CHRONICLES OF THE FORMER LILY POTTER
Celebwen Telcontar: Well, here’s another chapter. Sorry it took so long. To keep everyone from getting confused, I’m going to name the people in this chapter. Balrog: Is Magda Linae Mary Magdalene? Is she a reformed prostitute? Celebwen Telcontar: No! I just got the name from Mary Magdalene! And Magda is not in any way associated with brothels. In point of fact, I used the name because of a different connection. Balrog: Oh. So, this is sort of like The DaVinci Code in outer space? Celebwen Telcontar: No. Not in the least. I happen to be of the opinion that Mary Magdalene was seriously cheated of her true place in the Bible; however that does not mean that every single thing is related to the DaVinci Code or Holy Blood, Holy Grail or anything like that! And you are acting kind of strange. Have you been doing anything different lately? Balrog: Not unless you count having a couple shots of napalm at lunch. Celebwen Telcontar: Well, that explains it. You’re drunk. Oh, well. It could be worse. Somehow. Please review, people! CT Characters in the story: Breha Organa—Queen of Alderaan Darth Vader—Sith Lord, formerly Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine’s second in command Hecnula La’haw—Mara’s dance instructor Leia Organa—Queen Breha’s daughter (Adopted) Lorenzo Darento—A dancer, Tenalpe’s brother, has a crush on Hecnula Magda Linae—A dancer, Mara’s friend Mara Jade—Lily Potter Palpatine—Galactic Emperor, Sith Lord, Mara’s master Preston Darento—A dancer, Tenalpe’s brother Tenalpe Darento—A dancer, Mara’s friend Winter Organa—Queen Breha’s daughter Yuri Larentente—A dancer, has a crush on Lorenzo La Sylphide actors: Hecnula La’haw—Madge, the old witch Lorenzo Darento—James Reuben (Lead male role) Magda Linae—Effie’s mother Mara Jade—La Sylphide (Lead female role) Preston Darento—Gurn Rueben (James Reuben’s brother) Tenalpe Darento—La Sylphide (When in flight) Yuri Larentente—Effie, James’ fiancée Mara awoke with a jolt. She was in her rooms in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant, and if she wasn’t quick, her dance teachers would have her head. She got up, quickly made her bed, and then went to the refresher to take a quick shower. Afterwards, she got into her perfectly pressed uniform, and the twelve-going-on-34 year old girl reflected on her life. For the past nine years, she had been living in this beautiful palace, officially training to be a palace dancer. However, undercover, she was being trained in Wandless Magic and as the Emperor’s personal assassin, and for the three years before then, she was living with the Emperor himself. Well, she thought, it’s a life. It’s far better than being What’s-Its-Face’s personal whore. She delicately picked up her hem as she mounted the stairs, poking pins into her hastily-yet-intricately arranged hair as she did so. Hopefully it wouldn’t fall out again… Yuri had teased her for the entire day last time. “Morning, Mara,” Hecnula La’haw, her teacher, said. “Well, show me the En l’air Pirouette,” La’haw said. She was a Twi’lek, with deep cerulean skin and bright ebony eyes. With a leap, Mara spun in place, doing a version of a Quad from Earth ice skating. She landed on her wrapped toes, bending her knees ever so slightly to catch the pressure from the landing, and had to catch her balance as the blisters on her toes burst by coming down off of her toes. “Very good, Mara. But next time, try not to stumble.” Mara held back a wince as the warm fluid from her wounds soaked into the wrapping beneath the toes of her Pointe shoes. “And Mara, next time, wrap your toes better. You’re staining your slippers.” Mara looked down to find the beautiful white and gold Pointe shoes were turning a rather ugly shade of red at the tips, and she was leaving blood spots in the carpet. “Go. Wash your feet and re-bandage them. You can’t coddle your feet, Mara. It will only make the inevitable blisters worse and the calluses will take longer to form. There’s another pair of slippers in your size in the cabinet.” Mara bowed slightly to the instructor and ran off to her chambers, putting all the weight on her heels so as not to aggravate her toes. When she got to her refresher, she stripped off her shoes and carefully unwound the bandaging, wincing as bits of skin came off with the cloth tape. After rinsing her feet of the blood and