Reika shrugged Joker onto the stool as quickly as she could. He uttered a moan and dropped his head onto the table. Reika swiftly bowed to the two gawking women.
"Sorry," she said, self-conscious. While she was usually thankful for any chance to practice her English, she hadn't exactly pictured this situation. "My name is Cure Beauty. I did not mean to trespass."
The two women exchanged looks, raising their starry eyebrows.
Reika gestured to the half-conscious jester. "This is Joker. He needs your help."
"Oh. Yes. Of course," said the one on the right. She flipped on the light and stepped toward the table. "We can help, can't we, Secunda?"
Ms. Secunda stooped to gather the fallen cakes onto her trays. "Probably so."
The other woman touched Joker's forehead before she realized he wore a mask, and her hand moved to his cheek. She knitted her brows.
"Hmm, what's the matter with him?"
"He said somebody gave him a Star-Cake," said Reika carefully, hoping they wouldn't interpret her statement as an insult against their wares.
Fortunately, the woman jerked a knowing nod, a little exasperated. "Ah. Somebody put his hand in the cookie jar, huh?"
"Poor kid," said Ms. Secunda as she stood. She tossed the soiled cakes into a nearby trash can. "By law, magic food sold in Selene County has to be enchanted by anti-thievery spells. If you eat stolen merch, even unknowingly, you're gonna have a nasty time with it. It's not lethal, but it's no picnic either."
"Will he be okay?" Reika asked, her eyes shooting wide open in alarm.
"He probably feels like he never wants to eat again," said Ms. Prima, "but I promise he isn't in any danger. More like woozy and nauseous, but I have the recipe for the counter charm."
Reika bowed, sighing a relieved, polite "Thank you" before she realized how genuine her gratitude shimmered within her. Joker hadn't been poisoned. However, if he had accepted food from "Clown-san," then he must have trusted that person to a degree, only to be betrayed in a physically unpleasant way. In the grand scheme of things, Reika wasn't surprised that Joker had his share of enemies outside of the Precure, and yet — strangely enough — a flare of righteous anger warmed her cheeks as she gazed at the moaning boy doubled over on a table in a strange kitchen. Not even Joker deserved this.
As Ms. Prima maneuvered around the work tables, she said, "I'm Prima the Star Maiden, by the way. That's my sister, Secunda. I wish you could've come to our bakery under happier circumstances, Miss Beauty."
"This your first time visiting?" asked Ms. Secunda, coming over to shake Reika's hand. "If you join our rewards program, you get five points just for signing up. Every hundred points gets you a free Star-Cake."
"Ah, no thank you," returned Reika, giving a sheepish grin. "I'm just here to help Joker."
Ms. Prima reached a refrigerator near the back of the kitchen. "Once I'm done here, you can take your young man home to get some shut eye. It shouldn't take me too long, but I gotta be careful with the measurements."
"Thank you," Reika said with another polite bow, but what Ms. Prima said struck a chord within her.
How was she supposed to take Joker back home to the Bad End Kingdom? And if she didn't, what happened when he felt better and remembered they were enemies?
"Oh, I know that insignia!" Ms. Secunda suddenly said, gesturing to the golden brooch on Reika's chest. A stylized heart sat in the center. "You're from Märchenland, are you? That explains how you got inside." She looked at her sister. "Doesn't the Queen of Märcheland have that magic portal with the bookshelves?"
"Ah, that explains it," nodded Ms. Prima as she withdrew ingredients, but she gave Reika a stern look. "Well, at least you two didn't break any locks to get in."
Reika quickly bowed again. "I'm deeply sorry about that. I couldn't control where the Book Door took us."
"It's okay, this time," said Ms. Prima before she spoke to her sister. "Perhaps we should move our bookcase to the lobby and put a lock on the kitchen door, Sec."
"Never seen a Märchenland fairy as big as you before," commented Ms. Secunda interestedly. "Do you work for the Queen? Are you a shapeshifter? A lot of fairy tales have shapeshifters. I heard the Queen can change her size to a mountain when she fights. Is that true?"
