Alairi was dancing under a star-filled, moon-less sky. The ground beneath her feet, however was the standard wooden planks that every school auditorium ever seemed to always use for the stage. Alairi danced. Closing her eyes, she gave herself over to the music and the movement. Only… the music kept changing. What had started as a simple, pretty instrumental piece was becoming harsher by the moment. And still she danced. Even as the music slowly devolved into something that wasn’t music at all, but the sounds of pain-filled screaming, crying, begging for mercy, Alairi danced.
One two three, one two three, twirl, leap, pause…
Angry, vibrant streaks of red slashed across the night sky. The screaming and sobbing grew louder. And still Alairi danced. Now her eyes were open and she wanted to stop, to see who was screaming. Only, she couldn’t. And that was when she noticed the thin, fine, fiery orange string filaments attached to her body. Then, she heard the laughter. Nealite’s laughter, only… strange. There was an odd echo to it. Just as if it were two voices issuing from one throat.
“You wanted to dance, little puppet, little tool. So dance away!”
The voice was all around her. Even as she became aware that her puppet strings were made of living, moving hair, Nealite’s hair, Alairi danced. She was so tired. But she couldn’t stop. Suddenly, cold, strong hands were on her, moving with her as she danced. From the corner of her eye, she saw Nealite dancing with her, only Nealite’s face was different, harder and crueler somehow. And her fiery head was surmounted by a crown made of strange black metal and dark green stones.
As they danced, the landscape changed. Now Alairi was on the dark streets of Destiny City. And before her stood Charonite, his whip wrapped around the throat of a girl. The throat of her sister. And her sister was dying. A scream tore loose from Alairi’s own throat as she struggled to reach her sister. But her strings and Nealite’s hands kept her away, kept her dancing.
“Dance, little puppet, dance! This is what you wanted, why you joined us!”
Alairi danced, unable to resist Nealite’s command. Watched as her sister was throttled, saw Charonite yank up on the whip, heard the crack as her sister’s fragile neck was broken. And Alairi danced as the soft sounds of music came swelling back. Danced as her sister’s body crumbled to dust before her. It was only when the sky above went pitch black and the music stopped and the strings holding her allowed her to rest, silent tears steaming down her face…
*****************
Alairi shot up out of bed, panting and gasping as she clutched at her chest, felt her heart racing. She waited until she was certain that she was awake before sliding out of bed and quietly leaving her room. The hall clock told her that it wasn’t even dawn yet. She went into her sister’s room, breathed a faint sigh of relief to hear Ume’s soft breathing. Leaned down to brush a feather light kiss across her sister’s forehead before padding back to her own room. Once there, she dug out an old stuffed bear that Ume had given her years ago. It was old, ratty and considerably worse for wear. But it comforted her. Taking the bear, she crawled back into bed, hugging it close. And then, she gave in to the tears and curled into a ball, holding the bear as if it were a lifeline.
