Footprints

by Sean Gaffney

Shoujo Kakumei Utena is (C) 2001 Be-Papas.  All rights reserved.

This fanfic takes place almost entirely before the TV series.  However, it 
does contain spoilers for the entire thing as well.


     The stairwell door exploded outward, and a small red-headed ball of 
energy rolled past it and halfway down the stairs before smacking her body 
down against the railing.  Her hands were clutched together tightly, fingers 
extended, and she was breathing heavily.
      She didn't have much time.  Only a few moments leeway at best.  She had 
to plan ahead, to use her remaining seconds as best she could.  She peeked 
down the stairwell.  15 more flights.  There wasn't a chance, she was bound to 
be spotted before she'd gotten even halfway down.  Up was useless as well, as 
they knew she would go to the roof, and had probably planted someone there.
     She could try Tsubasa's... it was only 1 floor away, and from there she 
had many more options.  But she wasn't sure whether Tsubasa had been 
compromised... her friend was nice, but weak-willed, and might be too willing 
to sell out.
     And then the door opened, and she realized there were no more options.
     "There you are, Juri.  Mother and Father have had me combing the building 
for you."
     She relaxed, dropping her hands, and stood up.  "I was moving around," 
she said curtly.
     Her sister sighed, and threw up her hands.  "You're always moving around.  
Anyway, come on.  Father's business partners are here, and he wants the entire 
family to be together.  We just have time to get you cleaned up."
     Juri nodded.  
     Her sister gave her a suspicious glance.  "You will behave yourself, 
won't you, Juri?"
     Juri nodded once more.  Her eyes gave nothing away.  "Of course, Naoko.  
Don't worry about me."
     She'd have to be good now.  She'd been captured.

***

     Shiori lay on her bed, putting the final touches to her crayon drawing.  
She'd nearly used up the entire sketchbook her mother had gotten her as a 
surpise last week, and was starting to wonder what she'd do when she finished 
with it.  She looked at the wall, but the last time she'd tried that she'd 
gotten in big trouble, and it was too soon to get into it again.
     She examined her drawing closely.  The yellows and blues still tended to 
blend into each other when she wasn't paying attention.  The sun looked as if 
it was being eaten by the sky, making the whole drawing more gloomy than she 
wanted it.  She tried adding some more rays, but they came out green, which 
only made things worse.
     She wished coloring was as easy as real life.  Then again, she wished she 
had more control over real life than she did when she was drawing.  Maybe when 
she turned seven, her parents would let her leave the house more.
     The door opened, and her mother came in.  "Shiori?  Oh, are you still 
drawing in that?"
     Shiori looked down, and her face flushed.  She hated talking to other 
people.  Even her own parents.  The words always came out wrong from the way 
she imagined them in her head, and she always sounded weird, or angry, or 
petulant.
     "You gave it to me to draw in."  She winced.  It sounded too harsh.
     Her mother frowned.  Disapproving as always.  "Well, put it away for now.  
We have a very important guest coming.  I want you to wear your blue dress."
     Shiori's eyes widened.  The blue dress was for important days, like 
birthdays and festivals.  "What's happening?"
     "No questions right now, honey.  I have to get you ready.  Oh, look, your 
hands are all covered with wax..."
     Shiori frowned as she was whisked away to the bathroom, her sketchbook 
toppling to the ground.  The drawing on the skyscape crumpled against the 
floor, creasing the sun.

***

     Juri was dressed in one of her best outfits, the one she normally wore 
when her parents went to fancy parties that they needed to bring their 
children to, or to watch her mother go horseback riding.  Juri hated being in 
it, as when she was she ceased to be a person and became an object for her 
parents to show off.
     She sighed inwardly and tried to make her outward expression an 
emotionless mask.  She was almost seven now, and had gotten pretty good at it.  
Lots of opportunity, even for a six-year-old.
     Her sister perched on the edge of the piano bench.  Naoko couldn't play 
very well at all, but sitting there gave the impression that she was ready to 
give a concert to anyone who asked, and impressions were all that really 
mattered.
     Juri was standing, holding a tray with china teacups on it.  She offered 
it to the new arrival, and he took it with a smile and a wink.  He then turned 
his attention back to her parents, who were in their best host mode.
     "So good of you to take time out of your schedule...?"  Her father left 
the name hanging in the air.
     The stranger smiled.  In fact, he didn't seem to be capable of not 
smiling.  "Himemiya Akio.  I'm assisting the admissions department this year 
in their interviews with prospective students.  I thought I'd make a personal 
visit here, considering young Juri-san is such an impressive candidate."
     Juri remained stoic.  Her parents beamed, of course, eating up the 
flattery as they always did.
     "Well, we have raised Juri as best we can considering our busy life.  At 
first we had planned for her to go to Ryokuto Academy and follow in her 
sister's footsteps.  But when we heard that there were openings in Ohtori... 
we were away on business three years ago, you see.  And it's so important not 
to disrupt a young child's schooling once they've gotten settled in."
     "Oh, I agree totally, Arisugawa-san.  Ohtori prides itself in its 
preperatory environment, training children to grow up to be model citizens and 
ready for any task."
     Juri noticed something about Himemiya-san.  His face was permanently 
etched in a smile, but his eyes didn't seem involved.  In fact, looking at 
him, she might even think he was bored.
     He was also turning towards her.  "But of course, the choice remains up 
to the individual child.  Have your parents told her about Ohtori, Juri-san?"
     They had indeed.  It was a gorgeous campus, with lots of room to do 
anything she wanted.  Activities started even with children her own age, and 
it wasn't as segregated or the rules as regimented as many other Japanese 
private schools.  This was the other reason Juri was being so polite.  At 
Ohtori, she'd be away from her family and able to make her own decisions.
     She put on her best 'inquisitive youngster' face.  It wasn't all that 
different from her normal one; she was an inquisitive youngster.  But she 
noticed she had to remind herself to look normal.  She'd worry about it later, 
if it became a real problem.
     "It looks like a great school, Himemiya-san.  I think I could learn a lot 
there."
     After a moment, he realized that she wasn't going to say anything else, 
and chuckled.  "A girl of few words.  How refreshing."  He turned back to her 
parents, allowing her to narrow her eyes slightly.  She decided she didn't 
like Himemiya Akio at all.
     He shook her father's hand.  "We'll arrange the financial details later, 
but I can tell you verbally now, if you like.  I have no reason whatsoever not 
to accept Juri-san into Ohtori.  We hope she'll spend the next twelve years of 
her life there."
     He made it sound like a prison sentence.  Still, Juri forced a gratified 
smile.  She was looking forward to Ohtori.  She'd have to tell Tsubasa 
something (they had been planning to attend Ryokuto together until about two 
weeks ago when her parents heard about Ohtori's acceptance of new 
applications), but that was for another day.  Today there was the simple 
feeling of anticipation, of a new environment to conquer, new friends to make.
     Actually, her smile didn't have to be forced at all.

