On Point

The Nutcracker

By Rena Rouge

Todays the day! The crème de la crème of Paris' finest ballet dancers will be stepping foot onto centre stage in a wondrous display of pointed feet and Christmas spirit.

The dancers at Agreste School of Dance have worked long and hard, and after this evening's performance companies around the world will have a list of who exactly will be filling their vacant spots.

We wish you all the best of luck, and we're sure you're about to deliver a stellar performance.

Merry Christmas to you all!

*****

As the curtains ascended, a collective hush overcame the audience, anticipation hanging in the air as the lights remained dimmed.

Spectators eagerly settled into their seats, their rustling whispers fading to nothing. The appearance of light intensified the atmosphere, and all eyes became fixated on the stage.

A palpable excitement swept through the audience, each and everyone eager to be transported into the whimsical realm of the Nutcracker.

The overture's melodies filled the theatre, weaving a spell that captured the hearts of both young and old, igniting a sense of holiday spirit.

And so it began. Months of hard work and commitment was about to be over, one beautiful routine at a time.

The theatre had been a buzz the past two days, not only for the up and coming performance but for what the performance would mean to so many of the dancers. Future careers were spawned on tonight's showcase, each and every dancer spending the past couple of days working to a point of exhaustion to grab the much prestigious spots in the London Ballet, China, Agreste and San Francisco. Adrien had even heard New York had sent a couple of scouts for the performance too — a rare and exciting opportunity.

The dress rehearsal had gone about as well as always. Mistakes were made with timings, a dancer fell over in the corps de ballet and pulled six snowflakes with her, Zoé snapped a ribbon on her well loved pointe shoes and Marc had forgotten his dance belt. Nothing major and nothing unfixable.

Adrien had danced what he needed to and spent the remainder of the time rehearsing through with Marinette making sure she stood out from the group she was performing with. She was quick at picking up routines and within a couple of hours she was ready to go.

Pride oozed from him as he watched her on stage. She hadn't let anything that had happened faze her. To be honest she'd been more worried about him than herself, which only made him love her more. Because he did. He loved her. He loved her perseverance, her resilience and her work ethic. He loved how the previous night had been spent with her cuddled in his arms; how she was ticklish on her sides and loved kisses on her neck. He was so deep into loving her, he couldn't breathe from the intensity, and he most certainly didn't see a way out.

"Are you ready?" Chloé came up behind him as the first act started on stage. They both stood watching speaking quietly away from other prying ears.

"I hope so," Adrien replied.

"You know what you've got to do. Just dance your little heart out, Adrikins, and give your father one last coronary before you leave the company."

Chloé's laughter made Adrien smile. His eyes scanned the scene in front of him before finding Marinette out in the opposite wings. She looked dazzling, outshining all the others in the same outfit.

"And there was me thinking you hated Marinette." Adrien couldn't help a sly smile crossing his lips. He knew Chloé wouldn't admit it, but she could see something in Marinette too, if she didn't she wouldn't have taken the London role firmly away from her main competition.

"I never said I was fond of her. But she's making you smile again, and I've missed that Adrien. Lila was horrendous, and I wished for months that you'd see the light and end it with her."

"Yeah well, you know how that all worked out. Is everyone else ready to go?"

"Everything is set and in place, oh, and Adrien," Chloé placed a hand on his shoulder turning him towards her. "I really hope everything works out for the both of you. You've been through so much and it's time you broke free from the negativity in your life. I'll completely deny this, to anyone, but I'm happy for you. Not just for this, but for finding love with someone who seems to genuinely care for you. Though, if she messes you around I will have to break both of her scrawny little legs, regardless of how talented they are."

Without hesitating, Adrien launched forward and wrapped Chloé in his arms, squeezing her to him in a way they hadn't since their early teens. She could be harsh and condescending, hurtful and criticising but she had been there through it all, from start to finish and he would miss her a lot more than he was willing to let on.

"You're Félix's problem now, I'm brushing my hands of you."

Chloé chuckled before starting to head towards the correct wing for her entrance. "Whatever you say, Adrikins. You know you'll miss me." She dropped him a wink and disappeared behind the curtain.

Adrien turned his attention back to the stage watching as the grandfather waltz ended to roaring applause and Zoé and Luka prepared to take the act into the magical realm of the Nutcracker. Zoé was handed the Nutcracker, and the Mouse King made his entrance.

The dancing was flawless. Where mistakes had been made in rehearsals, this was running smoothly, almost making him fear when his turn came.

But before that, it was Marinette.

Clara (Zoé) had settled on her bed, eyes closed and Luka coming in to reveal the true form of the Nutcracker. One more dance and it was the end of this Act, meaning their plan would be finally put into action.

But first he was going to stand here and watch his Lady.

