I don't own Kaleido star.

Setting stars

Rosetta balanced Marion on her shoulders as the younger girl hung the last poster, then helped her down, and at last the two girls stepped back to enjoy their work. The giant shiny pictures of Leon and Sora announced the program of Kaleido stage this season, and for the third time in a row, 'Swan Pond' was their top act.

They say that everyone has their five minutes of glory before they burn out, but this time it was different. Sora and Leon never stopped working hard, and their efforts paid off-things had gotten better and better with every show. Kaleido stage wound never go on tour-people came to them from all over the country, tickets sold out long before the season was officially announced, and most importantly-the audience was always breath taken by Sora's sensual performance. She never lost her fire.

Rosetta noticed that she and Marion weren't the only ones watching the newly hung posters. A woman had also stopped before the ticket booth and examined the announcements with a sour look hidden behind her fashionable sun glasses. Then, as if feeling Rosetta's stair, she turned around and gave her a cold smile. The young diabolo star felt a chill running down her spine and immediately thought that she didn't like that lady.

"The tickets for 'Swan Pond' have already sold out." She stated flatly, moving closer to the stranger.

"Indeed? And why do you think I'd be interested?"

"All our performances have been sold out, ma'am. Would you like to book tickets for the next season?" Rosetta, of course, would never be so impolite, but that person was like a snake-you instinctively felt that you had to get rid of them."

"Oh, you don't understand, don't you." She took off her glasses, revealing her eyes to look straight at Rosetta "I'm not interested in that there are no more tickets, little girl, I will get a seat anyway."

"I'm afraid that…" Rosetta began, but the woman turned her back on her and walked straight to Kalos' office, without so much as a goodbye.

"Who was that?" Marion asked

"I don't know…" Rosetta bit her lip "Let's get going, we're late for practice anyway."

When you entered the hallway to the training room, you knew very well who was there and what were they doing. The familiar sound of people working out, jumping and swinging, turning in the air and dancing made Rosetta calm down and ran the last few meters.

May was already pissed off because she was late, and the young girl had little time to look around before having to do push ups and pull ups and all other sorts of warming-ups before practicing her own act. Before the hour was out, Rosetta had forgotten about the arrogant woman.

Sora and Leon were, as usually, practicing the Angel's act very thoughtfully. It was a beautiful maneuver, but there was always something to work out. Sora turned in the air a few times before landing on the trapeze and holding a posture. She took a breath-now there were a few seconds to relax before jumping again. After the months and months of practices she had learned the entire act step by step, and she could do it even in her sleep.

"How was that, Leon-san?" Sora asked when the two took a break. Leon took a thoughtful sip of water and shook his glorious hair off his face before answering:

"Not bad. But we have to work on your speed."

"My speed? But the Angle's act…"

"I know, Sora, I've been doing it for a while now." Leon sighed "Look, it's not speedy, but you're too slow. We have to keep up with the music and the timing, remember?"

Sora was about to object-she was doing it just right, the way they had been practicing for so many weeks! But it was Leon, and that was the Angel's act-to him it wasn't just an acrobatical number, it was something close to his heart…and his sister's heart. Sora would never argue over something so personal and precious as the memory of Sophie.

"Yes…" she said quietly "I'll work it out."

Leon stopped as he was bending for a towel and looked at her. Great, he insulted her again-sometimes he felt like such a jerk. He never meant to be so harsh, it was just so irritating, it was too slow…Not just her jumps, it was this total…cloudlessness about…Never mind. She was a woman, it wasn't in her abilities to keep her feelings unbroken.

"Don't worry." He said, patting her on the head "We'll get it right for tomorrow's performance. Let's rest for now." Little did he know what he had just done.

The arena was crowded again. People lining up before the entrance, buying pop-corn and cotton-candy, trying binoculars, kids running down the aisles and laughing…it was the spirit of the stage. It was the love to the stage that united all these individuals, people who have nothing in common otherwise.

The woman snorted and leaned back on her seat, little interested in the clowns that entertained the audience at that moment.

A pat on the head.

Sora was sitting in her dressing room and was busy, apparently, to put the finishing touches on her make-up. However, she was just staring in the mirror with a brush in her hand, thinking about stupid things.

A pat on the head! What was she-a dog?

The truth was that Leon had really pissed her off by doing so. Sure, he had his reasons to have been what he had been, cold and proud, but he could put some effort in changing his ways. Why couldn't he at least smile for once in a while, or praise her, or be a little friendly, like Ken?

But deep inside Sora couldn't be angry with him-Leon was Leon and Ken was Ken, there was nothing to compare-they were like polar opposites. Nothing unusual so far! Ken praised her because he really liked her, he was a true friend…and true friends, as it's very well known, prefer to exaggerate our achievements and be a little deceitful when it comes to reviewing. Leon, on the other hand…

Sora didn't know what he was. Not an enemy, nor a friend, and definitely not a lover-for some reason she couldn't set him in any category. He was very nice, and gentle, and friendly when he chose to be, but he preferred to stay cold and impassive most of the time. Something Sora thought was a real shame. And he was always frank-dead frank. He pointed out all her mistakes, and worked her until she straightened them up, and then found some more…the only time he had praised her was after their first performance of 'Swan Pond'. He told her one 'Good work, Sora.' And then he was back to his strict and stoic self.

No, she refused to have feelings for him. She refused to be in love with someone so…cold. Hiding your heart from the world and locking it in a cupboard was worse than not having one.

All her worries were, however, swept away when she stepped on the stage. The blinding lights, the sound of swinging trapezes, the cheer of the audience, the spirit…her problems seemed so small, compared to that.

May and Rosetta were, as usual, perfect. But their experience paled before the grand finale-on the stage, Sora and Leon were what they wanted to be, what they longed to be. Lovers, friends, accomplices…the stage had the power to turn them in whatever they wanted. Once again, her heart leaped as his hands landed gently on her hips and raised her up, as they danced and brought the audience to the heart of the stage.

And the audience understood that. They appreciated it. And that was why the aftermath was an endless encore, the applauds raining down, the cheers making Sora feel tingly and ready to fly…

But one person wasn't cheering.

The backstage was just as noisy as the stage itself-Sora turned to 360 degrees to receive excited 'Nice job', 'Keep up the good work', 'Wonderful performance'….Somebody was clapping slowly, steadily, in a loud and rather irritating manner. Soon, everyone felt it and shat up to see who that was.

In the end of the corridor stood a woman in an elegant evening dress, holding a pair of glasses in one of her arms, an icy stare nested in her golden irises.

It took one look for Rosetta to recognize her, and a cold chill ran down her spine-it was that woman from before.