ReLive: The Unreasonable Routes To Redeeming The Villainess (ch10)

Maya and Karen are dates to the ball, but Claudine has decided to attend anyway to witness the off-script events of the play, even if it means she's just going to be alone all evening...

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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							Chapter 10. The Ball


There is only a half-day of classes on Friday so that everyone may spend their afternoon getting ready for the Ball. The air around the entire school is bustling with energy and excitement.

For the most part, people tend to be using magic spells they'd learned in their classes in order to transform their outfits and make themselves look as stunning as possible. But being she has no date and no real reason to be enjoying this evening, Claudine doesn't do very much for her own appearance. She merely turns her usual black dress into a more formal gown, and nothing more.

And while everyone else at the academy is spending their evening getting ready with their dates or their friends, Claudine spends it in isolation.

/As the villainess should,/ she reminds herself.

She waits as long as she possibly can, unlike the rest of the students who are already lined up down the hallways outside of the school's massive ballroom, waiting to be permitted entry.

But eventually, Claudine is summoned by a rapid knocking at her door.

With a sigh, she makes her way over much more slowly in contrast. When she opens the door, Karen beams back at her, now wearing a poofier and more festive version of her usual red dress.

"Claudy!" she grins. "It's time to go!"

Claudine almost tries to smile until she remembers that isn't who she is anymore.

"Where is the Duchess?"

"Oh! Duchess Tendo went on ahead already. I just stopped by to make sure you were going too!" Karen reaches out and grabs both of Claudine's hands. "It really is going to be a lot of fun, Claudy! I promise!"

/Easy for you to say-/

Once again, the sudden vehemence of her thoughts startles Claudine, as she hadn't truly been thinking anything so rueful. She gives herself a firm shake, but in the end Karen is still holding onto her with that same innocent smile. Claudine relents.

"All right. I'm coming."

"Yay! Oh! And I like what you did with your dress, by the way!" And with this, Karen scampers off.

Claudine follows much more slowly, already losing sight of her.

Rather, she's losing sight of a lot of things - not just in terms of how this play is supposed to go from here, but also literally. As she walks the hallways of the dorm, her vision suddenly blurs without warning, and patches of blackness seem to creep in from the corners of her eyes. Whenever she blinks it vanishes, but every few moments it seems to return.

/I must be tired…/

And she is. She truly is. Claudine doesn't know how, but she wants all of this to be over. It's been months in this world now, so she can only imagine how much time has passed in her world.

But then again, if it's a world without her friends, does losing time there really matter all that much? What about her parents and her friends from the other schools…?

/I wonder if anyone misses me…/

Or have they forgotten her, too, by now?

She can't bear the thought. Everything just makes her chest ache.

She exits the dorm building and eventually makes her way to the main school building, where the line of fancily-dressed students waiting to enter the Ball extends all the way outside. Claudine seems to be the last person to arrive, and the last to get in line. She doesn't see any of the others, and assumes they are all much farther up ahead.

After a few more moments, there is a cheer from the crowds as the ballroom is opened and the festivities finally begin.

Claudine watches all the nameless characters with their dates scurrying excitedly inside, but as she enters the building and finally reaches the doors to the ballroom, she lingers.

Inside, she can see massive crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and strings of diamonds dangling from their arms. Huge buffet tables have been placed along the sides of the room against the walls, and tables decorated with lace and flowers are set up all around. There is a stage at the far end where a live band is playing music, and the center of the room has been left open for dancing.

Now, Claudine begins spotting her friends.

It seems Futaba had opted to stick with her usual outfit instead of going for a dress after all, but Kaoruko had certainly done up her outfit and her hair. They are amongst the ones already dancing in the middle of the room.

Nana and Junna aren't far from them, both adorning more lavish versions of their usual clothes, gold and teal together, twirling around each other and laughing all the while.

Hikari and Mahiru are seated for now, eating little scones as they watch those dancing, and simply talking to each other for now, keeping close with their free hands joined together in their laps.

And lastly - the one that stings her the most - Claudine finds the final couple.

Maya is standing beside Karen at one of the buffet tables as the latter fills her plate with food. Maya is chuckling and saying something charming, no doubt, and Karen grins back at her.

Claudine almost decides to turn around and leave right then and there. But then she remembers what she'd decided for herself.

/This is my punishment. Watching the rest of them be happy while I'm completely alone. I deserve it…/

So she ventures into the ballroom now, making her way through the gleeful, hugging couples to find an empty table for herself. Here, she sits and tries once more to reflect on her options.

