[H3][i]Dance of the [color=Crimson]B[/color]lack [color=baddab]S[/color]wans[/i][/h3]
Didn't seem like anyone else was on stage. Maura quietly walked up the steps, looking around to see what she can work with. She had the right instruments, and she can adjust the lighting if necessary. But what about back-up?

 [color=crimson]"Hmmm..."[/color] She looked down at her hands. Maura hadn't used more than just her dark magic in awhile, had she? Maybe she could work with something. Maura used spirit magic to summon a small phantom orchestra group. [color=crimson]"Right then, everyone, take your places!"[/color] the necromancer called out to them, the spirits moving to their respective instruments.

 Yet it still felt like she was missing something. As much as she didn't want to interfere with the uniform code of the party, Maura manipulated the magic to give herself the [url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/415785156096557058/847555924498710598/Princess.Kraehe.full.1724001.jpg]proper attire[/url] for her performance. Her brows furrowed in thought, but she shouldn't be overthinking things. She had to clear her mind somehow. Even if it's just for a moment. Maura moved to her position. With a nod to the pianist, she was ready.

[Hider=BGM][youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nj4Fz_Qe_O0[/youtube][/hider]

 The song started off slow, and so did she. Her movements were careful, uncertain, regretful. As if she was reaching out to her past. Her failures. Could she mend it? Must this black swan atone? Was the choices she made right? It felt overwhelming.

But with every step she took, her shadow was right there, mimicking her movements. It didn’t feel anxiety, lonely, or anything of the sort. It just followed Maura’s movements. While her shadow was not judging, it seemed to be getting fed up with the stiff performance. So much so that it stood up off the floor. 

Maura’s shadow rose out of the ground like a mermaid jumping out of the ocean. Her shadow started to change shape after it left the ground. It shook it’s hair out, which revealed a bit of color as black tar was flung from her form. Green hair, pale skin, and a [url=https://i.imgur.com/2YIxBfU.jpg]black dress that faded into a ruby red.[/url] The shadow was even so bold as to wear a jacket along with her elegant dress. The shadow was no longer a shadow, but a separate woman entirely. She extended her hand towards Maura with a smile. 

 Maura's eyes widened at the appearance of her new dance partner. She had stopped moving, to stare in surprise before looking down at the outstreched hand. She didn't need time to think. A performance had to be given. With a smirk, she took the woman's hand and continued on.

 Then as the tempo changed, their movements would follow along, becoming more animate. Maura would make sure they were both in sync. With every ballon, pirouette, and arabesque, ice magic began to decorate the stage around them. Snowflakes seemingly from nowhere, frost and ice creating elegant, strange shapes on the floor below and the air around them. She shouldn't give up so easily, should she? There had to be a reason. There always is. She had to press on, make a new name for herself. And she did. She had always trusted her instincts, why stop now?
 
 While Maura’s shadow had chosen to stand apart from Maura as a different entity, it was still content to dance along, perfectly synchronized with her actions. Though as closely matched as they were, it was always clear Maura was the one leading.
 
Another shadow looked on from the back of the stage, eyeing the two dancers. It had a massive head and pointy ears. It’s big expressive mouth was mostly hidden from view. But those eyes held enough contempt to scare anyone. Its eyes were lit green with the flames of jealousy, and it retreated from view soon after. 
 
As grand as the ice magic dance was, it was about to be overshadowed. The stage floor became dark, with only ambient light from the ice magic to light it. The jealous shade had become as wide as the entire stage, and was obstructing the back light from the stage. There were a few gasps from the crowd as the jealous shadow opened it’s mouth, revealing a glowing maw. Maura and her shadow were both cast in the mouth’s neon green glow.

Whatever, or whoever had enraged the envious shade remained an enigma. Even Maura was trying to figure things out, yet she treated the shade' intervention as it was part of the show, not stopping for a moment. As the performance reached it's finale, more spirits appeared as back-up dancers; as if they were trying to hold the entity back, and the ice magic became more potent. There had to be a reason. They had to calm it down, somehow. Reassure it, or be forced to take it out.

Though it would soon become apparent that no spectacle of ice or light would put the shade to rest. If anything, the display caused the shadow to bloat with even more envy. It shrieked, it decended, and some of the onlookers gasped too. 

Darkness.

