Installment Two of Two
by Magnus Prime
A swirling mass of veils gave form to the young dancer's performance.
"Yeah, Mara!"
"I love you, Mara!"
Beneath the veils, Mara nearly glowed with happiness. The stage, the lights, the movements… Things couldn't get any better….
Moving to center stage, her twirl slowed enough that she could see the audience. Of course the crowds were larger than they used to be. After the world found out that the daughters of Edgar helped save the world from 'a great evil' daily attendance skyrocketed.
"Marry me, Mara!"
As did the marriage proposals.
As the next section required her to face the audience, Mara took the opportunity to scan the crowd for familiar faces. Years of practice allowed her body to perform the steps on its own, so she could focus on more important matters…any cute guys out there? Ooo, that blue-haired one looks strong…
One blond, one purple, and one bald-with-rippling-muscles later, her eyes finally settled on a young man with wavy green hair that settled on his shoulders, fair skin, and…Malachi?
The young hero of Zenithia sat in the front row, apparently enjoying her dance. Not jumping, not catcalling, not fist-waving, just…smiling. She directed a smile his way, and was tickled to see his broaden.
As the dance came to a close and the music ended, Mara saw Malachi rise to his feet and join his fellow patrons, somewhat. He simply clapped and nodded in appreciation.
Breathing heavily and perspiring lightly but still smiling, Mara raised one hand above her head, her sign of gratitude to her adoring fans. Then, with a final twirl of her veils, turned and disappeared though the curtain to the backstage.
Running into her dressing room, she promptly latched onto her sister's arm. "Nara! Nara! He's here!" she puffed, quite out of breath.
"Who is here?" Nara, having closed her fortune-telling shop for the day, had come to wait until Mara's shift ended. "Which cute guy is it this time?"
"No, no, it's not a cute guy! It's Malachi! It looks like he's come to visit!" Mara always became excited whenever any of their former traveling companions came to visit.
Nara couldn't help herself as she cocked her head. "Are you saying that Malachi is not 'cute'?"
The dancer stopped for a moment, then looked irritated. "You know what I mean, sister!" She tugged on Nara's arm again. "We have to stop him before he leaves so he can tell us how everyone's doing!"
"All right, all right." Nara pocketed her crystal ball before allowing herself to be half-dragged out toward the main entrance.
As they made their way across the lobby Nara noted, "If we hurry, we can probably catch him before he gets to f-OOF! Why did you stop so suddenly?"
Mara was busy addressing someone on the floor. "I'm so sorry, Malachi! Nara was saying something to me, and I must have turned to listen at the wrong time!"
Nara stepped beside her sister to find the young hero seated somewhat uncomfortably on the floor. "Mara, you should really watch where you are going…"
"I was, until you started talking to me," Mara retorted, fists on her hips. She turned back to help her friend, only to find him already on his feet, dusting himself off. "Are you all right?"
Malachi looked up from his cleaning and gave Mara an embarrassed smile. "I'm fine, Mara, thank you." He cocked his head at the women, his smile remaining. "Fancy running into you here?"
Even Nara had to laugh at his poor attempt at humor. "Come, Malachi, I will take you to the restaurant." She looked pointedly at Mara. "Sister, do you not have some cleaning to do?"
"Huh?" Mara looked genuinely confused until she remembered that she still wore her dancing costume. "Oh! Right, my clothes." She finger-waved at Nara and Malachi as she headed back to her dressing room. "Catch up with you in a bit!"
Nara snorted as she took Malachi's arm. Is she ever going to grow up?
"It looks like the theatre is seeing more business than ever," Malachi commented as he nursed a glass of water. "How is your fortune-telling going?"
Nara grimaced. "Not as well as I would like, but considering that the monsters are gone, no one is really worried about his or her future…"
"That makes sense." Malachi studied his glass a moment longer then sat up suddenly. "Hey Nara, why don't you tell my fortune. For 'old time's sake'." Nara could hear the quotation marks in his words. "Ten gold, right?" He produced a ten-gold coin.
