Centuries Of Love (ch1)

FOR MY $20+ PATRONS!

Where will the string of fate lead Claudine next...?

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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													Chapter 1. The String Of Fate

Perhaps the only benefit of being what she is is that Claudine has learned how to mask her presence from humans over the years.

Most of them barely notice she's near them, and the few who might take note never spare a second glance.

It's made it much easier for her to invade homes in the middle of the night and drink. But more importantly, it's made it much easier for her to travel.

She'd once been able to take the shape of a bat or raven, but she'd fallen out of practice. She'd always feared she might get stuck in animal form, which would prevent her Elizabeth from ever recognizing her.

So Claudine has remained in the form of a person, slinking silently onto buses and trains and planes all across the globe, trying to figure out which direction that thread in her heart was pulling her.

She'd returned to her origins in France, only to find how drastically it had all changed in modern times, and it'd made her chest ache. She'd been to India and America this year alone, searching every state and county and province, but the tugging of that thread remained weak and feeble.

She was, for the most part, directionless, unable to decipher a path for herself, even now...

She'd only just fed last night - some pretty brown-haired waitress with the same tasteless blood - and typically after she'd drank her senses would grow stronger.

But today marks the day where she'd searched every last corner of America - islands included - and found nothing. With no clue of where to go next, she makes her way to the nearest airport on foot and simply boards whatever plane is closest.

She waits until every person has taken their seat, then glides to an empty spot in the back. No one notices her as she goes.

Her seat ends up being beside an old couple. The grey-haired woman is smiling and rambling on to her husband about the grandchildren she can't wait to see.

Claudine listens, silent as the dead. She wishes Elizabeth had grown to be this old, had lived out her life to the fullest, even if Claudine would remain the same. But instead, she'd perished in her early twenties from some unknown sickness.

And it hadn't been quick.

Elizabeth had withered away - suffered - and she'd always said she was glad for the drawn-out descent, because it'd meant she got to keep seeing Claudine for a little while longer.

When she'd passed, it had been so quiet Claudine hadn't even noticed. She'd just gone to sleep one night and never woken again.

Claudine's emotions have dulled over the years with barely anyone to speak to or interact with. But she always felt this same guilt, this same regret, this same pining stronger than anything.

It eats away at her all through the flight, where an announcement eventually informs her is heading for Japan. She supposes that will do. She hasn't been there in several years. Perhaps she'll find something there.

After many hours, when the plane lands and the people sleep, Claudine stays awake. She can close her eyes, but she could never sleep around so many of them, for fear her presence-cloaking might wear off.

So she sits in silence, lost in her thoughts and her memories of what the world had once been in Elizabeth's time.

After some amount of time - which Claudine has learned to never keep track of - the plane flies again, before finally landing at an airport in Japan.

She's mastered every country's language by now, and her ears adjust to the change as people begin to stand and exit the plane. Claudine slips out after the old couple and steps onto solid ground.

The feeling here is different from some other countries. There is a tightness in the air, the feeling of needing to be somewhere at an exact time, a bustling sense of urgency and cleanliness.

But unlike all of these people, Claudine has no time limit.

She weaves slowly through them, not one of them looking back when they bump into her, and if it's because of her cloak or their own rushing, she can't be sure, nor does she care.

The feeling stirs in her chest as it always does, squirming like an insect caught in a web, fumbling, trying to find the best way to pull. Claudine does her best to make sense and follow it.

She wanders an entire day and night by foot, and then half of the following day, unsure of which district she's wound up in. From what she can recall, most of them are similar - bright, organized, crowded. This one has many establishments for shopping and businesses, a few eateries here and there.

But she pays little mind to any of it.

Because she... feels something.

Deep, deep in her soul. She can feel it.

It's guiding her somewhere, somewhere close. Her heart hasn't moved this much in ages, and it's filling her body with so many strange feelings that she begins to tremble. Her mind starts to race with blank thoughts, her feet moving this way and that, taking her in desperate circles.

"Where…?" she utters, and it's the first word she's spoken out loud in months. Her voice is cracked and thin, and her accent is a bit off for this language. "Where…? Where are you? Elizabeth-"

She rounds another corner, peers into another building, scours another sidewalk.

