Also Starring
April 1-14, 2008
A Final Fantasy VI fanfic, by Suzume
Maria looked over her lines one last time before the show. She had practiced for weeks, memorizing each word and working on tone, voice, and delivery. There was still something about the whole thing that left her feeling rather strange. It was as though this new production was a grotesque perversion of the last opera she had performed in before the world was turned on its head.
The mirror she had used before the destruction of the world had been better, but it had fallen and broken in the turmoil. She carefully readjusted the headband pushing back her long, blond hair. "Turnabout is fair play," she declared, her words ringing in the near silence of her private dressing room. Celes had taken her place in opening the last show to foil a kidnapping attempt by Setzer and have an opportunity to try to use his airship. Although that effort had succeeded (albeit with a few hitches, such as a vengeful purple octopus) the aftermath of Celes' actions was not really what anyone had been hoping for.
Except for Kefka. It had been made exceedingly clear that this was his world now. Maria was about to step out on stage to portray General Celes Chere in a recently commissioned opera depicting the glorious life and rise to power of Kefka. The portrayals of Celes, Leo, Cid, and Gestahl were not particularly flattering, but Maria would not have expected otherwise from the megalomaniacal ruler. She was considerably more outraged that someone would have actually written and composed the monstrosity. ...A certain part of her hated herself for being involved, but catering to Kefka's tastes was the only way to have a career in the arts these days. To say no to the proposal that she take on the role would mean an end to her singing days...and perhaps even worse...
Giving herself one last look over, Maria headed onstage while the curtain was drawn and stagehands shifted the sets for the second act.
Her colleague starring as Kefka gave an out of character wink to her as they quickly took their places. "Kefka" sang of the hardships he endured to become a general in the imperial army. And while he and "Celes" belted out their warring duet over who would receive the magitek infusions Maria scanned the crowd. It did not take long to pick out Kefka. he was dressed gaudily as ever and he looked to have been moved nearly to tears by this.
"Gestahl" declared that both generals had their merits and both should receive the infusions. Maria wondered what could make a person loony enough to ask for and then cry at their own exaggerated life story.
The performance was running smoothy and she had to admit that the special effects that enhanced the treatments and their testing of their newfound powers were rather spectacular.
Maria also had to wonder how much of this story was true. "Kefka" had initially lusted after "Celes" and then grown to hate her as much as he hated "Leo," believing they were his power hungry rivals who worked tirelessly to turn the emperor against him. ...Somehow, after all the damsels and princesses, Maria couldn't help but enjoy playing a villain (whether Celes had really been a villain or not).
In the third act, "Celes" was imprisoned as a traitor. Maria relished performing the song where her character declared her intent to support the Returners and get back at "Kefka" no matter what. It was an acceptable way to express her own frustration with the state of the world. She exited stage left and plopped down into a waiting chair.
"Whew!" she breathed, glad for a short break while the story continued without her for a time.
"Wouldn't it have been a laugh to have played Celes playing you?" the art director whispered to her with a restrained chuckle.
"That would've been a bit too much- even for me," Maria smiled back. She fanned herself with her hand and plucked at the green leotard that made up the majority of her skimpy costume. A leotard, boots, armor, and a cape. Was this kind of attire really that effective for fighting in?
She tried to keep her mind from wandering too far as she waited, watching the action from the wings so as not to miss her cue. She had to go back on soon for " Leo's" death scene and then on to the climax on the floating island where she'd battle "Kefka" one last time before being killed. Maria had barely met Celes, but she still hoped the former general wasn't really dead. The only way to find out was to meet her again though, and with infrastructure the way it was now, that possibility was unlikely.
Maria readied herself as the last few lines were sung before her cue. "Kefka's" outrage and ambition were valiant and admirable. She doubted that was truly the case, but as she slipped seamlessly into character, she believed ever word. And in her rueful aria of defeat she bemoaned her own pride which had kept her from seeing that she should have deferred to and assisted "Kefka" from the beginning. But "Kefka" paid no heed to her regrets and pleas as he rejoiced in his final and ultimate victory. All the power coursing through his veins was enough to change the world. The physical changes ripping the land were merely a superficial manifestation of the social change he would wreck on a world that had denied and trampled him for so long.
The wooden facade of his tower rose behind him as he spread his arms triumphantly. The curtain fell to wild applause and the performers moved onstage for the curtain call. "Kefka" gave Maria a hand up from the place she had been strewn across the stage. "I could sing that triumph song all night," he laughed, "But it does make me feel like a real jerk."
Maria smiled in response. Her companion could only voice his true feelings of that sort because the applause drowned out her voice any farther than about a foot away. She wondered how much of the standing ovation was sincere and how much was just a front to please the egomaniacal dictator in the audience.
