Hey Guys,
Back by popular demand I present to you Cirque Noir. Yes it is completely finished but I will publish this story a little at a time. I hope you all dont want to tar and feather me for the absence of the story but as I have said, it back after 6 years of constant PM's and requests to bring it back. There is one person who helped me through this story, hell we got married as I wrote this story and it is my loving wife Unseen. Without her steady patience and understanding this story would have consumed me. So be patient with me, please dont push for updates. Im a moron with too many stories on her plate. Relax and enjoy.
~Snow

1. Encounters

The course of true love never did run smooth.

William Shakespeare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Act 1 scene 1

Sometimes the smallest events in life can bring a person to their knees from the overwhelming sensation of pain or elevate them to a higher plane of existence through ecstasy only by the lightest caress from the one they would give their life for. For Sora Naegino life became more than living or dying, life became sharing, life became loving and having the courage to let her self be loved in return. Maybe it was the small wickedness buried deep within the base of her soul but she can not help that her heart had been taken by the least likely of players. Gazing out over the moonlit ocean, her heart dropped from her chest for she could not bring herself to stay and with each foot that hit the pristine sand taking her from the cottage, she felt defeated and empty. To save a life by leaving or stay and forever be a possible target, those where the choices she came face to face with on that chilly Christmas Eve. It had only been four months but for her it seemed so much more than a stolen season left to the tides of fate. The life she lived was a fantasy in comparison to the life of retched ugliness she left in a blaze of gunpowder and blood that stained her hands for fifteen years. That was a life time before she came to Kaleido Stage, and her destiny.

Four Months Prior

Sora knew of a place that she could use the skills she loved the use most, gymnastics, and decided to tryout for one of the elite circuses in the nation, if not the world. After years of running she thought that this would be a pleasant change so there she was at her audition for Kaleido Stage. She treasured flipping and flying through the air as a child and this switch was a simple adjustment and all she had to do was change her attitude. Usually gruff and cold, Sora Naegino, had to be jovial, light and free but above all warm and kind if not innocent. As her audition commenced she was perfect in technique yet clumsy verging on goofy making everyone laugh, smile, and clap. The tears of joy that streamed down some of the peoples face from the shear hilarity of her act were what Sora drove for. Everyone was having a good time, but her. She was the Queen, the Ice Princess of Kaleido Stage, and the Queen was glaring at her.

"That is quite enough. I am afraid that if you can not take your audition seriously then you do not deserve to be here. I will not have a mockery made of this institute. My stage has no room for some one such as you, one so inconsiderate for the work it will take to make this show successful."

With a whirl of her sun blonde hair and a snap in her graceful yet ridged step the queen left the auditioning room with Sora only to look after her with a mask that told everyone that this whirlwind of ice that just vacated the room had little affect upon the lithe inky black haired girl. She stood with her hands on hips, head hung just a little, and her lips slightly parted trying not to look dumbfounded but still trying to seem disturbed. Everything moved like an act from a play and Sora found that this was too easy to pretend to be apart of it. She shifted from left foot to right foot, unclenched her fists and clenched them shaking them out, alleviating stress. Then she shook her dark tresses and breathed. She acknowledged the people who came up to her and told her that they really enjoyed the show and as the people corralled out of the room she looked back to the back wall and saw a man in a navy blue suit with a matching navy tie. Eyes locked, grey on grey, and for a moment time suspended as a small tinge of recognition pulsated between man and woman. He nodded his head and then shoved his white hands in his pockets and walked out of the back door not giving Sora another glance but the moment shared between them was strong and Sora silently hoped she was not mistaken. A hand came up and landed on her shoulder that caused her to involuntary react by stepping forward and twisting around.

"Don't worry about Layla. This is her stage after all and she knows that fact well, but she never has been easy with everyone around here. Fun does not seem to be in her vocabulary. By the way, I am Ken, Ken Robbins. That was definitely a pleasure," said the smiling boy extending his hand in a warm greeting.

Sora knew she was not alone but the thoughts her mind weaved in caused her to escape but she did not think some one would approach her, especially from behind. That was something she desperately needed to get out of her system. She silently told her self she was Sora Naegino and not… that person. She looked at the strikingly handsome boy in front of her and would say he was about seventeen or eighteen and had very warm eyes. This was an innocent by her standards. Then she yanked out of her thoughts again and took Ken's hand.