Nara was caught off-guard. "I…I could not take your money…"
Malachi smiled in understanding. "Yes you could. You tell my fortune, I pay you for it. It's only right."
Nara could only watch as Malachi took her hand and placed the coin in her palm. "O-okay…" She started fishing around in the pockets of her robe. "But I think I left my crystal ball back at…wait, here it is." She retrieved the glowing globe and placed it on the mouth of her drink glass. "This is a two-hander," she explained.
"Oooo-kay," he replied, clearly not understanding.
The fortune-teller held her hands on either side of the crystal ball and let her eyelids slowly close as she began her meditation.
After a full minute, her eyes slowly opened again. "I see eight points of light, very strong, moving away from an island…"
The Zenithian realized that she must have been referring to the party's return from the underworld after killing Necrosaro. Nara often tried to give her patrons a past reference to help them interpret her divinations.
"…one moves north…"
"Ragnar…" Malachi chuckled as he thought of the ultra-serious knight from Burland.
"…one moves northeast…"
Malachi had to think for a moment. "Taloon," he realized, remembering the merchant.
"…three move west, where two of them become one even stronger light…"
"Alena, Brey, and Cristo…" Malachi smiled, recalling Alena and Cristo's wedding.
"It is a shame neither Mara or I could attend."
Malachi started, then looked up from his water. Nara was looking at him, but her eyes told him she was still in her trance. "Yes," he finally managed, "good party…" It was still a little unnerving to see his friend like that.
Nara returned her attention back to her crystal. "Two lights move southwest…"
"You and Mara…"
"…and one…vanishes." That broke her out of her trance. "Vanishes?"
Malachi smiled sheepishly. "Sorry to worry you. After restoring the village...and our celebration," he amended, "I visited Master Dragon for a while."
Nara laid a hand upon her chest as she tried to regain her wits along with her breath. "No…need to apologize…Just…surprised me…" She recovered within moments.
"Seems like Mara should be here by now," he noted, looking toward the door.
Nara waved a dismissive hand. "She always takes her time. She likes to look her best, being a dancer. Are you ready to continue?" she asked as he turned back around.
"Yes, please."
It didn't take as long for Nara to pick up where she left off. "A light suddenly reappears," she smiled and nodded knowingly, "and moves to the southwest…" A look of distress fall upon the fortuneteller's face
Malachi saw the distress on his friend's face, but remained silent, not wishing to interrupt.
"…where it joins with one of the two lights…and…and …becomes a blindingly bright light, ill-illuminating all around it…"
Malachi leaned forward in his chair, his face paling in shock. "I came here right after returning from Zenithia. D-Does that mean…?"
Nara nodded slowly "I think so," she said, equally shocked. "At some point in the very near future, you will likely marry either Mara or myself…"
Mara felt a little nervous as she entered the restaurant, although she wasn't sure why. I haven't seen Malachi in a long time, so maybe I'm just anxious to hear how he's doing. Satisfied with her reasoning, she took a deep breath and headed toward the table.
What she found left her…curious.
Both Nara and Malachi sat staring blankly, Malachi's unfinished drink in front of him, and Nara's crystal ball sitting in her drink glass.
Mara studied the two for a full minute before speaking. "Everything okay?"
The two at the table jumped at the sound of her voice. "No! I mean yes…" Nara smiled weakly up at her sister. "Yes, everything is fine."
Mara took a seat next to her sister, still unconvinced. "You two look positively spooked. Malachi? You okay?"
Malachi glanced at Nara before answering. "Yes…I'm fine. Nara…" He licked his lips. "…Your sister just told my fortune."
Mara's heart sank. "It was bad, wasn't it?"
Malachi shook his head vigorously. "No! Not at all!" Seeing the expression on Nara's face, he realized what he had just implied. "I'm just…surprised."
Nara sat stunned. She knew that Malachi was effectively incapable of lying, so his unintended confession came as a surprise. What does this mean?
