Chapter 12

'No! We don't have time for this.' exclaimed May being dragged to her room by Sarah.

She hadn't suspected the woman to overpower her, but all the martial art training had paid off. Rosetta on the other hand went willingly, she was tired after their last trainingsession.

'You both barly slept an hour.' May desperalty tried to get out of her grip, just another one of those moments where her profound stubborness showed itself.

'I'm telling you I can't sleep during the day. I never could.'

That remark triggered something in Rosetta as she got an idea.

'You'll at least try.' said Sarah with finality pushing the chinese into her room and closing the door.

'You too.' added the british woman looking at the redhead who obliged and entered her room, but she had quickly formulated a plan and was determined to go trough with it, despite the fatigue.

As she heard Sarah close the door to her own room she quickly got changed and headed out, this arrand apparently worth her sleep. It surly was connected to May in some way.

Wong Manor

The ride there took at least two hours and all the way she was tingling with anticpation to put her idea into practice. As the driver entered into the surrounding forest she spotted the house. She hadn't been here since the funeral, but this time the reason for her arrival was not at all tragic.

As she got out of the cab she told the man to wait for her a few minutes. The driver wasn't complaining, this fare had been his longest and keeping the meter running would ensure a big payoff.

As she got closer to the house she was spotted by a small group of children which she instanly recognized as May's siblings. The children quickly set aside their toys which had kept the entertained as her appearence seemed to be much more interesting.

All together they charged her and Rosetta quickly found herself resorting to acrobatics to avoid being overwhelmed, but eventually outnumbered was pinned down in a welcoming fury.

The comotion wasn't undheard and May's mother came to Rosetta's rescue. 'Oh no not again. Get off the poor girl.'

The six oblidged and only then did the elder woman see who it was her children had wrested into the ground.

'Rosetta?'

The redhead altough slightly battered found her mood enchanced as she never remebered ever having been welcomed with such fervor.

'Is there something wrong?' the woman asked picking up the smallest of the girls.

As if it was a cue, all the children started posing questiones.

'Did May come with you?' 'Did you bring us anything?' 'Have you come to play?'

The redhead was amused and set the last of the children that had piled on her next to her.

'I didn't come to play this time, I came to get something for May.'

The chinese woman was intrugied and after Rosetta explained was happy to see that special care that she herself could never have provided for May.

'How sweet of you. It really could ...'

Together the two entered the house and searched for that posession that belonged to May. They quickly found it not having been moved off the counter.

'Just were I left it.' said Rosetta and thanked the woman. She departed now just having to return to the dormitories and finalize her plan.

It couldn't really be called a plan, it was more of a spontaneous whim.

May's Room

The chinese really never could sleep during the day, something in the back of the head was telling her to get up, but her body was just too heavy to lift. With the flesh unwilling she restorted to straining herself to sleep, but it was half a slumber. She couldn't lock out the surrounding noise.

Like that she remained for many hours and as the sun started setting more then four hours must have passed in which she had barly naped.

Maybe it was the strain or the setting sun, but she all of a sudden felt as everything vanished, finally she had really fallen asleep. The rest became a good one and after and hour she opened her eyes. It must have been years since she had such a relaxing sleep and altough it had been a short break she felt completly invigorated.

But then she felt something under her arm that hadn't previously been there and quickly looked what it was. The amazement was clear in her eyes.

She hadn't seen it in years and thought to have been lost some time ago. It was just as she rembered it, well kept altough slighlty worn with the tag with her name inscribed on it in fine print. It was the only thing that she clearly rembered from her childhood, the white stuffed bear.

She rembered never really playing with it, but keeping it around when she felt lonly, talking to it when she was troubled. But she also rembered discarding it after her siblings came into her life.

But even in all those years she hadn't forgotten it and placed it safely in the guestroom where she was certain no one would find it.

"So that's why." she thought as this bear seemed to have been the reason for her restfull sleep. But then she realized as she ponderd how it got to her and quickly turned to her other side.

'I should have known.'

The redhead found May still holding the toy immensly adorable. She started to understand just what Mia saw in these scenes.

'I thought you might need it. I can't just let you become restless.' The chinese smiled and set the stuffed animal aside.

'You should really stop doing things like this. You went all the way to my parents house to get me this? You know how I feel about favours.'

Rosetta still saw the pleased face on her girlfriend.

'Hey the trip costed quite a lot and took me four hours, at least you could be more apreciative.'

