I'm sorry, I haven't watched the anime in a while, so I don't remember exactly what happened. But this is the aftermath of that performance when Sora was above the stage and Leon suddenly abandoned May and headed for Sora and performed with her. But I don't really remember what happened, so I may have mashed several episodes into one. Whatever. Anyways, here you guys go!
Sora took a deep breath, then jumped out onto the trapeze, catching onto it with her good arm, and swung back forth until she had enough momentum to pull off the manuever. Then she started spinning, but, with only one hand gripping the trapeze, it was too much. She was thrown forward, still spinning as she flew out into the open air. Sora landed on the safety net, her scream cut short as the air left her lungs in a shocked breath.
"Damn," she gasped as soon as she was able. Her shoulder was aching again, and now she was just too plain tired to drag herself up to the trapeze and try again. With ai sigh, she closed her eyes and let her mind to wonder to that fateful performance of Swan Lake.
Everything had been like a dream. She, Sora Naegino, was THE Leon-san's partner. He had CHOSEN her. She still couldn't believe any of this aws actually happening, but it had to end. "I'm going back now, Leon-san!" she cried as she jumped to another trapeze.
Sora cast one glance over her to shoulder, then froze in shock. Leon-san jumped for her, shouting, "SOPHIE! NO!"
"Leon-san!" she gasped and jumped after him, her fingertips just barely grazing his before he slipped out of her grasp. Sora managed to catch herself on a trapeze with one arm, dislocating her shoulder in the process. However, she and everyone else had been focused on Leon in horror as he fell to the stage, landing with a crash.
Sora shuddered slightly, then pulled herself back over to the trapeze and forced herself to try the manuever again. Leon-san still wasn't back yet from the hospital, but Sora had been training incesetantly ever since that night. She wasn't sure why- May, after all, was his partner. He had won the Circus Festival with her. He had made the Demon Spiral famous with her. Sora still wasn't sure why Leon had suddenly pulled her into the show that night, but now... everything was different. Kalos himself had said he wasn't casting May or Sora for the next leading lady part next- it had to be Leon's decision. Like there was some question about his partner was now.
Shaking her head, she forced herself to concentrate on the trapeze again. Sora tightened her grip on the bar as she turned in tight circles, and actually smiled tightly when she made she jumped forward and didn't fly off course. She had never made it this before! "Sora!"
Sora's figner missed the next bar by a hair's breath and she fell to the net witha shocked gasp, already annoyed. Who the hell would be this stupid? Couldn't they have waited until I wasn't in mid-air?
Sora's irrataion turned immediatley into embarrasment when she saw who it was- "Layla-san!" she exclaimed, immediatley scrambling off the net and hurrying over to her, blushing furiously.
"Sora," Layla greeted when a small smile. "I see physical injury doesn't deter you from practicing. How is your shoulder?"
"I, um... it's fine," she said quickly, glancing away guiltily. She knew Layla's shoulder injury was much worse, since it was permanent. Sora wasn't about to admit to pain after Layla had performed the Mystical Act with a hurt shoulder.
Layla smiled slightly again. "Good... Kalos and Ken Robbins told me I would find you here. They wanted me to talk to you."
"About what?" Sora asked, even though she already knew.
"About that last performance with Leon." Sora didn't say anything, just watched as Layla climbed lithely up to the trapeze, closed her eyes, then pulled off the one-arm spin Sora had been trying without a hitch. She watched in awe as Layla gracefully flew from the trapeze to the next, her eyes still closed. "Lock your wrist," she called out quietly. "It helps to keep you steady."
"Tha... Thank you, Layla-san," she said, still staring in amazement until Layla jumped off and landed on solid ground, then turned to look at Sora.
"That was an impressive performance you put on with Leon, Sora. Especially without any warning. He likes that in a partner. Kalos and I think it's part of the reason he turned down May- she was unable to act beyond the role, so to speak. She was a ghost of Mina Murray- all the correct manuevers, but performing with the real Dracula. Similar to my and Yuri's Gokden Pheonix- if I'm not really playing Juliet, REALLY jumping to my Romeo, it doesn't work. Leon has been looking for someone like you for a long time, Sora."
She shook her head, still uncertain. "Layla-san... what Leon-san did wasn't... he ABANDONED May in the middle of the show! And earlier, when he nearly killed her by PURPOSELY dropping her..."
"Sora, he can't really test if May is able to act outside of the script if he tells her about it before hand. Same with how he tested you. But, Sora... I must warn you. You saw how Leon treated May, even when she was his partner. I don't think he ever saw her as his equal. If you want to perform with him, it won't be like when you were with me or Yuri. We had to take up slack because, with me, you were still inexperienced, and with Yuri, he had already been practing the Angel's Act before you came to him. Leon won't do that for you, Sora. But if your dream is to become a True Kaleido Star... then he's the one. You'll have to perform with him."
With a sigh, Sora stared down at her feet, biting her lip uncertaintly. She remembered back to after that night when he dropped May... "Leon-san!" she shouted, glaring at him. "What was that?"
He smirked smugly. "A test. A test that May Wong failed."
"A TEST? Leon-san, you could have killed her!"
Leon looked her sharply then, shaking his head. "Really, Sora? I am disappointed, then, that you think so little of me. I was in control of the situation, ready to catch her, should she fail- obviously. No person should ever have to die for this."
Sora felt her stomach twist in disgust to the point of nausea. She couldn't believe she wanted to actually be this cruel, cold-hearted mans PARTNER! Now she would rather quit Kaleido Stage then perform with him. She said coldly, "Layla-san would never had done something like that."
"And I am not Layla," he stated simply. "If you want to partner with her, then- well, you can't. She's not coming back, Sora. It's time to stop wanting for the past and make do with what's here."
Sora sighed heavily, shaking her head. That had been several months ago. Now, she wasn't sure how she felt. And that Sophie comment during Swan Lake... well, that was bothering her, too. Who was Sophie? Why had the mere memory of her made Leon fall?
As if Layla could sense her thoughts, the star laid a gentle hand on Sora's good shoulder and asked quietly, "Something wrong?"
"I, um... it's something that Leon-san said to me. Before he fell, I mean- he called me Sophie."
Layla's eyes widened in shock and said sharply, "Sophie? Are you sure he said Sophie?" Sora nodded mutely, and Layla stared at her for another moment before smiling proudly. "Congratulations, Sora. Leon may scorn all his partners, but you're the one he's chosen to be equals with. You certainly do have a way of changing everyone around you, Sora..."
"Wait- Layla-san! Who's Sophie?" Sora exclaimed uncertainly.
Layla just shook her head. "Not my story to tell, Sora. You should ask Leon that. A word of advice, though- romantic relationships between partners don't work out. It almost ruined Yuri and I, and you two have a real chance at becoming True Kaleido Stars. Don't throw that away, if that's what you want." Layla hesitated, and her expression softened. "Go and visit him, Sora. And don't let your guilt over what this will do to May deter you- even if you turn him down, Leon will not perform with May again. The only thing you can do now is attempt the Angel's Act with him. If I'm right about you two... well, we will see. Good luck, Sora." With that, Layla turned and left, leaving Sora standing there, speechless.
Romantic relationships between partners? She didn't even like Leon- hell, they weren't even partners yet! No, no, not possible! Sora had always seen Leon as some distant, invincible god- not something attainable. But now Layla was telling her that she had changed Leon... that she was his partner now...
Maybe Layla was right. Maybe she should go see Leon.
I don't really like it, but whatever. Review please
My wings are my dream, which take me to the sky!