Re:Zero FF Beatrice Heart Crossing

Chapter 21: The Show of a Lifetime

After her momentary lapse in confidence, Beatrice had joined Adella and Niki backstage to begin her preparations. The makeshift room had been pieced together by layering curtains alongside the stage. Upon entering the room, Beatrice saw the costume rack and the trunk Subaru had kindly delivered earlier. Tracing the walls with her eyes, she noticed that there was a small stool in front of a vanity table. Following Adella's lead, she untied the ribbon of her kimono and neatly folded the garment over the costume rack before taking a seat on the stool. This being her first experience changing with others, Beatrice avoided watching the others and decided to wait until last to put on her costume. In an attempt to district her mind, she naturally came to gaze into the vanity mirror. Watching herself sitting in the dressing room, she couldn't help but giggle at the situation. It was then that she realized that something seemed different about her face. Not that she was particularly vain, she had viewed herself occasionally while living in the forbidden library. However, the face looking back at her seemed to have an entirely different glow than the spirit she remembered. The girl staring back at her was happily giggling and spending time with friends, something that she would never have done before. Lost in the moment and besieged by melancholy, Beatrice unknowingly leaned forward toward the vanity. The shift in weight caused her to lose her balance and fall forward. The small spirit had to place her hands on the table to catch herself and while doing so, felt the shoulder strap of her chemise slide down her arm. With her forehead almost touching the mirror, Beatrice once again saw her image. This time however, she saw a flustered girl in a nightie which caused her cheeks to blush. Is this what Subaru saw when they went to bed at night? As her face grew ever more crimson, Adella shimmied up next to her to look in the mirror before speaking.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice? I had no idea you were so fond of your own image."

Beatrice: "W-what… Betty was just trying to give you privacy, I suppose."

Adella: "Is that so? I fully stocked this vanity with cosmetics if you were thinking about trying to surprise someone special… fufufu."

Beatrice: "Huh? Cosmetics…"

Nonchalantly joining Adella in sandwiching Beatrice in front of the mirror, Niki spoke up.

Niki: "Ya mean makeup, right? I think yer cute already, but if ya try it, I will!"

Adella: "I would be happy to assist you both! However, there is one small detail I simply must address…"

Beatrice and Niki: "Eh?"

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, do you intend to traipse about in your undergarments all afternoon?"

Having been called out, Beatrice looked and saw that both Niki and Adella had their dresses on as they crowded around the scantily clad spirit.

Beatrice: "Irk!?"

Leaping backwards from the stool, Beatrice ran to the costume rack and began to throw articles of clothing across the room as she frantically attempted to preserve her pride. Adella and Niki wore playful smiles while watching the scene unfold before the head maid rose to her feet and proceeded to aid Beatrice in donning her costume. Once Beatrice had completed her dressing, the girls took turns sitting in front of the mirror and applying makeup. Adella applied a light rouge and purple lipstick before assisting Niki. The cat girl watched as her lips became crimson and Adella outlined her eyes with black. Watching with intense curiosity, Beatrice finally took her spot on the stool. The vast array of containers confused the small spirit as she hesitantly reached forward. A friendly voice cut through from behind her.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, might I suggest this pink? It suits you."

Beatrice: "Pink is for children, I suppose. Betty wants to look her best for… ehh… the audience, in fact!"

Adella: "Is that so? Well, audience aside, I can guarantee that men find cosmetics to be irresistible."

Beatrice: "H-huh? That does not matter to Betty, I suppose…"

Adella: "Really? Well, I'll leave you to it…"

As Adella pivoted to rejoin Niki in adding their finishing touches, she heard an apprehensive voice.

Beatrice: "If I use the pink… how do I put it on, in fact?"

Adella flashed a compassionate smile as she guided the spirit in proper application. Acclimating to the foriegn feeling, Beatrice pursed her lips together. Giggling at the rare glimpse of her master, Adella called out to her.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, might we try some blue eyeliner as well?"

Beatrice: "If I must, I suppose. Do you think… Subaru… will enjoy it, in fact?"

