"-Castafiore that's not right!
-But Selene what are you talking about!"
If the ballerina had the ability to walk, she would have made at least a hundred rounds, so preoccupied was she.
"-Don't tell me you're forcing yourself not to like him, just because you and he are different...?"
Selene bit her lip.
" -Maybe " She said with a falsely haughty air.
The singer sighed and sat down beside her.
"-Stop making excuses.
-I'm not making excuses!
-Then why are you trying to convince yourself?"
Selene looked at her in the corner, uncomfortable. She whispered:
"-I'm afraid..."
Castafiore leaned towards her, deciding to play the tease:
" -Pardon darling, what did you say? I think I did not hear well... "
Her interlocutor was satisfied to throw her a bored look. Defeated, she repeated, louder and clearly this time:
" -I am terrified. "
The girl slumped on her seat, taking care not to move her injured ankle. She took out her music box with a melancholic and nonchalant air and opened it. The air soothed her and made her think more clearly.
"-How long has this been lingering in your thoughts?
-I would say when I first saw it. To tell the truth, at first I didn't pay much attention to it. Lance must have been like every other dance partner I've ever danced with. I usually always turn them down, I don't know I never felt any interest in it. You see there wasn't this...
- "Little something"?
-Yeah, you could say that..."
She didn't take her eyes off her precious treasure.
"But there was this thing with Lance, as if his aura had attracted me unconsciously. I don't know why it happened and why I'm reacting so...Stupid.
-It's because you've never had to deal with this kind of situation before. You yourself said that you reject anyone who wants to try anything with you. You even rejected that one boy who was just interested in you and nothing more.
-I didn't think the situation would get away from me that much.
-You can't always be in control of everything. The proof is here.
-I'm probably imagining things..."
Castafiore couldn't help but chuckle.
"Selene, Selene... You still managed to get a heart fragment from him. You got hurt and almost gave in to the negativity of worrying about your future together. On your date you were completely disconnected from reality, you were always on your little cloud. And I'm sure there's a lot I don't know."
Selene rubbed her face, distraught.
"-Ah! I don't know...I'm lost Castafiore."
Her friend looked her straight in the eyes, a serious air that troubled the young dreamer.
" -I'm going to ask you a very simple question, answer me with your heart " She took her hand.
"-Selene, what are your feelings towards Lance?
-I..."
She stopped. She took a deep breath and put her free hand over her heart.
"-I feel this irresistible urge to stay by his side. His presence does me so much good, I feel like I'm escaping reality and forgetting the world around me when I'm with him. He is...magnetizing and adorable. I've never known anyone to behave like this with me, never known anyone to be so caring...I know this is his and Balan's role but I can't help but think...This is different from the other Wonderworld Visitors."
Tears were beginning to flow down her cheeks.
"-Little Swan, why are you crying?"
She sobbed
"Because I'm horrible to do this to him!
-But not at all, darling..."
She buried her head in her hands, inconsolable.
"Do you really believe in a passionate relationship between us two? I'm going to leave the Wonderworld and leave him there, alone. He'll fall back into illness and then me! I would have forgotten him forever, because that's what Balan told me! I would have broken him while he was getting better and I would live my quiet little life without suspecting anything, while he will suffer!"
Castafiore took a pained look as she took her protege in her arms. She was not completely wrong.
" -You really love him then. " She said to her in a maternal tone while delicately caressing her hair.
Selene just nodded, still sobbing.
"-Selene, Lance's condition shouldn't get to you that much. The real culprit is only him, who got too close and addicted to humans. But after all, is that such a bad thing? His illness will not prevent him from living and he will not be alone. Balan will be there to support him, I'm sure."
Her words were awkward. She knew very well that negativity would eat away at Maestro Lance's mind and that he would be greatly affected. She loosened her embrace and wiped away the tears that remained stuck on the ballerina's cheeks.
"But I beg you, don't start avoiding him just to supposedly protect him.
