Chapter 30: The Lovers' Maneuver

Sam Palmer was happy to resume training Mikhail, but in order to prepare him to perform the Lovers' Maneuver on such a tight deadline, Mikhail had to train almost non-stop. Chances were, unless he was eating or sleeping, he was on the ice at the Palmers' rink. Yume rarely saw him. Though Mikhail had a good idea of what the Lovers' Maneuver was thanks to his sister, Merle and Sam still refused to let Yume watch as he trained, so all she could do was work on perfecting her part in the show and continue to keep up with her own training.

One of the things she worked on was a scene Mia had revised after deciding that the final confrontation between Princess Seraphina and the evil Queen Luna, played by Rosetta Passel, wasn't dynamic enough. Since Yume had a background in gymnastics and Rosetta was a former diabolo world champion, Mia thought it would be interesting to stage the battle as a floor routine/diabolo showdown. She'd even had Jean rig up a temporary floor that would slide out to cover the center part of the ice in order allow them to perform.

Despite the fact that she had not seriously trained in gymnastics for several years (other than the occasional on-ice backflip), Yume was surprised how much her body still remembered. There were a couple of difficult passes she struggled with, but for the most part, she memorized the new routine quite easily.

"Good work, you two," Mia said, clapping after Yume and Rosetta had completed their fifth run-through of the new routine. "That was the best one yet! Yume, watch the landing on the double layout-half twist. You messed that up again, but those Arabian double pikes were great. Oh, and Rosetta, you were fantastic as always, but one of your diabolo came close to hitting Yume. Make sure to be more careful next time. You may be trying to kill Seraphina in this scene, but don't actually hurt Yume, okay? Otherwise, we won't have a show!"

"Will do!" Rosetta promised, handing Yume a towel after Mia announced a five minute break. "Sorry about that, Yume. I misjudged how close you were to me."

Yume shook her head as she sat back up from her laying position on the floor. "No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have gotten so close," she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Can you remind me again why we agreed to go along with this crazy idea of Mia's when opening day is so close?"

"I think it'll be fun when everything comes together. It's been a while since I've performed diabolo in a show."

"It doesn't look like it. You're just as amazing as you were in Beauty and the Beast!"

"Thanks." Rosetta grabbed her water bottle from the barrier and took a big swig. "You're doing pretty well, yourself. Who knew you were such a great figure skater and gymnast? Talent really does run in the Naegino family."

Yume blushed. "I'm still not as good as Sora, though. She's the one who is truly amazing."

"I still can't believe she's leaving the stage," Rosetta said with a sigh. "I'm going to miss performing with her. After all, Sora was the one who inspired me to take up the trapeze." She frowned, staring at Yume. "You know, you should think about giving it a try sometime, too."

"What? Me, on the trapeze?"

"Sure, why not? You and Sora have a similar body type, and you're good at doing complicated twists and turns."

"On the ice," Yume reminded her. "I don't know if I could do the same on the trapeze."

"I think you could." By that time, Mia called out that their break was over. "That's our cue," Rosetta said, offering a hand and helping Yume back up. "At least think about it, okay? You never know unless you try."

Later that night, Yume was laying on her bed after taking a bath, thinking about what Rosetta's suggestion. Her, a trapeze artist? True, it had once been her dream to follow in Sora's footsteps and become a true Kaleido Star, but she had given up on that dream a long time ago when she had decided to dedicate herself to figure skating.

She rolled over on her stomach and looked up at the poster that hung right above her headboard. Sora's smiling face beamed down at her like an angel. There's no way I would ever be as good as Sora on the trapeze, Yume thought, frowning. It was a ridiculous idea, yet…

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Wondering who it could be so late at night, Yume pulled a robe over her Kaleido Stage nightshirt and went to answer it.

"I passed!" Mikhail blurted out as soon as Yume swung open the door. His cheeks were flushed, and he appeared slightly out of breath.