Mara looked from her sister's stunned expression to Malachi's equally flustered one. "I don't understand…"
Malachi suddenly stood, nearly knocking over his chair. "Forgive me, I have to go. I have to think. Forgive me…" He quickly paid the attendant, then departed.
"Nara, where's he going? We didn't get to…" Mara found herself unable to finish her thought as she met her sister's eyes. "Sister, what's wrong?"
"Technically, nothing," Nara answered almost blandly. She then took Mara's wrist. "Mara, we need to talk…"
Mara watched in fascination as Nara slowly moved her hands over her crystal ball, eyes closed. She had always admired Nara's fortune-telling abilities, even though she never understood them. However… "Nara, shouldn't we make sure he's okay? He seemed really upset."
Nara answered in the monotone always heard during a reading. "He will be staying at the inn for the next two days…"
"How can you be so sure…okay, stupid me," the dancer blushed, answering her own question.
Nara finished her reading and opened her eyes. "Mara, may I tell your fortune? I think it may answer some questions."
"Questions?" Mara had a feeling she wouldn't like where this would lead. "Um…okay, sure."
For the third time that day, Nara focused on the glowing orb in front of her. "I see eight points of light, very strong, moving away from an island…one moves north…"
Mara smiled to herself as she recognized the references: Ragnar… Taloon… "It's a shame we missed Alena and Cristo's wedding," she quietly thought aloud. Unfortunately, the women had pre-existing obligations that could not be changed, not even for royalty. Alena was understandably disappointed, but understood.
"A light suddenly reappears," Nara continued, "and moves to the southwest…"
Mara started to feel uncomfortable.
"…where it joins with one of the two lights…and…and …becomes a blindingly bright light, illuminating all around it…" Nara lowered her hands and the glow from the crystal ball faded. "That one was much closer, much stronger." She nodded and looked at a squirming Mara. "Sister, is there something you need to tell me?"
Mara bit at her lip, and she bit at her lip, not able to look her sister in the eyes. "No, sister." I don't need to tell her, but…
Nara reached across and laid a reassuring hand on Mara's knee. "I know that my readings are not always one-hundred percent correct, but if could you help me be certain…" Nara let her voice trail off.
Mara gnawed at a delicate lip twice more.
"Mara…are you in love?"
Mara couldn't speak, but the slight glisten in her eyes spoke volumes.
Nara gazed at her sister, compassion written all over. "Mara…it's okay. Why…you look ashamed…why?"
Mara's voice came out bitter, much to Nara's surprise. "I'm a dancer, Nara…"
"I know that, sister, but-"
"Don't you get it?" Mara's voice began to shake. "He's the Legendary Hero, and I'm just a dancer, a…a fantasy object for men to ogle!" She began to cry, the wall so carefully constructed breaking down. "I'm no better than a…a whore!"
Nara suddenly slapped Mara across the face, startling both of them. "Do not ever say that again!" she scolded. "You are not a whore, and Father would be very upset to hear you speak of yourself like that!"
Mara's voice weakened further. "I'm sorry, sister…"
Nara took her sister in a warm embrace and began to stroke her hair. "No, please, forgive me for striking you…" The shock of her sudden anger began to fade. "Yes, Mara, I know you are a dancer, and a very good one at that. Many a time I have wished I could dance as you do, to express myself as you do."
"Really? You're not saying that to make me feel better?" Mara's still-shaky voice betrayed a hint of wonder.
Nara nodded. "Of course I mean it. And who cares about those barbarians who 'catcall' you?" She rocked her sister for a while before asking, "So…when are you going to tell him?"
Mara froze. "I…I can't tell him…"
"You cannot tell him? Sister, if you truly feel the way you say you do, you must tell him."
"…I can't tell him…" Mara wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed. "I do have a dance, though...."