-You think I should tell him?
-That's for you to decide."
She nodded. Now that she had told Castafiore, Selene felt much better and lighter. A weight was lifted from her chest.
It was now useless to try to convince herself of illusions.
*
**
The time that passed seemed long. Selene was still recovering from her injury and it looked encouraging! Balan, who had been briefed by Cotton, assured her that she would soon be able to dance again. This delighted the young woman.
Lance took the time to visit her. He came most often at night, because that was when all the costumes were asleep and he could have Selene all to himself.
They would spend the night talking about anything and everything. Lance would introduce her to residents who had come to the Wonderworld, from all walks of life. Selene would take the opportunity to tell him a little more about her world and its history through time. It was a pleasant time to spend.
One night was different.
Both of them were sitting next to each other under the blankets. The Maestro had only brought two diaries and they didn't look very old.
"-These Residents here are a bit special.
-How so?
-Let's just say that if you hadn't told me about them, I wouldn't have introduced you to them."
Lance handed her the two thick books and apprehended her reaction.
The girl touched the cover of the first book and opened it silently. Her eyes widened when she saw the name of the Visitor. She hurriedly opened the second book and put a hand over her mouth, shocked at what she read.
"-No...That's impossible."
The Maestro couldn't help but let out a sigh of satisfaction.
"-You told me you knew almost nothing about them, so I figured this was my chance to help you out a little.
-I had no idea that my parents had gone to the Wonderworld...
-It's true that now that I think about it, you look a lot like your mother."
She continued to leaf through, moved.
"-Can you tell me about their trip...? I would like you to tell me, I don't want to read it."
He agreed.
"-Your parents arrived in the Wonderworld when Balan had just started as Maestro. I was just watching them, while he was taking care of them. Actually I think your parents didn't like each other at all, when they met.
-So they met in the Wonderworld?
-That's right. If I remember correctly, after an unfortunate event, your father was very insecure, which led him to isolate himself and to do nothing but stay within four walls. As for your mother, well to tell you the truth she had a problem quite similar to yours. She was too much of a perfectionist and hard on herself. She only cared about her studies and nothing else. She ended up not having any social relationships, which she missed terribly.
-And why didn't they like each other at first?
-Your mother thought he was lazy and often looked down on him. Your father made fun of her and her principles. In the end, their trip to the Wonderworld brought them back together in a way."
He looked tenderly at Selene.
"And more than that, I'd say.
-You left them with their memories, so...
-Indeed."
She too would have liked to keep her memories. But Balan was strict with that.
"-Sometimes the Wonderworld is great, Selene.
-It's true..."
She thought back to her parents' relationship, then thought back to her big talk she'd had with Castafiore. The Wonderworld was not that great to her.
She hadn't realized that she had laid her head on the Maestro's shoulder.
"-It's getting late, you should get some sleep.
-Probably yes..."
As her eyelids fell heavily, with a last sigh she breathed:
"-Thank you..."
*
**
Selene whirled and twirled on the stage. Her ankle was finally healed and her friends were as delighted as she was. The pretty purple ribbon that wrapped around her ankle was no longer there. For some obvious reason, she had reluctantly removed it. She wanted to keep it, simply because it came from Lance's hands.
Milky Way gently took it from her hands and wrapped it around her wrist.
"That way you can keep it on you all the time!
-It's perfect, thanks..."
She returned quickly to her dressing room.
The Ballerina had been thinking a lot lately. She knew she would be leaving the Wonderworld very soon. She didn't want to leave with regrets so she had made a decision.
She quickly combed her hair, put on a touch of lipstick and took her music box with her, then left her dressing room.
She shouted briefly to her costumes that she had to go to the Balan theater. Castafiore watched her with a wise and reassured eye.
When she arrived in the great hall, Balan was already there as if he knew she was coming.
"-Selene, my favorite little ballerina, to what do I owe this visit!?"
Stress was starting to build, she was searching for her words.
