picking herself up from the ground, she looks down at the red stain on the black coat, and sighs softly. "I ruin more coats this way." Utena pulls out a burst ketchup packet from her coat and tosses it in the trash. Picking up a respectably sized bottle of booze from the nearby bar, she walks outside. Popping it open, she takes a long pull of the drink.
"Here's hoping it's a little quieter in the next town." she said, raising the bottle again and drinking a toast to the setting sun. She pulled her gun for a moment, dropping the used shells onto the ground and reloading. Utena slows; looking at the stylized rose pattern along the barrel of the gun, then puts it away.
Anthy and Juri were eating their breakfast at the old hotel when they saw the tall, lanky woman walk into town. Her long black coat showed her thinness, and the bright pink buttons caught the morning light. Her short, spiked hair was clean; as was she, though somewhat beat up looking.
"Do you think it's her?" Juri asked quietly, looking out the window.
Anthy quickly unrolls an older, battered wanted poster. Utena's face stared out calmly, with the words "Utena the Stampede, Wanted Dead or Alive. $1,000,000,000 Reward!" Anthy looks at it, then out at the young woman.
"It certainly looks like her," Anthy said quietly. "Let's keep an eye on her, and see if we can confirm her identity," she said, frowning out at her. 'Where have I seen her before?' Anthy mused, looking down at the poster again. She looked up, only to gasp out in surprise.
Utena had plastered herself up to the window, staring with longing at Anthy and Juri's breakfasts. Both Anthy and Juri cautiously edged their chairs away from the manic figure staring into the window. "Do you think we should invite her in?" Juri asked with a slight smile.
A few moments later, and Utena was sitting beside them. "So you want to follow me around?" Utena asked dubiously.
"As head insurance adjusters of Ohtori Insurance, we want to try to minimize the damage you do. If we can't stop the stampede, we at least want to lessen the destruction," Anthy said calmly, only to be pinned under Utena's gaze.
"I don't do the damage lady," Utena said bitterly, "it's the nuts after that fool reward. Every town I go, a fight starts, and I try to defend myself." She looks out the window with haunted eyes.
"Maybe so," Anthy acknowledged quietly. She sweatdropped a bit, watching Utena pack the food away. It looked like she was eating for three. "Haven't you eaten much lately?"
Utena smiles and shrugs, "I never know when my next meal might come, so I usually stock up." Finally, she sighs happily and pushes away from the table. She looks out the window and groans loudly. "That nut's found me again." She stepped quickly out the dining room door and out to the street.
A tall, red headed man shambles up the road, dragging a sword behind him. A dusty red rose is in his uniform pocket. He stops nearby Utena, even as Anthy and Juri rush outside. "I challenge you to a Duel, Tenjou Utena," the figure said in raspy tones.
"Crazy bastard," Utena murmured, raising her pistol, "you know I'll just shoot the sword out of your hand."
Anthy found herself moving, her hand on Utena's arm. "No, Utena- sama." she said. 'Where did that come from?' Anthy thought. She looked down at her hands, and saw a glimmering white rose. She looked up at Utena, and said in awe struck tones "We've done this before, haven't we? You have to fight him fairly."
Anthy put the rose in Utena's pocket, even as Utena whispered "We have done this before, Anthy." She looked over at the other man, and raised her pistol. He charged, and Utena raced towards him. Ducking below his swing, she rakes the muzzle of the gun across his chest, and the rose petals blow in the breeze. And suddenly, she remembers....
"Touga!" Utena cried, cradling his head in her lap. "What happened?!"
"I won the duels," the battered Touga Kirryu said weakly, "and the power to revolutionize the world. But it was too much for me. Some stray thought, somehow, reshaped the entire world. Set it right, Utena..."
From his chest, a glowing light shone forth, and suddenly, the hilt of a shining blade thrust forth. Utena took it in her hands, and felt a tiny bit of the power he must have wielded. With a single pull, she drew it free into the morning light. It flared brightly, and then faded from view, into Utena's heart.
"I'm too weak to go any further, Utena. Gather the duelists, and go to where it all began. Go to Ohtori..." he whispered, and then slumped in Utena's arms.
"Don't leave me alone with this, damn you!" Utena roared. "You were supposed to be my prince! Don't leave me!" Utena cried out, shaking his body and weeping. Anthy and Juri stood apart, leaving her alone in her grief.
Drying her tears, Utena picked him up off the dusty street, and gently carried him over to the board sidewalk. Without turning she asked Anthy and Juri "Do you remember too?"
Anthy answered quietly "Yes, Utena-sama."
Juri was more tentative. "Some bits and pieces. I know I'm not who I was, but..."
"Will you go with me to Ohtori?" Utena asked them quietly.
"Yes," Anthy and Juri said, nearly together.