Disclaimer: I don't own Sakura Wars. I also don't own The Marchioness.TheMarchionessis being owned by theoriginal author himself, Charles Dickens. I used my own interpretation ofThe Marchionessfor this fanfic's play but the plot still follows along the originial story's lines.

Author's Note: I can't believe this is the first MariaSumire fic here in ff! I thought there would be at least one or two. I searched really! Well, there's a first for everything. And this is the first MariaSumire fic here on this block. Ooooh, I'm original! haha.. Thank you very much for those who reviewed. I hope you enjoy my story. Please do continue to review. I appreciate your comments since it helps me and the story both grow better.

Fyi, Chapter 3 is in the works. The more comments, the sooner chapter 3 comes!

And once again. this has been, the author, soujiro-lover, leaving you with chapter two of "Of Tears And Kisses", The Guardian Angel.


Where we left off:

"And the lead role goes to...", Koran finished.


"...Iris!"

"Huh? Me? Why me?", asked Iris, obviously confused.

"It seems that the heroine in the play is a young girl. I think you have to play a girl around 13 or 12, Iris-chan.", explained Sakura.

Iris sat there with her wide eyes, hugging Jean-Paul to whom she whispered, "Do you think I can do this Jean-Paul? I'm assigned a lead role and I'm playing a person older than I am."

Koran then finished reading the list.

"So Iris-chan would be playing the Marchioness, Sakura-san would be the nineteen year-old Sophronia Sphynx or the Marchioness when she grows up, Maria will be Mr. Dick Swiveller, I'd play the lodger, Sumire will be playing Ms. Sally Brass, and Kanna will be Mr. Sampson Brass who is Ms. Sally's brother. Got that?"

"Yes.", was everyone's reply. Soon, each of them were silently reading their scripts, analyzing how to play the role given to them.

"Right, let's get started.", said Maria while clearing her throat. "Good Morning, Mr. Brass! I expect it to be a fine experience working with you.", greeted Maria to Kanna, or rather Mr. Swiveller to Mr. Brass.

"Oh, good morning, Swiveller. You'll be stationed here as a new clerk. Now get to your work. If you need to know anything, Ms. Sally Brass, my sister, is seated over there. She is working with you here in the shop and will be supervising your duties. Now, carry on!", ordered Kanna.

"It's a little bit quiet in here, don't you think, miss?" asked Maria looking at Sumire.

"No it isn't. Now get on your work before I deduct money from your paycheck.", retorted the lady who was now playing Sally Brass.

Kanna tapped her foot on the wooden stage floor to mimic a knock on the door and soon Iris came in saying, "Oh, please, will you come and show the lodgings?"

"Why, who are you?" asked Maria.

"Oh, please, will you come and show the lodgings?" replied Iris.

"I haven't got anything to do with the lodgings. Tell them to call again."

"Oh, but please will you come and show the lodgings.", returned the child. "Miss Sally said I wasn't to, because people wouldn't believe the attendance was good if they saw how small I was at first."

"This is a queer sort of thing, what do you mean to say you are – the cook?" Maria said changing her tone of voice to a slightly higher pitch to indicate some outrageousness.

"Yes. I do plain cooking. I'm housemaid too. I do all the work of the house."

Koran then shouted, "Room service! Room service! Don't make me call twice! This hotel is poor as it is and it moves even slower."

"All right, I'll show you.", Maria said to Iris.

"Now, she's going back down to her small chamber. You know, I'd give something,", said Maria now down to a whisper since she was supposed to be talking to herself in this part, "I'd give something – if I had it – to know how they treat that child and where they keep her."

"Oh so it's my part now. So I go looking for the girl in her cold dark chambers. I get a cold leg of mutton and,", Sumire said as she flipped another page of her script. "Are you there?", she shrieked.

"Yes, ma'am.", Iris answered in a weak voice.

"Go farther away from the leg of mutton, or you'll be picking it, I know. All you'll be having are these leftover potatoes. Do you see this?", said Sumire as she now mimed slicing off about two square inches of cold mutton.

"Yes."

"Then don't you ever go and say that you hadn't meat here. There, eat it up.", Sumire paused for a few seconds then continued, "Now, do you want any more?"

"No, ma'am." Iris replied sounding scared.

"Now carry on with you work, filthy servant girl.", and with that, Sumire slapped her arm to mimic the sound of when she was supposed to slap Iris' face instead.