/An event that wasn't a part of the original script… Does this mean the real 'Ashes of the Phoenix' has been altered now? Or has this stage somehow become a different play entirely…? Is that even possible…?/

She's aware of people laughing and talking merrily all around her, and she tries to drown them out with her own thoughts.

/I don't understand why I'm still here… why the stage has allowed me to stay this long when my inability to fulfill my role has caused the play to change so drastically. Unless there's still a way I can become the true villainess. But what…?/

As the seconds tick by, she feels that even more and more people are smiling and having fun all around her, which drives home the fact that she is utterly miserable and alone.

/No… I don't want this… I don't want to do this anymore… I just want to go home, together with everyone…/

She hunches forward on the table, gripping her head in her hands and biting back the burning sting of tears.

And then, suddenly the music softens and stops, and all the din of the crowds turns into a curious murmur.

The entire Ball comes to a halt.

But before Claudine can even begin to wonder what's going on, she hears a voice from right in front of her.

"Viscountess Saijou…?"

It's that voice. It's her voice.

Claudine blinks, watching two tears fall down onto the lacy white tablecloth before she lifts her head.

None other than the Duchess Tendo is standing before her now with one arm behind her back in a formal posture. Her eyes are shining, though they hold just a spark of concern for her. But even so, there is a soft and genuine smile on her lips as she reaches out her hand to Claudine.

"Pardon me for suddenly doing this, but I felt now was the right time."

The whole room is watching them now, muttering in confusion and excitement. The rest of their friends all stand together with their mouths open wide, all except for Karen who is grinning from ear to ear.

Claudine blinks again, but the scene in front of her doesn't fade away like some mirage. This is reality.

"What-" She quickly puts on a defensive expression, but the glare she gives to Maya now is as half-hearted as all her other acts of unkindness. "What are you doing? You came here with Karen - with that Village Girl."

"Indeed I did," Maya nods. "That was our plan all along."

"…Eh?" Now Claudine is truly baffled. "What plan? What are you saying?"

Maya sweeps her gaze around the room now, where everyone is puzzled and anxious and excited all at the same time.

"You see," she says, loudly enough for everyone to hear, but mainly for Claudine. "Miss Aijou and I planned this from the beginning. From the very moment the Ball was announced, we decided it."

She finishes scanning the room with a shared, knowing look at Karen, who gives her a thumbs-up in response. Maya then returns her gaze to only Claudine.

"You see, we made certain to make a scene yesterday so the entire school would see me asking Miss Aijou to the Ball. And she then made certain to go talk to you to ensure you would come here tonight, even if you didn't have a partner. Because we wanted to surprise you."

Claudine stares up at her in disbelief now, and her heart starts to pound. Maya's smile is as charming and pleasant as ever, just like it always was, even back at Seishou.

"Viscountess Saijou," she says. "I must make a confession to you, here and now, in front of everyone. You see, while Miss Aijou is my dear, beloved friend, I do not see her in a romantic light. She feels the same way about me. So we decided to put on a little act that only the two of us knew about." Her eyes are shimmering with a confident nervousness - with something genuine. "But our true motive was to allow me to steal the show here tonight - right in the middle of the Ball itself - so that I may profess my undying love and affection… for you."

A gasp must fly up from the mouth of every person in the room at that moment, but though Claudine's jaw has gone slack by now, not a single sound comes from it. Maya reaches out to take her hand, holding it with a firm and surefire grip.

"You see, I did once harbor budding feelings for Miss Aijou. But ever since I began to know you better, Viscountess, I found I simply could not keep myself away from you…"

/No…/

But in spite of Claudine's dismayed thoughts, Maya continues.

"In everything you did, you proved yourself to be a wonderful, kind, and caring person."

/No…/

"Viscountess. Your wit and your beauty are great, but I have come to understand that what drew me to you most ardently was your pure and righteous heart."

/No… What are you saying…? You can't do this-/

And then, Maya does something else.

She drops down on one knee.

The entire room holds its breath. Claudine can't even feel her own pulse any longer.

"You see," Maya goes on. "This is the part I did not tell even Miss Aijou about. This was my true plan to enact here tonight at the Ball, in front of everyone, creating a scene that takes everyone by surprise and captivates them all."

Claudine feels her hand being lifted now, and as she watches, none of it feels real. Even when Maya presses her lips to the back of her hand, Claudine hardly feels the contact. Her vision has started to blur again, turning black around the edges-

"Viscountess Saijou," Maya says firmly, loudly enough for the room to hear. "I do not care for the wishes of my parents nor the intended path they wish me to walk. Even if it means defying them, I have chosen my own path to happiness. And that path only exists at all because you lead me there."