"All right…" Nara sounded disgusted as she pulled away. "If this is the 'horizontal mambo', I do not wish to hear about it…"
Mara held up her hands. "No! It's kind of a…" She looked at the floor. "…kind of a dance I made up. To express how I feel…about…him…" Shame prevented her from finishing her thought.
"A dance for Malachi? You made one up? I am impressed, sister!" Nara excitedly gave a quick hug. "When were you going to show him?"
Mara smiled timidly. "At first, never. But now…I'm not sure."
Nara jumped up. "I have an idea. Wait here, I will be right back."
Mara watched her sister hurry from their home. What is she up to…?
The next night found Malachi being dragged into the theatre by a giggling fortune-teller. "Nara, what's going on? Where is everybody?" he asked, noting the empty seats around him.
Nara could only giggle in reply. When the impresario found out about Mara's feelings and Nara's plan for her, he immediately cancelled all shows for that night. 'For my favorite girls, anything' he had said. Nara just had to get the young man to his seat. After that, it was up to her sister…
She managed to pull Malachi to the front row before he stopped and tried to sit down. "Not there…" She continued to the stage and up the steps…
"The stage?" Malachi's eyes widened as he saw the lone chair in the middle of the stage, facing the curtain. "You can't be serious…"
"I am, now come along." She guided him to the chair and finally let him sit. "Now, wait here, please." Nara released his hand and ran to descend the steps to the floor. It is up to you now, sister…
Malachi had a feeling that he knew what he was being set up for, but was still surprised, perhaps awed, when Mara stepped from behind the curtain.
Her costume consisted mostly of semitransparent veils of assorted colors. A red halter and form-fitting pants covered enough for decency. Gold bracelets adorned her wrists and silver anklets her ankles.
To Malachi, she looked like a goddess. Wow…
She stopped a very short distance from him, reached up and crossed her wrists, then her ankles.
Malachi jumped when she started dancing with no music. To his further surprise, it wasn't her usual twirling type of dance. This dance involved intertwining her arms above her while slowly rotating her hips as she somehow traced a circle around his chair. It didn't take long before he started to hear the music in his head; A steady, pulsing, percussive tune to match the movements and gyrations before him.
As she passed in front of him, a flick of her hips sent a gold veil into his lap, which he picked up and studied, trying to find a meaning to it. He was distracted by another veil coming to rest on his head, a blue one this time, and he wondered how Mara's hips could do that.
As Mara passed in front of him a second time, she moved even closer to him, leaning forward, and he detected a sweet smell that he could not identify. She snaked her arms down to her neck, then sent her hands toward his head, startling him yet again. He sought out her eyes to try too find out what the dance was all about, only his confused eyes met her…her…I see she's feeling something, but I don't know what! He stopped thinking and instead looked to see that her hands appeared to be caressing his hair without touching him and, to his continued surprise, his face. How'd I miss that?
His music skipped a beat as she pulled away from him and straightened, starting to dance another circle around him.
By the time she finished, Malachi found himself with another veil in his lap, a silver, a brown on each shoulder, and a red one on his chest, over his heart. He looked up from the colorful fabric to find Mara in the exact place she started, in the exact same stance, only with slightly trembling hands. "Wow." He blinked a couple of times. "That was incredible."
Mara slowly lowered her trembling arms to her sides and faced him, perspiration glistening on her skin. "Thank you," she said meekly. She stepped toward him, smiling softly, and held out her hands, which he took. "Did you understand what I was trying to tell you?"
Malachi felt his temperature drop one hundred degrees in one second. She was trying to tell me something…He added 'sick to my stomach' to his list of conditions. He swallowed hard and tried not to show Mara panicked eyes. "I'm sorry, Mara, I didn't…"
Mara released his hands and stepped back, her eyes filling with tears. "Don't under…stand…?"
Malachi was the epitome of remorse. "I'm really sorry, Mara…"
He was interrupted by the dancer's swift departure through the curtains, sobbing as she ran.
