Twinkle Twinkle, Little Stars (ch4)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

All right next we have Futaba and Kaoruko!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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						Chapter 4. A Time For Dance

"Ah, geez… What the hell happened…?" Futaba wakes with a slight soreness in her head, bringing a hand to her forehead. "That damn giraffe… the hell did he do this time…?"

She's expecting to find herself back at school, but when she finally opens her eyes, that isn't the case at all. She's lying on a hard floor, but not the same hardness as the waxed wood of a stage. The ceiling overhead isn't laden with red curtains either. This isn't a stage, but it's someplace equally as familiar.

The floor she's lying on is covered with tatami mats, and the room all around her is ornate and nostalgic. Somehow, she's back at the property both she and Kaoruko had been raised on, where they'd spent so many of their younger years running around playing in between strict lessons on traditional Japanese dance and performance.

"What the-?"

Futaba sits up quickly and looks around, but no one else is in the room with her. When she glances down at herself, she's relieved to find she isn't wearing one of the kimonos she dislikes so much, but instead just shorts and a t-shirt, which are her comfort clothes of choice.

"Well, at least I'm not bein' made to dance around like a monkey for everyone…" She has no idea why or how she'd ended up here, though. "It's gonna be a pain in the ass to get back to school from here. I'm gonna have to take a train…"

She decides right away it would be best if she could somehow manage to sneak out of here and make her way back to Seishou without anyone noticing or asking questions.

So she quietly gets to her feet and turns to face the far side of the room. From what she remembers, the sliding paper doors behind her lead out into the hallway and the rest of the building, but the ones in front of her lead outdoors.

Futaba tiptoes as quickly as she can, but just before she can touch the handle to slide the doors open, she hears something behind her. The far door slides open with a small slap, which makes her jolt and whirl around.

Crap! Now I probably just look guilty as hell!

"Uh, s-sorry!" She closes her eyes and bows her head to whomever had entered to find her like this. "I-I'm not really sure what's going on, but-"

"Kyaaaaa! An intruder!"

"…Huh?"

Futaba blinks her eyes back open at the tatami mats below her sneakers. She knows that voice. She'd know that voice anywhere. She grew up with it, after all.

Lifting her head slowly, she has to grip the door a little bit to keep herself from swaying at what she sees.

"K…Kaoruko…?"

It's Kaoruko, all right, but not the Kaoruko she's expecting to see. Instead of the girl who had grown up alongside Futaba… Now she's only aged a fraction of those years.

She can't be older than six years old now, dressed in her little pink floral-patterned kimono with a clip in her hair and a fan in her hand. Her jaw is gaping in shock in a way that would probably get her scolded for being too unladylike if any of the adults were here to see it. She's gripping her fan as if she isn't afraid to throw it or use it as a weapon if need be, and also looks like she's about to bolt and call for help.

Futaba bites her lip, knowing she can't let that happen. Somehow, she manages to push past the shock of finding Kaoruko like this and call out to her.

"H-Hold on a second-"

"Silence!" Kaoruko demands. "Y-You're an intruder! A criminal! And h-how do you know my name?"

"Wait, seriously…?" Futaba tilts her head. "Kaoruko you… don't know who I am…? It's me, Futaba."

"I-Impossible!" she cries. "My Futaba-han isn't a crook! She's my friend and she's the same age as me! Even when she grew up she would surely never be that tall!"

Futaba had almost had a moment where her heart felt warm for a second until that comment. Yup, this is Kaoruko, through and through, for sure.

"Oy, listen here. From where I'm standin' right now, you're the shrimp."

"And you're an intruder! Mother! F-Father!" Kaoruko turns and prepares to dash off, leaving Futaba with no choice but to beg.

"W-Wait a second-!" She drops to her knees and folds her hands on the floor before bowing deeply. "Please, Kaoruko… Don't tell anyone I'm here. It's kinda complicated, but…"

"Th-That-" Kaoruko gasps. "We only teach that style of prostration here… How do you know of it?"

Futaba lifts herself back up and shrugs with a grin. Kaoruko stares at her a moment longer, her eyes still wide and her mouth still open. Then, she flicks her fan in front of her face and clears her throat.

"Very well. I won't call for my parents just yet."

Futaba whistles in relief.

"Thanks."

"Besides," the little girl mumbles. "Even if I did call for them, it isn't like they'd come… They've been so busy as of late…" Now, Kaoruko's pout turns into something a little more genuine and sad.

Futaba frowns. She remembers well enough from growing up with Kaoruko that her parents didn't always make time for her when they probably should have. It isn't that they're bad people, but they aren't the most perceptive when it comes to their daughter's needs, either. They usually let the maids or staff handle those things.