"Sora Naegino, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Ken," she said with the warmest smile she could muster then, "but don't worry about me. I have handled much worse than her bite, believe me."

They both laughed when Ken looked down at his watch and whistled. He gave Sora an apologetic smile and put the headset over his ears and winced as he heard a voice screaming from the speaker. Sora smiled and waved off his apology, she knew he had a job to do.

"Hey, I'm late, as you know, and we have to get ready for the show tonight. Why don't you check it out from behind the scenes? It is a lot different than being in the crowd."

Sora nodded enthusiastically and slung her black practice bag over her shoulder and scuttled after Ken, but only one thought flew to the fore front of her mind, Layla Hamilton, then shrugged and thought this might be interesting.

As the curtain call inched closer, the blonde star tried to ease her frustration toward the spastic girl.

'That girl was so… infuriating. She didn't even look serious for Christ's sake,' she thought tearing a path through her dressing room by the excessive amount of pacing she did. She let out a small growl and launched a book at the wall. No more than a few seconds had passed when her door flew open.

"What on earth is going on in here Layla?" asked a platinum blonde headed man but the man stayed intrigued by her quick response to turn away from him.

"This girl came to auditions and made a fool out of her self. I don't understand people who waist time," she said with a fire in her eyes and a rasp in her voice.

"So what is it to you? Did she humiliate you by chance or is it something else, something deeper," he teased.

Layla spun around, her blazing gaze tried to melt that smirk from the man's graceful features then she stopped gaining a foot hold on the ground, and then regained her breath.

"Look Yuri, I know you think you can fit me in a perfect little box and label it 'Layla' but don't you for once think you understand or know me enough to do so. If I wanted a shrink I'd call for one," then just as her anger flared it was left simmering on a back burner waiting for something to trigger her explosion.

Yuri simply smiled because he never really saw Layla angry, frustrated yes, but not angry. Oh, he tried many times to get under her skin, even more often than he tried to get in her bed but on both accounts failed and wanted to know the secret of this sudden loss of control. He crossed the room in three graceful strides, lifted her chin and gazed in the most luminous blue eyes he had ever seen. If he did not know better he would swear he saw anxiety, or something total alien… fear. She jerked her chin back and looked away, furious for no one invaded her personal space like that except for Yuri, but it still made her uncomfortable. It was all told in his animal indigo eyes. She cleared her throat and began to talk about the show, building a wall of ice between them. Yuri took that as his cue to back away slowly and carefully so as not to rile the lioness within again and took a seat in the other chair next to her.

"This is opening night if you haven't noticed. Should you be somewhere else preparing? I think our timing is still iffy on the third act entrance. I want you to be more passionate as the Prince. Aurora would want a commanding male role in this production, not the limp performance you have brought the past couple of rehearsals."

"There you are all business and no fun. What happened in there Layla? Are you afraid a girl, nobody, nothing, auditioning was having more fun than you, taking chances and enjoying life? Or is it that you have become so frigid that you don't know what the definition of fun is anymore?"

Layla could have slapped him if he had not been a confidant and partner for these many years. She signed not sure of how to answer so she stood straight backed and waltzed over to where he sat. She leaned close to him, and noticed his breath hitched slightly then she smiled and breathed into his ear.

"I live for this alone. To fly and shine like a star. I live for the happiness they feel because we give it to them and nothing is going to change that including your taunts," then Layla walked back to her chair and continued with an edge to her voice, "Oh, and I certainly know what fun is. I just so happen to experience it as soon as you walk out of the room."

With those words she dismissed Yuri Killian from her dressing room. As the door closed Yuri smiled a wolfish grin that spread to his Indigo orbs. He walked down the hall whistling Beethoven's Ode to Joy oblivious to the simple fact that his black Armani suit clashed drastically with the white corridor and gave him a devilish aura. As he approached the main arena he saw Ken escorting a beautiful girl backstage. He walked up to them and introduced himself.

