Brilliance of Sister Stars - Beginning of Circle/Story

* Part 1
* Part 2
* Part 3
* Part 4
* Part 5
* Final Part

Brilliance of Sister Stars - Beginning of Circle - Chapter 1

 **Karen:**Hikari-chan! Clau-chan! We gotta hurry!

 **Hikari:**You don't have to pull. I can run by myself...

 **Claudine:**We still have time before practice, don't we? Why are you in such a rush?

 **Karen:**Because—

***\*clatter\****

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"—Oh. It's all so simple."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"I just have to lock Urd up and steal the world's past... That way, everyone will be too scared to move on to the future..."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"And I can save Lito from dying!"

 **Claudine:**Uh... Shiori? You're already practicing this early?

 **Shiori:**Oh, good morning, everyone! I'm looking forward to practice today.

 **Karen:**Awww, Shiori-chan beat me to it again... And here I wanted to do the morning cleaning.

 **Claudine:**Come to think of it...

 **Hikari:**You've been getting here first for a while now.

 **Fumi:**...And you're always the last to leave, too.

 **Karen:**Fumi-chan!

 **Fumi:**Look, Shiori, are you getting enough rest? Because I got a text from Yachiyo...

 **Fumi:**And she says even when you get back to the dorm, you're always holed up in your room, practicing...

 **Shiori:**...Oh, guess I made you worry. It's okay—I'm just taking breaks when people aren't looking.

 **Fumi:**Don't lie to me! Just look at your face—

 **Shiori:**Come on, time's a-wasting. Let's get started already, okay?

 **Fumi:**...!!

 **Shiori:**I need all the time I can get right now...to make Circle of the Norns the best it can be.

 **Fumi:**Shiori...

 **Hikari:****(????)**
"—Behold. The hour hand has vanished from the clock tower."

 **Karen:****(????)**
"With its past stolen, so too will the town forget its tomorrow, forever stagnant in the dark of night."

 **Hikari:****(????)**
"A good Norn has fallen...to the path of evil."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"That's right. Just hide Urd away... Hide the clock tower's hour hand and steal tomorrow from the world."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"Ahh, I should have just done this from the start. I should have locked my dear sister Urd away and cherished the present..."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"That's the way people should live."

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"No, that's ridiculous! What good can come of robbing people of their future!?"

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"The future is hope! How could you just forget that!?"

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"No, no, NO...!"

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"You have it so nice, seeing nothing but the present in front of you... You get to say whatever you want."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"I just want to protect him... I don't want to say goodbye to the man I love!"

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"Urgh...!"

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"What...!? Lito, why!?"

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"Why would you defend me...? I thought you couldn't see us..."

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"I've been coming here ever since I was little... And every time, I could hear you whispering happily to each other..."

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"Ahaha... What do you know? The goddesses really do exist..."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"No. NOOOOOOO...!"

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"Skuld!"

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"Ahhh, of course it's my fault... I'm the reaper. The future brings despair..."

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"But... That's the end of all tragedy, right? I did the right thing, right?"

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"No. No, Skuld! Don't let darkness consume your heart!"

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"Ahahaha! Now I'll—never be—sad...ag..."

***\*crash\****

 **Claudine:**Huh...!?

Brilliance of Sister Stars - Beginning of Circle - Chapter 2

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"But... That's the end of all tragedy, right? I did the right thing, right?"

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"No. No, Skuld! Don't let darkness consume your heart!"

 **Shiori:****(Skuld)**
"Ahahaha! Now I'll—never be—sad...ag..."

***\*crash\****

 **Claudine:**Huh...!?

 **Fumi:**Wait, she's not acting! Shiori!

 **Shiori:**Nh... Haah, h-haaaah...!

 **Fumi:**Breathe out nice and slow. Now breathe in...! There you go, just like that...!

 **Karen:**Sh-Shiori-chan, are you okay!?

 **Shiori:**I'm...sorry... I'm fine... Just...don't stop the performance...

 **Fumi:**You call this fine!? You've been out of breath ever since we started...

 **Fumi:**If you keep this up, it's only a matter of time before it breaks you. And if that happens, everyone's gonna regret it, not just you!

