Chapter 18- Disaster
Meanwhile, backstage, Maria was doing last minute prepping for her extremely huge Castle Scene that was coming up. She powdered her face about twenty times, and looked about her.
"Where are my roses?" She demanded, and sighed. A young man quickly ran up to her with the freshly picked roses and handed them to her.
"Thank you!" Maria snapped, and suddenly sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"
"Smell what, Miss Maria? Do you have too much perfume on?"
"No..." Maria said, and wrinkled her brow. "It smells like....smoke...."
"Oh." He replied. "I immagine some of our audience must be smoking their cigars."
"Hmmmph!" Maria cried. "I do detest that stench....Ug!"
"Sorry, Miss Maria." He said frantically. "But, I believe it is your time to be on."
"I knew that!" Maria cried, and thwapped him with the roses before making her way on the stage, dropping them in his arms. "Make sure these get to where they need to be!!"
"Look, there's Maria!" Celes whispered as she appeared on the castle on the stage. Locke nodded, and widened his eyes when Maria began to sing. Sure, she was good, being a professional and all, but Locke could not resist thinking that Celes' voice had sounded so much more sweet and genuine when she sang those same words. Had she been thinking of someone when she sang her part?
"Oh my hero, so far away now, will I ever see your smile? Love goes away, like night into day....it's just a fading dream..."
"I'm the darkness, you're the stars...our love is brighter then the sun! For eternity, for me there can be, only you, my chosen one...."
"Must I forget you, our solemn promise? Will autumn take the place of spring? What shall I do? I'm lost without you....speak to me once more!"
Locke turned to face Celes while Maria was singing, and saw that Celes was mouthing the words exactly in sync with Maria. But Celes' eyes were also clouded with tears, and her lips were set in a small frown. She looked down to her lap, and let a tear fall onto her dress. She was thinking about when she got to be in Maria's shoes last year. No, she wasn't jealous of Maria at all...it was totally different from that. She was remembering how much she had related to her character...how much she felt like she was the real Princess Maria when she was on stage. Poor Maria, who had just had her heart broken by losing the only one she loved, the handsome and brave Draco. Maria sang out into the heavens, hoping he would hear her call and come back to her arms.
But in the end, Maria got what she wanted, and it all ended happily. That's where she and Celes' differed. Celes didn't have her happy ending yet. And while Maria had Draco, Celes had no one. She couldn't call out to him, because she was too afraid. Celes realized that she couldn't tell Locke what she promised Terra, Edgar, and Setzer what she was going to tell him. Her fear was settling in again.
Maria had just finished dancing with a ghostly image of Draco, and climbed up to the roof of the castle, carrying her roses. She looked up into the sky, clinging the roses to her chest with strong hands.
"We must part now, my life goes on...but my heart won't give you up...."
Celes let out a small sob and burried her head in her hands. Alarmed, Locke rested his hand on her shoulder.
"Celes, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly. "Do you feel ill?"
Maria sang her final note and tossed her flowers into the view of the audience, the moonlight reflecting off the velvety petels. With a dramatic sigh, she turned and proceeded down the stairs of her castle to meet with the evil prince and dance with him.
"Celes...?"
"Oh, nothing!" Celes cried, and stood up, leaving the room with her hands over her face. Locke blinked, and stood up to go after her.
When Celes had left the balcony, she ran down the stairs and into Maria's dressing room, where she knew Maria wouldn't be for a while. If Maria did catch her, Celes would just say she came to congraduate her.
Celes walked over to Maria's desk and briskly flipped through the pages of her script, trying to calm herself down. She rubbed her eyes, and stiffened up when she heard footsteps. She whirled around and saw Locke.
"Locke!" She cried. "Why did you follow me!?"
"I followed you because you were crying!" Locke cried, and shut the door behind him, locking it.
"Locke, don't do that, what if Maria...?"
"She'll come in through the back." Locke said. "But I don't want anyone else interrupting us."
"Locke, there is nothing to interrupt."
