Shoujo Kakumei Utena:
Ivory Tower

Ascend my prince, and rescue me from this waking nightmare.

Prologue - Madness' Descent

I waken, but only darkness greets my eyes. It must still be night, I reason, so I reach out for the lamp upon the bedside table, but I find only a curious softness beneath my fingers. Then I realize that I am not laying atop a mattress but something hand, and yet, surrounded by softness. Suddenly I feel claustrophobic, like I am hemmed in tight inside a confined space, though I cannot confirm it with my own two eyes.

Then the smell that pervades this space finally registers within my consciousness, and I know that I am in hell itself.

A repetitive banging sound echoes throughout my space, followed by grunts of exertion. Then there is a dull grinding, scraping noise before suddenly the darkness is pierced by light spilling forth from a newly created gap. I'm simultaneously grateful and angry at this intrusion; grateful that I may be freed, but angry in its revelation that I truly am imprisoned within this hell that I can now confirm visually.

A rose-filled coffin.

Truly, I am in hell.

Then I see a face, but it is neither of the two I had been expecting. A hand reaches out through the gap but I hesitate. Why them? Why are they here and not one of the others? Then I realise I'd rather it was this person; since when though, have I yearned more for them?

I care not, instead taking a forceful grip upon the hand before me. I'm pulled to my feet and quickly I lend my shoulder into pushing the doorway wide open.

And then I remember what comes next.

I can hear the cracks begin to spread, the ground decaying beneath my feet. Eyes open wide, staring into another pair, similarly struck by fear. My arms flail outwards, grabbing at theirs, clinging desperately to them.

And then it all just falls away from me, the coffin sailing downwards to a bottomless abyss, my body just squeezing through the opening, skin torn from my shoulders. I hang over the precipice, just one arm clasping another is all that keeps me from the same fate as the coffin.

I look into the eyes of my saviour, knowing that they're strong enough to pull me back up, but they're clouded with confusion. I try to say something, but suddenly my mouth is dry and I can't get the words out.

"You're not her," they say, and their grip on my arm is gone. I barely hold on for a few seconds before my own hold slips and I begin that inexorable fall.

Now my voice finally erupts in a scream.

I don't much like Shoujo Kakumei Utena. There, I admitted it. When the show did pure comedy episodes, it was utterly sublime, but the rest of it grates at me. I especially don't like Shiori and Anthy, extremely so for the latter. I get their characters, I really do, I just also think they're utterly horrid people irregardless of their reasons. And yet, Juri and Utena were so cool. So why not do away with the harpies and get the duo of awesomeness together? And thus Ivory Tower was born.

The use of third person plural pronouns (ooh, alliteration) is clunky, I know, but unfortunately also necessary. Whatever. :S