She's close. She's never been this close before, not since the night her wife had died so long ago. In all her travels and wanderings she's never felt this much chaos inside her chest.

Before she knows it, Claudine begins to run, which is something she hasn't done in as long as she can remember. She's never had the reason to. She's never been in this desperate, life-altering hurry before.

Japan. Japan is where she is.

She hadn't felt this pull the last time she'd been here, so perhaps Elizabeth's spirit had been elsewhere before, or perhaps it had yet to be reborn. Either way, Claudine knows this must be her soulmate calling out for her after so many lifetimes have passed.

She's found her. She's finally found her…

Claudine dashes, her outdated dress whipping out behind her, heart jolting, as she rounds the nearest building and-

"I found you."

She knocks fully into the person who'd said this and nearly bowls them both over. Claudine feels herself falling back and braces for the hard impact.

But then something happens that's never happened before.

A hand reaches out and grabs onto hers, fingers curling tightly around her wrist, giving her a tug to correct her balance. Claudine hadn't lifted her cloaking spell. No one should be able to see, let alone touch her.

"I'm so sorry," the other person says. "Are you all right?"

Dazed, Claudine looks down at the flat black shoes around white ankles, the dark blue skirt falling just to her knees, a white blouse with cuffed sleeves and a popped collar, long brown hair-

Her eyes are like lavender.

Claudine's heart throbs. So hard it causes her to stagger, putting the hand the stranger doesn't have a hold of to her chest. She clutches her chest, unsure of what this feeling is. It hurts, but it doesn't bring her only pain. There's something else - or perhaps many other things she can't name.

Startled, the human girl steps closer to her, keeping a firm hold on her wrist.

"Miss? Are you all right? Should I call an ambulance?"

Claudine manages to shake her head, biting back a gasp. She raises her head and looks again into those eyes.

They aren't Elizabeth's eyes. The hair is a similar color, but this girl is much more well-built than Claudine's petite late wife had been. There are no striking physical similarities.

But the chaos in Claudine's chest tells her this is the one, the person who had inherited the soul she's been seeking.

She has to be sure. She has to know for sure this is Elizabeth.

And there's only one way to do that.

Claudine moves her free hand from her chest to her mouth to conceal any potential glimpses of her fangs.

The other girl remains tense and worried, waiting for some kind of response. Claudine straightens up at last, feeling the warmth of the girl's hand radiating through her own cold skin, skin that has been untouched for centuries.

"You…" she rasps, eyes unblinking as she stares. "What did you mean… when you said that?"

"Pardon?"

Claudine swallows behind her palm, blood rushing in her veins.

"You said… 'I found you.' What exactly did you mean by that? I don't recall ever seeing you before in my life."

The girl tilts her head curiously, her panic slowly fading now as she realizes Claudine wasn't harmed by their collision.

"Oh, you see I came to town today to shop with some friends of mine. I got separated from them and was searching, and something told me to come this way. I thought for sure you were one of them, but I guess I was mistaken. My apologies."

Mistaken. If this girl was mistaken, was Claudine mistaken as well? Did this work if only one of them was drawn to the other in a one-sided chase? If Elizabeth's vessel wasn't also actively seeking her - if she'd forgotten Claudine altogether - then was her arduous journey all these years for naught? Had the first words Maya had ever spoken to her - being so very similar to the last ones Elizabeth had ever said to her - been a mere coincidence...?

Claudine is quiet, but unable to draw her eyes away from the girl's gaze. She's never seen her before in her existence - of that she's certain.

So why does looking at her fill Claudine with some unspeakable sense of nostalgia?

"No…" she murmurs. "It can't be…"

"Pardon?" The girl still has her hand around Claudine's, and Claudine hasn't felt the need to wrench it away just yet. She keeps her other hand over her mouth as she elaborates.

"I, too... was searching for someone."

The girl blinks.

"Well, I don't recall ever seeing you before in my life either. But was it me, nonetheless?"

Claudine looks deep into her soul, feeling her heart throb again and again. Even if there's no recognition in this girl's eyes, Claudine's soul recognizes hers somehow. She exhales slowly through her fingers and shakes her head.

