8This is an idea I'd wanted to toy with for a while now; essentially what might've happened if Maya and Claudine had been the winners of the duet revue instead of Karen and Hikari. It's basically a re-write of the anime ending, but with these two instead.
Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.
An Eternal Wish
Chapter 1. Revue Of Tragedy
The stage casts a radiant spotlight down over four armed girls.
They are armed not only with swords and knives, but also too with the burning passion for victory, for glory.
The passion to become the Top Star.
Claudine has to admit her heart had clenched just a little bit when Maya had been asked to choose her partner for this duet revue. Call it childish, but some minuscule part of her had truly feared Maya might not call out her name in that moment. If she had said any name other than hers, Claudine would have lost her will to fight altogether - perhaps indefinitely.
But the reality was, of course, that Maya had chosen her, tossed her that button without a second's worth of hesitation or uncertainty. Maya knew what she wanted. She knew who she wanted.
And Claudine can't deny she wants it too.
So she fights with everything she has. For her own sake. And for Maya's.
She fights with all of the determination she's built up over the years, all of the passion and skill and grace she's honed and perfected throughout all of these secret revues.
It's now or never. If she doesn't prove herself tonight - if she doesn't win for Maya - then what will the whole point of it all have been?
They have to win here tonight. They must. If they don't, Claudine isn't sure what she'll do with herself.
She attacks Karen and Hikari with everything she has, as it's only fair to them for her not to hold back. She gives them her all, just as she gives it to Maya. She pours all of her energy into it, gracefully dangerous twists and jumps off the structures and staircases upon the stage.
Dancing. Leaping. Soaring.
She covers Maya's blind spots and relies on her to do the same, defending her with all her might, as if her life depends on it.
She slices at Karen's jacket with precision, but not quite enough speed, because she evades and jumps out of range. There's a rush of air from above, and Claudine looks up to see Hikari plummeting from the ledge far above her, dagger glinting in the light. Claudine tumbles out of the way just in time, ramming her shoulder in the process. But her jacket has been spared, and right now that's all that matters.
Her entire body is throbbing with little aches and pains, and there are a few scratches dripping blood, mainly on her hands and wrists. Her left cheek has a small nick as well, but the pain only fuels her.
She can't lose here. She won't.
Within seconds, she is back at Maya's side, turning their backs together as they fend off their opponents. It's clear Karen and Hikari have chosen to target Claudine, for while she may be almost equal in skill to Maya, the person in second place is always a bit easier to deal with than the one in first.
The clashing of metal echoes all throughout the stage and audience as their friends look on from above, anxious and unable to cheer for one pair or the other.
Unlike them, Claudine knows which pair she is rooting for.
She won't lose. They won't lose. Not when they stand together.
As the intense fight continues, it goes unnoticed that only then does the gem within the handle of Claudine's sword begin to shimmer.
All the others' gems had shown before in their past revues, but never hers.
Only now, when she has chosen to think of Maya and herself as a team rather than rivals, does the black stone sparkle as brightly as her heart.
In this moment, they are not rivals.
They are equals. They are one.
As Karen charges her, Maya intervenes and parries. In the second her back is exposed, Hikari attempts to cut the string of Maya's jacket from behind, but Claudine lunges in to defend, forcing Hikari back enough to stagger her. Her message is clear: 'We will not lose.'
Claudine doesn't hesitate, nor does she hold back. Now is not the time for mercy.
She charges Hikari when she's off balance, which may be unsightly and unchivalrous of her. But she doesn't care. Not with this much at stake. It's survival of the fittest.
Karen calls out her partner's name and tries to get to her, but Maya does her part and keeps Karen at bay. Claudine murmurs an apology as she brings her sword up, catching the tip on the string of Hikari's jacket. As she falls, Claudine pulls upward in contrast, and the thread snaps.
Claudine sees it in Hikari's eyes in that split second; that anguish and dismay in knowing she'd let Karen down. Claudine isn't so cruel as to pity her, though. She takes pride in her victory, as Hikari was one of the worthiest opponents she ever could have faced. Just before she hits the floor, Claudine reaches out with her left hand to grab her by the wrist, sparing her the physical pain, if not the emotional.
The spotlight goes out, only to reposition itself on center stage. The giraffe's voice echoes out:
"This concludes our duet revue."
Panting, Claudine helps Hikari to her feet, then lets her go. She doesn't apologize, because she knows Hikari doesn't want to hear it. Instead, she simply dips her head. Hikari does the same before turning to her partner.
"Karen… I'm sorry."