Malachi slumped forward to rest his elbows on his knees, and his forehead in his hands. I don't understand…
He remained that way until he felt a soft touch to his back. He sat up, half-expecting to find Mara…
"I am sorry Malachi, this is my fault."
He looked up toward the voice to find Nara standing next to him, looking sadly at where Mara had departed. "What just happened, Nara?"
The fortuneteller looked down at Malachi with a sad expression, then knelt until she was eye-level to him. "I don't know if you will understand, but…my sister is in love with you."
Malachi frowned in thought. "I…I understand love, but they way you say it sounds…different."
Nara nodded with a light chuckle. "Of course, of course…" She matched his frown, then looked into his eyes. "This is the kind of love a woman feels for a man…or vice versa." Noting a puzzled shake of the head, she tried again. "The love your mother felt for your father."
"Which ones?" Malachi broke her gaze to look at the stage floor again.
Nara mentally smacked herself. That's right, he has two sets of parents… "Either. If I understand you as well as I think, you are familiar with the love between friends, 'camaraderie' I believe it is called. This kind of love…" Nara had no personal experience, but drew on her wisdom gained from fortune-telling. "My understanding is that this kind of love means that when you see your 'special someone', you feel…complete. As though you suddenly realize that you have been living as only half a person…"
"Oh Master, that's it…" Malachi said, eyes widening. He looked back at Nara. "When…" He licked suddenly dry lips. "…When I dropped you and Mara off at Monbaraba, I felt…incomplete." He shrugged his shoulders. "I thought it was just because I was looking forward to going home…"
"I understand," Nara prompted.
Malachi's face contorted as he tried to understand himself. "Then, when all of you came for the celebration, I felt fine." He began nodding for emphasis. "But when you left, I felt empty again. In fact, when I was visiting Master Dragon, I asked him about my troubles. He's the one who suggested I visit the two of you," he added with a grimace.
Nara couldn't help but giggle. "What about Mara's dance? Do you understand now?"
The young man gasped as everything suddenly clicked into place. "I…am an idiot," he calmly informed Nara.
"No," she replied, "you are naïve. I wish more of us were like you." Nara smiled at him. "She is probably sitting by the fountain in the center of town."
Malachi back-flipped out of the chair to land on the auditorium floor. "Thanks, Nara! I owe you big!" He quickly departed through the theatre entrance.
Nara stood to watch him leave. "Just take care of my sister…"
But she knew that she wouldn't have to worry about that…
The young dancer sat on the lip of the fountain pool, swinging her legs, her shoe-heels creating a rhythmic tap-tap-tap against the stone wall beneath her. The sadness on her face spoke of humiliation and loneliness.
But mostly loneliness.
"I am a whore…" she whimpered yet again.
She was on the verge of truly believing her words when she heard a voice call out to her. "Mara!" She turned to see Malachi running toward her.
When Malachi came close enough to see her face, he felt ill. I did this to her… He saw the ruined makeup and tearstained clothing, even in the faint moonlight. But what hurt most was the look of hopelessness, of loss, in her eyes. I did this to her…"Mara…I'm sorry…I…" Her eyes barely allowed him to finish. "…I understand now…"
Mara quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You…do?"
He nodded vigorously. "Nara had to explain it to me, but yes, I do." He started waving his hands around. "She told me about…half a person…um…complete when…Master!…" He finally dropped his hands with a heavy sigh. "I'm not right when you're not around."
Mara felt a sudden lightness in her heart. "You…you love me, too?"
Malachi nodded hesitantly. "I don't understand all of this, but…" he quickly sat down next to her and took her hands in his. "I want to protect you…from now on…will you let me?"
Mara stared at him in teary amazement, then pulled her hands away to throw her arms around his shoulders. "Yes! Oh, I've waited so long…" Malachi caressed her back with his fingertips as Mara's tears of joy moistened his shoulder.
A slender shadow stood a respectful distance away, watching the scene unfold. "At least I will not miss this wedding," Nara smiled to herself.
End.