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A-KO and B-KO: Do you know? Do you know?
C-KO: Extra! Extra!
A-KO and B-KO: Have you heard?
C-KO, dressed as a KING: What did you say? There are two princes now?
A-KO, dressed as a COURTIER: Yes, sire! One fights for the right of princesses everywhere!
B-KO, dressed as a COURTIER: The other fights for the witch!
C-KO: A prince for the witch? Is that allowed?
A-KO: No, sire!
B-KO: Unless...
C-KO: What? What? Speak up!
B-KO: She attains the power of revolution.
C-KO: Revolution? But I'm a king! Off! Off! Off with her head!
she watches as anthy's coffin (the real anthy? another illusion? the witch? the rose bride? (her anthy?) tumbles into the sky, and she bares a half-second thought hoping it wasn't going to crush someone outside. the last of her strength fails her (she isn't a prince, she's just a girl, she can feel betrayal's kiss, a sharp lance under her ribs) as she watches the halo of glittering hate hover over the arena. hungry and thirsting for someone to blame. she's not going to let anthy take it anymore.
a single, bloody whistle breaks through the silence, and a million steel hounds charge.
the first meets her, and the second -
this can't be what anthy feels
she feels filled with steely resolve and iron courage; strength floods her limbs, and a cape flutters to life under her hair
she is roland, beowulf, achilles, gilgamesh
she has been called a hundred names, and a thousand more before the last princess is born and saved
This is what Akio has pursued. This is the fragment of Divinity Dios wielded.
She knows, now, in this split second for eternity, that she can wield a miracle. It would be simple, no, easy, to wish Anthy free of her bondage, tear her from Dios' side, make her her own Rose Bri-
it comes to a stuttering halt; she is not akio, not saionji, not touga
...what does she want? She is no Prince.
the swords shudder in her flesh; if she will not be prince, she will be witch
she does what she's wished she'd done for anthy.
she listens:
and she hears:
a million voices
a million swords
a million cowards and one
a million and one pleas for strength from would-be princes
a million and one blades of scorn for the witch who would dare check their faltered might
She bears the Power of Dios. She bears the will of a million and one men, who've offered their blades in hope for a miracle.
she knows what to do, now.
the blades hear, and sing, and -
A-KO and B-KO: Do you know? Do you know?
C-KO: Extra! Extra!
A-KO and B-KO: Have you heard the news?
C-KO: They say the witch is dead!
A-KO: Ding-dong!
B-KO: Ding-dong!
C-KO: Now the prince is free to save the maidens again!
A HORSE gallops past, bearing a RIDER with LONG HAIR.
C-KO: There he goes!
A-KO: But did he always have such long hair?
B-KO: Did he always have such a blade?
A-KO and B-KO: Did he always have such a-
C-KO: Oh no! The witch isn't dead! The prince is!
A-KO: Did she always have such long hair?
B-KO: Did she always have such a short nose?
C-KO: There's no prince to save the princesses now!
TENJOU UTENA: I guess they'll have to save themselves.
A LOCKER slams shut.