Adella: "Without exception."

Beatrice nodded with acceptance as the head maid skillfully completed her application. With Adella's instructions, the entire routine proved to be simple enough. While fighting the urge to touch her face, Beatrice heard the curtain shuffle as a young looking cat girl peeked her head in and spoke.

Cat Girl: "Heeey! Are you almost ready? A lot of the kids are here, so we should get started pretty soon."

Adella: "Why yes, we should be finished shortly. Would you mind waiting a few more minutes before starting the introduction?"

The cat girl nodded before disappearing beyond the curtain. Beatrice felt a small chill run down her back and began to squirm in her seat. As she began to look down at her shaking hands, a warm hand on her shoulder interrupted her thoughts. Beatrice looked up to see Adella smiling back at her.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, let's show master Subaru what we've been practicing for."

Before Beatrice could respond, Niki tugged on her hand.

Niki: "Bea! We're gonna do it together! Are ya ready?"

Rising to her feet with an affirmative smile, Beatrice declared.

Beatrice: "Yes! Good luck to everyone, I suppose."

With that, the girls lined up near the stage entrance at their announcer prepared to begin the show.

Meanwhile, from his seat in the audience, Subaru watched as children and their parents took seats on the ground around the stage. In his forethought, he had purposely sat in the center to allow children to see clearly from the front while still making himself visible to Beatrice. Subaru smiled as the crowd around the stage grew larger. This was the culmination of all their efforts and it left him bristling with anticipation to see the final result. All of a sudden, the chatting within the audience ceased and Subaru saw a cat girl walk out on the stage.

Cat Girl: "Heeey! I'll be your announcer today! Is everybody having a good time?"

The audience roared at the question with a combination of cheers and applause. The announcer smirked as she gave the audience a thumbs up and continued with her speech.

Cat Girl: "That's good to hear! I'm happy to say that the folks from the castle and our very own Niki have prepared a little show for us. Their head maid described it as 'A magical story created by one man's unrelenting feelings for his muse, truly a story for the ages'."

The observers murmured in response while Subaru felt an intense heat move into his face as he made a mental note to properly reprimand Adella at their next meeting.

Cat Girl: "Um… I'm not sure about all that… But it is a cute story and I know you're all going to love it! So without further delay, here is 'Betty the Magical Girl and the Terror on the Festival's Eve'."

The announcer quickly ran off stage as the curtain fell shut. A moment later a flash of blue light scattered from behind the cloth and Subaru immediately recognized it as Beatrice's mana. Before he could start to worry, the scene came into view. The previously bare stage now contained a stone bridge and several trees. The backdrop appeared to contain a night sky with lucent stars that twinkled as if recently plucked from the heavens. Taken aback by the detail of the scenery, Subaru's focus shifted to the bridge where a familiar head maid stood gazing at the stars. Adella has traded her normal maid attire in exchange for an ornate plum colored dress. Upon closer inspection, it was an empire style with a deep v shaped neck and trailing lengths of cloth on the elbows. Adella stood tall in violet heels with dark stockings that complemented the inky trim on her dress. Subaru tried not to stare at her mature appearance but found himself drawn to her along with everyone in attendance. After a few moments, she began to speak in a silvery tone.

Adella: "My, what a beautiful night in Wishleaf… As the festival matron, I truly hope for a successful festival tomorrow."

Crossing her hands in front of her chest before reaching toward the sky, Adella looked at the children in the front row with a tender smile. While Subaru thought she was over acting, a flash of light and cloud of black smoke marked the entrance of an even more flamboyant actress. As the particulate settled, Niki stepped out adorned in her blood red sleeveless bouffant dress with matching horns. A pair of black and red striped stockings extended from under her frilly skirt and accentuated her glossy red shoes. A shadowy cape was attached to a pair of pauldrons and trailed behind her as it billowed in the wind. The cat girl covered her face with her hand before extravagantly swinging her hand out into an accusatory pointing gesture.

Niki: "Ohohoho! It is I, the evil Monstero! I'm here to put a stop to this festival!"

The children gasped and yelled in response while Subaru fought to hold back laughter.

