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The echo of the crowd beyond the curtains roared like a beast growling just out of Nene’s reach. This grand stage was the largest she’d ever been set to perform on, and soon enough, it would finally be her turn to stand on stage. Any second now, Emu and Tsukasa would be finished with their part, leaving Nene to introduce herself as the princess. Soon enough, she would be singing alone in front of hundreds of people.
Nene nervously clung to the nearby curtain, searching for any outlet she could to unleash her pent up stress. With her focus elsewhere, she stared blankly at a nearby prop. Her breaths moved up and down slowly to a rhythm in her own head. Keeping her calm before her performance was all she could focus on. Lines arduously practiced over months felt like distant memories behind the weight of the performance waiting for Nene.
Techniques meant to calm her down failed as Nene felt sweat slowly creep onto her brow. Every slow breath let out with the intention of slowing the beat of her heart became faster as the speed of her breathing grew faster to match. Before she knew it, her breaths came out heavy and her scared soul begged her to do anything to make the fear go away.
Through the intense bout of panic, Nene felt a tap against her shoulder. A shock shot down her spine and she immediately released her tight grip on the curtain as if it were the source of the shock. She quickly swiveled around to see who had interrupted her spiraling thoughts.
Before her stood a towering knight in shining, plastic armor. A purple cape fluttered in the wind behind him dramatically, aided by the nearby wind propeller he had dragged along at his side. The pommel of a large dark greatsword rested between his hands, it’s blade harmlessly scratching on the ground without piercing any of the wood below. Adding to the dark allure of his stage outfit, a large spiked helmet covered his face. He twisted to remove it revealing a fluffy mass of purple hair.
“R-Rui!” Nene shouted. “You scared me.”
Rui chuckled. “I am supposed to be the villainous knight, after all. It only makes sense that I should strike fear into you, my dear princess.”
The playful side of Nene’s brain briefly considered drawing her prop dagger on him to play along with the improvisation, but stress quickly suppressed those instincts. More than anything, she welcomed Rui’s presence. Whether he intended to or not, he offered to her an opportunity to keep her mind away from the cheers waiting for her.
“Well, actually,” Nene said. She timidly glanced away. “I’m just... scared. I’m scared I’ll mess up and ruin everyone’s hard work. My body won’t stop shaking, but...” Her eyes shifted up to meet Rui’s. “I need to do this, but can I really do it?”
The subtle grin on Rui’s face from his performance turned to wide-eyed concern as he heard Nene’s words. He quickly turned off the wind propeller he’d been testing and leaned his prop sword up gently against the wall. With a serious face, he stepped closer to her and bent down to be eye level with her.
“Nene,” Rui said, his voice calm and measured. “I remember when you were still too scared to perform at all, I remember when you needed help from Robonene to help you dance and sing once more, and I remember the pain in your voice when you would talk about the stage you thought you could never stand on again.”
Anxiety of the past raced back to Nene as she reminisced alongside Rui’s recounting. Her hands locked together and she watched as her thumbs battled, her attention diverting anywhere but the embarrassing past she wanted to move past. The heat on her face had become more noticeable than her quakes of fear were.
Rui noticed her waning attention and smiled at her disarmingly. He gently reached over and rested his hands on her shoulders. “But you’re here now. You know how much you love the stage already. Even if you feel fear, let that fear fuel your passion. Your adoring fans are out there waiting for you. You can do it.”
The heat on Nene’s face was now more than she could bear. Hands went to cheeks as she tried to conceal the blush she knew she had on her face, but they could not conceal the grin across plastered across her lips. Flustered and frazzled as she was, she realized she wasn’t shaking in fear anymore.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Nene saw a hint of satisfaction on Rui’s face as he straightened out. Immediately, her smile turned into a scowl, though it was still mixed with her flustered redness. She weaponized her angry glance, shooting a quick mean look at Rui. He looked at her as if he didn’t understand why she was scowling at him. Nene knew he understood why.
The deep sigh that followed felt like a vent to all of the pressure pent up inside. With one more set of deep breath to her favorite calming technique, Nene smiled. “Thank you, Rui.”
The crowd roared and the two of them turned to see Emu and Tsukasa exiting stage left. It was finally time for Nene to take her place on the stage, front and center. Lights faded away, leaving the theater very dark, with one remaining spotlight waiting for her. The princess needed to make her claim to the throne, and all of her loyal subjects in the stands needed to hear it.
Before she left, she sought one last reassurance from Rui. His smile glowed in the darkness of the theater as he looked proudly upon her confidence. He shifted his posture into an ever familiar pose, and he saluted to his princess. “Now, go forth, my princess. Even damaged courage is enough to move forward. I believe in you.”