"I wouldn't know," Reika answered politely. "I'm actually from Earth."
"Oh, you mean the Queen allows you to live on Earth? Nifty. I haven't been to Earth in ages."
"Our play came from America," Ms. Prima explained, motioning between her and her sister as she pulled out a carton of eggs. "We get all sorts of folks around here, you know. Play characters, book characters, comic-book ones. Mankind always has some art project about the cosmos."
"The cosmos?" Reika repeated, quirking an eyebrow.
"Yes," replied the sisters in unison.
Reika wasn't too surprised at meeting fictional characters; she had personally met Momotaro, Little Red Riding Hood, Ali Baba, and so many others. At the mention of the cosmos, she pictured the sort of hard science-fiction books her older brother read, stories about figuring out how to use physics to fly spaceships around Jupiter or being stranded in space with the artificial gravity and life support broken. However, she had a feeling the Star Maidens' world wasn't quite like that.
Ms. Prima did a sudden double take at the contents of her refrigerator. "Oh! We forgot to pick up more cream while we were out, Sec," she told her sister, picking up an old-fashioned glass bottle of milk. Only a small amount of white jostled on the bottom. "I need it for the remedy."
"Say no more, Pri," said Ms. Secunda, giving her an ebullient salute. She spun toward Reika, beaming. "Say — Beauty, was it? Ever strolled down the Milky Way before?"
It took Reika an extra second to translate in her head: not because she didn't know that Milky Way was the English name for Amanogawa, but because she wasn't sure if she heard Ms. Secunda correctly about "strolling."
"Say that again, please?" she asked politely.
"We-e-ell," replied Ms. Secunda, swiveling toward the door, "it's easier to show you if you haven't visited Galaxias before. Come on, hon."
"Yes, but…" She glanced uncertainly at Joker, who mumbled something at the table. The black holes of his mask, usually so expressive, gazed blankly at the wall.
Ms. Prima closed the refrigerator with her hip, carrying a collection of bottles toward a swinging door on the side wall. "Don't worry. I'll take care of your friend."
That isn't what I'm worried about, Reika thought.
However, she mused Joker wouldn't be healthy enough to do harm until he had taken the remedy, and he wouldn't have the remedy until Ms. Secunda brought back the cream. Perhaps a walk would help her think of a proper strategy to handle Joker when he inevitably recovered.
Reika nodded grimly, stepping after Ms. Secunda. "Okay."
Ms. Secunda led Reika down a short hallway to the front of a shop. A display case, a chalk-board menu and a register on a tidy counter faced a closed door between two windows with drawn curtains. These had the same white glow peeking around the edges like in the kitchen.
"We close up shop around this time to do prep work," Ms. Secunda explained as they walked through the quiet lobby. "Our other sister, Tertia, is getting flour from our supplier right now, so we'll be preparing the dough later and freezing it overnight for tomorrow."
"So, it's a family business? How nice," smiled Reika.
"For almost ninety-one years," returned Ms. Secunda proudly. She made a detour for the counter and rummaged behind it, withdrawing a pair of sunglasses with blue lenses. "Here, you can borrow these if you need 'em," she said, tossing them to Reika. "Some out-of-towners find the moonbeams uncomfortable."
"It must be an intense moon," said Reika, obediently unfolding the stick-like temples and slipping the glasses onto her face, setting everything in blue. "The atmosphere of your world must be very clear."
Ms. Secunda snickered slightly, like someone just moments from springing a surprise on a friend. She made for the door and stopped in her tracks in front of Reika, grinning.
"Well, you know how Märchenland fairies come from fairy tales, right?"
Reika nodded.
Her companion's luminescent smile broadened, glowing like her skin. "Before today, did you ever wonder where the fictional characters from other genres go to live?"
"And we are where space-related characters go then, as you said before?" Reika surmised, touching her chin.
"Hang onto your tiara, honey," Ms. Secunda tittered and pulled open the door.
Reika's eyes widened. Slowly, she followed Ms. Secunda across the threshold, temporarily forgetting even the threat of Joker's recovery as she descended the bakery front steps to the sidewalk, gazing at everything as they began their journey.