"Misha? Wha-"

"I did it, Yume. I passed!" He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, and kissed Yume on the forehead. "Sam and Merle just told me. I've completed all my training for the Lovers' Maneuver, and they say I've passed."

"Oh, my - You've qualified?" Letting out a high-pitched squeal, Yume threw her arms around his neck and jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist. "I can't believe it!"

"You doubted I could do it?"

Yume shook her head. "Not at all. You said you would, so I knew that you could do it. Still, it's amazing!" She kissed him full on the lips. "You're amazing!"

"Don't get too excited just yet," he said, setting her feet - and her hopes - back down on the ground. "Sam and Merle may think I've finished my training, but Fool says I still haven't fully qualified to perform the Lovers' Maneuver."

"What? But why not?" she asked, confused. "I thought all you needed to do was complete the training regimen in order to qualify."

"I thought so, too, but apparently there's one more thing I need to do before Fool will judge us qualified."

"What is it? Opening day is just three days away. Will you be able to do it in time?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Yume, but I have no idea. I tried asking Fool, but all he said was that it wouldn't mean anything if he told me what to do."

"Then I'll try asking him," Yume huffed, rolling up the sleeves of her robe and pushing past him to get to the door. They were so close! This was not the time for Fool to be playing Mr. Mysterious. "Where is he? In your room?"

"Wait." He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her in place. "Can't that wait until tomorrow? It's been a while since we've been able to…be together."

Yume's cheeks warmed, understanding immediately what he meant by "be together". Ever since that first night, Mikhail had been too busy with his training to spend any real quality time with her, and she had to admit, already the bed felt empty without him sleeping beside her.

"Well, I guess I can talk to Fool in the morning," she said, turning back around to face him.

Lifting up her chin, Mikhail kissed her tenderly on the mouth. A pleasant shiver ran up Yume's back in anticipation of what was to come. Mikhail's hands pulled apart her robe and pushed it downwards until it fell in a heap on the floor. Realizing the threshold was perhaps not the best location for what they were about to do, she took him by the hand and silently led him towards her bedroom.

There, Mikhail sat down on the edge of the mattress, while Yume remained mostly standing, positioning herself in between his spread legs. They continued where they had left off, kissing and caressing each other's bodies. Reaching downward, Yume grabbed the bottom hem of his sweatshirt and yanked it over his head.

It was only then that she noticed the tiny red marks that dotted his arms. For skaters, they were not an unfamiliar sight. Blood vessels had a tendency to burst while performing very fast spins - usually incorrectly - but Yume had never seen so many at one time. His arms were almost more red than anything else.

"Misha…"

She brushed a finger over some of them, causing Mikhail to flinch. "It's nothing," he said, standing back up and running a hand through his hair. "You know, I should probably freshen up first. I ran straight here from the rink. Mind if I borrow your shower?"

"Oh, uh, sure, go ahead," Yume said. "Use whatever you need."

"Thanks."

Mikhail entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him, Yume hearing the muffled sound of running water a few moments later. Sighing, she took his place on the bed and frowned as she thought about the dots on his arms. Were they the result of his Lovers' Maneuver training? He must have been doing some incredibly high-speed spins to break so many blood vessels.

She wished Fool would tell them what the Lovers' Maneuver was. What else did Mikhail need to do for them to fully qualify? It was obvious that he had pushed himself physically to the max in order to finish the training before opening day of the show, but would it end up being all for nothing? What if he pushed himself too far?

"Yume?"

Yume glanced up. Lost in thought, she hadn't heard Mikhail come back into the room. He stood in front of her, hair wet and dressed only in a towel wrapped around his waist. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, forcing her questions to the back of her mind. There was nothing she could do about it tonight. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "Shall we pick up where we left off?"

She didn't have to ask him twice.

"He told you he loved you?"

It was the next morning, and Clarissa had just finished telling Yume and the others about her romantic dinner date with Jason Kerry the previous night.

"I was just as surprised as you are," Clarissa said, pausing to take a quick bite of her scrambled eggs and a sip of orange juice. "I mean, Jason and I have only been going out for a couple of weeks, but…it feels right, you know?"