But this was just a show, of course. Maura and her shadow were perfectly fine. They had been pulled into the cradle, with an assortment of green lighs scattered around them. 

[color=baddab]”Howdy Maura!”[/color] Viridian replied at last. [color=baddab]”Hope ya don’t mind the intermission. I thought we could talk for a bit.”[/color]

Maura gasped lightly when they appeared in the cradle. Regardless, she'd wave back to Viridian. Though her smile faltered when she said she wanted to talk. [color=crimson]"If it's about Justine, I already had enough of an earful for the night."[/color] Maura said out of slight frustration. Her outfit would turn back to normal for now.

*Smack*

A stray glove had been drawn across Maura’s face. Just hard enough to leave a mark, albite one that would fade in a few seconds. She kept her smile the entire time. [color=baddab]”Got a lotta nerve assumin’ I’m gunna chew you out after a dance. Shucks!”[/color] She slid her hand back inside her glove. [color=baddab]”Hope ya don’t mind me takin’ initiative on givin’ ya a lickin’. Figured you’d gave Beacon a shot at ya, wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to one.”[/color] She folded her arms behind her back. [color=baddab]”Ya seem lost, and I wanna give you a hand, just like I did with this here stage play.”[/color]

Maura comically blinked from the slap, dumbfounded. [color=crimson]"...Okay, I needed that."[/color] she noted, looking back to Viridian. She tilted her head when the other woman said she wanted to help. [color=crimson]"I mean, I guess? I've been doing this for years, long before I inherited all this, so it kinda hurts that the others think I'm foolish for what, taking opportunities? Wanting to care about my agents? Trusting the instincts that got me this far??"[/color] Maura would vent to Viridian. She huffed, resting her head in one of her hands. [color=crimson]"I shouldn't be screwing up this quickly, y'know? I know the fates are weird like that, but come on!"[/color]

Viridian giggled at Maura’s outburst. [color=baddab]”Settle down there, pumpkin. This ain’t exactly a simple matter, we gotta address the pieces. One, at, a time.”[/color] She placed a finger against her cheek. [color=baddab]”Let’s look at your outward conduct. Ya say ya been doin’ this for a while, and I trust ya. Ya got yer own girls to worry about and what not. But what makes that so different from the Cradle? And ya do think it’s different, right? Didn’t ya tell Betty and Sam ya never asked to be the Cradle mother?”[/color]

Maura hugged her knees in thought. [color=crimson]"Well, other than the new resources, I feel like I have to meet the others' expectations after Veronica stepped down. Though I don't even know how high the bar is, I don't wanna let them down."[/color] She then frowned. [color=crimson]"I'll be honest with you, I would've been fine with my old position. I was surprised when she handed all this over to me. Unsure as I was about it...I trust Veronica. And I trust you. So I went ahead with it. I don't wanna let either of you down too..."[/color]

[color=baddab]”So the pressure is getting to ya, hmmm?”[/color] Viridian stroked her chin. [color=baddab]”Maura, if ya want respect, ya gotta act respectable! Even if ya just as lost as ya agents are, they gotta think their new boss is just as strong as their old one. Ya can’t be tellin’ them that yer in over ya head, pumpkin, it just ain’t right!”[/color] She stepped behind Maura and rubbed her shoulders. [color=baddab]”Ya gotta seem cool and collected. Even if everyone’s sayin’ ya screwed the pooch, or ya plans go up in flames.”[/color] she folded her arms around Maura’s shoulders. [color=baddab]”Veronica wasn’t so tough, ya know? She doubted herself. She made mistakes. But she always put on a brave face for her agents.”[/color]

[color=crimson]"Kinda hard to do that when the guilt hits you like a goddamn maelstrom."[/color] Despite her mentioning that, Maura smiled. [color=crimson]"But...I'll be okay. I just needed to recollect my thoughts. Besides I can't exactly kill Justine twice like they'd want. Not only would that go against my past actions, but the poor girl trusts me too much. Not only would it be too easy, but she may prove useful to us. I was hoping to explain everything properly at the next meeting."[/color] she told her. 

 Once Viridian mention that Veronica herself had doubts, Maura's eyes widened. The veteran Cradle agents seemed to revere the past Cradle Mother as if she was some goddess. But to Maura, Veronica was as human as the rest. Maybe it was cause she didn't understand why, but she respected her as a friend. And she still did. After a moment, Maura spoke up again. [color=crimson]"How do you do it?"[/color] she'd asked, placing a hand over Viridian's.
 