Adella: "Oh no! Whatever shall I do!? The children of this village deserve a festival!"

Niki: "Never! Yer comin' with me, matron! There won't be any festivals on my watch!"

Boos from the children filled the air and Niki snapped her fingers and the black smoke once again filled the scene and whisked the actresses away. Afterwards, the curtain fell once more and another flash of mana shone from beneath it. With the stage reset, it now contained a black iron cage to one side and a dense forest backdrop. An artificial moon casted down dancing rays that illuminated the stage revealing that Adella was imprisoned in the cage while Niki gloated from outside.

Niki: "Ohohoho! Now yer trapped here! No one's gonna save ya!"

Dropping to her knees within the prison, Adella dramatically called out to the audience.

Adella: "Hark! Who would help me break free from this prison and save the festival?"

At this point, the smaller children were on their feet with their attention glued to the stage as they waited to see Adella's fate. A meek voice called out from off stage as if to answer their inquiry.

?: "I-I W-will, I suppose!"

Slowly stepping out from behind the curtain, Beatrice shuffled onto the stage. Clad in a pink frilly sleeved ball gown with white stockings and rosy buckled shoes, Subaru thought she appeared similar to how she usually dressed in the old world. Yet, there was something different about her but he couldn't quite determine what it was. Raising a heart shaped wand, Beatrice interrupted his musings as she blurted her next line.

Beatrice: "Monstero! I am… Betty the magical girl, in fact! You need to leave this village alone, I suppose!"

Practically hissing, Niki leapt forward and angrily yelled her rebuttal.

Niki: "Ya think ya can beat me? Ya must be crazy. There ain't gonna be no festival!"

Reaching into her cape, Niki produced what appeared to be a small club. Subaru was about to chuckle when something unexpected happened.

Niki: "Activate Monstero power!"

All of a sudden, the mace was engulfed in flames as the cat girl began to cackle loudly. So far the production had been fairly tame, Subaru thought. With this new addition, he began to worry about how far these girls intended to go.

Beatrice: "I-is that all, in fact? I'll use the… p-power… of… l-love, I suppose!"

Subaru: "W-what!"

Exclaiming to no one in particular, Subaru dumbfoundedly watched as Beatrice lifted her wand and it began to emit pink light. The small spirit slowly floated into the air as large ethereal butterfly wings sprouted from her back. They seemed to be made of light and gently flapped as Niki sneered and arrogantly called out to the girl.

Niki: "Ya think that pretty trick will stop me? Get ready!"

Adella: "Please, Betty! Save me!"

What started out as a kind hearted story, had transitioned into a reckless fight scene as Niki jumped into the air and slammed her club into the ground narrowly missing Beatrice. With a frazzled look on her face, the spirit continued to say her lines while swiftly dodging Niki's attacks.

Beatrice: "You've been a bad monster, I suppose. I'll have to teach you a- Careful! You almost- AHH!"

While pantomiming the battle scene, Niki had spun around with a horizontal sweep of her club which Beatrice had deftly dodged by hovering. However, the cat girl launched into the air with a quick uppercut that caused Beatrice to teeter off kilter. Despite the near miss, Niki prepared to slam her club again. Surprised by the spirit's high pitched scream, her club slid from her hands into an aerial bombardment. With insufficient time to react, Beatrice took the unrestrained blow with her forehead and plummeted to the stage with a resounding thud. As the observing children bellowed in a panic, Subaru covered his face with his palm. Niki landed and nervously inspected her fallen best friend as Adela's quivering voice cut through the air.

Adella: "Uhh… It seems that Betty needs… support! Audience, please cheer Betty on!"

Niki: "Is she… I mean, yeah… err… no! She can never beat me!"

Their heroine in peril, the children quickly understood and started to chant the name of their champion.

Children: "Betty! Betty! Betty!"

Adella: "Fufufu, It's working! Now if only her lover could supply her with the final push!?"