Did you say you loved him, too?" Pilar asked.

A faint blush colored Clarissa's cheeks, and she nodded.

"That's fantastic, Clarissa!" Zoe said. The one-time unknowing rival for Jason's affections was nothing but smiles upon hearing the news, proving once and for all that she never returned his feelings. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Yeah, you two make such a great couple," Yume added. Now that she and Mikhail had reconciled, she no longer felt envious of Clarissa's new romance and was glad to see her friend so blissfully in love.

"Aw, man…" Pilar let out a huge sigh, propping her chin in her hand. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for you, too, but first Yume and Mikhail, now you and Jason… It's not fair. Why did I have to be stuck with the gay partner?"

Clarissa playfully bumped shoulders with Pilar, who sat right beside her. "Come on, you know you love being Sergei's partner. You two always look like you're having a blast whenever you are together on the ice."

Pilar smiled. "That's true. Still…" She turned her attention to Yume. "Speaking of 'I love yous', you never told us your story, Yume. Who was the first to say it, you or Mikhail?"

Startled by the question, Yume almost choked on the piece of omelet she had just put in her mouth. "Oh, uh…"

"Pilar, must you always be so nosy about everything? If Yume hasn't told us, then she probably wants to keep it private."

"It's not like I'm asking for all the intimate details, Clarissa. I'm just curious, that's all," Pilar said, pointing a fork in Yume's direction. "You have said it, haven't you?"

Yume brushed a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "Y-Yes, I've said it…"

"But he hasn't?" Pilar winced. "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have asked. I didn't mean to hit a sore spot."

"No, it's okay."

"That's right," Becca said. "Even if he hasn't said it yet, that doesn't mean Mikhail doesn't love Yume. He's probably just waiting for a special moment."

"Yeah. All you have to do is watch them skate together to know they're in love," Zoe said.

"But they haven't been ska-" Pilar slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing what she was about to say. "Damn it, I really do have a big mouth sometimes. Sorry, Yume."

"It's fine, Pilar, really." Yume had grown accustomed to Pilar saying whatever thought that entered her mind, no matter how inappropriate it may be. "We're passed all that, and now that Misha has finished his training for the Lovers' Manuever, he'll be returning to our regular rehearsals." Yume looked forward to skating together again. In Mikhail's absence, she'd been skating with Sergei, who had been named his understudy for the show, but it just wasn't the same.

"Well, that's good to hear, although you never did tell us why -" A swift kick under the table from Clarissa stopped Pilar mid-sentence. "Okay, fine, fine," Pilar said, holding her hands up in mock-surrender. "I get the point. No more nosy questions!"

Yume shot Clarissa a grateful smile. The last person she wanted to tell about what happened was Pilar, worried that it would cause problems between her and Sergei. Yume had mostly forgiven Sergei for his role in Ekaterina's scheme, so it was best to let bygones be bygones.

But Pilar's question did give her pause. Even though they had gotten back together, Mikhail still hadn't told her that he loved her. Yume hadn't thought about it much, coming from a culture where people tended not to say those words so lightly, but was it so strange that he hadn't said it yet? Or were Clarissa and Jason simply moving too fast in their relationship, making for an unfair comparison?

"Yume, are you feeling okay?" Elizaveta asked in a quiet voice, breaking Yume away from her thoughts. The other girls had moved on to another topic of conversation.

"W-What? Yes, of course I am. Why do you ask?"

"You seemed a little… How do you say it? Shaked out?"

"Shaked out? Oh, do you mean 'spaced out'?"

"Yes, that's it." Elizaveta pointed to Yume's half-eaten breakfast. "You've been poking at your food for the past couple of minutes with this strange look on your face. Is there something wrong with your omelet?"