The group finished doing the dialogue and repeatedly practiced the script numerous times on-stage until, a grumbling sound. "Uh, sorry about that. I just feel a bit hungry.", said Kanna.

"Well, it is already lunch time. Let's have a quick break and come right back here afterwards.", Maria agreed looking at her watch.

On their way to the dining room, Sumire kept repeating, "Iris, you have to do better. Much is expected from you this time."

"Yes, Sumire-san.", was the only thing the little girl could say.

"Hey guys, since we're the only ones running this play now, we must try our best to be open-minded to each other's suggestions. And Sumire, when it comes to your 'comments', be sure not to be so harsh. We must all work together and make this play the best one we've had!" Kanna said hoping to encourage the group.

By now, the cast was already eating their lunch and it was spent quietly since everyone was busy eating.

"Iris, have you been listening to my advice? You have to let the character grow on you. You have to act weaker and more helpless. Your spoilt background is hindering you from that. You obviously have to work harder!", and on and on went Sumire's ranting.

Iris's eyes were starting to well up with tears from all the pressure.

"Iris, you can't cr—", the self proclaimed veteran actress was suddenly interrupted by Maria.

"Sumire! It isn't your place to argue over the table. Iris is trying her best. You can't expect too much from a child."

"But-"

"No, stop it."

"Humph.", were Sumire's last words before she continued eating with a look which was very cross.

After eating, all of them headed back to the theater. It was already Maria and Sakura's part now, the part where the Marchioness has already grown older.

"Ok, let's start where we left off.", called Maria. "Marchioness," she said thoughtfully, "What do you think of these dresses I just bought for you today?"

Sakura smiled. "They're beautiful, Mr. Liverer!"

"Liverer indeed", said Maria thoughtfully. "It's well I am a Liverer. I strongly suspect I should have died from my illness, Marchioness, but for you."

"Right. Uhm," said Sakura in her confusion. "Taking care of you was the least I can do for you after you offered to be my friend."

"Marchioness, it's been quite a while since I sent you to school. How's it been?"

"Oh, sir. School is wonderful! I've learned how to do arithmetic, I've learned how to write, and I've also learned how to sew. People are really nice there."

Then, Sumire butted in. "Sakura-san! You don't put any emotion into your scenes at all! You're supposed to act really happy during these scenes. But don't forget you have to seem humble and shy at the same time. Do you follow?"

"Yes, Sumire-san. I'll try harder."

"No, it's obvious you need more training to enact two expressions at the same time. I should play your part."

"But sensei already assigned us our roles!" Kanna retorted.

"She did. But since we're the ones controlling the play now, we could decide for ourselves if we want to change places or not. Sakura needs more practice and there's a limited amount of time left. Plus, in the last play Sakura took the lead role and she's been doing lead roles several times in a row. It's time there was a change. The audience needs variety after all. And the best replacement for her is me.", Argued Sumire. The truth was, she was hoping to redeem herself as an actress. Most especially to come out of Sakura's shadow.

"It would be okay with me. I'd like to play a lesser role again.", Sakura responded.

"Ugh! Are you calling my role a lesser role? I never play 'lesser' roles!", Sumire thought to herself.

"Well if it's fine with Sakura to switch roles then it's fine with me.", alleged Maria. "Sumire?", and Maria held out her hand in Sumire's direction.

"I'd be more than happy.", the newly assigned nineteen year-old Marchioness smiled and took Maria's hand landing herself beside her partner. Now that she's snagged the best role next to Iris's, she could somehow say she was quite content with herself.

"Oh boy.", sighed Kanna while scratching her head. She really didn't like the fact that Sumire always got what she wanted.

"Ok, let's start again.", supposed Sumire. And Maria began to talk once more.

"Right. Marchioness," she said thoughtfully, "What do you think of these dresses I just bought for you today?", Mr. Swiveller asked.

"They're beautiful, Mr. Liverer!", cried Sumire, clasping her hands together to express her excitement.

"Liverer indeed. It's well I am a Liverer. I strongly suspect I should have died from my illness, Marchioness, but for you."

"Taking care of you was the least I can do for you after you offered to be my friend.", said Sumire, now blushing, as a tiny smile appeared on her face.

"Marchioness, it's been quite a while since I sent you to school. How's it been?"

"Oh, sir. School is wonderful! I've learned how to do arithmetic, I've learned how to write, and I've also learned how to sew! People are really nice there.", alleged the brown-haired lady, with a newfound sparkle in her eyes, her smile growing wider.