The crowd turned its attention to Subaru who stared blankly and began to grind his teeth. Was every one of his friends this troublesome? His cheeks were flushed and the onlookers began to cheer him on which only served to exacerbate his embarrassment. As the mass of peering eyes became too much to handle, Subaru stood up and joined the children in yelling.

Subaru: "Beako! You can do this!"

Beatrice did not respond as she laid prone on the stage seemingly in a daze. Adella seized the opportunity for more teasing.

Adella: "Oh, I'm afraid that will just not do… Please try again!"

Clicking his tongue, Subaru knew what Adella wanted and begrudgingly obliged.

Subaru: "Fine… Beako… I love you, wake up!"

The crowd unanimously offered sounds of endearment upon hearing the boy make an honest confession. As their attention returned to the girl on stage to see the result, Beatrice started to stir.

Beatrice: "Subaru? Huh? Where am- WHAT!"

Woken by his words and thoroughly confused, Beatrice jumped to her feet as she realized that she was still on stage. Her eyes became listless as she went over the series of events and felt the sting of having her boyfriend's word heard by the crowd. The horrific reality of the situation became clear and the small spirit started to glow with mana. She turned to face Niki with a terrifying grimace as her bloodlust was palpable.

Bearice: "GRR…"

Slowly backing away, Niki tried to calm down the vengeful spirit.

Niki: "Bea-Betty… Let's not do anything violent…"

Beatrice: "IDIOT!"

With a swing of her wand, the pent up mana surged through the heart shaped catalyst with a thunderous crackle. The blast flew across the stage and impacted Niki in her midsection before lifting her into the air and tossing her beyond the curtain. A clattering sound confirmed that the small cat girl had landed less than gracefully as she screamed.

Niki: "Ouch! Bea! That hurt, ya little-"

Adella: "Wow, what a display! I dare say that the festival is saved! Please join me in congratulating our hero, Betty the magical girl!"

Niki was drowned out by Adella who had emerged from her cage and gracefully bowed to Beatrice. The children erupted in cheers, filling the area with tumultuous applause. Thrown off by the improvisation, Beatrice stared at the crowd with doe eyes and awkwardly bowed. Adella ran off stage to grab Niki and joined Beatrice in performing a curtsy for the audience. Subaru was stunned by the derailment, but it appeared that the children were happy so he cheerfully joined in on the applause. After accepting their accolades, the girls briskly sped off stage as the curtain fell shut, marking the end of their performance. The afternoon went by quickly with two more follow up performances. Motivated by the village children's stunning reviews, the turnout for the later performances was larger with even the stall runners pulling away to view the show. The profession of love that had been improvised in jest, turned out to be a fan favorite. So much so that Adella added it to every performance, much to Beatrice's chagrin. Observer turned actor, Subaru sat through every rendition and yelled his confession to excited cheers. Eventually, the curtain dropped for the final time as the sun began to lower in the sky. Children and adults alike were straggling away from the area towards the lantern lit streets as the sounds of games and laughter filled the air. Given a reprieve and still flushed from his repeated role, Subaru walked behind the stage to reconvene with his friends. After some time, the curtain rustled as a pair of familiar twin tails came into view. Slowly descending the stairs, Beatrice adjusted the bow on her kimono before approaching Subaru. A calm wind blew across the town center and the hues of dusk draped across the spirit and reminded the boy of something he had noticed earlier. Beatrice met his eyes with a look of expectation as Subaru began to speak.

Subaru: "Beako…"

Beatrice: "Yes?"

Subaru: "Are you wearing makeup?"

Beatrice furrowed her brow and turned her face away from him as she concealed a small grin.

Beatrice: "That is the first thing you have to say to Betty, I suppose?"

Subaru: "I think I said a lot in front of everyone all afternoon…"

Beatrice: "Indeed… does it not suit me, I suppose?"

Beatrice began nervously fidgeting with her hands as she made her inquiry. Subaru looked over his girlfriend and considered that she had changed from her costume but continued to wear cosmetics. Realizing that there must be an ulterior reason that Beatrice would retain her makeup, a small warmth filled his chest as he confidently assuaged her uncertainty.

