𝒯 𝒽 𝑒 𝒲 𝒶 𝓎 𝒲 𝑒 𝒲 𝒾 𝓁 𝓁 𝐵 𝑒

Chapter 13: An Intersection of Rivalries

Palermo furrowed her brow as she said, "You do not have to answer that. Your face says it all, Aria." She closed her eyes, and her face became filled with a mixture of concern and disappointment. "Just because you're expected to make people smile doesn't mean you should make yourself gullible and vulnerable to the selfish and voracious expectations of others. Do you understand, Aria?"

"Yes, Master..."

The redhead looked away with a soft exhale, and as she did, she started to mull over her interaction with Mandy before Foster intervened. Sometimes she wondered what would've happened if she acquiesced and given Mandy the full scoop she wanted. A part of her believed telling the whole story would've been therapeutic for her...

...But then again, doing so would've also been too painful for her, and perhaps Mandy would've gotten more than just an in-depth story full of scandalous revelations...

"Run, Aria! RUN!"

"Aria!"

Aria blinked twice and looked towards the living room doorway, where she saw Palermo, Paris, and a secretary standing there.

"Please come," her mentor said, her brow still furrowed. "The Showcase is about to begin."

"C-Coming!" Aria exclaimed, surprised by the sudden turn in events.

The Kalos Queen stood up, quickly brushed her skirt, and followed the three older women out of the room and into the hallway. As the quartet started walking, Aria noticed Foster and Amara being among the many employees and volunteers cleaning and straightening out all of the Maison's decorations in the hallway. Her eyes met Foster's for a brief second, upon which Aria swiftly averted her gaze. Despite that, she could still feel her childhood friend's concerned gaze boring into her as she passed him.

The three advanced out of the private section of the house and into a mezzanine that overlooked the lobby, which was completely packed with people: Pokémon Performers, their proud families and friends, Showcase fans, intrigued tourists, rabid reporters, possible deviants, the complete package, all waiting to get their tickets processed in multiple lines. But before anyone could spot them, Aria noticed Palermo and Paris moving away from that crowd, towards another door that seemed to be guarded off, and she quickly followed after them.

Before the balcony could obstruct her sight of the crowds below, the redhead saw Serena among the crowd of eager and excited Performers. As usual, she had that bright and cheerful gleam in her sapphire-blue eyes, more potently than the others. Aria sighed ambiguously as the guards opened the door for her and the others.

Right after Aria left with Palermo and Paris, Serena looked up towards the mezzanine, having sensed the Kalos Queen's stare. However, before she could think about the sensation she just felt, she felt someone tugging at her skirt. Looking down, she found herself staring at Selene's bubbly face.

"Yes, Selene?" she asked.

"Nothing," the little girl replied. "It's just, well..." Her smile widened as she focused on the others in their group, who were all in different lines. "You have movies of yourself performing when you were younger, and I'd always watch those."

Serena blinked in surprise. "I have movies, huh...?"

"Yep! But I never thought I'd get to see the young you performing up-close, Mommy!"

Nearby, Yancy turned towards them and added, "Oh yeah, that's true!" Her cheeks became slightly florid as she stared at the younger version of her mother. "And I'm gonna be performing right beside you, Mom... Even if this isn't an official competition, it still feels so weird..." The pink-haired girl looked down at the floor bashfully. "I...I honestly don't know how I'm gonna compare to you..."