When Selene returned to her stage, she felt light...very light. She did a few pirouettes, showing that she was elsewhere.
She was pulled out of her reverie by exclamatory shouts from the center of her stage.
As she reached the source of the shouts in silence, she noticed that all the Cast-Members seemed to be gathered around something...
"-No...Of someone."
She approached and Nutcracker, who was the first to notice her, pulled her towards the group.
" -Ah here you are! We were wondering what you were doing!
-I was with Balan and Lance..."
The wooden puppet assumed a solemn posture and cleared his throat.
"-Soldier Nutcracker, 1st of the Name reporting!"
The ballerina could not help but laugh.
"-I'm listening, my friend.
-The ghostly figure that prowled these parts is no more!"
Selene arched an eyebrow. Nutcracker took a step to the side, and so they looked at each other, without a word.
A new Costume was born.
The first thing that struck the girl, was the almost exact resemblance it had with her music box...The one she had given to Lance.
" -Well, it took you long enough, my darling!" Retorted the music box, falsely annoyed.
She gesticulated her left arm...Well her conductor's baton, in all directions and then with her other hand, mimed a fan.
" -I thought I would never appear, ah! Women I swear."
Selene was mute in the face of this new companion.
" -Don't you even wonder who I am?
-Uh well... Who are you?
-Open wide your little eyes!"
She blew her a kiss with her hand.
"-Orchestrina is my name, lovely little music box that I am, I am the very embodiment of your desperate love that you have been dreaming of having for years."
She winked.
"-So my presence here means everything."
Selene's mind snapped. Was this simple gift the famous "trigger" that had been mentioned earlier?
Orchestrina chuckled.
"-And if you don't want the maestro, I'll gladly take him. What an attractive man, a true Prince Charming." She flickered her eyes.
"-And it's a pity, we won't even have time to get to know each other better, your departure is more than counted now."
Selene's throat tightened. She didn't really need this reminder.
" -It will be fine Orchestrina, thank you." Castafiore interrupted her.
The little music box sighed, took a bow and slipped away.
" -Well, what a charming little musical box! Not bad Selene, not bad!"
The young woman turned around and saw Balan, all smiles, hand behind his back.
"-I heard the latest news and I'm glad, oh yes I'm all happy about it!"
She blushed, embarrassed.
" -What do you want Balan, something serious happened? "
He laughed out loud and readjusted his top hat.
"-On the contrary my dear, I am simply a messenger come to convey the torments of an enamored man."
He handed her a sealed letter. Selene took it delicately without taking her eyes off Balan.
"-If I were you, I would open it in a quiet place."
She nodded and wasted no time. She locked herself in her dressing room and did not bother to sit down. She took off her shoes and fell to the floor, then hurried to open the precious letter. She couldn't help but smell it. That sweet, seductive scent... No doubt the author of the letter was Lance.
She smiled at this thought and finally decided to read the contents:
"To my dear and tender Princess,
I have heard of your recent progress and it fills me with happiness just to think of it. I am so happy to see you now so blooming when not so long ago you were distraught.
We both know that your departure is near. So, would you agree to one last dance with me? Why not dance Swan Lake together? I'm sure you'd love it.
There are so many things I would like to share with you Selene...
A Negati will come to pick you up and bring you to me.
I look forward to you."
She clutched the letter to her heart. She wanted only one thing: to dance again with her Maestro. And for the occasion she was going to make herself beautiful again, just for him.
Selene put on a lavender dress. This one was flared and very light to wear, perfect for dancing. Backstage, where all the costumes and other accessories were stored, she took a pair of white pumps decorated with flowers and butterflies.
She untied her hair completely. She hadn't forgotten what the Maestro had told her about it. She touched up her makeup, which she wanted to be as natural as ever.
Little Swan was ready.
She brushed her ribbon, pensive. She had no idea how this evening was going to go. To tell the truth, she was getting a little anxious. But she was also looking forward to joining Lance. It was probably the last time they would see each other.
She bit her lip just thinking about it. But she immediately put it into perspective. She would get through this. It was Lance who worried her the most.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a small, almost inaudible cry.
The little Negati was there.
*
**
In the heart of a labyrinth filled with flowers shining with a thousand fires under a starry sky of a pure blue, Lance waited under a flowered kiosk which was in the center of this green puzzle. He had specially chosen this place because it was intimate and dreamy.
The Wonderworld was full of such places, which the Visitors had never found before.
The tunes of the little music box that his sweetheart had given him relaxed him in the face of the anguish that lurked in front of him. He had sworn to confess his love, or he would never forgive himself. Still it was necessary to find the good moment.
All he wished was to spend his last moments of peace and happiness with her. A soft breeze rose and swept the long silver hair of this melancholic Maestro. The wind was fresh, which was pleasant.
However, a question nagged at him. Would she take it well? Balan had told him that yes, but this cursed small voice tried to certify him the opposite. Finally, he had nothing more to lose.
He tortured his mind for a long time, so much so that he didn't even notice the presence of Selene, who had sat next to him as discreetly as possible.
Seeing that he was lost, Selene gently took his hand and looked him straight in the eyes, a benevolent smile on her face.
Lance was startled and came back to reality. He met the Ballerina's eyes and was instantly relieved to see her.
" -You are even more beautiful tonight Selene, so much so that the Moon would envy you with passion."
She couldn't help but laugh, embarrassed but delighted by the compliment. To tell the truth, they were both embarrassed.
"-I didn't know there was a labyrinth in the Wonderworld.
-It has everything you want. Ask for it and you shall have it. After all, the Wonderworld obeys the Maestros' finger and eye.
-Well you and Balan have a lot of good taste and creativity. I like the intimacy of this place, it looks like you...
-No doubt because I created it."
