Mikan wrings her hands and twists the straps of her purse, fidgeting, and then pushes her orange hair behind her ear to untangle it from her glasses. There are so many people in the club. What if she messes up? What if she trips on her own face? And what if Elen…
“Mikan! Sorry I’m late! I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.”
With a gasp, Mikan bolts upright from the wall to face Elen walking up to her. She smiles and Mikan’s knees go weak as her cheeks warm. She must be more nervous than she thought.
Mikan vaguely registers Elen’s niceties and replies, “Oh! N-no. I haven’t waited too long.”
Elen smiles at the words and she flashes her AIDCard open to her student ID to the bouncer, who waves them into Club Muse. The pair wander through the dimly lit space while the current act performs, and claim a small table not too far from the stage.
After a flourish of notes from the performer’s violin and the resounding applause, there’s a break between acts, and conversation can once again take place. Elen takes advantage of the relative quiet to ask Mikan what she’d like to eat, and from her response taps on the table’s screen to order two hot teas and chicken tenders (extra spicy for Mikan). After the screen flashes that the order has been entered, Elen turns in her chair to give her full attention back to Mikan.
“So, you’re thinking of going into the vocal program when you get to high school, right?”
Mikan fixes her hair again. “Y-yeah. I… I really love to sing. And I think I’m pretty good at it too.”
“Well, in the program, you’re going to be taking choral classes and music theory for the first half of your first year. Then you have the option of additional specialized subjects or changing majors. You could also take a double major like me, if you have more than one interest.”
The waiter takes this moment to appear and sets down their teas, chicken tenders, and fries. Mikan sips at the tea in an attempt to quench her dry mouth (cursing at herself after slightly burning her tongue) and asks, “What are your other majors?”
“Dance. I’m exempt from gym because of it. We have a gymnastics team that I’m also a part of to supplement it. It keeps me active, and my performances good.” Despite the low light, Elen observes Mikan’s cheeks redden as she munches on a fry. She smirks and leans her head on her hand. “Let me guess: stage virgin?” Mikan’s shoulders jump, and she nods with her head hanging low. “I thought as much. You remind me of how I was before my first performance on stage.”
Mikan’s head snaps up again. “You mean you were also scared before you got on the stage for the first time?” she asks, and receives a nod in reply. “But you’re always so calm and cool!”
“Let me tell you a secret: I still get stage fright before going on. It’ll never go away, no matter how many times you perform.”
“Really? I can’t imagine you of all people being scared.” Mikan sets her tea down. “How can that not affect your singing?”
Elen smiles again. “That’s because—”
“And now, a regular here at Club Muse! Second-year from the Vocal Department, Elen Grace Magnum with Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper!”
The two look up at the MC on the stage and then Elen picks up her guitar from the case before heading to the stage, looking back with a polite nod to Mikan. She climbs the stage, sits down on the stool and adjusts the microphones to her satisfaction. She closes her eyes and feels for the correct frets in her left hand before taking a deep breath. Then, Elen strums the guitar and begins the song. The audience cheers almost immediately and clap to the beat before Elen even starts singing, but she’s more than thankful for them for being her metronome.
Mikan watches in awe as Elen performs. Her soprano voice is so clear and steady. There are a few hiccups, but it’s just as lovely as when she had seen her on stage for the first time. Mikan twists her purse handles again, her heart pounding even more wildly as the song goes on.
In the corner of the bar, a man nurses a drink while listening to Elen’s performance. He shifts his gaze to her chest, noticing a white glow just below her collarbone that he knows is imperceptible to the ignorant humans. He smirks.
When the song ends, Elen stands to bow to the applauding audience. Walking off the stage, she puts the guitar back into its case before settling down back on her chair. She turns to Mikan, “What did you think?” Elen asks, doing her best to disguise her trembling shoulders.
“Really good!” Mikan answers. “Your voice was strong and clear. Though it did sound a bit strained.”
As if in response, Elen sips at her tea. “I was doing my quarterly assignment earlier. I’ll admit, I overdid it, so I suppose my voice is a bit strained.”
“And if you pass, will you be able to participate in the Quarterly Concert?”
Elen giggles at how eager Mikan sounds now. “The Quarterly Concert is for students who score in the top five in their year, so there's only fifteen spots. I’ve never performed in one before, but maybe you’ll be able to when you get in.” Even with the poor lighting, it’s easy to see the bright red of Mikan’s cheeks and the slight sweat glistening on her forehead. Elen reaches over and takes off Mikan’s glasses. “If you can’t see the audience, you won’t be so nervous.”
Mikan’s breath catches in her lungs as she perceives Elen folding her glasses and place them on the table. “But… but how will I be able to play the song?”
“You’ve practiced, right?” Elen receives a nod in return. “Then just relax and let it come out naturally. Let your instincts guide you. That’s what performing is really.”
“And now for a brand new face!” calls out the MC. “Everyone, give a warm welcome to Mikan Kajiwara with Zephyr’s Reach for Me!”
The crowd applauds once more and Mikan has to be practically pushed to get on her shaking legs, and climb on stage. Once settled on the piano bench, she takes a nervous glance towards the audience and takes a small breath. ‘Elen was right. The crowd is nothing but a blob of colors.’ Mikan’s heart beat slows, and her shoulders relax in an instant at the thought.
‘Naturally. Let my instincts guide me.’
Mikan places her hands on the piano, hearing the song start in her head as she presses down on the keys. She plays a few bars before beginning to sing, her alto voice in a much more relaxed tone than it would have been before. She even smiles a bit more as she confidently continues the song.