Subaru: "I thought I noticed it earlier, you don't have to try to be beautiful, Beako."

Beatrice: "Oh…"

Subaru: "But, I was excited when I saw you come out on stage. It's a nice change, I like it."

Unable to hide her beaming smile, Beatrice's face flooded with warmth. She had heard him repeatedly profess his love but hearing his honest compliment threatened to ruin her composure. Her chest tightened while she searched for words; a search that was cut short by Adella.

Adella: "Sorry to interrupt, but I fear your honeyed words were making me sweat, Master Subaru."

Announcing her presence, Adella flung the curtain aside revealing herself and Niki in their kimonos. Tempered by the day's events, Subaru ignored her teasing and instead took a serious tone.

Subaru: "Now that everyone is here, I have something I'd like to say…"

Met by curious glances from the girls, Subaru cleared his throat before bowing to the group as he announced.

Subaru: "You all did a great job. I'm happy that we were able to put on such a great show!"

The three girls exchanged glances as Subaru awkwardly maintained his bow. The silence was broken by a loud snicker as they surrounded the unknowing boy and joined arms. As Subaru looked up to see the source of the sound he was taken into a friendly embrace by the girls as they took turns speaking to him.

Adella: "Foolish Master, you shouldn't bow to servants... "

Niki: "Yer responsible for this too, ya know!"

Beatrice: "You can build a reliable stage, I suppose…"

Their trial complete, the friends separated and giggled as they reminisced over the experience. After several minutes, the conversation calmed and the group unanimously decided to go enjoy the rest of the festival. Beatrice instinctively took Subaru's hand, which prompted Adella to quickly whisper to Niki. After receiving an affirmative nod, the head maid called out to them.

Adella: "Masters, why don't we split the group up?"

Beatrice: "H-huh? Why?"

Subaru: "Yeah, it's not like you to give us privacy?"

Adella: "After such a stressful performance, it would only be fitting for you to have some quality time together. Consider it a gift for a job well done."

Seeing that she harbored no intent to tease, Subaru flashed a smile and appeared to accept her proposal. However, he hesitated as he recalled certain events from earlier that day.

Subaru: "Adie… Isn't it your fault the performance was stressful?"

Beatrice: "That's right… you made us… the whole audience, in fact…"

As the small spirit's eyes began to spin, Adella seized the opportunity to take Niki by the hand and make her exit. Winking at Subaru, the head maid disappeared down the main street before anyone could protest. Focusing his attention on Beatrice, Subaru was able to console her and follow suit as they made their way to various stalls. The couple took turns scooping fish, poking out stencils, and playing ring toss. To Subaru's surprise, Beatrice insisted that any prizes be given to the local children. Soon enough, a loud horn bellowed across the town to signify the beginning of the feast. They made their way to the town center to see a wide eyed Niki being presented with a fish that rivaled her in size. Giving her hand a squeeze, Subaru looked at Beatrice as he laughed at the spectacle. However, Beatrice covered her mouth to disguise her yawn before turning towards him. As their gazes met, Beatrice's eyes reflected her exhaustion from being a point of focus for most of the day. An idea struck Subaru as he leaned down to the spirit and spoke.

Subaru: "Beako, can you meet me behind the stage? I need to grab something."

Beatrice: "Um… Okay, I suppose. Don't take too long, in fact…"

Subaru quickly made his stop and rejoined Beatrice behind the stage and took her hand. Instead of leading her back to the town center, he started to take her away from the festival and down unfamiliar streets. Beatrice gripped his hand tightly as the scenery became that of sparsely placed trees and the sounds of wildlife filled the area. The road had dwindled to become a trail when Subaru finally came to a halt. Viewing him with curious eyes, Beatrice raised the question that was burning in her mind.

Beatrice: "Where are we, in fact?"

Subaru: "Ricardo showed me this place, it goes to the forest. I figured that we could have some time to relax here. You seemed like you were getting overwhelmed."

Beatrice: "Betty was just fine, in fact! Y-you need not concern yourself over trivial matters, I suppose."