Kefka's makeup was slightly streaked by the track of tears, but now he was grinning fanatically and clapping the loudest of all. He leaned over to whisper in the ear of a hunched lackey at his side. Kefka wasn't one who put much stock in followers- after all, he had secretly plotted against his former master for years before destroying him- but someone had to run the small errands for him. He made a point of instituting a policy of constant turnover among his minions, changing their positions or executing them so no one could build up enough power to challenge him.
The performers moved backstage to discuss how to adjust any part of the opera that needed fixing, change out of their costumes, and rest their voices. "This things makes me feel like I'm in a sauna!" the baritone who played Gestahl groaned, pulling off his heavy cloak.
"At least your face isn't so caked with makeup that when you touch your cheek you can't feel your skin!" "Kefka" shot back, wiping his face clean and transforming from the scourge of the planet into unassuming, plain-faced Banchio.
The impresario scrambled by the men to speak with Maria. He was twitching and grinning, face flushed and body alive with nervous energy. "Maria! Kefka would like to meet with you!" he gasped or gushed. It would have been difficult to tell which.
Banchio wiped sweat from his forehead, relieved that there was no request for him. Maria looked around nervously. "Umm, could I have a minute to get out of this costume first?"
"Yes, yes, fine! Just hurry!" the impresario urged and worried.
Maria rushed to her dressing room and peeled off the costume, scrambling into a simple black and white dress. She tied up her long, loose hair into a quick bun, but left the earring in, tugging on low black heels as she hurried down the hall to the main gallery. Kefka stood alone awaiting her arrival. When she saw him, she slowed her pace somewhat to appear more respectful.
Kefka's previously smudged makeup had been touched up and no remnant of his earlier show of emotion was left. Now he was leering at her, a predator testing its prey. For a moment Maria thought he had just licked his crimson red lips. She resisted the urge to shudder. "Maria, my dear," he purred, voice rising ominously, "You were spectacular out there!"
"Thank you," she answered demurely. She was going to try and say only as much as necessary. It seemed the safest course of action in such an unpredictable situation.
His strange eyes narrowed. "A bit too spectacular," he announced, pacing around his quarry. "You see, in your portrayal, Celes is not only physically beautiful, but heroic and with internal beauty! What you're not realizing, Maria, is that Celes was really a bad, horrid woman! She enticed men wit h her figure, but repulsed them with her black heart!" He waggled a cautioning finger in the singers' face. " You would do well to remember the medusa she was!"
Maria reacted mildly to the cruel sneer smeared across his face, holding fast to her decision to be succinct. "I'll try to be more accurate next time."
Kefka's face did not lighten any. This Maria still reminded him too strongly of Celes, filling his heart with the same irritating mix of desire and hatred. By playing Celes valiantly, she was subverting his vision of history! She was as frustrating as her counterpart. Her pretty lips, her good posture, her tiny feet- Celes' feet were larger than that. He wanted her. He would subdue her in Celes' place.
Maria felt increasingly less comfortable as the mad rule continued to stare at her, his eyes focusing unapologetically on her breasts. She bit her lip as she made her decision. "Thank you for lowering yourself to waste time on my shoddy performance," she tactfully swallowed her pride. "I've really bothered you too much already. I should be going."
That was it. She would try to leave, but if Kefka called her back she didn't know what she'd do. She focused on the click of her heels on the floor, trying to block out the terrible images that gathered in her mind like so many storm clouds.
She wouldn't risk peeking back over her shoulder. So far there had been no call or command. Maria proceeded all the way to her dressing room unhindered. She opened the door and breathed a sigh of relief. She wouldn't have minded finding a certain kidnapper waiting for her right about now...
If she had looked back, she would've seen that Kefka remained unmoved, caught up in his own fantasies of wrath, lust, and vengeance.
Maria sat down in front of her mirror and opened the leftmost drawer of her vanity. Crumpled and worn papers filled the drawer, folded over and over again into tiny, twisted rectangles. She left them as they were, but glanced over them wistfully. They were all notes from Setzer.
The way things were, Setzer, if not dead, had at least lost his wings. It had been moths since she last saw his airship plowing across the sky. "I'd love to see that scarred up pretty face right about now." He had "kidnapped" her many times over the past few years during their on-again-off-again flings. The unpredictability added to the excitement. ..But that was between performances. Maria didn't want to stop singing or have her career interfered and Setzer had pushed it too far when he said he was coming for her during that last show.
He had gotten what he deserved when he found Celes instead. What had he been thinking letting everyone know about their relationship like that?! ...Those stolen kisses and secret embraces while the airship was anchored in some hidden meadow... "We were just two lonely souls adrift..." she murmured and took off the earrings that went with her costume.
She hummed the overture of the current opera. For all the oddity of its topic, the music was still beautiful. Maria wondered what Setzer had thought of Celes. The former general seemed like a strong, stubborn woman, but Maria knew for herself that Setzer loved a challenge. ...She had been that challenge once... Now she was alone. Was Setzer lonely wherever he was? Was Celes?