As you enter through the elegant glass doors, you are overwhelmed in the delicate scent of hundreds of roses. It is impossible for you to walk without stepping through them. In the center, looking out over a sheer drop, is a crystal clear pool of water. Though there is no breeze, the pool is rippling, and looking down into it, you are amazed to see, not a reflection of the rose garden, but a black, star-filled void. Images of strangely familiar characters flash in the pool from time to time, but somehow they seem different. A brief sensation of vertigo grabs you, and you wonder, 'Is it wise to touch the suface?' Who knows where it leads? Perhaps it leads to an alternate world...or maybe, it leads into nothingness.
Suddenly, a hand taps you on the shoulder. Startled, you almost fall into the rippling pool, but manage to catch youself just in time. To your relief, its only Miki, the blue-haired genius of the Ohtori delegation. "Sorry to startle you like that!" Miki exclaims, looking slightly embarrassed. "The pool? Oh, it used to be a portal, but it got very, very dangerous, so Nancy and Carolyn closed it. This garden is the so-called neutral ground of the Castle. No fighting is allowed in here. Feel free to wander around. There are many portals in here that lead out of the Castle." Smiling, Miki looks around and points out each smaller pool of water. "If you get too scared, and decide to run, you can exit through any one of these. They all lead to safer places." Grinning, Miki looks up.
"Juri-sempai!" he exclaims, waving to a blonde, lithe woman in a salmon and white Ohtori uniform. Smiling, the woman waves back and begins to make her way over to you.
"There you are Miki! Oh good, the guests are with you. Nancy and Carolyn has asked my to find you and let you know that its almost time to head to the Arena." Nodding, she turns to you. "If you will just touch the pool with the bells in it, Nancy has arranged for you to be transported to the Arena. Good luck, and try to stay out of the line of fire!" With that, the beautiful young woman steps into another pool and disappears. Shaking his head, Miki looks at you wryly.
With a shrug, and a smile, Miki follows Juri into the pool. "I'll see you all later, perhaps. I have some things to take care of, and won't be able to make it to the arena. Have fun!" and with that, he's gone, leaving you alone in the eerie, yet calming, sunlit garden.
"You now have many choices ahead of you. Do you intend to continue on the the Arena? You still have a little time to enter and find your seats before the crowd gets there. You see, the demented Sailor Northstar and her comrade-in-insanity, Sailor Nightwatcher, changed things, and randomly throw their favorite anime characters into the arena and watch what happens. The results are always-uh, interesting. Yeah, that's it...
This will take you to a nice, but small Utena page. Mako-chan has a nice page, with links to some nice downloads of movie clips from Utena!------------>Rinbu Revolution is another small site, but I like it a lot. I don't think everything is up yet, but what is up looks good! Rose Colored Lens has an AWSOME pic gallery. They even have some good movie screen shots!------------>The greatest Utena pic gallery I have found! Not very large, but excellent variety of Utena screenshots from both the movie and the series. Also some manga scans, too!