Subaru: "Beako…"

Beatrice: "Er… maybe I am a bit tired, I suppose… You must take glee in making me say such embarrassing things, in fact."

Relenting to his suggestion, Beatrice followed Subaru and glanced around the area. Finding a small clearing, the couple sat down close enough that their elbows were brushing against one another. Due to her restrictive clothing, Beatrice sat atop her feet with her knees bent and Subaru did the same in solidarity. He couldn't help but think she looked much like an ornate doll in her current attire. As Beatrice exhaled heavily in an attempt to relax, Subaru produced a small cloth from his pocket and unwrapped it to reveal two fish shaped cakes. Seeing the spirit sneaking glances, Subaru passed one to Beatrice before quietly speaking.

Subaru: "Beako, here."

Beatrice: "So this is what you were getting, in fact?"

Subaru: "Bingo. Since you gave away all the prizes, I thought you might want at least one. This reminds me of a treat from back home."

Beatrice took the snack and gave it a once over before eating the entire morsel in one bite. Her cheeks became inflated as a sugary filling spread from inside the cake, surprising her. The sugary flavor permeated the hungry spirit's palate, leaving her with a dopey grin as her boyfriend marveled at the girl's uncanny ability to devour sweets. Once they had finished their meal, the couple sat peacefully and gazed at the stars overhead. It was Beatrice, who finally cut through the silence with a seemingly unprompted declaration.

Beatrice: "You are wrong, I suppose."

Turning his head to meet her eyes with a confused look, Subaru replied.

Subaru: "About what?"

Beatrice: "I did not give away all the prizes, in fact. Only the ones that I did not need, I suppose."

Beatrice gently shook the hand that was linked with his as she said her last statement. The jostling caused the bracelet that Subaru had placed on her to slide down her arm and brush against his. Subaru felt the blood rush to his face as Beatrice gave him a coy smile before continuing.

Beatrice: "I simply saved the best for myself, in fact. However… there was another prize that you promised… before the play, I suppose."

As if she was copying Subaru, Beatrice's cheeks turned a light pink under the illumination of the stars. She stared into Subaru's eyes with an expectant look as heart fluttered against her chest. The look in his eyes told her that he hadn't expected her to be so forward, but the elation filling her heart was close to overflowing and there was no other person she wanted to share it with than the boy she loved. Meeting her expectations, Subaru placed his hand on the small of her back as he tilted his head and leaned towards her. Unable to wait any longer, Beatrice pushed her face forward to meet his lips as she closed her eyes. Her frame went limp and she let herself be enveloped in Subaru's embrace. Holding her in his arms, the boy maintained the position until his neck started to ache. Unwillingly withdrawing his face from hers, Subaru whispered into the dazed spirit's ear.

Subaru: "You must have really been waiting for that. I hope you had a great time at your first festival. I love you, Beako."

Beatrice: "You should not make a lady wait… but perhaps it was worth the wait, I suppose? Make no mistake, today was perfect, in fact. I love you too, darling."

As she spoke the words, Beatrice's eyes flickered as she scanned Subaru's face so that she might remember this moment for the rest of time. Subaru responded with an enamored gaze and soon the two were sharing tepid smiles as they remained in each other's arms. Lingering close enough to feel one another's breath, their eardrums were suddenly agitated by a thunderous boom. They turned toward the village in awe as the sky grew bright with magnificent hues and grand shapes of light. Surmising that the fireworks had started, Subaru pulled Beatrice close as they viewed their second fireworks display since entering the new world. Each explosion indiscriminately cast rays of light across the faces of both castle denizens and villagers as proof of the celebration's culmination. Realizing the fruits of their labors, the populace shared a moment of joined bliss under the dazzling firmament.

Unbeknownst to the party goers, the shoreline near the castle began to crackle as a discharge of violet lightning danced across the night sky. Sounds of a violent detonation from beyond the ocean reverberated through the air but failed to create distinction amongst the local jubilation. As the energy dissipated, all evidence was lost to the darkness of the skyline while the festival continued in ignorance. If only for a night, the village would be protected from the ominous events awaiting on the horizon.

Chapter 21 End