He always loved to watch the Waltz of the Snowflakes. The coordination of the dancers plus the intricate footwork, added with the props was always a sight to behold. His eyes were stuck on Marinette, her face a bright, performance smile as she flowed through the moves. She was beautiful. Her moves mirrored the graceful descent of a snowflake, seamlessly synchronised with the enchanting rhythm of the music. She stood out. But he was sure his eyes would home in on her even if there were a thousand dancers on the stage.

As they held the end position for Clara and the Nutcracker to make their exit, Adrien couldn't help the sense of pride encompassing his body, not only from watching his girlfriend dance but from the point of him working with her to make this happen. They'd worked solidly, practising and practising to make sure she was the most perfect snowflake and he was proud to say that she was.

The dancers couru'd their way off the stage, and Marinette fell straight into Adrien's waiting arms.

"You were magnificent!" he said, grabbing her and lifting her off the ground. He spun them around, planting kisses on her cheek before nuzzling into her shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered back, squeezing him tightly.

The hand sound of hands slamming against each other focused attention to the stage door where Gabriel was standing with a smug Lila by his side. "We have 30 minutes to prepare for act 2. Make sure you warm up. The next act needs a little more –" without another word, Gabriel exited the stage and left them all standing silent and confused.

"A little more... what?" Marinette looked at Adrien as though he had the answer. He had nothing.

"No idea." He shrugged as Chloé pushed in between them, separating them and heading straight to Lila.

"Oh, Lila, what has happened to your hair?"

Lila's hands shot up to her head, patting around and trying to find the imperfection Chloé had noticed. "What? Where?"

"Stop touching it!" Chloé squealed. "You need to come with me now! I can't let you go on stage looking like that. It's ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous. Are you single handedly trying to destroy this show?"

Pushing Lila out into the corridor which ran behind the stage, Chloé led her in the direction of the changing rooms.

"Well, that was bizarre!" Marinette said, turning and looking back to Adrien. "Do you need to get into your costume?"

He nodded, he did but there were a couple more things to do before that. He looked over and onto the stage, Luka and Zoé catching his eye as they marked through a couple of things with Dusuu. They gave him a quick nod before continuing. It was time.

Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his phone and began to text Nino. Hopefully Alya was with him right now and helping him find a way backstage. The next message he received confirmed they were all positioned ready to go.

"Yeah, I do!" Adrien said, a gust of air leaving his mouth as he puffed out his cheeks. "Walk me to my room?"

They made their way down the corridor, past Lila's dressing room and closed the door just in time to miss the intense scream leaving his ex-girlfriends lips.

Well played, Chloé. Well played!

*****

Marinette stood side stage to watch the remainder of the show, her pink ballet shoes in place ready for the closing scene and her robe secured over her finalé dress. Maybe this hadn't been the big finish she would have wanted from the school, but the more she thought about it the more she realised she didn't belong here anyway.

She wasn't made for this life, at least not in this company, and although it had opened her eyes to a whole new world, she knew that there were other things to experience. Dancing wasn't everything to her anymore, at least not in this way.

"Zoé's amazing, isn't she?" Alya came to stand beside Marinette, both of them swept away in the dance currently being performed on stage.

"She really is," Marinette agreed before turning the conversation to her friend. "How are you feeling?"

Alya smiled, her arms crossing over her body. "I'm feeling good, really good, Nino took me out for a burger last night and I ate the whole thing."

Marinette giggled. "I'm proud of you."

They continued to watch the stage, the Divertissement section of the ballet beginning and indicating Adrien should now be at the side stage ready for his entrance... which he was not.

"Have you seen Adrien?" Marinette whispered, Alya shaking her head in response. She'd left him to warm up and stretch just as Act II was beginning, he should be here by now.

"I haven't seen him since catching you two making out in his dressing room, which FYI was hot! I never thought you had it in you!"

Her cheeks heated up as she thought about the interval. Adrien had wanted some 'help' getting into his costume and Marinette was far too kind a girlfriend to refuse. The help quickly turned into something else which meant both of them had to redo their makeup.

"We were only kissing," she defended herself, only causing Alya to laugh harder. It was so great to see her friend like this again, even though it had only been a couple of days since the costume change and finally getting one up on Gabriel, she'd begun to sparkle with life again.

"Yeah, and I'm quite sure after tonight that'll be changing."

"Alya!" Marinette squealed, her friend laughing again, only for both to stop abruptly as Rose ran onto their side of the stage.

"Take that off!" She pulled at Marinette's robe before taking some of the pins from her hair and allowing the bottom layer to flow freely over her shoulders.

"What? Why?" Marinette attempted to wrestle Rose and pull the robe back around her. "Rose, stop!"

"Alya!" Rose hissed, Alya now moving in on her clothing too.

"I agree with Rose, I think this needs to come off."