"No, it's delicious," Yume said, setting her fork down. "I've just lost my appetite, I guess. Must be nervous about the show." She glanced over at the table where the male skaters were sitting and saw Mikhail standing up to leave. "Actually, I need to get going," she said, following his lead. "Uh… Coach Wong wanted us to come to practice a little earlier to go over a few things. See you later."

After throwing away her trash, Yume followed Mikhail out of the cafeteria and caught up with him, taking him by surprise when she linked one of her arms through his and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, hey, Yume. What was that for?"

"Oh, nothing," she said airily. "I just felt like kissing the man I love, that's all. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

He smiled, pulling her closer toward him and landing a peck on the top of her head. "Of course not," he said. "You didn't need to leave breakfast early, though. Rehearsal doesn't officially start for another forty minutes."

"I know, but… Where are you heading?"

"The rink. I thought I'd get in a little more training for the Lovers' Maneuver before the others got on the ice."

"Oh." Yume frowned, thinking of the red spots on his arms. "Then I probably shouldn't come with you, right? We're not supposed to see each other's training regimen, although I know yours involves spinning."

Mikhail self-consciously rubbed the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "I should have known you would figure it out."

"It was pretty obvious once I saw those marks. You must have been spinning very fast."

"I can handle it," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Of course, saying that almost guaranteed she was going to worry about it, but Yume forced herself to smile. "I know you can," she said with as much confidence as she could muster. "I'll let you train in private, then. I need to work a little more on my floor routine anyway."

"Okay. See you at rehearsal." He kissed her one more time on the forehead upon reaching the point where they would go their separate ways, then turned in the direction of the rink.

Despite what she said, Yume was tempted to follow him, curious to see just what his training entailed, but she shook her head and pushed that thought out of her mind. She had something more important she needed to do anyway.

She exited the main building and headed back to the dorms to talk to Fool. It had been decided after he had reappeared that he would once again stay with Mikhail, so she went up to his floor and pulled out the key Mikhail had accidentally left behind in her room that morning.

"Fool? Are you here?" she asked upon entering the dorm and closing the door behind her.

The Spirit of the Stage hovered above the coffee table in the center of the living room, looking down at what appeared to be a magazine. Upon Yume's entrance, however, he covered the magazine with a nearby pillow and took a seat on top of it. "Y-Yume, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Rolling her eyes, Yume walked over to the table and snatched the pillow away to reveal the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue he had hidden underneath. "Seriously?"

"It's the best I could find," Fool said with a frown, "since I still haven't been able to find Mikhail's porn stash…"

"What makes you so certain he has one?"

"He is a guy, isn't he?"

Yume sighed and tossed the magazine to the side. "We need to talk, Fool," she said, plopping down on the couch.

"Wait, is this some sort of intervention? I'm telling you, it's perfectly natural fo-"

"This isn't about you. It's about Mikhail. What more does he need to do to qualify to perform the Lovers' Maneuver?"

"Sorry, Yume. Like I told Mikhail, it's something he needs to realize himself."

"But we're running out of time. Even if you can't tell Misha, why can't I know? Then maybe I could give him some hints…"

"That's exactly why. You can't force this kind of thing. It should just happen…naturally."

"Argh! You're no help at all," she groaned, throwing the pillow at him and just missing him by a few centimeters.

"Hey, there's no need for violence," Fool said, flying to float in front of her face. "Listen, don't worry about it, Yume. There's nothing you can do, so just focus on getting ready for the show for now."

"B-But -"

"I have a feeling that everything will work out on its own."

"Is that one of your so-called 'predictions'?"

"No, just a gut feeling."

Yume wished she could trust Fool's "gut feeling", but by the end of the final rehearsal the day before the show's opening, Mikhail had yet to be deemed fully qualified to perform the Lovers' Maneuver. For the finale, they practiced the alternate ending Mia had choreographed just in case, although the perfectionist director was far from satisfied with what she considered the inferior number despite the fact that they had performed it cleanly with no mistakes.