"Yes there is. You wern't crying over the opera, so don't tell me that. It was something else, I could tell by the look in your eyes."
"......" Celes didn't say anything at first. She just shook her head and turned her back to him.
Locke approached her and grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to turn around. Celes looked straight at him with her tear-stained cheeks, and he looked right back at her.
"Celes, please, won't you tell me?" He asked.
"No...." Celes said weakly. "I can't, you wouldn't understand!"
"Why do you say that?" Locke asked softly, and pushed some hair out of her eyes. "You know how much it hurts me to hear you say that? That I couldn't understand you?"
".......Locke..." Celes noticed her hands were still on her. She sighed, and looked up at him again. "Alright, listen, I'll tell you...but you don't know how hard this is for me."
"I think....maybe I could relate." Locke said seriously, and squeezed her shoulders. Celes didn't smile, but decided that this was it, she could not chicken out on herself now.
"Locke...I've....been meaning to tell you something..."
"Yeah....?" Locke dropped his hands and Celes looked down.
"I....well...kind of have been meaning to say this for a while now, but...."
"Good job, Maria!" Her assisstant said as she stepped off the stage for the time being. She growled at him, and he jumped back.
"Aye, what is your deal!?" He cried.
"I smelled it the entire time I was up there!" Maria barked.
"The...smoke?" He asked nervously.
"OUI!" Maria screeched, and thwapped him again. He moaned and rubbed his head.
"I'm sorry!" He cried. "But I don't know how the cigar smoke could be that bad..."
Suddenly, another man flew down form the controls wing of the opera house, and looked like he was in hysterics.
"Gah, we've had an accident!!!" He cried. The special effects controls have been short-circuting for sometime now, and we only just realized it!"
"So?" Maria asked. "The Opera is almost over anyway."
"No, you dont understand, we've sent out ushers to evaculate everyone!" He cried. "There's a fire! So you must get out too, Maria!"
"What!?" Maria cried, and dashed out onto the stage. Sure enough, the room was almost empty now, and a very heavy smoke smell was coming from the wing above her, the special effects area.
"Oh, my God!" Maria cried, and ran back to her crew. "Let us depart immediately! But where are Locke and Celes?"
"They must have been evacuated already." They replied. "Come on!"
Celes interrupted herself and blinked.
"Huh?" Locke asked.
"It got all quiet." Celes murmured. "I can't hear anyone anymore."
"What? That's silly...."
Celes stepped out of the dressing room by going out the backway, and nearly choked when she got backstage. There were unbelievable amounts of smoke wafting through from the stage. She covered her mouth and ran back to Locke.
"Locke, there must be a fire somewhere!" Celes cried. "We'd better get out of here now! Everyone is gone, and there is smoke!!"
"Oh, damnit!" Locke cried, and grabbed Celes by the hand. "Come on, we're out of here!"
Celes did not hesitate to follow Locke as he ran over to the door and tried to pull it open. But when he did, nothing happened. Locke gasped, and pulled again.
"Celes, why won't the door open?" Locke asked. "Is there a trick to it?"
"Trick?" Celes asked, and shook her head quickly. "The only thing Maria told me was...." Celes gasped and stumbled back a little. "Locke, she told me not to lock the door, because it GETS STUCK!"
"Ohhh...." Locke moaned, and slammed his fists against the door. "Damnit!" Celes grabbed him by the arm.
"Come on, we don't have time to fool around!" Celes cried, and tugged him towards the back. "We'll have to go through here. Just cover your mouth, and close your eyes, then you should be ok."
"What about you?" Locke asked.
"I'll lead us." Celes said. "Just don't let go of me!"
"But Celes...I have this thing.....I'm not really.....too fond of fire...The night Relm's friend's house burned down...I know you wern't there, but I'm sure everyone told you stories about how I wussed out and refused to go in to help, as shallow as that sounds."
"Oh, Locke, don't worry." Celes said quickly. "I'll take care of everything."
"Alright...." Locke said nervously, and held onto her hand.