A night sky stretched above her, but there was no need for street lamps. The ground — or rather, the surface beneath her — shone with a white light (although it looked blue with her glasses), and it reflected across the surrounding architecture. Beautiful shops lined each side of the street, some with fancy awnings of silvery blue over mullioned windows, some with low steps and carved stone finials topped by large pots of moon flowers. Here and there, flower beds had been built into the sidewalks, and these contained fragrant star-shaped blossoms in various colors which Reika would've longed to pick if it had been allowed.
A few vehicles passed on the road as they walked, many of them wheel-less and hovering. Different people milled or strode along the street, but they were not all humanoids like Ms. Secunda. Some had blue or green skin or an extra arm hanging from their chests. Some wore space helmets or glowing rings for belts. One man walked a spotted, purple dog with two tails. As interesting as everything was, Reika found herself looking repeatedly at the sky.
Although the surface glowed beneath her like the lights of a metropolis, several stars laced the sky, as bright and plenteous as when she had visited the mountains last summer. They shimmered like candles, pulsing and twinkling as if some technician had set up a light show for the spectators below.
"Are those stars—" Reika stopped herself from saying the word, "real," which didn't seem particularly polite, and amended it. "Are those stars like the ones over Earth?"
"Nope!" chirped Ms. Secunda. "I'd say they're better, if you ask me. But that's just my unbiased opinion as a Star Maiden." She dusted her sparkling fingernails against her golden robes, playfully feigning arrogance.
"Does that mean you're a… literal star?"
"Not literal. Literary," Ms. Secunda answered. "The people of Galaxias come from all sorts of tales about the stars. Books, plays, films — if it involves personifying the celestial bodies, the characters come here."
"Fascinating." Reika looked about, taking in the glowing white. "Are we on a type of moon then?"
"Good eye, good eye. You might say this is the moon, but different artistic versions mashed together, from old fables to cartoons for kids."
Reika raised her head to meet her taller companion's eyes, feeling suddenly shy and hopeful. "Would that include Princess Kaguya?" she asked.
"Kaguya from the Japanese story? I think she's a few counties over. I never met her myself, but I knew somebody who was friends with her, once upon a time."
Reika thought Ms. Secunda sounded a little wistful, but she did not comment on it, nodding peacefully instead. However, her smile stretched with excitement. Kaguya-hime had been one of her literary heroes as a child. When Reika had visited Märchenland back in the summer, she had hoped to run into her. While she had been thankful to meet Momotaro and the rest, she wondered what had happened to her old idol. Now, Reika knew which realm she had to visit. Perhaps someday, if things worked out, she might come back with her friends and get a glimpse of the moon princess.
How curious then — she thought, glancing up at the stars once more — that Joker would unintentionally do her yet another great service: first helping her stay in Japan and now this.
After a few minutes of walking, they turned onto a busier avenue, and Ms. Secunda stopped with a grin, nudging Reika. "Look up."
Reika obeyed — and stared.
A path of stars spiraled into the twinkling heavens, connecting to an astral river that looped through the sky like the genuine Milky Way. However as with the other stars, Reika noticed at once it looked different, exaggerated. It reminded her of a picture book Mother had given her years ago as a Tanabata present. Ribbons of pale blue light flowed through the stars like strokes of a paintbrush, and ships and barges steered a course as easily as if it had been water. Along the edges of the heavenly river, a boardwalk stretched like at a beach. People strolled along it or rode bicycles, looking like sparkling ants from this distance, and Reika spied several elegant shops and what looked like an amusement park.
"Suteki desu..." she breathed, enraptured.
"Don't need an interpreter for that," chuckled Ms. Secunda. "The creamery isn't that far. You'll be able to see Mars and Venus from up there, too."