"-Lance, um, I'm looking for Lance..."
Balan gave her a look full of innuendo accompanied by his big grin.
"-He works in his office.
-Oh...I'll come by later then, it can wait."
The Maestro noticed that Selene was fiddling with an object in her hands and that gave him a hint. He hastened to push the girl who was sliding on the shiny floor towards the office door.
"-Don't worry, Lance will be DELIGHTED to see you, you don't bother him."
He planted her in front of the door and knocked three too cheerful knocks. A muffled, bored "Come in" was heard.
"-Balan, are you sure..."
He opened the door and pushed her inside. Selene found herself standing in front of the door, observing the imposing room before her. The Maestros weren't kidding.
Lance was surprised to see Selene come in.
"-Princess, what a surprise to see you here, is everything okay?"
Completely panicked and peony red, Selene frantically nodded her head and approached the where Lance was sitting.
"-I'm glad to see your ankle is healed, you know.
-Ha ha, more fear than harm after all...Sorry again for that little phase of sudden negativity....
-The main thing is that you didn't succumb to it, who knows what would have happened..."
He noticed the ribbon on her wrist.
" -Did you keep it...?"
Selene looked away, still shy:
"-I loved it very much, so yes... Would you like to have it back?
-Oh no, keep it, I didn't think you would get attached to it...
-It reminds me of what you did for me back then.
-It wasn't much you know...
-But it means a lot to me..."
Lance looked at her for a moment, feeling her cheeks blush as well.
"-Well, it was just to say thank you..."
She turned and rushed to the front door and stopped.
"Pull yourself together, damn it!" she whispered.
She didn't want to have any regrets. She retraced her steps, planted herself in front of Lance and held out her arms, head down, afraid to face his gaze.
"-It's for you...!"
She had almost shouted it, panicked, but she had done it. Lance took a very surprised look. Selene was handing him her dear and tender music box. He alternated between the box and Selene. She didn't let him retort anything.
"This music box is very precious to me and I would like to give it to you, after all you have done for me.
-But you say that it is very precious to you...
-I insist, I want it to be with you! I know I'm leaving, so I'd like you to remember me..."
Lance did not know what to say as he was so touched by the gesture. He had never received a gift from a Visitor. He gently took the blue and pink pastel box and looked at it from all angles. The girl just looked at him, hoping not to look ridiculous.
The Maestro opened it and his eyes shone. He immediately recognized the tune being played and was seduced by the two dancers dancing body to body. He was hypnotized by this gift and again was very touched.
"Selene I...I really thank you. I will take very good care of it and this jewel will not leave me.
-I'm glad you like it...I know it's nothing compared to what you brought me but-
-It is worth all the gold in the world. I'm very honored."
She bowed to him. At that moment, Lance wanted only one thing: to take her in his arms and cover her with kisses. But he held back and reluctantly let her go.
He left the music box open and thought. As he watched the dancers, he imagined himself dancing with his Princess. A Gura-Gura landed on his head and squealed playfully.
"-Yes my friend, I still can't believe it, but I have fallen madly in love with this ballerina. I realize it too late, alas. "
A tear ran down his cheek. The tear turned into a Drop and Lance gave it to the little Negati who devoured it in one bite.
"-It's never too late Lance."
Balan stood against the doorframe, top hat off. He held in his hand the last fragment of heart, the one that was finally destined for the young dancer.
"-I suspected as much...
-Just for you and your feelings towards your beauty, I'll give her one more time. Make good use of it.
-Why should I confess? It is useless, she will forget me a few moments later.
-Would you rather have that regret that you never got to tell her?"
Balan was right. From the beginning he was right. It was as if he had predicted what would happen.
"She may forget, but a heart never forgets. You taught me that yourself a few centuries ago...
-It's true..."
The Maestro gave her the heart fragment.
"-Give it to her as soon as you can. Good luck my friend."
And he disappeared.
Lance had no more time to lose.