"This is the main side entrance," Ken explained in his small tour while he was going through his checklist. Sora could not help but notice how open everything was. The liveliness of everyone around them was exhilarating, but something was wrong. She knew enough to listen to her environment, to sense that someone was following her. Sora's body instantly tensed up, skin crawling. Sora plastered her smile on her face and nodded as Sora explained the set. Then she inhaled and the overwhelming scent of men's cologne raided her senses. She snapped out of her reverie and contributed to the conversation. From behind her she could feel the presence even closer and she breathed deeply to calm herself and side stepped to appear to be looking around. She came face to face with Yuri Killian, the Prince. She knew who he was from the news and she was in Vancouver when he and Layla perfected some extraordinary maneuver, the Phoenix something or whatever like it. How he could get such an empty and rude person as Layla Hamilton to trust him to catch her was beyond her unless they were lovers, and even that did not surprise Sora. For some reason she would have thought him to be more gentle but the slimy smile oozing on his face made her instantly weary of him. He reeked of danger and betrayal. She could feel it almost touch it for over the years she came to read people very well. This book was not even a book as he was so readable a magazine with color pictures illustrated his nature. As he approached he raised his hand in greeting but as Sora raised hers to shake his he clasped hers and brought the back of her hand to his lips in a kiss.

"En chante mademoiselle? My, my Ken who is this divine creature you have with you?"

Sora snapped her hand away and fought hard not to wipe away his offensive gesture and replied, "My name is Sora. I am just taking a look around with Ken just after auditioning. I think I blew it so I am grateful for the tour. Some hell cat of a blonde certainly did not like me making people laugh."

"Hell cat of a blonde, oh my, that is one way to describe our Layla. I wonder what got under her skin. Usually it takes forever for me to gain any fire from her but you did it in less than two minuets. Be careful Sora, this is her domain."

Sora tilted her head to the left, "You know I keep hearing that but I believe that it is everyone's stage not just some woman's with a power trip. Your Layla needs to understand that."

"Whoa there, we have a Kaleido Stage revolutionary. Watch her Ken, she might aggravate our princess enough to actually change things and I will get the brunt of it," Yuri said checking his watch then proceeded, "Curtain is in nine hours, so my enchanting friend we have to depart. Maybe drinks later, ta ta."

Yuri gave a dramatic wave of his hand and left the crew and cast. Sora stood next to Ken and cocked her head again.

"I really don't think I like him," she calmly stated and Ken laughed and told her that very few do.

Sora followed him down the backstage corridor. They came to an area filled with boxes, crates, rigging, and people. Not just crewmembers but cast members also buzzed about the area creating a calm frenzy of people yelling into head sets, and performers trying on the costumes and getting all the last minuet glitches out of the system before they opened. Off to the left there was a commotion and people swarmed up to Ken. Ken calmed them down while Sora slipped back and surveyed the layout, observing and remembering.

"Sora, Earth to Sora. Could you do me a favor?" Ken asked and once he got a slight nod from her he continued, "I was told to ask you if you knew the trapeze?"

"Sure, no problem I just need to know the routine and who the partner is if there is one."

Ken visibly relaxed and was about to radio when there was a sticky silence over the crowd around her. Everyone backed off as if they feared the wrath of God coming close to them. Sora turned, sighed and thought that the wrath of God could not contend with the furious glare that Layla gave Sora at that moment.

"Ken, tell Kalos I will not let her perform on that stage," then Layla spun around dismissing the remarks.

Ken was on the headset spouting various yes's and no's and I don't know's before Sora spoke up above the thrum of the crowd towards Layla's retreating frame.

"Are you afraid, Princess, that I will throw a wrench into your fine tuned mechanical system, or are you afraid to have some fun with me on a stage in front of hundreds of people? Who knows, you might even have a real smile, and like it."

Layla stopped dead in her tracks in the open curtain and turned to give Sora a fiery gaze. She marched back jaw clenched and stood mere inches from Sora.

"You know nothing, you have nothing, and you are nothing. I will not be treated with such insolence. I can do this routine myself, and I will not let someone just auditioning leap into a role just hours before curtain with no prep time, no rehearsal. It took us weeks to perfect it I might add."

"Look, Princess, you don't own everything and I refuse to be treated like a dog just because I don't do your tricks. Ken tell Kalos…"

"There is no need to tell me anything. I get the picture and Ken get Sora some tape on Layla and Fiona's part. Layla, you will let this time go. Let's test this firecracker and see what she can do. If she can't do it, you win; she leaves, if she can, guess what? You will suck it up and do the part."

Kalos, the boss, just gave Sora the part, at least for today. Kalos walked past Sora but paused, his navy blue suit brushed her arm. He looked down at her with his rain colored, and she looked back with similar grey eyes. He inhaled and then walked passed her, taking with him a confirmation of recognition in his eyes. Sora turned and saw Layla, open mouthed and furious.