fluids from the broken blisters, she took a long strip of linen tape and began to wind it about her toes, a gauze-like pad under it against her aching toes. As she did this, it reminded her of ancient Chinese women who bound their feet. She winced as she wound the linen over and under her wounded toes, and then added another layer of gauze to her feet. She walked back to the gymnasium-like class room and pulled on another pair of slippers, the shoes themselves a pale cream color, the ribbons, elastic band, and accents of a brilliant gold. This was the dress rehersal for a ballet-like production much like La Sylphide. Mara had written down what she remembered of the story, and she remembered quite a bit, as her mother had insisted both she and Petunia be in ballet. Mara, then Lily, had been selected to play the sylph herself while Petunia had been cast as Madge, the old which. She was to be in the title role as the sylph; instead of James Reuben being a Scottish farmer, he was to be a young Naboo noble. Instead of old Madge being a witch as the antagonist, she was to be a Jedi; the sylph was a flighty young woman. Mara had suggested the addition of wings to be more like La Sylphide, and the ballet master had agreed. Mara finished fastening the gold ribbons about her ankles and stood, then rolled her shoulders to get the effect of the gauzy wings gently flapping. Her instructor looked pointedly at her, and she flitted across the stage to see Lorenzo, the actor playing the James, sleeping in the chair. She moved about him in a playful whirl, seeming to toy not only with him but with the wind itself. She quickly kissed him on the cheek and ran off as he awoke, questioning his brother. As she flitted to the back, she saw Tenalpe, a young Naboo girl who looked somewhat like her, being hooked into the flight harness. “You’ll do fine,” Mara said softly. She spoke in a normal speaking voice, as whispers carried much farther than standard speech. “How many people are out there?” Tenalpe asked, shaking. “Not too many. Don’t worry, ‘Alpe. All will be fine.” Mara refrained from mentioning the fact that the Emperor himself was attending this production, as were several grand moffs, Breha Organa (the Alderaanian Queen) and her daughters, and Lord Vader. Magda, the woman playing the version of Effie’s mother, smiled gently. Her eyes seemed to fix on the curtain and stay there. “Magda, you alright?” “I’ll be fine, Mara. Just be yourself; you can’t go wrong. You dance as if you were born to it. I just know some people in the audience, that’s all.” The older woman’s long brown hair had been combed through with dye to make her seem older, and her face was painted with age lines. Magda was an exceptional actor, far better than anyone Mara had ever met. The older woman seemed to have several secrets, and yet lived her life as though it was already done. Once, Mara had seen Magda stroking a pale cream baby blanket, her eyes a million light-years away. The next moment, Magda was joined by the Yuri and the bridesmaids, and danced out onto the stage. Among them was Hecnula La’haw, Mara’s dance teacher, dressed in the brown and cream of a Jedi with the hood up. Mara had no idea that Hecnula was going to be playing Madge! Mara saw Lorenzo throw Hecnula out of the house, and the women in the wedding party leave stage left. Mara danced onstage, her white dress and gauzy gold wings fluttering about her, and took Lorenzo’s hand in hers, lifting herself onto Pointe and extending her left foot behind her. Lorenzo dropped her hand as though it burned him, and Mara collapsed in a heap at his feet. Lorenzo lifted her up and kissed her, while Preston, who was playing Gurn, flitted off to join the women’s party. As the women flitted over the stage, Mara danced off stage, and watched as the revelry was beginning. Then, she made her way stage left and watched as from across the stage, Tenalpe was hoisted into the air and soared through the scene, flitting like a butterfly. Mara stood on her heels, resting her aching toes, smiled encouragingly at Tenalpe, and as the other girl landed, Mara danced out onto the stage. She saw Lorenzo gaze at a ring in his hand, and she snatched it, placing it on her finger and admiring it before going into the forest. Once there, she floated among the trees, teasing Lorenzo, who was dancing after her. Mara dashed backstage, as