May got up on the bed.

'It's not like I don't think its a nice gesture, but I really don't want you to trouble yourself with things like this.'

The redhead still wasn't going to be put down.

'No trouble at all, in fact seeing you really fall asleep when I put the bear in your arms was more then worth it. I have to look out for my girlfriend don't I?'

May noded. 'True, but she can take care of herself.'

Rosetta crossed her arms childishly.

'Now that's not fun.'

The two continued like that, teasing playfully trying to coax something or maybe just practicing their roles.

After that the two again left to train. With their show they were accorded maximum priority and the hall was emptied so they could train in peace.

With night again closing in on them the two again were left alone, the others had gone to bed and it seemed that they would pull another allnighter and maybe even repeat today's ealier scene.

However May noted that Rosetta was not at her fullest and who could blame her? She had refused to sleep and went all the way out of town in order that she could at least sleep well.

But as long as she was tired she might as well get tired out completly and have a very good nights sleep. The chinese however noted that she wouldn't last another couple of hours, but knew how much Rosetta hated to be stopped without of her own voalition, it never worked anyway.

The hours however prolonged themselves and it was becoming to much for the redhead to handle and May decided to stop her, but Rosetta got down herself.

'I'll be right back, need to drink something first.' She said and got out a small bottle from a bag. The chinese resumed training whilst the redhead sat for while on the bench.

May however still couldn't get out of her head how to convince Rosetta to quit for the night.

"If I just tell her to stop she'll get furios and try to prove me wrong. I'll even end up challenging her and then we've gotten no further."

"But if I let her stay like this she'll probably end up failing and hurting herself."

In the end she saw no other way and decided to openly tell her that they should stop, she might get a bit angry but if she asked her nicely it might just work.

'Rosetta?' she said her voice clearly echoing in the empty hall, but no answer came. 'Rosetta?' she asked again thinking that she hadn't been heard. But again the redhead didn't answer, and as May looked down she saw why the girl had become silent.

In the end there was no dilemma left to be solved as Rosetta had fallen asleep with the waterbottel in her hand which was testimony to her exhaustion.

"Old habits die hard." thought the chinese as she got down, rembering the countless times that had happened. She removed the still open bottle from her hand and gently picked her up. She was surprise just how light she was, during practice whilst in tight turns and high jumps it was hard to estimate her weight.

However with her arms now gently holding Rosetta she had was in a bit of a quandary. She being the last one in the hall was left with locking up. In the end she was glad having worn sandals today and dexterously locked up with her foot. In the end it was just like that time at the hospital where she with her hands full of roses had troubles getting into Rosetta's room, but she pondered, wasn't it the same, just with another type of rose?

As she slowly walked up the roadway she looked at the smaller girl and still was moved by the intense beauty, this was indeed not just spiritual love.

After todays events however only now did she conclude that it was because of her that the redhead became this tired, for if Rosetta handn't retrived her most precious toy she now would be carrying her back and altough not intentended it was yet another unsupected but apreciated favor.

But she dislike the term favor as this was not what they where, for favors needed to be returned, it was more of a gift in her opinion.

Slowly approaching the dormitories she didn't want to somehow awaked Rosetta, altough she knew just how deeply she could sleep. But just as she was starting to come up to the entrance above it on the small vista passed Mia followed by two of the younger female perfomers and Cathy some distance behind them.

As if the young director had a nose for such awkwardly aluring moments she spotted the two and quickly Cathy and the other two joined her.

This time there was no mercy as Mia was now armed with a digital camera and wouldn't let this moment be forgotten.

'Way to go May!' said one of the younger girls.

Cathy joined it. 'Wooo Yeah!'

To Mia it looked just like the groom carrying the bride and was taking as many pictures as she could.

May would have threatened them right now but couldn't having her hands occupied and shouting at them wasn't very wise either. She just resorted shushing them and giving them a menancing glare.

The group of four became silent, but still were cheering for her as if she had just done something that deserved a celebration, or maybe congratulate her on her catch.

As she got into the building and proceded to the top floor there was no sign of the group.

"Wise choice." she thought and again was in the same odd position needing to open the door. With this rather enjoyable task now over she set the redhaired girl on the bed and covered her gently and departed with a slight kiss.

"Good night."

But now she realized that she couldn't just lock the door after her as the redhead would wake up in the morning thinking she's imprisoned and leaving the door unlocked wasn't an option either. The only other choice was to spend the night here and that didn't seem like such distastefull proposition.