If only she had thought to call her friends before coming here! Reika followed Ms. Secunda eagerly to the bottom of the celestial path, which were actually steps. ("Never try to take the elevator when you're in a hurry," the Star Maiden advised, casting a rueful glance at the stretching queue waiting for the elegant, tower-like glass shaft.) Ms. Secunda huffed a little as they ascended, but Reika did not mind the climb at all; the harder the path, the sweeter the reward — and what a reward! The stars looked brighter from here and more numerous, filling the sky like lamps. Among them, different types of ships floated through space, some stylized spaceships like in the robot animes Yayoi watched; others were more whimsical, like wooden boats with decorated hot-air balloons where the masts should have been.
As they reached the top, Reika breathed in the sweet aroma of the literary Milky Way. Pedestrians sat on benches by the bank to watch the cargo ships and yachts. Reika spied what she at first thought were star-shaped, glowing balloons hovering around people's heads, but on further inspection she realized they were living creatures, resembling Märchenland fairies. Some were no bigger than Candy.
As they walked, Reika's eyes zipped side to side, taking in the varying architecture. The marquee on a movie theater said MOON WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARF STARS. Another sign read: "Sagittarius Stables." Then there were "Orion's Archery Range" and "Hercules's Sporting Goods" and "Darželis Botanic Gardens" and "Lindu's Bridal Boutique" and "Aviary of Linnunrata" and "Pisces Seafood Restaurant" and many others.
At last they reached a large shop ("Milky Way Creamery — Voted Best in Moon Cheese for 15 Years"), and a long line stretched from its door down the boardwalk, nearly as long at the queue by the elevator. Ms. Secunda groaned.
"Of course, there would be a line now," she sighed. "Hope your boyfriend will be okay while we wait."
Reika stiffened. "Joker's not my —" she started to say, but she stopped herself. She adjusted her tone and formed a polite expression. "I'm just helping him."
"Lucky guy to have a caring friend then," said Ms. Secunda.
Actually, I don't think he has any friends, Reika reflected, averting her gaze. She couldn't imagine Akaoni, Wolfrun or Majorina taking the time to bring him to Galaxias; Wolfrun had been outright annoyed with Joker's presence that time the Precure had faced the very first Hyper Akanbe. Throw in the possible (but extremely likely) deliberate attack with the Star-Cake from his fellow clown, and it was clear Joker wasn't popular even among his own people.
What a miserable existence he must lead.
Reika touched her lip, mulling over that uncomfortable revelation. She doubted Joker would respond favorably if she showed him sympathy, and yet… She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Nothing was easy when it came to that jester.
She scanned the surrounding area, trying to focus on the beautiful celestial sights instead of her enigmatic enemy. She spotted a road sign with gold stars in a pretty pattern. It had an arrow pointing down the street between two buildings and read, "Library of Galaxias This Way." Reika's gaze followed its direction, and she noticed then an enormous asteroid or dwarf planet which floated beside the boardwalk. A library with Greek columns and several stories stood like a palace, and a bridge with stylistic pillars connected the asteroid to the Milky Way.
"Oh, how nice," murmured Reika.
"Hm?" Ms. Secunda looked at her.
"Oh, excuse me, I just noticed that library over there," Reika explained, gesturing. "It's quite magnificent."
"Yes, it's really pretty inside. They've booked us for catering the office Christmas parties for the past few years." Ms. Secunda snapped her fingers, her eyes lighting up. "I have an idea. While I wait in line, you can pop over there and check it out. I'll find you when I'm done."
Always adventurous, Reika made her way over to the first bridge to get to the other side of the celestial river.
A bespectacled librarian with sparkling white hair sat at the long front desk, helping a queue of children wearing circlets with crescent moons. She greeted Reika as she entered but immediately returned to her little patrons. Reika removed her blue sunglasses, hooking them on the strap of her Smile Pact holder, and gazed happily at the lovely library.
It was the type which had the luxury of several rooms and tall bookcases. Spiral staircases and futuristic elevators led to upper levels, and a delightful, studious silence hung in the air. Reika walked through the rows of books in the enormous first room, wondering what sort of catalog system metaphysical space people used. She felt like an explorer discovering a new society, and although she tried to move respectfully through the library, even she couldn't stop the quickening of her steps as she came to the far wall. A pretty cased opening led to another room on her left, but a passageway to her right caught Reika's attention.