It had always made Futaba upset even as a child, but especially now. She has no idea where her younger 'self' might be in this world right at this moment, but as things are, her current self is the only one this little Kaoruko's got.

Futaba softens her expression now as she walks back across the room toward her. Kaoruko flinches a little as she approaches, so Futaba stops so as not to frighten her.

"Say," Futaba says gently. "Why don't you show me some of your dance? I'd love to see it."

Kaoruko sniffles from behind her fan, but flashes Futaba a hopeful glance.

"I… I could never show my dance to some criminal-"

"Like I said," Futaba sighs. "I'm not a criminal. I'm… I'm a guest! Yeah, that's it. And I came here just to see your dance, Kaoruko-chan." It's a little weird to be addressing her that way, but it's only appropriate now with Kaoruko being so young.

Kaoruko hides behind her fan for a moment longer, but her eyes keep wandering back to Futaba's smile. Futaba knows she would never pass up the opportunity to show off the traditional dance skills she's so proud of. And sure enough, it isn't long before Kaoruko agrees.

"Very well. Since you haven't caused any trouble, I suppose I could show you a few dances…"

Futaba grins.

"That's great! Thanks, Kaoruko-chan! I can't wait to see 'em!"

She doesn't miss the little blush that forms on Kaoruko's cheeks before she covers her entire face behind the fan. She doesn't seem scared anymore, so Futaba reaches out to ruffle her hair softly. Kaoruko lightly swats her wrist with the fan.

"Hey! You'll mess up my hair!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

With a huff, Kaoruko lifts her chin importantly before advancing into the center of the room. Futaba sits down cross-legged as she watches, trying not to chuckle at how the kimono restricts Kaoruko's legs a bit and sort of makes her waddle like a penguin.

Futaba leans back on her palms as Kaoruko takes up her stance in the middle of the room now, raising her fan high above her head as she readies herself to begin. There's no music for her to move to, so she begins at her leisure, no doubt moving herself to a song in her head.

Futaba can't help but grin as wide as she can to see this little Kaoruko begin her dance, moving her arms in slow, fluid, graceful motions. Futaba herself had never been the biggest fan of the outfits, but she hadn't minded the dances themselves too much. After all, this was the stuff that had gotten her into theater and to Seishou in the first place.

But Kaoruko had always loved these dances with all her heart, to the point where she'd often complain about almost any other style they were practicing at school. For all of the whining and sighing she'd do about other things, this style was one she'd always be willing to partake in. Especially if it meant she could show off to someone.

Futaba watches her go through the motions, recognizing the routine almost instantly. She herself had learned it as a kid alongside Kaoruko, and she knows if she stood up now to join her she'd probably remember it perfectly.

But she doesn't want to take Kaoruko's spotlight away from her, so she stays put and watches, applauding her when she finishes. Kaoruko takes a bow as she catches her breath, waving her fan daintily over her face.

"And there you have it," she proclaims. "One of the finest dances in all of Japan."

"Heck yeah!" Futaba claps. "That was awesome, Kaoruko-chan!"

"Fu fu~" Kaoruko smirks, and even though she's only a child, she still looks just as mischievous as she would've at her proper age. "That must be how you knew my name, no? You heard about my impeccable skills and came from far and wide to see me! One of my many, many fans and followers!"

"Uh, y-yeah, you got me!" Futaba scratches her head with a laugh. "Actually, I know a thing or two about this kinda dance."

"Oh? Then you should join me. It's the least I can do for a follower who came to see me."

"Uh, sure…" Futaba finds it a little scary how Kaoruko has remained majorly unchanged, even as such a young child. But it just goes to show that she'll always be the same girl Futaba's always known.

Futaba gets to her feet now and joins the little girl in the center of the room.

"Now then," Kaoruko says importantly. "Normally you'd have to wear a kimono to do this dance. You'll look ridiculous in those clothes."

"Sorry," Futaba says. "Fresh outta kimonos."

Kaoruko huffs as if she's been done a great disservice, but seems to opt to ignore it for now.

"All right, then let me show you this technique. It's very difficult, so try to keep up!"

Futaba humors her and follows along in the lessons she's begin given, even though she already knows it perfectly. But she wants to let Kaoruko teach her, because she knows the girl would love nothing more than getting to share her beloved dance with someone else. But even as a child, she's actually rather strict and serious about it.

"You have to lift your arms higher at this part! And turn your head!"

"Got it! Yes, ma'am!" Futaba follows her orders seriously, until little Kaoruko has a satisfied smirk on her lips.

"That's much better. See? Even you can do this much when the right person teaches you!"