 [color=baddab]”Afraid there’s not much to learn from me, darlin’.”[/color] Viridian walked forward through Maura, phasing through her form as shadows tend to do. [color=baddab]”Veronica’s whole reason for bringin’ li’l ol’ me into this world was to separate her personal feelings from her duty. I don’t really remember anythin’ too specific about everyone. I know what they can do in combat and that’s it. Awfully hard to treat her agents as she always had when she can see their every thought. Isn’t that what love is? Just a deep understandin’ of someone else?”[/color] She hummed. [color=baddab]”I suppose that’s it for me too. I can be strong because I know Veronica so well. Her every thought is open to me like a book. She has no secrets, and I can’t help but relate to her, ya see?”[/color] She looked over her shoulder at Maura. [color=baddab]”You like her too, right?”[/color]

 [color=crimson]"Hm."[/color] Maura let her palms rest on her knees.[color=crimson]"I guess that depends on your definition of 'like'."[/color] One of her brows rose.
 
 Veronica’s sister nodded. [color=baddab]”Enough that you don’t wanna go dissapointin’ her, at least.”[/color] She turned to face Maura and folded her hands behind her back. [color=baddab]”Let me ask ya this then. Why did ya become a patron in the first place?”[/color]

[color=crimson]"I'm sure you know what happened with me in the past. To keep that poor soul from dying I ended up making them my first magical girl. When I went into hiding, I had help from them and a few other patrons in getting things set up, get extra help in case I had to fight my sisters. Then I ended up focusing on other things, like protecting Penrose. I usually look for certain traits to ascertain if they'd do well as magical girls or not. Valerie was a hacker of some renown, Amanda was the recent incarnation of the Witch of Dreams, Evelyn was a war soldier to name a few."[/color] Maura explained. [color=crimson]"Then there's the odd circumstances like how I met Elizabeth, and somehow she's one of my strongest. If only she could stay calm during battle. Guess what I'm trying to say is, I wouldn't have become a patron if it wasn't for my first recruit of sorts."[/color]

[color=baddab]”Well, that’s a bit of a surprise.”[/color] Viridian scratched the back of her neck. [color=baddab]”Regardless, ya ain’t that scared runaway anymore, pumpkin. I know ya handle yourself better around your other girls, but ya gotta just treat the Cradle as an extension of your network.”[/color] She drew a knife from her waistband. [color=baddab]”There’s no runnin’ away for ya now. Ya sisters are here, and just as ya gotta confront them, ya gotta confront ya responsibilities as a Cradle mother.”[/color] She looked away from Maura. [color=baddab]”Belive in yaself, and eventually everyone else will too.”[/color] And then she thrust her knife into an aproaching shadow.

…

…

…

On the stage, the audience saw several snowbuns try to free the dancers trapped inside. Only for the jealous shade to pop like a balloon. There in the center of the stage was Maura, with her shadow holding a black knife up to the jealous shade’s massive heart. It was far more vile and twisted than it’s outward appearance, and it was holding a knife to Maura’s shadow. The two shadows had run each other through. The jealous shade collapsed into dust, and Maura’s shadow fell backwards into her arms. The color left her body, and her black flesh sunk between Maura’s fingers like ink. Her shadow caressed the side of her face before finally sinking into the ground. The black swan was greeted by a swarm of snowbuns as the curtain prepared to draw closed. 

Once more, the christmas magic gave her back her ballet outfit. And as the performance ended, once more, Maura was alone. Her tutu faded back to her santa outfit in a burst of dark feathers, and the effects of her magic dispated as if nothing changed. Viridian's dissapearance could cause some concern, but Maura knew she was okay. She took a deep breath, feeling a newfound confidence. 

 Then she looked down at the snowbuns surounding her.

 Maura snorted, squatting down to pet the buns. [color=crimson]"My little heroes."[/color] she joked, brushing away any feathers that landed on them. Her dear shadow made a point though, something had to be done. So she walked off stage and to the rest of the witches, snowbuns in tow.

Among the audience members clapping as Maura came off stage was a [url=https://i.imgur.com/ylRwPcy.png]woman in a Christmas themed new years kimono.[/url] 

[color=baddab]”Aw shucks, those snowbuns are the cutest darn thangs…”[/color]