 **Shiori:**...!!

 **Claudine:**...Just making sure, but you're not sick or anything, right?

 **Shiori:**R-Right! I just couldn't breathe for a second...

 **Claudine:**Okay... But we should still call it a day. It's about our end time anyway, so let's all go home now.

 **Shiori:**Then I'll stay a little longer.

 **Fumi:**Shiori?!

 **Shiori:**It's absolutely unacceptable to focus so hard on my acting that I forget to breathe. I'm a terrible Skuld...

 **Shiori:**Don't worry. I'll do better next—

 **Fumi:**No. I'm not letting you stay. And you know why.

 **Shiori:**Ngh......!

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"—I don't have what it takes to change her. You're the only one who can reach that girl!"

 **Claudine:**Whew... Nope, too many stray thoughts. ...I wonder how Shiori's doing.

 **Claudine:**Her acting was overwhelming and ghastly, so much so that I didn't notice she was in bad shape... But at this rate—

***\*clatter\****

 **Fumi:**S-Saijo-san, are you here!?

 **Claudine:**Wha... Fumi!? What are you doing here so late!?

 **Fumi:**Sorry. I called you over and over, but you never picked up...

 **Claudine:**I put my phone in a locker so I could focus on practice. Anyway, why—

 **Fumi:**Yachiyo called me. She said Shiori hasn't come back to the dorm...!

 **Claudine:**...!?

 **Fumi:**I'm just being overprotective, right? I know Shiori wouldn't do anything weird, but...

 **Claudine:**There's a difference between trust and neglect. She's still in junior high school.

 **Fumi:**R-Right!? Where in the world is—

 **Claudine:**I have a guess. There was a point where her acting noticeably changed.

 **Claudine:**But let me ask you this. Have you thought of what you'll do when you find her?

 **Claudine:**Yell at her for worrying you? Be gentle with her?

 **Fumi:**I...

 **Claudine:**Heh. Just kidding. It's not my place to tell you what to do.

 **Claudine:**You've managed to butt heads and accept each other before, right?

 **Fumi:**—! Thank you, Saijo-san.

 **Claudine:**Come on, let's go.

 **Fumi:**Sorry I made you worry about us. ...It's okay now. You don't need to play mediator anymore.

Brilliance of Sister Stars - Beginning of Circle - Chapter 3

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"Haah, haah... Tini..."

 **Karen:****(Tini)**
"Lito! No... How could you take that knife for her!?"

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"Haha... See? Told you the goddesses exist."

 **Karen:****(Tini)**
"Those are no goddesses...! They're just hurting each other!"

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"Oh, I get it... That's why we can see them..."

 **Karen:****(Tini)**
"—Don't talk! You'll open up the wound..."

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"It's okay. Even now, just believe in the goddesses..."