Elen simply leans on the palm of her hand and closes her eyes, listening to the music with a smile on her face.
“You did really well!”
Mikan trembles as they walk through Grove Park, reeling from her performance. “It was… Wow! I don’t know how to describe it with words! It felt freeing and like… like…”
“Like you could spread your wings and just fly off the stage?” Mikan nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, I get that feeling whenever I’m on stage too. Just seeing the audience having fun, listening to my singing and being encouraged by them, is just the very best feeling in the entire world. It’s the same feeling I get whenever I do a Circle.”
Mikan looks at Elen once more, takes in how her hair shines in the moonlight and her light blue eyes sparkle like the stars. The same way as when Mikan first saw her performing. Her cheeks warm again, and she’s not so sure whether it’s from the adrenaline still pumping through her body or something else entirely. “I guess it is.”
Unbeknownst to the two, the man stands on a treetop, looking down on the two girls walking on the path. He grins again as he stretches out his arm, a light shining in his palm.
‘Such a shame, too,’ he thinks as the light intensifies and something wraps over it. ‘She’s really pretty.’
“So are you excited to go into the vocal program now?”
“Yeah. It was a lot of fun! I think I’ll—”
*SWIPE*
Elen shrieks upon seeing Mikan flying through the air and landing hard on the cobblestone path. She lands on her butt, her guitar case crashing to the ground with a worrisome crack!, and looks up to the large, dark creature that resembles something out of a nightmare. It’s wolf-like, licking its maw as if it’s looking at a tasty morsel and showing off its enormous fangs.
‘What the fuck is that thing?!’
The logical part of Elen’s mind says to run away. To get somewhere safe. But she’s shaking so much that she can’t stand up. The beast begins to advance slowly, as if stalking its prey. When it lets out a guttural growl, it snaps Elen out of her reverie enough for her to scramble to her feet and jump back, away from another swipe of the enormous paw. She jumps again, backflipping away from the beast to land awkwardly on her feet and collapsing.
Elen’s heart nearly stops when the beast runs towards her. Once again, she attempts to get her feet back under her, but fails and is instead batted away, crashing into one of the trees. Elen hisses and grips her shoulder, and even with her obviously lacking medical knowledge she can tell that it’s dislocated and bleeding.
She looks back and the beast is just standing in front of her, likely savoring the last bit of terror from its prey before going in for the kill. Through the haze in her mind, Elen concludes that this is it. She’s going to be killed by this beast and Mikan will be next – that is, if she’s not already dead.
Elen sees the beast raise its paw once more, and shuts her eyes tightly.
‘Oh, God and Goddess, please help!’
She suddenly feels strong arms wrap around her and the wind whistling against her ear as someone carries her away. When she feels they’re back on solid ground, Elen cracks an eye open to see who it is that saved her.
“You! You’re the guy from this morning!”
Frederick smiles down at her. “I’m glad to see you’re still kicking.” He sets Elen down on the ground and stands, facing the dark beast that is looking angrily at the intruder and growling loudly. It doesn’t come closer though, possibly not taking the risk that this person is actually very strong. “Mystia! How’s the other girl?”
“Not bad,” calls the woman from the bench where Mikan now lies. “We’ll have David look at her, but it looks like nothing more than a concussion.”
Elen lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, but now she has something else to worry about. ‘Who the hell are these people?! What’s going on?!’
She doesn’t voice these questions as Fredrick shouts, “Mystia! Give Elen the Brooch!”
“Got it!”
The beast decides to attack as Mystia rushes to Elen’s side. Fredrick stands his ground and takes out what looks to be a card and murmurs something under his breath. Elen watches in awe as a light shines around the three of them, repelling the leaping beast like a barrier and the force whipping up wind.
“Don’t worry. Fredrick’s strong,” Mystia tells Elen. She can see that quite plainly, having not thought any of this possible outside of books or movies. “Take this.” Elen looks to Mystia who has a light in the palm of her hand. When it dies down, she sees a silver triple moon brooch with a royal blue gem in the center. “Transform with this and fight!”
Elen looks up at Mystia in disbelief. But, no, she’s completely serious. “‘Transform with this and fight’?! What the hell is this? Some cheesy magical girl anime?!”
“There’s no time to waste!” Mystia shouts, her patience getting thin. Mystia grabs Elen’s hand and drops the Brooch into her palm. “This Brooch is blessed by the Goddess Herself. And if it’s with you, its power can be used!”
Elen looks at the Brooch, then at Mystia. “How do I know I can trust you?”
Mystia smirks. “‘In perfect love and perfect trust’. If you don’t trust me, then at least trust the gods.”
Elen doesn’t quite know what to say to that. But she looks at Mystia. Looks at Mikan. At Fredrick. This is…
“I don’t even know how to activate it.”
“Just pray,” Mystia answers. “Pray and your powers will come to you.”
The barrier’s light dims. It’s obvious that it’s getting weaker and will eventually break, and Elen can see the sweat flying off of Fredrick as he struggles to keep it going.
‘Prayers. Prayers. Like before.’
Elen holds the Brooch tightly to her chest and closes her eyes.
“By My Will, So Mote It Be!”
The barrier finally shatters as a light shines from Elen. Mystia covers her eyes to shield herself against the vibrancy while Fredrick stumbles back towards the bench.
The man looks on, a twinkle in his eyes and a sharp grin on his lips.
Elen feels the power flowing through her. It’s warm. Familiar. And like being swept up in the waves of the ocean, she lets herself be taken over by it.
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