"I guess not..." Mami has a point, but it bothers her, the knowledge that she might be dueling for much longer than she'd planned.

I see. It's that memory that's been supporting you until now.

Utena blinks, and is silent for a very long time. She'd heard that before...hadn't she? She feels odd. It's the same unusual feeling she gets after waking from a long dream...but the feeling never goes away now. She's always waking up, it seems like.

"Why? Well, I...I told you, remember? When I was small, and my parents-"

Please don't open it.

She falters, and begins again. "-when my parents died, I met a Prince, and he gave me my ring. Since then, I've wanted to be a Prince like him...he told me never to lose my strength or nobility, even when I grew up." There was something off about that, wasn't there? Hadn't he said something else? "So, since then...since then I've been trying to be a Prince. Maybe I'll meet him, and I can thank him for helping me."

Don't be ashamed. The memory you possess is a worthy one.

She shivers, presses closer against Mami. The cold reminded her of a saying she'd once heard, about how you got a chill when someone walked on your grave. "...Thanks, Mami. I like you the way you are too."