Sumire then stopped to look at Sakura. "See, Sakura-san. This is how real acting is done. Go, and train some more on Sally Brass. You have to put on a gaunt face and have a hard and tight grip.", she nagged.

"Sumire-san, cut the girl some slack. You already stole her role. Now, can we please continue?", requested Maria to Sumire. She just wanted to finish this scene.

"Yes."

"And so li--", But then, Maria's line was interrupted by Ayame's voice sounding over the speakers.

"Team Hana, please proceed to the simulation room. It's time for your daily practice on Kobu control."

"Aw, just when we were right about to finish rehearsing the script again.", whined Koran.

After that, all of them headed to the simulation room and dealt with the battle situation presented in front of them. They did the same routine about 9 times and by the time they decided to call it a day, it was already around 8 o'clock in the evening.

Before they left the room where they confronted semi-real fights with monsters, demons, wakiji, or anything the computer could come up with, Ayame said over the microphone, "Sakura, Kanna, Koran, Maria, and Iris, your spiritual coefficients have reached the standard level. Just make sure to stabilize them. Sumire, your power has been fluctuating lately, going from high to low. But now it's getting lower each time. Work on it."

"Damn it.", Sumire said to herself in frustration. "It's been a long time since my power stabilized. What am I lacking? I've been pretty good lately and I haven't been stressed much. This play that we're doing now is our next play after the one held about a month and a half ago. I got the role I wanted as Ms. Sphynx. I let Sakura step aside for me. So, what the bloody hell is wrong!", she said in her mind. She kept thinking and thinking, drowning herself in her thoughts that she didn't say a word the whole dinner.

"Well, I'm off to bed. It's best to get away now and sleep before Cactus woman says something else to boss us around.", said Kanna after eating.

Iris stood up to follow after Kanna and when she thought she was out of earshot said, "I'm leaving too. I can't stand another word of hers. I'm scared of her, really.", whispered Iris to Jean-Paul but what she didn't notice was that Sumire and the others back at the table could still hear what she was saying.

Soon, everyone finished eating and went to their respective rooms.

Sumire changed into her robes and propped herself on her bed, still pondering over why her powers weren't functioning well and why everyone was angry at her.

"Was I too harsh?", she said to herself. She decided to go down, out into the garden and when she got there, sat by the fountain.

"I've been coming to this place often, to cry my heart out most of the time. But what I really want to find out is, if they don't like me, then, how can I change?"

Sumire curled herself up, her back leaning against the fountain bench. She was just there, sitting on the ground, in her robes, crying until her eyes couldn't take it anymore or when her heart couldn't take the stress crying was putting on her.

Then out of the blue, a familiar voice called her. "Sumire-san," The tone was more of realizing that Sumire was there rather than asking for her.

Sumire looked up, hurriedly wiped her tear-stained cheeks with her hands and looked around. She didn't see anyone.

The girl in question spoke again. "Sumire-san, I knew something was bothering you. Care to tell me what it is?"

"Maria-san! Go away. I don't want you to see me like this."

Maria approached the other side of the fountain where Sumire was and knelt down beside her. She cupped her cheek and wiped another falling tear and embraced her. "Hush. I'm here. Don't worry."

"Oh, Maria-san!" And Sumire fell into Maria's arms and poured out her sadness. "I-I don't kn-know what to d-do. E-e-every-o-one has t-t-urned their b-back on me. I'm n-not strong enough. I-I don't d-deserve t-to-to be here.", she stuttered in between furious sobs.

Maria held Sumire in her arms through every sob, every minute of the moment until the girl cradled there fell asleep. The truth was Maria never saw Sumire so helpless before. She then took it to herself to be there by Sumire's side always since these were the times when someone as strong as Sumire would break down under all the pressure.

Maria carried Sumire to her own room and lay her on the bed. It was beyond Maria's understanding how in the world she was able to manage carrying Sumire from the garden to the room. Moreover, the newfound friend knelt down beside the canopy bed and watched Sumire sleep. "From now on, it's going to be you and me. Starting tonight, we'll leave our fears behind. We'll always be by each other. I'll never leave you. I promise.", she whispered into the sleeping girl's ear.

Maria then went to her own room and decided to sleep. She slid under the covers and finally after a long day closed her eyes, thinking of how to play Sumire's new guardian angel since the last angel flew away, leaving Sumire in plain drunken misery.


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