Claudine can't move. She tries to command her body, to pull her hand away, to stand and run - but nothing works. She can only sit there - frozen - her heart pounding throughout her entire body, so loudly she hopes it drowns out whatever words Maya is about to say next. But even so, she still hears them.

"Viscountess Saijou," Maya smiles warmly. "I love you with all my heart. Please… will you do me the highest honor, and be my wife?"

The silence is deafening. Not a single soul in the room breathes as the weighted words sink in, and their meaning registers in everyone's minds.

At that point, Claudine no longer hears or feels her own heartbeat. She can't feel or hear anything. She can only see, and all she sees is Maya.

No. This isn't Maya. Not her Tendo Maya. This is just the Duchess.

Maya's emotions, Maya's heart, Maya's soul… They are not behind these actions or these feelings.

/It's an act./

A voice rings out in Claudine's mind, a voice she doesn't recognize.

/It's all an act. Fake. She doesn't really love you./

Once again, the blackness begins encroaching upon her vision.

And this time, it doesn't stop.

This time, it breaks her. For good.

"No-!"

Claudine surges to her feet, knocking over her chair with a startling clatter in the process. People gasp and cry out in alarm, huddling back. Karen and her friends look on in dismay and horror, their eyes filling with tears.

But this time, Claudine has no tears left to shed. She wrenches her hand out of Maya's with a violent movement that paints shock across the Duchess' face. Claudine snarls down at her in a boiling rage.

"No-!"

A dark cloud of magic suddenly envelops her. The table she'd been sitting at gets tainted by the blackness and is hurtled across the room, shattering and splintering against the wall as people shriek and run out of its path. Claudine's bellowing, furious voice rises up above the screams.

"No! No, no, no! You fool! You idiot! You can't do this-!"

She screams at the top of her lungs, all of her rage and fury directed at Maya as her eyes burn into her.

"You-! You can't love me! You don't love me! Because this isn't real! None of it is real!"

She loses herself.

After so many weeks of fighting this war, Claudine finally loses herself.

"It's not real! This world isn't real! Your feelings aren't real! This is all just an act! A play! You're all trapped in a play and I've been trying to save you all this time! I've tried everything - everything - within my power to save you, but you've made it absolutely impossible for me to do so!"

Now the darkness around her begins to swirl into a sharp and cutting wind - a black tornado. Her dress and her hair get swallowed in it, snapping in the violent torrent.

"Not me! You can't love me! You can't marry me! The Duchess has to marry the Village Girl! The Viscountess must die! That is how this play has to be performed, or else the Korosu will break in and erase us all! Not only from this world, but from ours as well! We'll all be doomed!"

The words she screeches now make no sense to any of the others, least of all Maya. She has fallen back onto the floor in shock at the sight of Claudine like this now, at being accused of harboring only false emotions, when - to Duchess Tendo - they were only honest and true. At least, as far as she knew.

But Claudine rejects her.

Because she knows those feelings are wrong.

That they should be for someone else.

That they could never be for her.

"None of it-!" she screams. "None of it is real! Not this world, not your feelings for me - nothing! I can't save you anymore! And now our story is going to end in tragedy-!"

The room is now encompassed by a black, swirling vortex of magic. The doors slam shut, trapping every last one of them inside. The chandeliers shudder overhead, threatening to drop their array of sharp, deadly daggers upon them all. The students are all gripped by a blood-chilling terror, a fear the likes of which no one has ever known before. The objects in the room begin levitating on the black winds.

Claudine feels the power pouring from within her own body, stemming from her own skin, her own soul.

She can't stop it anymore. Not even if she wanted to.

Not that she does want to...

After all, she is the villainess…

But then, all of the shrieking, and the movement, and the cutting of the wind comes to an abrupt and utter stop. Even Maya and all the others are frozen in place.

Time has been paused. For all but her.

"Saijou Claudine-san."

Claudine whirls around, now only barely able to make out the shadow of the giraffe past the blackness overtaking her vision. He stands tall above her and speaks as impassively as ever, caring not for her plight.

"You have broken the fourth wall. You have failed your role. This ReLive - the stage of 'Ashes of the Phoenix' - rejects you."

And before she can do or say a single thing, the entire world goes deeply and terribly black.

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A/N: I know many of you predicted that Claudine would break, and that Maya would fall for her regardless of Claudine's wrongdoings. Their love transcends worlds and stages, but in this case, it has only brought about the beginning of the end...