"I don't know..."

The brown-haired girl smiles, something innocent and kind.

"Well then, perhaps spending some time with me shall provide you with an answer. Pardon my saying, but you seem a bit pale, Miss. Perhaps you would care to accompany me for some lunch?"

Claudine blinks, and the hand slowly falls away from her mouth. She keeps her lips pursed and the fangs out of sight.

"Excuse me?"

"Lunch," the girl repeats. "There are quite a few places I could show you." Her eyes travel down over Claudine's person and she suddenly feels self-conscious; another thing she hasn't felt in centuries. "Your clothes are a bit dirty and torn. I could give you something more comfortable to wear, if you'd like."

Claudine narrows her eyes and hardens her heart, suddenly overcome with a sense of defensiveness.

"And why should I accompany you?" she snarls. "You've not even given your name."

A look of surprise comes across the girl's face.

"I beg your pardon. How rude of me." She finally lets go of Claudine's hand so she may dip herself forward into a formal bow. "Tendo Maya, at your service."

Claudine blinks, slowly curling her fingers in against the fabrics of her dress.

'Tendo Maya'. She's never heard the name before in all her existence - she's certain. But some way, somehow, it ignites a nostalgic little spark in her chest. The smallest flame comes to life in the cold dark shadows of her soul. Without realizing it, she repeats the name back.

"Tendo… Maya…"

The girl - Maya - nods.

"Indeed. Would you mind telling me your name as well?"

Claudine hadn't spoken or told her name to anyone in eons. If she'd been a shred more forgetful than she is, she surely would've lost it long ago. She remembers to reverse her first and last name for the sake of the language.

"Saijou," she mumbles. "Saijou Claudine."

As she speaks her own name aloud, a tiny thought crosses her mind. She'd been born and lived most of her life in France, but her father had been Japanese. Perhaps it only make some shred of sense she's tracked Elizabeth's soul all the way back here now.

Maya looks at her thoughtfully and nods. There's a smile on her lips. Claudine feels something in her chest, and she isn't sure if it's more curiosity or irritation.

"What is it?"

"Oh," Maya says. "My apologies. I was merely thinking that's such a charming name. It's beautiful."

Claudine's heart does something strange again - strange, but not altogether unpleasant. She doesn't know what to say, so she simply crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. Maya chuckles.

"Well then, Saijou-san, would you mind accompanying me to lunch?"

Claudine takes a step back and eyes her warily. Perhaps she should evade this girl for now and tail her in secrecy, then take a bite from her neck in the night to test her blood. So Claudine snaps a cold reply.

"You'd best not get involved with me, Tendo Maya." She whirls around and begins stalking away, already trying to formulate a plan-

"Pardon me," Maya calls out from behind her. "But please allow me to decide for myself who I get involved with."

Claudine stops stiffly in her tracks. She holds still a moment before slowly turning back to her, eyes narrowed and suspicious. But not angry.

"You don't know what you're dealing with." Claudine lets her lips curl back a little, just shy of revealing her fangs.

But Maya simply shrugs.

"I know who I'm dealing with, though. Saijou Claudine."

And there's just something about this girl, Tendo Maya. Something that irks Claudine and draws her back to her at the same time. That suave, smug confidence and that daring light in her eyes…

"Fine," Claudine snaps without even realizing it. Maya smiles.

"Wonderful. I'll do my best to show you a good time." She approaches Claudine again until she's once more standing beside her. "Now, are you certain you wouldn't like to go visit a hospital first?" Her smile wavers just a little, and the concern comes back into her tone and eyes. Claudine steps away, heart squirming.

"I'm certain."

Maya dips her head.

"Very well. Then let me show you to a wonderful little shop. It might benefit you to change out of those old clothes first."

Claudine feels she would've taken offense if anyone else had said such words any differently. But for some reason, this girl saying them just as she had doesn't really faze or upset her. Claudine simply nods.

"Very well…"

Maya's smile returns.

"Excellent. Now then, if you wouldn't mind?" She offers her hand expectantly. Claudine regards her palm like a wild deer might, confused and startled. Maya elaborates. "Pardon my saying, but you do seem a bit unsteady. I would feel much better if I could support you a bit."