"Well, I guess that will have to do," Mia said. "Good work, everyone, especially you two." She placed a hand on both Yume's and Mikhail's shoulders. "Yume, you didn't make a single mistake on any of the technical elements, and Mikhail, that was your most convincing performance yet. The big day is tomorrow, so make sure to get plenty of rest. I know some of you will be tempted to practice until the last possible second, but it's important not to overexert yourself. Save all that energy for when it really matters."

Hand-in-hand, Yume and Mikhail skated off the ice and took a seat in the bleachers to take off their skates. "This totally sucks," Yume declared, bending down to untie her laces. "There's no more time left. Why won't Fool just qualify you already?"

"I don't know," Mikhail said in a low voice. "I've tried to think of what I may be missing, but nothing comes to mind."

"But there has to be something! Maybe we should talk to Coach Palmer. She might know what it is."

"I doubt it. She and her former partner never fully qualified, either, remember?"

"Oh, right." She'd almost forgotten that Merle's partner had died before they ever had the chance to perform the Lovers' Maneuver. "Well, what about my sister? She may have some idea…" Yume's voice trailed off, realizing that was dumb suggestion. Even if Sora had passed Fool's qualification tests before, the qualifications for the Lovers' Maneuver were bound to be different. Besides, Fool had told her it was something Mikhail had to realize himself - whatever that was supposed to mean.

"Damn it," he swore, yanking his left skate off his foot. "All that training, and it's going to amount to nothing." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Maybe I'm just not meant to be your partner…"

"Misha, don't say that." Yume slid closer toward him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You're the only partner I ever want, both on and off the ice."

"But what if I never qualify to do the Lovers' Maneuver? I know how important it was for you."

"You're more important to me," she said. "Of course it'll be disappointing if we never get the chance to perform it, but as long as we're together, I'll be happy."

"Yume…"

Standing back up, Yume offered her hand to him. "Enough worrying about it," she said, smiling as not to let on just how disappointed she really was. Mikhail was already feeling guilty enough. "Come on, let's do something to take our minds off things for a little while."

He looked up in surprise. "Don't you have plans? I thought your parents were supposed to be arriving from Japan today."

"They are, but not until really late. My mother said not to worry about meeting them at the airport, since I'll probably already be asleep by then."

Mikhail quickly finished changing into his sneakers, then took Yume's hand and jumped to his feet. "What did you have in mind?" he asked, throwing his skate bag over his shoulder.

"Hmm, we could watch a movie," she suggested as they left the rink. She wrapped an arm around his middle, snuggling close. "Pilar lent me a Blu-Ray of The Cutting Edge the other day. I've never seen it before, but Pilar says all figure skaters are required to watch it at least once in their lives."

"I'm not really in the mood for a movie."

Yume mentally bonked herself on the head. If she wanted to get his mind off the Lovers' Maneuver, suggesting they watch a skating movie was probably not the best idea. "How about going out to eat, then? Clarissa was just raving about this new French restaurant Jason took her to. The food is supposed to be really delicious."

"I'm not hungry right now, either. Maybe we can go another time."

"Oh, okay. Marine Park?"

"Too crowded."

She was quickly running out of date ideas. "Well, I guess we can always just stay in," she said. "I can think of one or two things we can do to pass the time…"

"Actually, I think I'd rather be alone for a while," Mikhail said, pulling away. "I'm sorry, Yume. I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I don't think I'll be very good company right now."

"Misha…"

"Go hang out with your friends. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

He turned toward her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll come by your room a little later," he said. "Maybe then I'll feel like watching a movie or going out to eat."

"Promise?" Yume didn't like the idea of leaving Mikhail alone when he was feeling so down, but she was beginning to understand that sometimes he needed some private time to process things.

"Promise."

Yume spent the rest of the afternoon in her dorm room, watching the movie Pilar had lent her by herself.

As the credits began to play, Yume turned it off and let out a sigh. She liked the movie well enough, but watching Kate and Doug fall in love and win the Olympic gold by performing the impossible Pamchenko Twist hit a little too close to home. If only real life was like a movie…

She pushed open the sliding doors leading out to the balcony and stepped outside. As it was late July, the California heat was almost blistering, but a light ocean breeze provided some much-needed relief. Yume leaned against the railing and looked down at the beach below, thinking it might be nice to go for a swim.