"Uh-huh." Where she absolutely would've put an older Kaoruko in her place, Futaba lets the younger one have this. She plays along and follows her teacher's instructions as they make their way through the dance. By the time they've finished, Kaoruko is laughing and smiling.

"Yes!" she says. "That's exactly how it's done!"

Futaba finally takes her bow.

"Phew! You really work up a sweat, huh?"

"Never." Kaoruko puffs up her cheeks. "Though I suppose I could use some fresh air…" She waves her fan at herself as she scurries to slide open the door to the back yard. Futaba follows her out onto the little wooden platform to feel the cool air.

"Ah, that feels nice." She closes her eyes and opens her arm for a moment, and when she next opens them, she looks down to see that Kaoruko has turned the fan toward her and started flapping her wrist to help cool her off too. Futaba smiles.

She might be selfish, but she's always been a good kid deep down.

Futaba crouches down on one knee to feel the breeze from the fan better.

"That feels nice. Thanks, Kaoruko-chan."

"A good master has to take care of her followers," Kaoruko replies. Futaba's grin widens.

"You're a real cutie, y'know that?" She ruffles Kaoruko's hair again, and the girl shrieks indignantly.

"H-Hey!"

As she's in the process of trying to shake Futaba off, Kaoruko ends up stepping on the end of her kimono.

"Oy, careful-" Futaba tries to reach out to grab onto her, but Kaoruko ends up stumbling on the fabric.

"Kyaa-!" With a soft cry, she tumbles off the porch and into the grass below before Futaba can get ahold of her.

"K-Kaoruko-chan!"

Futaba jumps off the porch and crouches down by the little girl's side. She's lying face-down and hiccuping. Futaba gently picks her up from underneath her arms and helps her back to her feet, dusting her off a bit.

"You okay?" Futaba carefully adjusts the flower hair pin in her hair, clipping Kaoruko's bangs back again after it had come undone. Kaoruko sniffles, and it's clear she's trying really hard not to cry.

"I-I'm fine-"

"Silly. If something hurts, don't hide it from me, okay?"

Kaoruko sniffles again, but does as she's told.

"My forehead…"

"Here, can I take a look?"

Kaoruko nods, and so Futaba clears the girl's bangs aside to find a little scrape right in the middle of her forehead. Kaoruko must know there's something there, because she starts to whimper.

"Is it bad? Am I hideous?"

"What? No, of course not!" Futaba reaches into her shorts pocket, grateful that her handkerchief is there. She pulls it out and gently wipes Kaoruko's forehead clean. "You're the cutest girl in the whole world, Kaoruko-chan."

"Eh…?" The little girl sniffles again. "Do you really mean it?"

"Yeah! Absolutely!"

Kaoruko says nothing now, but she does blush a little bit.

Futaba finishes cleaning her up, then picks up her fan that had been bent in the fall. She straightens it out until it can fold perfectly again.

"There. Good as new!"

Kaoruko accepts the fan and clutches it to her chest for a moment. But then she gives it back to Futaba.

"Here."

"Huh? What's wrong? No good?"

Kaoruko shakes her head.

"No… It's perfectly fine now… But I want you to have it."

"Hah? Me? But-" She stops herself as she realizes what's happening. This is Kaoruko's way of thanking her. Futaba purses her lips into a big smile. "I mean, wow! Thank you, Kaoruko-chan! I'll treasure it forever!" Futaba accepts the token while Kaoruko taps her shoe in the grass bashfully.

Futaba puts the fan and the handkerchief into each pocket before patting the girl's head again.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Mm."

"What's up? You tired?"

"Only a little…" Kaoruko rubs her eyes, and a yawn follows shortly afterward. Futaba really has to try hard to resist the urge to just hug her.

"You danced a lot. Thanks for showing me the ropes. Did you have fun today?"

"Yes… It was nice to have someone to play with…" Kaoruko's eyes are already drooping. Futaba crouches down to catch her as she slouches.

She picks the girl up in her arms and slowly brings her back inside. Futaba kneels down on the mats and lets little Kaoruko rest her head in her lap as she always likes to do. A smile comes across her sleeping face almost instantly when she's lain in the familiar position. Futaba strokes her fingers gently through the girl's hair.

"I had a lotta fun, too," she murmurs. "Thanks, Kaoruko."

With Kaoruko now curled up asleep in her lap, Futaba leans back against the wall and closes her eyes too.


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A/N: Similarly to the trio in the previous chapters, I wanted to let older Futaba give baby Kaoruko a nice day. When the parents are busy or the girls have a lot of responsibilities even at such a young age, their partner(s) come to let them have fun!

There's just something about writing Futakao... I don't know. They're so easy to write for me. Their dialogues come without my even needing to think.