***

     Shiori frowned, and resisted the urge to wipe her hands on her dress.  
They were so clammy with sweat she'd probably just end up staining it, and 
that would be the end of that.  This was the only real dress she had for nice 
occasions.
     She could hear the voices coming from the main room.  She'd been told not 
to come in until she was told, but not to go to her room either, as they 
wanted her to present herself right away.  So she stood outside the door, and 
got more and more nervous.
     Her mother told her as she got dressed what this was about.  They were 
applying her to a fancy private school, trying to get a scholarship so they 
could afford her to attend.  She was one of the four finalists for the 
scholarship.  Her mother had used the words 'be good' fourteen times in the 
space of ten minutes.  It didn't take a rocket scientist to know how important 
this was to them.
     "Shiori?  Are you there?"  She took a deep breath and opened the door.
     Her parents were on the couch, and a white-haired young man (wasn't white 
hair something only old people had?) sat on the chair across from it.  That 
didn't leave anywhere else for Shiori, as the two other, more comfortable 
chairs had been removed from the room to make it look nicer.  So she stood in 
the center, next to the coffee table.  Her hands were clasped in front of her 
chest, and she tried to look earnest and eager.  She probably looked 
desperate, she thought to herself.
     "Good afternoon, sir," she said, bowing.  Her voice was too soft, as 
usual.
     He smiled at her, which made her feel better.  "Good afternoon, Shiori-
san.  My, don't you look wonderful."  Her cheeks colored, and she only avoided 
turning her face to the floor by force of will.
     "Shiori, this is Himemiya Akio-san.  He's the admissions officer from 
Ohtori Academy."
     "Oh no, I don't have that esteemed position.  They're just understaffed 
at the moment, and asked me to take care of a few interviews for them.  I 
arranged to do yours as it was felt to be a particularly important one."
     Shiori blinked.  Important how?
     He continued.  "Ohtori has tried to retain a reputation as an elite 
Academy, and occasionally this reputation backfires on us.  It was pointed out 
how we had no program set up to ensure that students talented enough to be 
enrolled in Ohtori could do so regardless of their parent's financial status.  
Shiori's grades aren't outstanding, but her teachers have praised her efforts, 
and always have kind words to say about her.  We feel that those are of equal 
importance to a child trying to fit into the rarified atmosphere Ohtori 
provides."
     Most of that went right over Shiori's head, but it seemed that he was 
praising her.  The blush in her cheeks deepened.
     Her parents seemed equally flustered.  Her father, as usual, said 
nothing, while her mother bowed slightly.  "We've always done our best to make 
Shiori's education a priority."
     "Of course you have," Akio smiled.  He turned to her.  "But we feel it's 
the child's opinion that helps us make the best decision.  Shiori, do you feel 
that you would be a good Ohtori student?"
     She swallowed, and clutched her hands to her dress despite herself.  
"Himemiya-san, I always try my hardest!  That won't change.  And I can do 
activities, and try sports..."  She felt her voice give out.  She really 
didn't have a lot to offer.  Besides being eager and poor.  "And I want to go 
to Ohtori," she finished.  She closed her eyes, and felt the edge of tears.
     For a moment there was silence, and then she heard Himemiya-san speak 
again.  "That's what I like to hear.  Someone who loves the school.  That's 
more important to me than academics or sports."  She opened her eyes, and 
looked at his smile.  It was a wonderful smile.  Her heart started to beat 
faster.  Did she do it?  Was it enough?
     He turned back to her parents.  "I don't want to bore Shiori-san with all 
of the financial details.  Do you think she can be excused?"
     Her mother seemed as stunned as Shiori was.  Her father actually spoke 
for the both of them!  "Of course.  Shiori, you can go to your room now."
     She nodded and bowed.  Then Himemiya-san took her hand, and she turned 
beet red.   "I look forward to seeing you at the Academy, Shiori-san."
     "A-arigato!" she managed to blurt out, and fled to her room.  She jumped 
onto the bed and screamed into her pillow as loudly as she could.  She'd done 
it!
     As she rolled over, she realized what all this would mean.  A private 
school... living away from home.  She wouldn't know anyone.  Making friends 
was always hard for her.  Everyone said she was nice and friendly, but she 
knew her true self.  She always felt like she was weak on the outside.
     Still, Ohtori was a new start.  Somewhere where she could try to better 
herself, to live up to the girl who was on the inside.  The one who always 
said and did the right things, and never embarrassed anyone.  She was the one 
who got into Ohtori Academy.
     Shiori smiled.  A new life.  She'd do fine.

***