Karen sheathes her sword and approaches her, gently taking Hikari's hands in hers.
"It's all right, Hikari-chan. We did our best. We were really close. Those two just had more shine than us. More Starlight…"
Hikari sighs, wrapping her arms around Karen's shoulders for a moment of solace and tranquility after all the fighting. Karen holds her, no doubt sad about their loss, but much happier that they'd gotten the opportunity to fight in such an impressive duet in the first place.
Likewise, Claudine retreats to her own partner.
Maya is just as ruffled as she is, but the light in her eyes is brighter than any fatigue could try to snuff out.
"You did it." Maya lifts her chin proudly.
Claudine snorts.
"We did it, you idiot. There's no way I could have done it without you."
"My, my. What an admission."
"Quiet, you."
Both sheath their blades, and Maya reaches out to take Claudine's hand, covered in scratches. Her other hand travels up to hold Claudine's face where blood is smeared along her cheek.
"To think you would bleed for my sake."
"Don't be so dramatic." In spite of her words, however, Claudine leans into her touch. "I did it for the both of us."
"Indeed. It is thanks to you, Ma Claudine, that we have won."
Claudine is possessed by both the urge to chide her and to kiss her.
But the chance for one or the other to win out is never provided.
Suddenly, there is a great rumbling as the stage beneath them begins to shift. Immediately, both girls draw their swords once again, pressing their backs together as a platform begins to raise them up.
"What is this-?"
But Claudine's question is cut off by a familiar deep voice.
"The last audition…" the giraffe bellows. "The "Revue of Tragedy" will now commence."
With a gasp, Claudine looks up to the top of the curtains, through the dozens upon dozes of red metal spires, at the top of which a harsh scarlet light filters down. Maya's eyes are trained there as well, but she is eerily silent. The giraffe continues.
"Let us compete in song and dance, and aim to become the Top Star. After all…" His voice deepens now, almost like a threat. "Only one of you can claim such a victory."
The light from above them burns hot, showering them both in a deep crimson. Claudine's chest is tight, and her heart is pounding.
"What is the meaning of this? Maya-" She tries to reach for Maya's hand. But to her despair, Maya pulls away. She bows her head, her eyes now covered in shadows.
"I knew it…" she sighs. "Surely enough, only one of us can pass this audition." When she does finally lift her face for Claudine to see, Maya's violet eyes are stern, unwavering. "We cannot both become Top Star, Ma Claudine. That is the truth of this tragedy."
Claudine takes a step back, but her boot nearly slips off the edge. That nauseating sense of almost-falling slithers up her spine and seizes her heart.
"Wh… What are you saying? Tendo Maya-"
Maya's grip tightens on her sword.
"Merci, Ma Claudine." Her voice is dull. Despondent. Claudine doesn't believe her words of thanks are genuine for a second. She has nothing but horror to give back to that soul-less stare.
Maya continues.
"I never could have gotten this far without you to push me forward. You kept me on my toes, made me strive to remain one step ahead of you. Without you as my rival and my partner, I never would have surpassed my limits. It's all thanks to you, Ma Claudine."
"Stop it! What are you saying? What's going on here?!"
Maya persists as if she hadn't heard her at all.
"You were the light that guided me to the very top of this stage. And as such, I cannot allow your 'shine' to be stolen away by it." Maya takes one step closer to her, and Claudine stiffens, unable to retreat due to the edge dragging at her heels. Maya leans in close, brushing her cheek against Claudine's bloodied one, until her breath dances at her ear.
"I cannot allow it," she repeats. "For, you see, I love you far too much, Ma Claudine."
"Wh-" Claudine chokes on her own voice as her breath gets tangled in the back of her throat.
It hurts. After their short-lived victory, this is all so confusing and terrifying. Maya isn't herself. Claudine isn't sure if she can believe those words. She wants nothing more than to trust her, but-
"That's why-"
And then, with one sharp slice of her sword, Maya cuts her partner's jacket clean off.
The gentle force of the motion is enough to topple Claudine back over the edge. The platform falls away from beneath her, and the ground begins to rush up at her. She succumbs to gravity, leaving tears in the air behind her.
The last thing she sees is Maya's smile, illuminated by that burning red light.
"-this is farewell, Ma Claudine."
And she falls, down into the deep darkness below, leaving Maya standing all alone at the top with that forlorn smile on her face, as the light of that dreadful red tiara swallows her whole.
A/N: I suffered enough when we had to watch Hikari 'betray' Karen, but could you imagine if it had been Maya and Claudine?
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