Set when Leon is training Sora for the Angel's Act. Disclaimer: I don't own Kaleido Star
"No!" Leon called out, clearing the stopwatch once again. "Don't waver! Keep yourself perfectly still!"
Sora nodded immediately and said loudly, "Yes, Leon-san!" then resumed her original pose under the freezing water, and Leon started his stopwatch again, watching the young girl closely.
Layla tore her hateful glare away from Leon to stare at Sora, who was shivering violently from the cold and her exhaustion, though still managing to hold herself upright and in the correct position. She had seen Sora like this before- and not just Sora. She herself had been like this... When training for the Mystical Act, though Layla's self-induced torture had been more literally more difficult then Sora's, they had both been pushed past their limits. Sora had barely managed to come out on the other end of it, and Layla, to make for Sora's inexperience, had keep silent about her injury and continued her midnight runs, in addition to their gruesome training by daylight. Though Kalos had pushed them both, they both pushed themselves harder. That was what Sora was doing now, for Leon. Just like she had trained so hard for the Mystical Act- because of Layla.
But this was far worse. Layla knew she herself would have just as hard a time as Sora training for the Angel's Act. She wondered how long Sophie had managed to last under it, and how Leon would react if Sora made it farther then his sister. He had been reluctant to push Sora in the beginning at all; he had seen the affect it had had on Sophie. How much pain he had been forced to put her through, until her death. But when Sora had became her own demon, Leon had relented and begun training her himself.
Layla saw Sora tip slightly to the right. She corrected herself, but Leon had noticed. "No!" he shouted once more. "You have to remain still. Again!" She saw Sora nod and was sure the young girl was crying, though the waterfall above her hid her tears. Layla looked around and saw the others must have noticed as well. Anna had her hand over heart, Mia's own eyes were glistening, and Ken was staring at Sora in pure horror. Marion looked between Leon and Sora in disgust, looking like she wouldn't to strangle the silver-haired beast.
Leon himself seemed impassive, but Layla knew him well enough. She saw him cross his arms to hide his trembling hands, how he kept his expression carefully blank and how he refused to acknowledge the anger in the others. Layla wasn't going to stand for this any longer. "Leon!" she shouted over the pouring water. "Enough!"
Leon hesitated a moment longer, then called out, "Sora! Break! Twenty minutes!" Sora held her pose for a moment longer, then collapsed, trembling violently and landing on her hands and knees as Leon shut off the water flow.
"Sora!" cried Mia with a gasp, and the four hurried over to Sora and helped her over to where she could sit down, Ken draping a towel around her shoulders. When Leon had first started the training, Sora had tried weakly to fend off their help, but by now she had given up and just accepted it.
Layla stalked over to Leon, who was watching Sora as her friends crowded around her. Fool was gazing at her from afar, and Layla knew he was probably telling her future- success or failure for the Angel's Act. Well, she didn't need the spirit of the stage to tell her the outcome this time. That depended on Sora and Sora alone.
"What is it, Layla?" Leon asked quietly, still without looking at her.
"You know damn well what," Layla hissed, glaring at him coldly, her hands clenched into fists. Leon did not flinch at her tone, but eventually turned to look at Layla, his expression impassive. "Lay off on Sora. Now."
Leon smirked, shaking his head. "You were the one who told me push her. Now you want me to let her relax?"
"I'm not kidding, Leon. You are pushing that girl past her limits. She's not going to last much longer."
He sighed, then looked back at Sora and nodded. "I know."
"So stop, for God's sakes! Leon, if you don't stop training her so hard now, she is not going to make it, and I know what I'm talking about when I say that will not bode will for you. Sora's friends are fiercely protective of her, and I know for a fact the only reason Yuri hasn't snapped and come to stop you himself is because he still feels guilty about Sophie- but I don't share that guilt. So I am here in his place, for both his sake and my own- and Sora's. Stop hurting her,, Leon!"
"I thought this was what you wanted, Layla. For Sora to become a True Kaleido Star. She told me once; that those were the last words were said to her before leaving after the Mystical Act." Leon glanced over his shoulder at Layla, raising one eyebrow in skepticism.
"I wasn't aware this was the asking price."
He scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning his body fully to face her. "Oh, please, Layla! I may not have seen the Mystical Act you performed with Sora, but I have heard of it. I also heard from Kalos how grueling their training was and what you sacrificed. I am now in your position; except my part simply exists to facilitate Sora. She is the angel, but I am her demon- that's what the Angel's Act is, Layla. The angel is so beautiful, so perfect she draws everybody's eyes and turns them pure at heart, even the demon's. Though the effects may last only as long as the angel is in the air, you can not deny that what I am saying is true. I will not lie- Sora has been pushed past her limits. But so were you, when training for the Mystical Act."
Layla shook her head bitterly. "I was prepared for it; I knew what I was getting myself into! Sora's different; and we knew how long our training for the Mystical Act would last! This torture has no expiration date, Leon, and that in itself is torture. Sora has always been like this, in her attempts to accomplish impossible. Most people say it started with the Mystical Act, but they're wrong. It started when I gave her an ultimatum: Learn the Golden Phoenix in one week, or quit Kaleido Stage. Sora, who had no experience on the trapeze whatsoever, pushed herself so hard that everyday, she went home covered in cuts and bruises, only making it back in time to grab a few hours of sleep before getting up in the morning to go to her classes. And yet she pulled it off. She always has somehow managed to pull of the impossible, but this is too much, Leon. She's not going to make it."
"You underestimate her, then. She will. Trust me."
Layla looked over at Sora, who was curled up into a tiny ball, the blanket still wrapped around her shivering shoulders, her eyes closed even though she wasn't asleep. Ken cast a fiery glare at Leon before returning his attention to Sora, and Leon just sighed, looking away. "Ken had to be her 'demon' before, so to speak," Layla explained. "For the Mystical Act."
Leon nodded, no further explanation necessary. "Layla, do not intercede with Sora's training again. I know that you don't want me to push her this hard, and I know she won't make it much longer. You don't have to worry. She'll last as long as she has to."
"Leon!" Layla snapped, glaring at him, her voice fierce and full of anger. Leon turned back to look at her, cocking his head curiously. "I am going to say this one time and one time only: do not hurt this girl. Because if you do, I will hurt you back. Sora has the chance to carry out the dream I can not; and more than that; she changed me, just as much as she's changed you. I will not stand by and let you hurt her. I care for her, and I know her limits better than you do. So listen to me now, and when I say to give her a break, then do it."
Leon smiled slightly, the nodded. "Layla, you're not the only one who cares for her," he said softly, looking at his feet. "I've had alot pf partners, most like May, though few were quite as skilled as she is. But none like Sora. She's the first one since Sophie who's..."
Layla nodded in understanding, her gaze still cold, then backed away as Leon called to Sora. Immediately, the young girl got up and returned to the familiar spot on the center of the platform. When Leon flicked on the waterfall, Sora held her arms out, then raised her left leg up straight behind her, holding it perfectly straight. Once she was steady, she raised herself up on her right toes, keeping herself upright through the stinging spray. Her eyes locked with Leon's for a moment before he looked away, staring uncertainly at the ground. Sora returned her gaze to straight ahead and concentrated on keeping herself still. If she could only keep this up a little longer...
Leon looked back up at Sora, unable to suppress a tiny, proud smile when he saw how her form refused to waver, how her concentration refused to break. It has been just like Sophie, in those final days before the Circus Festival, so many years ago.
She had dedicated her short life to performing the Angel's Act. Sora was young, too; only two years older than Sophie had been, and yet, though he had performed with many others, most certainly more qualified then Sora, he was convinced he had finally found the one. Sora was fulfilling Layla's and Sophie's dreams, and Leon's, as well- to finally allow his sister to rest in peace. That had been his purpose for a while now; but Sora had changed all that. He still wanted to accomplish what Sophie had been unable to, but now he wanted to do so with Sora. She had done so much more then give his past peace, she had finally given him the strength to move forward, the live for more than just the Angel's Act. This girl really was his angel.
He increased the strength of the spray, his smile growing wider when, for the first time, Sora remained still. "Yes!" he shouted over the water. "Keep it up, Sora!" Sora was too exhausted for this news to take even some of the weight off her shoulders, but he saw Layla nod at him. "Looks like you were wrong, Layla," he murmured under his breath. "This torture does have an expiration date- she's ready. One more day and she'll be ready."
Should I continue with 'Angels on the Trapeze' and then the Angel's Act or just leave it off as a oneshot? Tell me in a review… please?
My wings are my dream, which take me to the sky!