The Trials Of Time (ep)

I wanted the previous chapter to focus on Mayakuro, so now we address everyone else.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

---------

						Epilogue.

The morning after everything and everyone has been returned to the proper day, Maya helps Claudine out of bed and brings her to the lounge room.

And as each of their tired and weary friends wakes and stumbles in, they all burst out into tearful, joyful squeals.

They all take turns hugging Claudine one by one; Nana and Karen hold on particularly long, and have to be respectively and gently pried off by Junna and Mahiru.

They all pitch in to make a huge breakfast. Via various texts and calls, they check up on their friends from the other schools who had fought with them that night, and are relieved to hear none of them had sustained any injuries that had carried over into the new morning. They all express their joy to hear news of Claudine's safe return, and make arrangements to come and visit Seishou as soon as possible.

Everyone is all right now, and all is as it should be.

The Korosu will continue to appear, no doubt, but it will only ever be in pesky little clusters as they try to destroy more plays. It won't be anything the experienced Stage Girls can't handle.

Claudine receives an extremely warm welcome from her teachers and classmates - evidently, the story they all knew was simply that she'd recovered from her coma and had returned to school immediately afterward.

Even so, she is still a bit frail from the ordeal, so her friends - Maya in particular - do everything they can to help her get back on her feet. They make hearty meals for her until she has regained the weight she'd lost, they help her with her stretching and dancing until her muscles have recovered, and they provide her with plenty of hugs and kind words all the while.

No one more so than Maya, though, and she even throws in a few kisses here or there when no one else is looking.

And in only a few weeks' time, Claudine is back in perfect health.

They celebrate with a massive game and movie night, one where all the girls from the other three schools are invited as well. Everyone huddles up on the couches and floor, chatting and laughing together, sharing snacks and nuzzling close.

But none as close as Maya and Claudine.

They claim their usual seats on their couch and lean up against one another with their arms around each other's back. They watch and listen in amusement as all the other girls talk and eat and play. And bit by bit, Claudine's and Maya's hands slip down and come together between them, fingers lacing together.

"All right!" Junna calls out above the noise. "Everyone get comfortable, we're gonna start the movie. Nana?"

"I'll get the lights! Bana-nice!"

Everyone cuddles up to whomever is next to them as they get settled. Claudine sighs and looks up Maya with a smile. And Maya smiles right back.

"This is nice," Claudine hums.

"I agree," Maya purrs. "But I can think of one thing that would make it even nicer."

"Mechante va…"

But in spite of her huff and her blush, Claudine lifts her chin. Maya cups her cheek and leans forward, giving a squeeze to her hand.

They kiss just as the lights go out, and everyone else pretends not to notice.

The movie begins, and Maya and Claudine part before snuggling up close, pulling a blanket up over themselves and wrapping their arms around each other.

A soft, peaceful warmth settles over them both as they breathe in time to a mutual heartbeat.

From here on out - no matter what trials time or fate may throw at them - they shall continue on as they always have been - together.

--------

A/N: Thank you for sticking with me until the end! This was one of my longest multi-chapter Starlight fics yet! I hope you enjoyed, and please look forward to my next ones!