 **Hikari:****(Lito)**
"Even if you can't see them, so long as you keep faith and hold out your hand...it'll reach."

 **Karen:****(Tini)**
"I don't care!"

 **Karen:****(Tini)**
"I won't take their hands if it means letting go of yours...and my future with you!"

 **Hikari:**...Phew. And that's it for our scene in the second part of the final act. Next up...

 **Karen:**Huh?

 **Hikari:**What is it, Karen? Is someone on that bench...?

 **Shiori:**Ah...

 **Karen:**Yup, it's Shiori-chan♪

 **Hikari:**I thought you needed rest... Are you sure you should be outside?

 **Shiori:**Of course. I'm sorry for that embarrassing display at practice...

 **Karen:**Don't worry about it! Everyone gets absorbed in their acting sometimes.

 **Hikari:**You do it too much.

 **Karen:**Whaaat!? You're really gonna give me that!?

 **Shiori:**Hee hee...

 **Karen:**Sh-Shiori-chan!?

 **Hikari:**Why...are you crying?

 **Shiori:**...I'm just—so jealous...

 **Shiori:**Your acting as Lito and Tini was incredible... You felt destined for each other, just like in the story.

 **Shiori:**And just... Why can't I act like that...?

 **Karen:**What!? But your Skuld is getting better every time I see her!

 **Shiori:**N-No, she can't be! I keep thinking things I shouldn't...!

 **Shiori:**Just like Skuld, I keep wishing I could lock up my sister!

 **Hikari:**...That's why you're getting better.

 **Shiori:**Huh...?

Brilliance of Sister Stars - Beginning of Circle - Chapter 4

 **Karen:**Yeah... It hurts because you're turning into Skuld!

 **Shiori:**—! N-No, I...

 **Shiori:**I can't afford to make her worry about me anymore... I can't have her future all to myself...

 **Shiori:**We have to have faith in each other, like you two!

 **Hikari:**Just because we trust each other doesn't mean we bottle up what we want to say.

 **Karen:**Yeah! In fact, trusting each other lets us be more—

 **????:**...Lay it on me, Shiori.

 **Shiori:**F-Fumi!? What are you...

 **Claudine:**I had a feeling you'd be with Karen and Hikari.

 **Shiori:**Saijo-san!

 **Claudine:**You didn't noticeably change when Fumi came out to you about her study abroad.

 **Claudine:**You changed when you saw Karen and Hikari's completed acting. You burned with the fires of jealousy...

 **Shiori:**...Yes. I WAS jealous of them.

 **Shiori:**They're destined for each other, so they'd be okay no matter how far apart they were. But Fumi and I...

 **Fumi:**...

 **Shiori:**F-Fumi? What are you doing? Why are you taking out your—

***\*beep beep, drrrr—click\****

 **Andrew:**Hi, it's Andrew.

 **Fumi:**I need a revue. Right now.

 **Andrew:**H-Hurk!?

***\*beep\****

 **Shiori:**F-Fumi! What did you... A revue...!?

 **Fumi:**Don't make me repeat myself. I said to lay it on me, right?

 **Fumi:**Jealousy, envy, hatred... Lay it all on me!

Brilliance of Sister Stars - Beginning of Circle - Chapter 5

Revue of the Circle

 **Shiori:**Ngh... Where...

 **Karen:**—Shiori-chan, behind you!

 **Shiori:**Wh—Eek!

 **Fumi:**Is this any time to get distracted, Shiori?

 **Shiori:**F-Fumi...

 **Fumi:**We made a promise that day, didn't we? This is what you wanted...

 **Fumi:**We're in the middle of the circle. A stage where we can throw ourselves at each other forever!

 **Shiori:**Ngh...!

 **Fumi:**Why aren't you fighting back...? Aren't you mad at me!?

 **Shiori:**No—

 **Fumi:**Don't you want to lock me up!?

 **Shiori:**No... No, I don't!

 **Shiori:**I wanted to support you. I wanted to see you off with a smile. Tell you I'd be fine. But more than anything—

 **Shiori:**I wanted to take your future from you! But I can't!

 **Fumi:**...

 **Shiori:**If I said that, I'd just make you sad!

 **Fumi:**I'm sorry.

 **Shiori:**...!?

 **Fumi:**I was so caught up with myself that I took advantage of the people around me. Even you...

 **Fumi:**I'm sorry I couldn't face your feelings. If I could, maybe I wouldn't have hurt you again.

 **Shiori:**Wh... Stop it. Stop saying that...!

 **Shiori:**You're always like this. You're always trying to be the bigger person!

 **Fumi:**Huh...!? What are you talking about!?

 **Shiori:**I'm sure you're always! Acting big! And telling people! To let you! Handle things, aren't you!?

 **Shiori:**I'm! Your sister! Would it kill you! To give me some special treatment!?

 **Fumi:**I'm sorr—!?

 **Shiori:**No apologizing! No bowing!

 **Shiori:**Why did you tell Saijo-san before me!?

 **Fumi:**Because I needed to prepa—

 **Shiori:**Don't give me your excuses! I know you've been getting chummy with all kinds of people!

 **Fumi:**Shiori, listen to—

 **Karen:**Shiori-chan's giving her a total beatdown, but is it just me, or is she not going for the cloak?

 **Claudine:**She doesn't want to end this... It's like how when you're dating someone, you don't want to hang up the phone on them.