Claudine begins to realize just how dangerous this Tendo Maya girl really is. She doesn't have any weapons or pose a physical threat, per se. But she's so cunningly charming she causes Claudine's body to move on its own. She doesn't think. She just lifts her hand and sets it into Maya's.

And the smile comes again.

"Thank you very much. I promise I'll take good care of you, Saijou-san."

And she lifts Claudine's hand to her lips with a kiss.

Claudine feels her heart resound in her chest, and the flame inside her grows stronger. She says nothing more now as Tendo Maya leads her off down the sidewalks as if they'd been doing this all their lives.

She first brings Claudine to a clothing shop complete with every color, size, and fabric imaginable.

Initially, Claudine is hesitant to remove the dress she's worn for so long - the only clothes she's known for so many years - but Maya assures her she'll fold them up, bring them along, and even wash them for her. She selects a few items for Claudine to try on and hands them to her, then directs her toward the changing room.

Claudine follows her around more perplexed than anything; to some it would probably look like a teenaged girl trying to lead around her grandmother.

When Claudine is inside the changing room, Maya tells her to take her time.

It takes her a long moment, but Claudine eventually sheds the clothes that had become a second skin to her. They'd been what she was wearing the day she'd lost Elizabeth.

She doesn't let the dress touch the floor. She gathers it into her arms and folds it gently before placing it aside on the bench. She fumbles with the black leggings she pulls from the pile Maya had handed her, her body having forgotten what it felt like to move so much at such odd angles.

Eventually she pulls them up, then selects a strawberry-colored skirt. Finally, she pulls on a pink blouse, something loose and breathable, before running her nails through her curls. She beholds herself in the mirror and nearly gasps. But in a good way.

She… rather likes this. Perhaps a bit more than she'd anticipated.

She lingers for a while, as time had never really mattered to her. But she forgets it still matters to most other people in the world. Maya's tentative call comes from the other side of the door.

"Saijou-san? Is everything all right?"

Claudine quickly gathers up her old dress and leaves the untouched pile of clothes on the bench. She exits just as it appears Maya was about to knock. The girl's eyes widen in surprise at the sight of her.

"My… Saijou-san, you look positively stunning. Do you like it?"

Claudine wrinkles her nose a little and turns her face away.

"I suppose… I don't dislike it…"

Maya chuckles.

"Then it's settled." She guides Claudine by the elbow to the cashier, and it able to convince her to let Claudine keep the clothes on instead of changing back out to purchase them. Maya buys them for her and a few articles for herself, then folds Claudine's old dress into the bag to carry out with them.

Claudine is a bit nervous stepping out into the world like this for the first time ever. She feels her presence-suppressing cloak has lost its powers when she's with Maya, like people can actually see her now, and she isn't sure if she likes that.

But with how carefree and confident Maya is, even though she's only just met Claudine, it's difficult not to share some of her bravery.

So Claudine steps out into the world beside her, dressed for the first time ever in the clothes of the modern era.

The air feels different, touching skin that's never been exposed before, caressing her neck and lifting her hair. Claudine pauses on the sidewalk for a moment and tries getting used to the feeling.

Maya waits patiently, amused by the strange girl's behavior. After a moment, she taps Claudine's shoulder.

"Would you still care to join me for lunch?"

Claudine says nothing, but nods.

She follows Maya to a small cafe that smells of bread and coffee. Plants decorate the window sills, and little paintings hang on the walls.

Claudine has seen many establishments similar to this around the world in recent years. She's taken refuge from the rain or snow in them before, of course ensuring that no one could see her.

This is the first time she's gone in without her spell active. She nearly flinches upon entry, expecting people to look up and glare at her or start muttering suspiciously.

But not a soul takes note of her or Maya as they walk inside. Claudine attributes it to her change in attire - now that she blends in better, people probably don't see any reason to gawk if they do see her.

She trails behind Maya to the counter, where a girl in an apron smiles and asks for their order. Maya turns too Claudine.

"What would you like, Saijou-san?"

Claudine tenses at being put on the spot. She shakes her head and quickly steps back.