The beach was deserted, save for a lone figure sitting on a sand dune some distance away. Shielding her eyes from the bright sun, Yume squinted, wondering who the person was. The figure appeared to be a blond-haired male, but he was too far away to determine more than that. "Misha?" she wondered aloud.

She went back inside her dorm and changed into a pair of cut-off shorts and a tank top. She then headed down to the beach, jogging over to where the man sat. As she suspected, it was Mikhail, who gave her a small smile when he spotted her.

"Hey, feeling better?" Yume asked, taking a seat beside him on the sand dune.

Mikhail sat back on his hands. "Not really," he said, his smile disappearing.

"Misha, it's not that big of a-"

He shook his head, even before she could finish her sentence. "Don't say that. I know you're lying. You're the one who wanted to perform the Lovers' Maneuver the most, but because I'm lacking -"

"You're not 'lacking' anything!"

"According to Fool, I am." He dug his fingers into the sand. "Tell me, Yume, what do you have that I don't? Is it a connection to the audience? I know you're a better performer than I am…"

"But you've really improved your performance level as of late," Yume reminded him, linking one of her arms through his and resting her head on his shoulder. "Even Mia was impressed with your portrayal of Frost at the last rehearsal. If you weren't a good enough performer, I don't think Fool would have ever appeared to you in the first place."

"Then what is it? It's driving me crazy that I can't figure it out."

"Misha… There's no rush. I know everybody was hoping we would be ready by opening day of the show, but it doesn't really matter when we do the Lovers' Maneuver. We can take a break, and maybe after a while -"

"But what if I'm never ready? What if Fool never says I'm qualified?" Mikhail said, interrupting her. "Would you really be okay with that, Yume? Are you sure you want me as your partner?"

"I told you already that you are the only partner I want."

"Even if it means that you will never be able to perform the Lovers' Maneuver?"

"I…" Yume paused, uncertain as to how to answer. Was being with Mikhail worth the possibility that she might never reach her goal, to prove to herself that she was just as much a star as Sora?

"Yeah, I thought so," Mikhail said with a sigh, standing back up.

"Misha, wait." She jumped to her feet and came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I love you - nothing will ever change that, okay?"

"But what about -"

"It doesn't matter," she said, tightening her hold on him. "I won't lie and say I wouldn't be disappointed if we were never able to do the Lovers' Maneuver, but if you weren't in my life anymore… I would be even more devastated."

"Yume…" He gently disengaged himself from her embrace and turned around to face her. "Are you sure?"

Yume threw her arms around his neck and kissed him in reply. "Does that answer your question? Aishiteru, Misha. I love you so, so much."

Smiling, Mikhail reached up and caressed her cheek. "I- I love you, too, Yume. Ya lyublyu tebya vsem serdtsem."

Her heart bursting with happiness, Yume craned her neck upwards as Mikhail leaned forward for another kiss, but before their lips could meet, she saw something sparkling out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head toward the light, causing Mikhail to kiss her on the top of her head instead, and gasped when she saw what - or more precisely, who - it was.

"Fool?"

The glowing Spirit of the Stage threw out his arms, bowing slightly. "Congratulations, Mikhail and Yume," he said. "You've just been judged worthy of learning the secrets of the Lovers' Maneuver."

For a long moment, neither of them reacted. Yume was afraid to believe it, discreetly pinching herself on the arm to make certain that she wasn't dreaming. Her eyes watered in a mixture of pain and joy, and she brought a hand to her mouth as Mikhail stepped forward.

"W-What?" he stuttered. "I qualified? B-But how? I don't understand…"

"The Lovers' Maneuver requires two things: absolute trust and an honest declaration of love," Fool explained, rolling his eyes. "You should have just told her how you felt a long time ago, you bozo!"

