Chapter Text
Morning light shines through Kanade's curtains. Slightly tinted a soft pink from the fabric. It's the same routine for her everyday. Wake up, eat breakfast, rehearse—sometimes perform, eat lunch, alone time, sleep, repeat. While nothing interesting ever really happens for her, she doesn't like change and would rather keep it this way. It'd take more effort than she'd like to put in to get used to any change, so she'd rather it not be a problem.
"Yoisaki. Breakfast is ready. Get up." Kanade can hear MEIKO already leaving. Despite how stern and distant the other ballerina is, she's become almost a mother figure for Kanade—especially since Kanade hasn't seen her real parents in years.
Kanade eventually drags herself out of bed, and puts on her usual dress, grabs her shoes, and then stops by her shattered mirror to make sure everything looks okay.
To the kitchen. Sit down, eat, drink her tea, chat with Mizuki and Ena, and then start getting to the rehearsal room.
Twirl on the left foot. Leap onto the right and then step back onto the left. Water break. Stretching. More rehearsing.
There's no performance today, so even more rehearsing.
Lunch. Today, it's little heart shaped sandwiches that Mizuki thought would be cute.
Alone time. The only thing that changes if ever. Sometimes Kanade will try doing art with Ena, sometimes she'll assist Mizuki with sewing, sometimes she'll compose.
Dinner, and then right after, go to bed.
It's only lunch time, and Kanade already knowing what she's doing for alone time. She always thinks about it before the time starts, just so that she's prepared. She could really use a new mirror, so she'll try taking the current one out of her room, and then she'll take it to a store to see if they can just replace the glass.
She's kind of lost in thought on what she'll do after if she had time, but—
"Hey, Kanade!! Snap out of it! Lunch's over, MEIKO-san doesn't want us in here while she's cleaning." Ena flicks Kanade's arm lightly, eventually snapping the other girl out of it.
"Uh.. Yeah.. Sorry, I was just thinking again.." Kanade quickly stands up and exits the kitchen with Ena. "Ena, do you think I could try drawing with you if I still have enough time after I run my errand real quick...?"
"Oh? Yeah, sure. I need some ideas, anyway," Ena replies. Neither Ena nor Mizuki ever really object to Kanade doing activities with them. Sometimes, they all do one activity together, so it's just another normal thing.
Normal routine.
Nothing ever changes in this life, and Kanade wants it to stay that way.
Nothing ever—
Kanade suddenly feels herself hit a hard surface that feels like glass that doesn't shatter, and then she feels hard wood on her skin.
... Huh? Had she walked outside without noticing? No, this doesn't look like the dorms at all. It looks like a.. Palace? A room that's shrouded in darkness, much unlike her own room, yet has the exact same, white framed mirror. Even the cracks are the same.
... She must've passed out and is now unconscious. She's probably just dreaming. Though, a palace doesn't seem like something she'd dream about, really.. She could explore—
"... Who are you? How did you get here?"
Kanade jolts slightly at the voice. Ah.. another person? It doesn't seem like anyone she's ever known.. Just its voice alone seems cold. Is she the queen..? Or princess? "U-uhm.. I'm... Yoisaki Kanade... I-I'm sorry for intruding.. Uh.."
"Asahina Mafuyu. I don't care what you call me. How did you get here?" Jeez.. Mafuyu really doesn't care, huh..?
"I.. don't know, Asahina-san... I remember walking to my dorm, and then I was here... I don't know where this is..."
Kanade feels slightly threatened by Mafuyu's cold aura. She also feels disoriented from the fall. That usually doesn't happen in dreams.. Mafuyu seems to notice how disoriented Kanade is.
"Yoisaki. Come with me. My mother made tea, and you seem disoriented. The least we could do for you is make sure you won't pass out when you're going home." Mafuyu grabs Kanade's wrist without letting the ballerina object. Before she can process it, she's being guided downstairs and into a small tea room.
Mafuyu's mother hears the footsteps, and glances up. "There you are, Mafuyu. Now, let's—... who's this girl? Did she try stealing anything?"
Kanade seems to recognize that Mafuyu's mother is definitely some sort of royalty despite her state. "I-I'm sorry, your majesty... I don't remember how I got here, I just remember walking to my dorm before I woke up here.. My name is.. Yoisaki.. Kanade.." Kanade's still convinced she's dreaming. Hell, she'll probably wake up to one of the other ballerinas' voices when she needs to.
"Oh? Are you sure you don't remember how you got here? You seem out of it, maybe that's affected your memory. Sit down. Have some tea. And then you're telling us where you came from as soon as your done."
"... Mother. I don't believe she has any way of knowing. I found her on the ground in front of my mirror. She couldn't have snuck in." Mafuyu's quick to interject. She simply doesn't want her mother interrogating a girl who's already out of it.
The three eventually sit down, and Kanade gets asked a few questions about how she's feeling and overall just a background check. The tea is a lot more bitter than she's used to.. Maybe the Asahinas just prefer bitter over sweet, so she won't judge..