At these words he stood up, put away his precious treasure and stood behind Selene. He snapped his fingers and made a red Rose appear, which he hung in her hair. He took her hand and helped her to get up in turn.
"A flower for the most wonderful ballerina.
-You are inspired tonight Lance ...
-Is it wrong?
-Absolutely not, but I'm not as good at compliments as you are.
-Your devoted attention to me, is worth more than anything else."
She tilted her head to the side, flushed and smiling.
Both of them were standing in the middle of the booth, facing each other. Lance held out his hand to her, exactly as he had the first time he met her.
"-Do you agree to dance your Ballet with me?"
She took his hand.
"-A million times, yes. I've been waiting for this opportunity for so long."
A melody played and they danced their hearts out. Their duet was perfect. The aura and connection they exuded was unlike any other great ballet duet. They were not afraid to touch each other, which before was complicated. Detaching from each other was torture. No words, their looks, when they crossed each other, screamed feelings and words that only they could understand.
Then came the game with Odile. Selene was no longer afraid and the difference was that Lance was her partner. So like Odile and the Prince, Selene with graceful, precise and meticulous movements, charmed her Prince Charming with a glance. Sometimes she caressed his cheek with her fingertips or pretended to kiss him. Lance devoured her with his eyes and nothing disturbed him, he did the same to her.
Their enamored dance concluded on a carry, their faces to only a few millimeters of each other. They looked each other straight in the eyes, breathless.
During a brief moment Selene hesitated to let herself be tempted by madness and to kiss him, for real this time. But she held back, her reason taking over.
The Maestro laid her gently on the ground and placed a long kiss on both her hands. He slowly caressed her cheek and the young woman let herself be touched.
"-There is something I must show you Selene."
He accompanied her to where they were earlier, on the edge of the kiosk. Both sat face to face with their backs against a pillar.
Without a word Lance brought out the second heart fragment, so coveted by the ballerina.
"I don't want it..."
Lance looked at her, sorry and made the fragment disappear.
"Selene ...
-Lance I do not want to leave, not immediately ...
-Balan has given us a little more time, you're not going to leave right away. "
She picked herself up, ridiculous.
"-It's true, I can't spend the rest of my life in the Wonderworld..."
In response, Lance looked away. His vision was wrong and blind after all. She was right. Selene wasn't part of the Wonderworld after all.
He closed his eyes and inhaled.
"-Do you trust me?
-Of course..."
Selene was surprised by the question.
" -Then close your eyes and concentrate only on my voice."
Curious, she listened without flinching.
Lance began to sing. He had such a sweet and beautiful voice. She listened intently to the Maestro, feeling privileged to hear him sing. She had heard that he never sang in front of anyone, but sometimes you could hear him humming a few tunes.
As he continued, she felt that his voice was getting closer and closer.
It was only when Lance finished that she could feel his hypnotic breath. And that's when she understood. That's when she realized that Lance hadn't just sung a random song, oh no.
It was a declaration.
Selene opened her eyes and saw Lance, his face above hers. He had taken her face in his hands and was looking at her with a look mixed with tenderness and sorrow. She whispered:
"-Go ahead..."
And then the Maestro, gently placed his lips against hers, permanently sealing what they felt for each other.
Lance stepped back, hesitating. He did not know if what he had done was right.
Selene, caught up in a sudden adrenaline rush, did not let him go and returned his kiss.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, considerably reducing the little distance left between them. The Maestro embraced her by the waist.
After a few minutes, they stopped kissing and looked at each other.
"Sorry" they said in heart. And then they started to laugh.
They both felt free of a huge weight. They also felt happy. Happy to know that they had not imagined anything and that they both shared the same feelings.
"I've never experienced this.
-Neither have I, you know. After all, if it had been the other way around, I would have already gotten my second fragment..."
They said nothing for a few seconds.
"-I love you Selene."
She answered him with a hug and dipped one of her hands into his silver hair.
"-Me too, Lance, me too...
-If I had not started, would you have done it?
-No...
-Why?"
She looked straight into his eyes.
"-You, what are you going to become after?
-No matter what happens to me, my feelings will remain intact and forever cherished."
Before she could say anything, Lance pointed to the heart of his beloved.
"-A short time ago, someone reminded me that the heart never forgets Selene. Who knows one day what may happen.
-We are fools...Why wait until the last moment...
-Yes we are fools, Princess. But it's better than locking up those feelings forever and trying to deny them."
He made the heart fragment reappear.
"-Please my dear, I'm asking you, begging you. Take it."
Reluctantly she accepted. Despite the fact that a positive feeling flooded her from all sides, she could only feel sorrow.
"-Congratulations, your Balance is fixed again...
-But at what price..."
Lance placed a kiss on her cheeks, now fresh.
" -You are frozen my beautiful, it would be better that you return. "
She refused categorically.
" -It is out of the question that I leave you one second. "
He smiled weakly.
They spent the rest of the night, lying down and against each other. They finally fell asleep.
Lance woke up in the middle of the night. It was getting colder and colder. Selene was still sleeping soundly.
The Maestro carried her gently to her stage where he laid her down on one of the silk armchairs.
As he carried her, he passed Castafiore and they both looked at each other and nodded.
When Lance returned to his room, he collapsed to the floor. Something more terrified him.
"-The negativity...If it reaches my heart...It's over."
He pulled at his hair, avoiding screaming in pain and waking Balan. He abruptly raised his head as if he had had an epiphany.
"-It's the only solution."
The Maestro undressed so that he was shirtless. He pointed his finger at the middle of his chest. He hesitated for a moment and took his courage in both hands.
Between two groans of pain he finally removed his own heart, which he materialized into two heart fragments identical to those of humans.
He closed the wound, leaving a gaping, pinkish scar.
"This is the only thing I can still spare from the negativity..."
And he collapsed, exhausted.