Looking back, Mikhail caught Yume's eye, and the two of them burst out laughing. Out of all the possible things…

"So, are you ready to hear what the Lovers' Maneuver is all about?" Fool asked when their laughter died down. "This is your last chance to back out. If you have any doubts, this is the moment to admit them."

Yume drew in a sharp breath. She had no doubts, but she couldn't be positive that Mikhail didn't. She relaxed, however, when she felt Mikhail reach for her hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

"We're ready," they said in unison.

It was almost time for the final act to begin.

Yume and Mikhail stood behind the barrier gate that led onto the ice, watching as all the other skaters performed an elaborate ensemble number. The two of them had changed into their costumes for the finale: a velvet tuxedo for him and a white lace dress for her, topped with a glittering gold tiara and short, shoulder-length veil. With the evil Queen Luna defeated and his engagement to her daughter Princess Selena called off, Prince Frost and Princess Seraphina had finally earned their happy ending, culminating in a royal wedding that would bring together the Kingdoms of Fire and Ice.

"Nervous?" Mikhail asked, reaching for Yume's hand and threading his fingers with hers.

Yume shook her head. It was strange. During her competitive years, she had often struggled with keeping her nerves in check before she skated, but today she was as cool and calm as the ice they skated on, not even a trace of fear despite how dangerous the Lovers' Maneuver would be. "You?"

"No, just excited," he said. "I never realized how fun it could be just to perform for an audience. No judges, no silly rules… I'm glad Coach Wong convinced me to join Kaleido Stage."

"Me, too. I wasn't sure when Sora first suggested I try out to become your new partner despite having no experience with pair skating, but it has turned out to be the best decision of my life."

"One minute until you two go on," Mia announced, coming up behind them and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Break a leg out there!"

Yume nodded and turned her attention to the audience. The lighting was low, making it difficult to make out individual faces, but she knew the general area where her parents, Sora, and her family were sitting, along with Coach Palmer and her husband. Ekaterina and Mikhail's mother were also there, sitting a few rows back. Yume had yet to personally meet Anastasia Vladimirova, but her parents had invited Mikhail and his family out for dinner after the show - a situation that made her much more nervous than the death-defying act they were about to perform.

A change of music signaled their entrance, and a stagehand opened the gate, allowing Mikhail and Yume to glide across the "aisle" created in the space between the other pairs to the center of the ice. As soon as they got in their opening pose - facing each other and holding hands while staring into each other's eyes - the rest of the skaters filed off, giving them the audience's full attention.

Before they performed the Lovers' Maneuver, they needed to perform the rest of the romantic program Mia had choreographed for them. They had skated the program many times before in practice, but never with such passion, especially on Mikhail's part. Several times, Yume actually felt a shiver run up her spine as he touched her, and it took all her willpower not to stop what they were doing and kiss him. As for her, her jumps had never been higher or lighter, their side-by-side spins were in complete unison, and the triple twist she had only recently mastered was fast enough that she could have easily made it a quadruple.

"Ready?" Mikhail asked as he pulled her up from their final element, a dramatic death spiral, before the main event.

Taking in a deep breath, Yume nodded.

Mikhail lifted Yume high above his head, then began spinning in place - slowly at first, yet gaining speed with every turn. In order not to feel dizzy, Yume closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her body perfectly still. The sound of her heartbeat pounded in her ears, but she felt no fear as Mikhail continued to spin her around, trusting that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

They had already agreed on a signal beforehand to give each other when they were ready to move onto the main part of the Lovers' Maneuver. Once Mikhail achieved the optimal speed, he let out a wordless shout, which Yume answered by reaching for the hand pressed against her back and tapping it. Using all of his strength, he then tossed Yume as high as he could in the air.

The law of gravity stated that whatever went up must come down, yet Yume hovered high above the still-spinning Mikhail's head, appearing to all present as if she was literally floating on air. In a way, that was actually true, for Mikhail had become like a tornado beneath her, spinning at such high velocity that Yume could feel the wind he produced lifting her upwards.