"Nothing," she mutters.

Maya just keeps smiling, which is rather infuriating, but also charming at the same time. She turns back to the barista and orders a coffee, a tea, a pastry, and a slice of pie. She pays and gathers everything into her arms, along with the shopping bags still on her wrist, and guides Claudine to a table near the window.

She deposits all of her things as Claudine sits quietly, still feeling a bit exposed, like a hare in an open field, no shelter. Maya casually takes a sip from her coffee, then cuts into the pastry. She pushes the pie and tea over to Claudine.

"My treat," she smiles.

Claudine wrinkles her nose.

"I'm not hungry."

"Even if that's the case, you look like you could do with a bit of sugar."

Claudine huffs. She can't just come out and tell this girl she's a thousands-of-years-old vampire whose body doesn't require human sustenance and whose taste buds can't recognize most flavors beyond blood. She can eat food, but it never tastes like anything. Even blood barely tastes like anything since Elizabeth had died, so Claudine finds little pleasure in eating or drinking in general.

But this girl… This girl might be something…

The only way to know for sure is to drink from her, and if she wants to do that without her cloak, Claudine needs to stay close and earn her trust.

So she complies, begrudgingly taking up her fork and knife - which she admittedly hasn't held in years - and cutting the end off her apple pie. As expected, she doesn't taste anything, but she can feel some kind of sensation in her mouth as she chews.

Maya seems triumphant that she's gotten her to eat, and that irks Claudine a little, somehow. Maya takes a bite of her pastry, then a sip of her coffee.

"So then, Saijou-san. I don't believe I've ever seen you around these parts. I surely would have remembered such a stunning person. Where are you from, if you don't mind my asking?"

Maybe it's the change in environment or the strange feelings on her tongue or the compelling look Maya is giving her, but Claudine is momentarily distracted. Where she normally wouldn't have given any response other than a grunt, she actually replies.

"France."

Maya's eyes widen.

"Oh, my. That's wonderful. I've always wanted to visit. If I may say, you speak Japanese beautifully."

This time Claudine manages to refrain from scoffing, from telling her that of course she speaks the language perfectly, that she speaks every language perfectly, because when you've lived for dozens of centuries, those kinds of things sort of just rub off on you whether you want them to or not.

But Claudine just says nothing and takes a sip of her tea. It's also tasteless, but the liquid feeling dribbling down her throat puts her at ease a bit; it's closer to the sensation of blood.

Another beat of silence passes between them, and Claudine is at no liberty to speak first. So naturally, Maya does.

"Saijou-san. You'd said earlier you were searching for someone. Who are they, or what do they look like? I'll do my best to help."

Claudine feels a shudder travel up her spine. She looks up from her tasteless food and stares at the girl across from her.

"I can't tell you that…"

Maya sits back, pensive.

"It's a secret, then?"

Claudine looks back down.

"No… Rather… I've no idea what their name is now, or what they might look like… But I'm fairly certain they're here somewhere."

Maya thinks for a moment, her tone becoming a bit softer now.

"Some long-lost family member perhaps?"

Claudine bites her lip, bowing her head to hide the fangs. Elizabeth had certainly been the only real family she'd ever had. Claudine nods. Maya ponders over another sip of coffee.

"That may make things rather difficult," she notes. "But I'll do everything I can to assist you, Saijou-san."

Claudine doesn't want to talk about this right now, or ever, perhaps. She quickly throws the subject right back at her.

"Didn't you say you'd been out with friends? Do they know where you are yet?"

"Oh! Perhaps I should message them."

And in spite of herself, Claudine nearly feels the corners of her lips curve up. This girl acts so confident and wise, but she can clearly have her mishap moments as well.

Maya pulls out a modern cell phone and types a quick message, then looks up at her.

"Do you have a cell phone, Saijou-san? I'd want to keep in contact with you in case I find anything."

Claudine shakes her head. Maya purses her lips in thought.

"Then can you tell me your address? Or at least what district you live in? An email, perhaps?"

But Claudine just shakes her head again.

"I have no such things."

Maya is quiet for a long moment. Claudine leaves her food and drink unfinished, suddenly no longer feeling all that compelled to keep up the act.