But she needed something if she was too sleep over and quickly got it from her room. With all the trouble Rosetta went trough to get it how could she not sleep with her stuffed bear? Altough she was very carefull not to be seen with it as she was walking from room to room.

The next day Rosetta woke up and didn't even question how she got back to her room in the first place. She couldn't remeber anything that happened after training and how could she if she had been asleep?

But then as she left her room and spotted May on her couch she pieced together that she must have dozed of during traning again.

"That's such a bad habit." But also deducted that it must have been May who brought her here in the first place.

She now knew better then to see it as a favor. It was just one of those things lovers did between themselves. To her surprise she also spotted the white teddybear under the chinese arm and was glad that May apreciated her gif.

Getting down on her knees she gave May a tender kiss that prolonged itself, but almoast instantly she felt the gesture returned altough the blackhaired girl was asleep. And as the kiss strechted May woke up and was surprised at what she saw first thing in the morning. The redhead with her closed eyes didn't notice that May had woken up and the chinese quickly closed her eyes as the intensity of the moment overwhelmed her again.

As it subisded and Rosetta pulled away she couldn't what an odd kiss she had experienced. She could have sworn that May was awake, and flinched as the chinese said still with her eyes closed.

'Good morning.'

Altough not intentional she was spooked, but at other times would have found the moment emberassing. Now she didn't find anything to be flustered about and greeted the girl in similar fashion.

Good morning.

Indeed to both this the best possible start to their day.

As the rest of the week progressed and their deadline drew near their performance became better from the technical point of view, their emotions however never lost their intensity. It wasn't going to be long now and their trainingsession were moved to the stage where they quickly got used to the configuration of the trapeeses.

Mia finished the script and Cathy aproved it even tough she never was someone to enjoy lovestories. Luis came trough with the costumes and they also practiced with them. And the dresser was really proud with her hanywork. In similar fashion the rest of the week proceeded and after Leon's final stage on Saturday the new procution would start.

Over the name there had been a long and tiresome debate, Mia wanting to use some fairlytale title, Cathy wanting to have something more unusual for it was not your tipical romance. In the end after a few days of arguing both came to consensus and agreed on the same title.

The new stage that would mark Rosetta's and May's first costarring was entitled:

Kaleido Star: Convergence

With all the hustle and bustle that this stage was famous for everything was prepared and sunday also came around and quickly passed.

Rosetta's Room

The redhead came exhausted from her training as she always did and grabbed a small bite to eat. She however became used to the routine trough the course of the week and didn't suffer under fatigue so much as before.

She got ready for bed, but just as was going to go lay herself done in her livingroom Fool appeared, but not the joyfull and perverted Fool that she had known for most of her life, but the other one she rarly saw, the focused and serious one.

'I forsee two possible outcome to tomorrows show and neither are pleasent. If you and May continued like this you'll have to chose to leave this place, even give up performing.'

Rosetta however didn't seem as worried as he was.

'And why is that?'

The spirit was astounded by her question, it challenged everything from the core.

'You'll see that love on the stage brings its burden. But you knew that already didn't you?'

The girl noded.

'Yes, but I asked you why there is this choice? Why does the stage avert its eyes? Why all the fear and strife?'

The spirit found himself overwhelemed how deep she tried to understand the mechanisms that surrounded her, how easily she questioned their validity and morality.

'I can only blame it one that makes the orchestrates all the shows, blame it one fate. Tis the fates who are cruel.'

Rosetta laughed softly not out of ingornace, but deep understanding.

'So the fates are cruel? Is it not the fates that bring us together and make love possible? Is it not fate that watches over love?'

The spirit noded. 'Yes, but...' The redhead interupted.

'Is it not love that nurtures love until it can prosper on its own? Is it not love that becomes fates equal? And in the end is it not love that crosses fate? Turning on what gave life to it in the first place, choosing its own path.'

Fool found himself dumbfounded not just by the philosophical Rosetta, but by her words.

"Who set those thoughts in her mind? Where does this insight come from?"

The redhead looked at the spirit amused having for the first time troubled him.

'And in that knowledge I ask you. Who is cruel now? Fate? Or Love?'

Now their preparation time had ended and tomorrow would decided not just how together they shined, but for how long they would on this stage. However they weren't at all troubled over that and resorted to the only thing they could do, the thing everyone was expected to do. Give their best at all times.