Several portraits lined the walls, broken by archways leading into yet more sections. Reika assumed the paintings were either of the library founders or important patrons, and they were as various as the people outside on the Milky Way. She even spotted a green-skinned alien with a short, elephantine trunk. Deciding it wouldn't take her too long to explore this wing before she moved on to the rest of the building, she sauntered down the passage, smiling at the different faces.
However, her smile faded when her eyes fell upon one particular portrait.
This subject wore all purple. A white ruff adorned his pale neck, and a vertical line of diamond shapes ran down his massive torso. His black hair had been styled into points, and dark flames hovered about his head without scorching him, contrasting sharply with the ghostly white visage that smirked contently at Reika with wide lips and glowing red eyes.
Reika stepped back. "Emperor Pierrot..." she whispered, all of her delight vanishing in a supernova of confusion and dread. "How — How can it be?"
Her mind raced, feeling like she had been caught in a trap. Joker had impeccable skills when it came to creating illusions and alternate worlds. When he had kidnapped her, he had taken her to his "room," a circus tent he had created from a target in her school's archery dojo. Months before that, he had consecutively trapped Candy and the Precure inside Balls of Neglect, pocket dimensions where the victims lived in an artificial happiness. Had he pulled Reika into yet another reality of his own creation? Was his illness just a ruse to gain her trust and get her to walk voluntarily into a metaphorical lobster trap?
Perhaps she ought to leave.
However, before she could turn and desperately flee to the nearest bookcase to administer the Book Door Code, a voice spoke at the end of the hallway from where she had come, and Reika nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Hey, are you finding everything you need — oh, you're from Märchenland, are you?" The librarian from earlier drew closer, and she switched to Japanese as Reika whirled around to face her. Her bespectacled eyes glanced at the heart insignia. "How nice! I've always wanted to visit myself. I hear the gingerbread houses are divine."
Reika formed a weak smile. "I-It's a very nice place," she said awkwardly. She studied the librarian warily, but she looked friendly, like a grandmother who made friends with the neighborhood kids. Despite her suspicions, Reika found herself relaxing. Even with all his skills, Joker didn't value friendship and kindness enough to replicate either so convincingly.
"Well, I just wanted to see if you needed any help," the librarian said kindly. "Have you been to the Galaxias Library before?"
"No. Thank you." Reika hesitated, then gestured to Emperor Pierrot's portrait. "Is he a patron?"
The librarian's blue eyes grew sad behind her half-moon glasses. "Mukashimukashi," she answered. "Before the emperor closed the portal to the Bad End Kingdom."
"Is that a bad thing?" Reika asked, raising her eyebrows. That suspicion flickered again. "Are you fond of the kingdom?"
"Me? No, no. Frightful place." The librarian shuddered hard enough for her hair to shimmer like a disco ball. "But you do feel for those people. All the disobedient children who get eaten by wolves and witches live there, you know. Makes me think of my own grandkids."
"I… I didn't know," said Reika, her eyes widening.
"Well, I don't blame you for that, if you come from Märchenland and all." She shook her head. "Terrible business. Most terrible. I'm glad the Queen was strong enough to fight so that none of the fairies were hurt in the invasion."
Reika nodded vaguely. She had only heard stories of Emperor Pierrot's invasion, but she knew that it had been a dark chapter for Candy's homeland.
"And Emperor Pierrot supported this library?" she asked skeptically.
"So, desu ne? This branch of our library system services the moon characters below." She gestured to the floor. "Anything involving the moon used to get Pierrot-sama's attention. They're practically simpatico in literature."
"Pierrot, in literature?" Reika repeated, turning to look at the portrait in surprise. Emperor Pierrot came from a story like the fairies and his generals? Which one then? Her eyes fell upon the plaque beneath the portrait, and she then noticed the Latin letters spelling his name.
"Pardon me," said Reika, motioning toward it, "but I noticed that 'Pierrot' has the letter T at the end. Is it pronounced 'Pie-Rot' in English?"