"So, you're a ballerina, live around a few other people, in a nice dorm room.. Well, the ballerina part seems like something my daughter here would get along with. Isn't that right, Mafuyu? My heir also holds an interest in dancing." The mother's tone seems almost condescending. Kanade can't blame her at all, to the queen, she's just a random girl who seemingly broke into their house using magic...
"Mhm.. Asahina-san.. also finds interest in ballet...?"
"Well, I don't think she likes ballet specifically, but rather any form of slower dancing. Mafuyu, why don't you show Yoisaki some of what you can do? Seeing how she acts will give me more reason either to trust or not trust her."
Mafuyu, without a word, sets down her cup and Kanade's, grabbing the other girl's hand and helping her up.
"Put your foot back once. One hand out, the other by your shoulder."
Kanade's legs feel a little like jelly. She's used to ballet, not actually dancing with another person and than dance actively using physical contact... Especially with somebody who's hands feel like ice..
"A-ahn.. I feel like I'm gonna trip..." Kanade stumbles a little. It'd be really nice to have her hair tied up.. Though, Mafuyu seems like she's strong enough to make sure Kanade doesn't hit the floor, so she might be alright..?
Mafuyu stays silent, still just guiding Kanade. It's not gentle not rough. Just neutral.
Kanade stumbles once, but Mafuyu catches her. Yeah, she'll be fine, she just has to follow Mafuyu's movements.. Besides, maybe she'll get some useful knowledge while dancing like this..
Kanade kind of just goes into a daze, not even registering they've stopped until Mafuyu's bringing her back to her room. She kind of thought she would be leaving by now, but.. she's fine with staying the night, as long as she can go home as soon as possible.
If she doesn't get home soon, what if she gets too used to a new routine and forgets her old one? What if she gets so used to dancing with another person she accidentally ropes somebody, maybe Mizuki into it?
"Uhm.. Asahina-san, do you know when I'll be able to go home...? I'd really like to get back to my usual routine, and not worry the people I live with..." Kanade's cautious of her words, just because she doesn't want to irritate Mafuyu. Mafuyu's already kind of intimidating..
"Mh. In the morning." Mafuyu's expression doesn't change, just glances back at the mirror—that still looks exactly like the one in Kanade's room.
"Yoisaki. Stand in front of the mirror." Mafuyu's cold tone immediately makes Kanade oblige, and the last thing Kanade sees is the mirror getting closer—
———————————————————————
Kanade wakes back up in her room. In her bed. Ah... It was a dream...
"Kanade!! You're awake—your mirror's cursed or something, you fell through it and then came back like, an hour later!!" Kanade barely registers the brown haired girl's worry.
"You're just in time for dinner. Tie your hair up so you don't trip." Another voice speaks, but Kanade takes a minute to process the voices..
"Ha.. Ena.. and.. MEIKO-san...? Mh..."
"Here, I'll tie your hair up! You can just eat in your room tonight, you're probably disoriented from hitting the ground when you flung through the mirror..!"
Kanade, again, isn't really processing much. She lets Ena tie her hair up, and barely notices Mizuki coming in with two trays of food, two cups, and a warm kettle.
"Kana~! Here, I'll eat with you do you don't feel alone!" Mizuki goes to the other side of the bed and pours some tea into a cup. "Here, just as you like it!"
By the time Kanade's able to concentrate, Ena and MEIKO are gone. ".. Thank you, Mizuki.."
"Soo, Kanade~ When you were on the other side of the mirror, did you see any cute princes~? You know, like in the fairytales~? Or.. Did you see a demon..?! Like in the horror movies?!" Mizuki lightly teases Kanade, and honestly, Kanade's grateful for it. Not because she likes being teased, but it's more familiar than the dream of an emotionless princess and her mother that ended with the princess pushing her into the mirror..
"No, I think I was unconscious until I got thrown back... I had a really weird dream, though.. There was this girl who was like.. Vacant...?"
"Ooh!! Spooky dream, huh~? Was she like the hot, spooky princess the ends up killing you in the end~?"
"Well.. Kind of...? She did end up pushing me into the mirror, and then I remember waking up.."
"Hey, how come you get dreams of pretty women and I'm stuck with dancing?! And sewing, and baking, that other has me?!" Mizuki complains, but in a playful way. They're not actually being mean. It even gets a small laugh out of Kanade.
"There's the spirit! Anyway, now I wanna try going into my mirror.. Maybe I'll get a handsome prince or a pretty woman.. better yet.. a handsome woman..?!"
"Hehe..." Kanade giggles again as Mizuki gets up to leave.
"Goodnight, Kanade~! Don't forget to go through the mirror again tomorrow to see your little princess!" Mizuki's clearly teasing, but Kanade wonders.. What if she walks through the mirror..? Will she go to the same palace..? Ena said before that she did disappear upon hitting the mirror..
Besides, she does kind of like Mafuyu's quietness compared to Mizuki's teasing and Ena's anger.. She's like MEIKO without the constant distance..
And it'll be beneficial to Kanade's dancing, right...?
...
Whatever, it was probably just a dream.