did Lorenzo, and both of them saw Yuri, who was playing Effie, collapse into Preston’s arms. The curtain closed, and the house lights came on. Mara fell into a chair brought by one of the understudies, and removed her shoes. Her bandages were starting to turn a pale pink, which was not a good sign. She did not need bleeding feet; the audience wanted to see a weightless butterfly-like sylph, not a girl in a dress and wings with bleeding feet. Stripping off the tape, Mara applied a topical painkiller and replaced the gauze and tape with new bandaging. The glue that was in the box of the shoe was holding together, and keeping the general shape of the slipper. Mara examined the toes of her slippers critically, finding that the wood floor had roughened the flat portion of the toe, and dirt and grit were getting into it. She quickly stripped the silk cover, and replaced it with a brand new cover, then put her shoes back on. “Good job out there, Mara,” Magda said. She had taken a seat, as if she had worked like this all her life, and was drinking from a water bottle. “How are your feet holding up?” “They’ll last the performance.” “Good. You’re a good girl and an excellent performer. We’re blessed to have you.” “And you, Magda.” “I’ve been playing rolls and performing since I was five. I know the ins and outs of acting.” “Practice makes perfect.” “That it does, my dear, that it does.” “What was your hardest role?” “A shy girl. I was a teenager at the time, and, unlike most performances, mine was scrutinized completely. It was fun, but also very stressful.” Mara finished tying her slippers and stood up. “Impress them, Mara.” “I will, Magda. Thanks.” “You are very welcome.” The older woman smiled at Mara, who smiled back, then danced onstage as the lights went off and the curtain rose. This was one of the most difficult parts in the ballet, as she had to make sure that she and Tenalpe were seemingly a single entity. Both of them were so often fluttering to and from the stage that it seemed that she was never still. Then, she felt Lorenzo wind the scarf about her arms and wings, and she shed the golden gauzy appendages. She collapsed in his arms, reaching up to touch him before she fell, lifeless. She felt the other sylphs gather her up in their arms and was borne up before she heard the crescendo of the orchestra. Stealing a glance down, she saw Lorenzo fall to the stage, and Hecnula standing over him, her arms wide in triumph. When the audience applauded Yuri and the other women, Mara and Lorenzo walked out and bowed, then stood aside as Tenalpe was lowered between them and bowed. Mara felt wrung out, completely out of energy. At one point, she thought she saw a black Grand Moff drop his jaw in shock, but the lights were in her eyes and dazzling her. Then, it was only herself and Tenalpe on the stage, bowing, and the audience was applauding wildly. Celebwen Telcontar: Sorry this took so long; real life got in the way, and I have never danced a day in my life without bringing down half the studio with me, so I had to do a lot of research on ballet and La Sylphide in particular. If anyone wants to see Mara or any of the other actors in another play/ballet/musical, please let me know and I’ll try to incorporate it! Balrog: Why go through all this trouble to write up a short version of a classic ballet, only to have it played by Lily Potter? How is James Potter like Luke Skywalker?! As far as I’m concerned, this is just a waste of time. Just like everything else you write. Celebwen Telcontar: Would you like me to make Balrogs indigenous to Mustafar or some other fiery planet? Maybe then you’ll like it, as you would get a cameo! Though not until you sober up from your napalm drinking binge! Balrog: What? Interesting. I’m still going over that application for Jim Hensen’s company. Can I be a Jedi? Celebwen Telcontar: Did you even hear me? But a Balrog Jedi? That’s got to be the strangest thing I will ever see. Sure, you can be a Jedi. Just try to be sober first, please. Balrog: Do or do not, there is no try. (Tries to levitate curtains and only succeeds in setting them on fire) Celebwen Telcontar: Uhm… See you reviewers later. If the story survives… Balrog! Please do not make the theater combust! Balrog: Too late! Sorry! Not my fault, though! Celebwen Telcontar: BALROG!!!!!
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