The sad look on the librarian's face disappeared as she snorted. "No, no. Excuse me." She rubbed her nose, resuming her professional but amiable air. "The emperor's name is French, actually, so the T is just silent."
"Is he French?"
"Oh, that's a bit of a story, isn't it? Fortunately, we have a whole section dedicated to Pierrot-sama's many tales if you're interested, but I understand if you're not," she added quickly.
"Ah, well..." She actually didn't want to spend her free time in an alternate dimension researching an evil emperor who had tried to kill her. Since the librarian thought she was from Märchenland, it wouldn't be rude to refuse. However, Reika raised her head, blinking as she realized what she had just heard. "Excuse me, did you say 'many tales'?"
"I did," the woman nodded, and the bright dots in her hair sparkled. "In English, French, Italian, German, Hungarian, Russian, and more."
In that way, Reika found herself following the librarian to another wing until she stood in a back room with white walls and no windows. She gaped at a huge white shelf filled from floor to ceiling with books of different sizes, different colors and different languages. Around the room sat display cases with knickknacks and small paintings, each with a flour-faced clown with round puffs on his white smock and baggy white pants. Although it looked well kept, the whole room had an out-of-the-way feel to it, as if the library staff had hastily shoved all of Emperor Pierrot's works into this overlooked area after news of his war had reached them.
"Well, here you are," said the librarian with a hint of sigh. "I mean, I know he's not exactly popular right now, but…" She stopped, shaking her head. She stepped over to one of the display cases with figurines of the white clown flirting with girls in black masks, and she wiped a bit of moon dust from the glass with a tissue.
"Are those — Is that Emperor Pierrot?" asked Reika, staring at the collection of clown figurines and paintings. Some looked like shy little boys; some were adults who serenaded the night sky with a guitar or sat whimsically on a crescent moon, but a great number of them were frozen in looks of absolute heartbreak. Completely different from that purple gorilla she and her friends had fought.
"The Human World can't stop using him for art, can they?" the librarian replied. She straightened her dress. "Anything else you'd like to see?"
Reika glanced at the tall bookcase. It had a rolling ladder, and the burning curiosity inside Reika urged her to climb up the rungs and get to the bottom of this new turn of events. There were even reading tables with comfortable armchairs, and she had no clue when she would have a chance to come back to Galaxias with her friends. Didn't it behoove her to help out the Precure by unearthing important, relevant information about their greatest enemy?
"Is it… okay if I looked awhile?" she asked the librarian.
"Of course." The librarian picked up a magnifying glass from a nearby reading table and offered it to Reika. "You can use this translator if you want. This model translates into both hiragana and katakana. Donated by the Queen of Märchenland herself, you know. A wonderful, generous patron, since she has moon characters in her land, too."
She left Reika with another nod and a "recommended reading" list of what order to explore the clown emperor's extensive history. With the translating glass in hand, Reika started locating titles. She had always been a quick reader, but during the summer break of her first year of middle school, she had convinced her parents to let her take a speed-reading course for adolescents. It had come in handy a few months ago when Majorina, the villainous witch, had accidentally turned Miyuki into a giant toy robot. Reika had managed to read through the considerably thick owner's manual and learned how to pilot Miyuki for a grand battle. Now, it looked like her abilities would be put to good use once again.
"Intelligence gathering," Reika said to herself, feeling much like a soldier discovering the mother lode of reconnaissance about the enemy.
She found the first title of the list, Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre, which was a French play by Molière. The magnifying glass translated it as Dom Juan or the Feast with the statue. The reading list had a small note saying that Emperor Pierrot appeared only in the second act of the play. She flipped to that section, which opened with two peasants, a woman named Charlotte and her fiancé, Pierrot.
In a heavy bucolic accent, Pierrot related how he had saved two strangers from drowning, which turned out to be the titular Dom Juan and his valet Sganarelle. However, Pierrot's awestruck account of the richer men switched to frustration. Pierrot wished Charlotte demonstrated her love for him, believing she only gave him lip service even after he had done so many things to please his bride. Charlotte dismissed his accusations, but her dialogue had an aloofness to it, even when she promised to try better to show her love toward Pierrot.