"Has anyone seen Lila?" A runner suddenly came rushing in, a frantic look on his face. She looked around the wings for any possibility that Lila was hiding behind a stage light, or stereo system.

"Nope," Rose said, still continuing her battle with Marinette's robe.

"What? How can they lose Lila?" Marinette muttered, her heart resting in her throat as she considered Adrien having to go on stage alone, therefore losing his chance once again to leave the company.

She was beginning to think Lila knew all of this and was acting on purpose, working alongside Gabriel to rid Adrien of his break from the company, keeping him firmly in his father's grasp.

"Dupain-Cheng!" Chloé came storming to the side of the stage with something pink in her hands, something that looked an awful lot like...

"Put this on right now, Marinette, or so help me god I will rip off your pointe shoes and beat you with them."

"Y-you used my name!" Marinette stuttered, allowing her robe to be pulled from her body along with her finalé outfit. Out of everything she could have taken from Chloé's statement, this is what stood out the most. Never in her life had Chloé Bourgeois called her Marinette.

She dropped down on her knees to help Marinette into the leg holes of the leotard before pulling it up her body and stopping as they came face-to-face, "Adrien will only invite me to the wedding if I show some respect to you, and luckily for you, I am more than willing to come and make sure the party is a success. But that can only happen if you put on your leotard and go to your boyfriend."

"W-w-wedding! What are you talking about? Will someone tell me why you're dressing me like a Barbie doll?"

Spinning her around, Chloé gave her a little push towards the edge of the curtain.

Her eyes met Adrien's across the stage and she couldn't help but be enamoured by his beauty. He stood tall and proud, his costume on and a smile firmly set on his face. What had he done?

"Where's Lila? The pas de deux is now!" Gabriel rounded the corner, seething with anger.

"Marinette, you need to go!" Rose gave her another shove in the direction of the stage.

Chloé blocked Gabriel's way as Rose and Alya straightened her up and messed with her hair. What was happening and where was Lila?

She looked down and noticed the pink dress she'd worked on the night after they'd been ice skating. She'd left it at Adrien's place. Why was it here?

She looked at Alya for reassurance. "It's your time, Marinette, and Adrien is waiting for you."

Looking out across the vast space of the stage, the sound of the closing applause disappeared as she kept her gaze firmly on Adrien. He'd gone through all of this for her.

"I need you to dance one last time, and I need you to dance with everything that's inside your heart."

His words from the evening she'd lost the duet pounded through her veins. This is what he meant, this is one last time.

She could hear a kerfuffle behind her, Chloé's rambled voice colliding with Gabriel's aggressive tones.

"But I'm in my pointe shoes? We're doing it off pointe."

Alya smiled and took her friend into a hug. The opening sounds of their song played and Marinette caught a glimpse of a red hat behind Adrien, complete with a supportive and reassuring glance from Luka, Zoé and Marc.

"Adrien doesn't care. He said everything with you is on point anyway, it's you that matters not the footwear or style."

"Marinette, don't you dare set foot on that stage!" Gabriel's harsh tones met her ear and all she could think about was how this man had ruined a small boy's ability to live. How he had thrown his own child to the lions without a care in the world! Adrien was more than that, and what he wanted she would make sure she gave him.

She looked at Gabriel one last time with disgust. Why had she ever idolised this man? He was a villain in his own son's story, and it was about time he was stopped.

The lights remained dimmed and she saw the shadow of Adrien move onto the stage, her own feet following straight after. She was ready to dance with her heart, and her heart was full of one thing — Adrien.

It was just the two of them now. Two hearts beating in synchronisation and coordinating with the movement of their feet.

Madame Bustier always told her to trust herself, to dance for herself and believe, but she had found something better to dance for now — she was dancing for love.

She sat down beside her partner, her friend, her future on centre stage, her hands placed firmly next to his on the smooth textured wood. He tapped his little finger to hers, just as he had in rehearsal, time and time again. The small reassurance they were in this together. They were ready.

Their dance exuded sensuality, each move carrying the weight of an intimate moment. Despite their inexperience, they flowed with a fluidity reserved for two souls entwined in the dance of love. Two soulmates forever bound together by the red string of fate.

Adrien had pushed hard with the choreography, bringing a new meaning to the dance and showcasing it in a way to remember. One which was doused in his style and maturity, and one which allowed her to be seen.

Dance wasn't just a well rehearsed transition of movements, it wasn't gestures and timing. It wasn't even dancing from the heart, it was who you were dancing with. And when they held their lift, the pause in the music gave her a chance to admit to herself one thing.

She was madly in love with Adrien Agreste, and if to be with him she would never dance again — then she would be willing to give it all up.

All he had to do was say the word.

Artwork by the amazing Dori.Sketches on Instagram