Maya seems to forget about her food as well. She leans forward, reaching her hand out across the table to Claudine, waiting for her to look up again.

"You... have nowhere to go?"

Claudine is finding it difficult to look her in the eyes.

"I wouldn't say nowhere," she mumbles. "I'd say anywhere."

Maya chuckles thinly.

"Even so, 'anywhere' can mean a lot of things." She lowers her voice just a little. "Why don't you stay with me for the night?"

Claudine's entire body stiffens, and her heart flutters in the primal way it sometimes does when she enters a girl's bedroom at night. Even if she's trained her mind and heart not to enjoy biting them, her body still seeks to maintain itself and can often get addicted to the idea of blood.

She grips the ends of her skirt tightly until her nails dig in, trying to keep herself calm.

"That… probably isn't a good idea."

"And why not?" Maya protests. "If you've got nowhere to stay, and not even any money to pay for tea with, then you'll be spending the night on a park bench."

Claudine refrains from telling her she's lived that very scenario no fewer than a million times. Now that this girl has seen her and expects her to be human, Claudine's usual antics won't suffice for answers in Maya's mind.

In her mind, Claudine is a girl with no money and nowhere to spend the night, not a vampire who can cloak her presence and do quite literally whatever she pleases.

Claudine fidgets, exhaling slowly.

"Please," she mumbles. "This is for your own good. Trust me."

But Maya gives her the most skeptical look Claudine's ever seen.

"For my own good?" she parrots. "Forgive me, Saijou-san, but please allow me decide what is or isn't for my own good. What isn't good for me is the thought of such a pretty girl alone in a country she's clearly only just arrived in when she has no money or relatives. I'll not sleep tonight if I have to live with knowing you've got nowhere to stay."

Claudine curls her lip back into a soft snarl.

"You'll not sleep tonight if you invite me to your bed," she corrects.

Maya falls silent, clearly smart enough to recognize the threat, though perhaps not in the exact way Claudine means it. Maya looks her over again, and this time Claudine maintains her glare, willing her to back down.

But Tendo Maya glares right back, unfaltering in the face of her challenge. At last, she stands and picks up her bags.

"I'll take my chances," she decides.

And Claudine feels a smile spread on her lips.

It's part wicked - the part that longs to drink, to discover if this girl is truly Elizabeth.

And it's part amused - a part of herself she hadn't really known she possessed until meeting her, a part that rather… likes her, somehow.

As Maya begins to move away from the table, Claudine is inclined to follow her. That slight tugging in her chest pulls her along, and the ache behind her fangs guides her vision to the side of Maya's neck, where white skin is occasionally visible past the sway of her hair.

Claudine maintains her distance as she follows Maya out of the cafe. She curls her nails into her skirt again, trying to suppress the excited, more animalistic side of herself. She hadn't felt this kind of fervor when drinking from the waitress the other night, or any of the girls before that.

It's dangerous, and she knows it. Dangerous for Maya.

Claudine should disappear right now when her back is turned. She should vanish into the evening and never appear in front of her again, even if it means she'll never truly have her answers.

But that thread in her soul pulls her forward, drawing her ever closer to the soul that calls out for hers.

She wants to feed. She wants to taste sweet blood again.

But is the risk of hurting who may very well be her beloved Elizabeth worth that long-since dormant instinct?

Not to her.

Claudine stops walking, bringing her hands up to her head to grip it, heart throbbing as she fights the internal war with herself. She steps away, but then steps right back up again.

No- Just run. Run now-

But then, a kind hand appears in front of her eyes. Palm upturned, veins offered right to her, Maya smiles sweetly.

Claudine can't stop herself from accepting that hand, and she doesn't know which part of her had done it - the part that wants to use her, or the part that wants to love her.

But either way, she accepts that hand and follows.

Tendo Maya has sealed her fate now, whatever it may be.

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A/N: I struggled a bit with trying to convey Claudine's dilemma; her instincts versus her wishes, her mind versus her heart. Part of her wants to confirm if Maya is Elizabeth or not, and the other half is almost scared to find out, which will be explained a bit later. Either way, I hope you can understand her conflict.