Meanwhile, backstage, Maria was doing last minute prepping for her extremely huge Castle Scene that was coming up. She powdered her face about twenty times, and looked about her.
"Where are my roses?" She demanded, and sighed. A young man quickly ran up to her with the freshly picked roses and handed them to her.
"Thank you!" Maria snapped, and suddenly sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"
"Smell what, Miss Maria? Do you have too much perfume on?"
"No..." Maria said, and wrinkled her brow. "It smells like....smoke...."
"Oh." He replied. "I immagine some of our audience must be smoking their cigars."
"Hmmmph!" Maria cried. "I do detest that stench....Ug!"
"Sorry, Miss Maria." He said frantically. "But, I believe it is your time to be on."
"I knew that!" Maria cried, and thwapped him with the roses before making her way on the stage, dropping them in his arms. "Make sure these get to where they need to be!!"
"Look, there's Maria!" Celes whispered as she appeared on the castle on the stage. Locke nodded, and widened his eyes when Maria began to sing. Sure, she was good, being a professional and all, but Locke could not resist thinking that Celes' voice had sounded so much more sweet and genuine when she sang those same words. Had she been thinking of someone when she sang her part?
"Oh my hero, so far away now, will I ever see your smile? Love goes away, like night into day....it's just a fading dream..."
"I'm the darkness, you're the stars...our love is brighter then the sun! For eternity, for me there can be, only you, my chosen one...."
"Must I forget you, our solemn promise? Will autumn take the place of spring? What shall I do? I'm lost without you....speak to me once more!"
Locke turned to face Celes while Maria was singing, and saw that Celes was mouthing the words exactly in sync with Maria. But Celes' eyes were also clouded with tears, and her lips were set in a small frown. She looked down to her lap, and let a tear fall onto her dress. She was thinking about when she got to be in Maria's shoes last year. No, she wasn't jealous of Maria at all...it was totally different from that. She was remembering how much she had related to her character...how much she felt like she was the real Princess Maria when she was on stage. Poor Maria, who had just had her heart broken by losing the only one she loved, the handsome and brave Draco. Maria sang out into the heavens, hoping he would hear her call and come back to her arms.
But in the end, Maria got what she wanted, and it all ended happily. That's where she and Celes' differed. Celes didn't have her happy ending yet. And while Maria had Draco, Celes had no one. She couldn't call out to him, because she was too afraid. Celes realized that she couldn't tell Locke what she promised Terra, Edgar, and Setzer what she was going to tell him. Her fear was settling in again.
Maria had just finished dancing with a ghostly image of Draco, and climbed up to the roof of the castle, carrying her roses. She looked up into the sky, clinging the roses to her chest with strong hands.
"We must part now, my life goes on...but my heart won't give you up...."
Celes let out a small sob and burried her head in her hands. Alarmed, Locke rested his hand on her shoulder.
"Celes, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly. "Do you feel ill?"
Maria sang her final note and tossed her flowers into the view of the audience, the moonlight reflecting off the velvety petels. With a dramatic sigh, she turned and proceeded down the stairs of her castle to meet with the evil prince and dance with him.
"Celes...?"
"Oh, nothing!" Celes cried, and stood up, leaving the room with her hands over her face. Locke blinked, and stood up to go after her.
When Celes had left the balcony, she ran down the stairs and into Maria's dressing room, where she knew Maria wouldn't be for a while. If Maria did catch her, Celes would just say she came to congraduate her.
Celes walked over to Maria's desk and briskly flipped through the pages of her script, trying to calm herself down. She rubbed her eyes, and stiffened up when she heard footsteps. She whirled around and saw Locke.
"Locke!" She cried. "Why did you follow me!?"
"I followed you because you were crying!" Locke cried, and shut the door behind him, locking it.
"Locke, don't do that, what if Maria...?"
"She'll come in through the back." Locke said. "But I don't want anyone else interrupting us."
"Locke, there is nothing to interrupt."