As the act continued, however, Dom Juan tried to steal Charlotte from Pierrot, which led to an uneven slapstick fight between the two men. Charlotte callously chided Pierrot for feeling upset at her betrayal.
CHARLOTTE.
Oh! Pierrot, it isn't what you think. Monsieur wants to marry me; you shouldn't give way to such tantrums.
PIERROT.
What! ain't you pledged to me?
CHARLOTTE.
That's no matter, Pierrot. If you love me oughtn't you to be very glad that I'm to be madame?
PIERROT.
Heavens and earth, no! I'd rather see you dead than belonging to another.
Reika re-read the text twice, and a chill ran through her at the declaration. Pop and Candy hadn't told the Precure anything about a person named Charlotte living in the Bad End Kingdom. In which case, Reika had to wonder — with a gut-wrenching feeling — what had happened to her.
She pushed that thought to the side and finished the scene. Pierrot left the stage, declaring he would tell Charlotte's aunt about what was going on, and that was his last appearance.
However, nothing else about his character resembled the clown of the Bad End Kingdom. Aside from the name Pierrot, there didn't seem to be anything to tie the cuckold peasant with the monstrous emperor. Had there been some mistake? No, of course not. The librarian was a professional and wouldn't confuse the Emperor of Evil with a French peasant. This had to the same Pierrot who Reika and her friends had fought and continued to fight.
It must be awful to have the person you want to marry mistreat you so cruelly, she contemplated as she read the rest of the act for completion's sake. Charlotte ultimately didn't marry Dom Juan, who was a cad that had already made a connection with another local woman, who he also didn't marry. Reika had trouble feeling sympathy for Charlotte, but she hoped Pierrot had parted ways with her without doing anything in retaliation.
She glanced at the figurines in the cabinets, taking particular note of the porcelain Pierrots who posed with pretty maidens; one woman in particular appeared more than the rest. Her hair color varied from piece to piece, but she wore a black domino mask on her face as if she were going to a costume party. Many Pierrots looked at her with imploring, affectionate eyes or expressions of unfulfilled longing, but either way Reika could tell the lady was particularly significant to him.
Reika stood, going over to inspect them. Up close, she noticed one case had a brass plaque with black letters.
Depictions of Pierrot and Columbine
Various Artists
So each of these women, including the mask-less ones, were the same literary character. Then who was Columbine?
She returned to the table and put Dom Juan to the side. She scanned the list for a mention of Columbine and selected another title.
A/N:
The excerpt between Pierrot and Charlotte comes from a 1906 translation by Katherine Prescott Wormeley.
I've mentioned Molière for Pierrot's back story in other fics, but our clown's origins are actually a little murky, depending on who you ask. There are different schools of thought regarding when and how Pierrot came into existence. Some people who study CdA way more extensively than I do believe Pierrot is the French version of the Italian Pedrolino as a) both names mean "Little Peter" in their respective languages and b) both wore similar white costumes. However, others counter that they had different personalities; Pedrolino was of the smarter "first zanni" while Pierrot was often of the less intelligent "second zanni." Some believe Pierrot may have been derived from Pulcinella, who later inspired the amoral puppet, Mr. Punch, of Punch & Judy.
For my own fics, I prefer going with his Molière origins for a number of reasons, one of which being Pierrot's small role in a famous playwright's work. Seriously, compare Pierrot's meager part in this play to the similar character of Masetto from Mozart's Don Giovanni. He barely has any impact apart from being the unlucky rival. Yet Pierrot, this minor character, not only became a household name in multiple countries (and continues to have fans to this day!), but in "Smile" he also became emperor of the BEK. (Charlotte wanted to become a noblewoman through marrying Dom/Don Juan, but if she had only known what was in store for Pierrot…)
In any case, "Smile" established multiple versions of Cinderella being connected together by an Origin book, so there could be multiple versions of Pierrot, thus reconciling Pedrolino's existence and Pulcinella's influence. Alternately, Emperor Pierrot absorbs Joker in the canon, so maybe that's why we don't see either character...