 **Karen:**Y-You think maybe this is just a bit more serious than that!?

 **Hikari:**This really is going on forever...

 **Karen:**Clau-chan, hurry up and do something!

 **Claudine:**No way. Fumi said she doesn't need my help anymore.

 **Karen:**Oh, come on!

 **Claudine:**But yes, we do need them to wrap this up. I have another performance to get to.

 **Claudine:**And besides, I don't have time to just stand here doing nothing. Just the thought of you-know-who pulling ahead makes me...

 **Hikari:**The problem is they've missed their chance to end this... You don't have to come between them—Just give them an excuse to stop.

 **Claudine:**Why is it always me!? ...Oh, fine. If I have to!

Brilliance of Sister Stars - Beginning of Circle - Chapter 6

 **Claudine:**Fumi... No, Urd! Can you hear me!?

 **Claudine:****(Verdandi)**
"—I don't have what it takes to change her. You're the only one who can reach that girl!"

 **Fumi:**—! That's a line from "Circle of the Norns"...

 **Shiori:**N-No! I'm still perfor—

 **Fumi:**Every performance has to end eventually... But we'll always be sisters.

 **Shiori:**...!

 **Fumi:**Shiori!

 **Shiori:**—Fumi!

 **Shiori:**Aw, it's over.

 **Fumi:**That's where you're wrong. We're a circle... We put an end to it so we can begin it again.

 **Shiori:**Yeah... I know.

 **Shiori:**Fumi... Is it okay if I sulk?

 **Fumi:**You always do.

 **Shiori:**And beg you for stuff?

 **Fumi:**If I don't spoil you like that, who will?

 **Shiori:**Then...

 **Shiori:**Then I want to be your destiny.

 **Fumi:**You've been that since you were born.

 **Fumi:**Ever since before you were born as a Stage Girl.

 **Shiori:**Yeah...

 **Fumi:**Hee hee, you're such a handful...

 **Fumi:**—Position Zero.

 **Verdandi:**"—Ah, the hands of the clock are embracing, overlapping..."

 **Verdandi:**"The morning, the future will come..."

 **Skuld:**"Nh... U-Urd...?"

 **Urd:**"Yes, Skuld... It's me. Look, can you see Lito and Tini?"

 **Lito:**"Mph... Tini...?"

 **Tini:**"Oh, Lito, Lito! Thank goodness...!"

 **Skuld:**"Oh..."

 **Urd:**"Tini pulled his fate in like a magnet. He overcame his fated death."

 **Urd:**"The future may be scary in its uncertainty... But that's what gives meaning to the act of rising up against it, don't you think?"

 **Skuld:**"You're right... Thank goodness..."

 **Skuld:**"I thought I knew...just how bright the morning light is..."

***\*thud\****

 **Verdandi:**"—Looks like they've fallen asleep."

 **Verdandi:**"Evil Norns get reincarnated as good Norns... I'll keep watching over you. You, and the people who endeavor to live their tomorrows."

***\*gong\*, \*gong\*...***

 **Verdandi:**"Hear that? That's the bell blessing the start of a new day..."

 **Fumi:**Let's see, all that's left is cake ingredients and drinks...

 **Shiori:**You really didn't need to tag along for the shopping.

 **Fumi:**What are you talking about? You're throwing a cast-slash-I'm-sorry party, right? Of course your sister's gonna help!

 **Shiori:**I swear, if I never become independent, it'll be your fault...

 **Fumi:**Huh? Sorry, did you say something?

 **Shiori:**Hee hee, nothing!

 **Shiori:**...

 **Fumi:**...Shiori, no more bottling up your feelings, got it?

 **Shiori:**Yeah... You're right.

 **Shiori:**I was just wondering how big the time difference is between France and Japan!

 **Fumi:**Uh... I think seven hours. France is seven hours behind Japan.

 **Shiori:**Oh. I guess that means I'll be seven hours in the future.

 **Fumi:**Shiori...

 **Shiori:**I'm fine, Fumi. I won't cry anymore!

 **Shiori:**No matter how far apart we are, the stage connects to the future...

 **Shiori:**And this time, it'll be your turn to catch up to me there!