"Yes there is. You wern't crying over the opera, so don't tell me that. It was something else, I could tell by the look in your eyes."
"......" Celes didn't say anything at first. She just shook her head and turned her back to him.
Locke approached her and grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to turn around. Celes looked straight at him with her tear-stained cheeks, and he looked right back at her.
"Celes, please, won't you tell me?" He asked.
"No...." Celes said weakly. "I can't, you wouldn't understand!"
"Why do you say that?" Locke asked softly, and pushed some hair out of her eyes. "You know how much it hurts me to hear you say that? That I couldn't understand you?"
".......Locke..." Celes noticed her hands were still on her. She sighed, and looked up at him again. "Alright, listen, I'll tell you...but you don't know how hard this is for me."
"I think....maybe I could relate." Locke said seriously, and squeezed her shoulders. Celes didn't smile, but decided that this was it, she could not chicken out on herself now.
"Locke...I've....been meaning to tell you something..."
"Yeah....?" Locke dropped his hands and Celes looked down.
"I....well...kind of have been meaning to say this for a while now, but...."
"Good job, Maria!" Her assisstant said as she stepped off the stage for the time being. She growled at him, and he jumped back.
"Aye, what is your deal!?" He cried.
"I smelled it the entire time I was up there!" Maria barked.
"The...smoke?" He asked nervously.
"OUI!" Maria screeched, and thwapped him again. He moaned and rubbed his head.
"I'm sorry!" He cried. "But I don't know how the cigar smoke could be that bad..."
Suddenly, another man flew down form the controls wing of the opera house, and looked like he was in hysterics.
"Gah, we've had an accident!!!" He cried. The special effects controls have been short-circuting for sometime now, and we only just realized it!"
"So?" Maria asked. "The Opera is almost over anyway."
"No, you dont understand, we've sent out ushers to evaculate everyone!" He cried. "There's a fire! So you must get out too, Maria!"
"What!?" Maria cried, and dashed out onto the stage. Sure enough, the room was almost empty now, and a very heavy smoke smell was coming from the wing above her, the special effects area.
"Oh, my God!" Maria cried, and ran back to her crew. "Let us depart immediately! But where are Locke and Celes?"
"They must have been evacuated already." They replied. "Come on!"
Celes interrupted herself and blinked.
"Huh?" Locke asked.
"It got all quiet." Celes murmured. "I can't hear anyone anymore."
"What? That's silly...."
Celes stepped out of the dressing room by going out the backway, and nearly choked when she got backstage. There were unbelievable amounts of smoke wafting through from the stage. She covered her mouth and ran back to Locke.
"Locke, there must be a fire somewhere!" Celes cried. "We'd better get out of here now! Everyone is gone, and there is smoke!!"
"Oh, damnit!" Locke cried, and grabbed Celes by the hand. "Come on, we're out of here!"
Celes did not hesitate to follow Locke as he ran over to the door and tried to pull it open. But when he did, nothing happened. Locke gasped, and pulled again.
"Celes, why won't the door open?" Locke asked. "Is there a trick to it?"
"Trick?" Celes asked, and shook her head quickly. "The only thing Maria told me was...." Celes gasped and stumbled back a little. "Locke, she told me not to lock the door, because it GETS STUCK!"
"Ohhh...." Locke moaned, and slammed his fists against the door. "Damnit!" Celes grabbed him by the arm.
"Come on, we don't have time to fool around!" Celes cried, and tugged him towards the back. "We'll have to go through here. Just cover your mouth, and close your eyes, then you should be ok."
"What about you?" Locke asked.
"I'll lead us." Celes said. "Just don't let go of me!"
"But Celes...I have this thing.....I'm not really.....too fond of fire...The night Relm's friend's house burned down...I know you wern't there, but I'm sure everyone told you stories about how I wussed out and refused to go in to help, as shallow as that sounds."
"Oh, Locke, don't worry." Celes said quickly. "I'll take care of everything."
"Alright...." Locke said nervously, and held onto her hand.