"This is incredible!" Yume thought, twisting her body so she could look down at Mikhail. He was nothing but a blue blur on the ice, somehow managing to increase the speed of his spin even more.

As for the audience, they sat in complete silence, staring up at Yume with awe as she began performing a series of twists, flips, and splits. Fool told her to just let loose once she was in the air, so that's exactly what she did, moving her body in whatever way she wanted. Never had she felt such absolute freedom.

A part of her wished she could stay like that forever, flying above the ice for all eternity, but of course, that was impossible. Sensing that the tornado beneath her was beginning to slow down, Yume relaxed her body and again closed her eyes as she began her descent back to Earth. For her, this was the most dangerous part of the maneuver, yet she remained calm, knowing that Mikhail wouldn't let her fall.

Sure enough, she fell straight into Mikhail's waiting arms - strong, gentle, and secure. The audience had yet to make a sound, still under the spell the Lovers' Maneuver had cast over everyone. The only thing Yume heard was Mikhail's heavy breathing as he attempted to catch his breath after undergoing such exertion.

"Are you okay?" she whispered, finally opening her eyes and looking up at Mikhail's flushed face.

He nodded. "You?"

"I feel amazing."

"Good," he said, smiling down at her before lowering his head to give Yume the longest, most passionate kiss she had ever experienced.

It was at that point that the audience jumped to their feet and started to cheer, the applause almost deafening.

Yume sat alone at her vanity in the dressing room after the show, still euphoric after the incredible experience she had just had. The Lovers' Maneuver had been everything she had expected - and more. She doubted even winning an Olympic gold medal would have compared to the applause they received that night. Closing her eyes, she relived the moment in her mind for what seemed like the hundredth time since they had taken their bows but was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"Come in!" Yume said, grabbing a nearby brush and pulling it through her hair.

She assumed it would be Mikhail, coming to see if she was ready for dinner, so she was surprised to see Sora's reflection in the mirror as she entered the room, carrying a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses.

"Onee-chan!" Yume set down the brush and ran over to greet her.

"Congratulations, Yume," Sora said, handing her the bouquet. "You were amazing out there! I don't think I breathed the entire time you were up in the air. It really looked like you were flying. I'm so, so, so proud of you!"

Yume felt her cheeks flush. Out of all the people in the audience she wanted to impress, Sora - her idol - was by far the most important. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without Misha, though. He's the best partner I could have asked for. I don't think I can ever thank you enough for convincing me to come here to try out to be his new partner."

"You already have," she said, smiling, although Yume thought her eyes looked a little watery, as if she was trying to hold back tears. "Just seeing you so happy is all the thanks I need."

"Sora…" Feeling a little choked up herself, Yume hugged her older sister, burying her face in Sora's shoulder. "Thank you."

They stayed like that for a long moment, until another knock on the door caught Yume's attention. She wiped away the tears that had unwittingly rolled down her cheeks with the sleeve of her robe, then walked over to answer the door.

That time it was Mikhail, already dressed in a nice tie and blazer.

"Are you about - Hey, are you okay?" he asked, noticing that she had been recently crying.

Yume smiled, showing him in. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a little emotional, that's all. It's been a big day."

"Yeah, I suppose it has." He nodded to Sora. "Hello, Mrs. Ro- I mean, Sora."

"Better," Sora said, grinning with approval as she walked over to Mikhai and gave him a friendly hug. "Congratulations to you, too. You were fantastic out there."

Taken by surprise, Mikhail didn't seem to know how to react, only managing to stutter out a small, "Thank you."

"Anyway, I'll give you two some privacy," she said, releasing him to give Yume another hug. "I'll tell Otou-san and Okaa-san you'll meet us in about ten minutes, okay?"

"Thanks, Sora."

Once she had left, Yume fell into Mikhail's waiting embrace. "Tell me that this isn't a dream, Misha. Did we really just perform the Lovers' Maneuver? Somehow, it almost doesn't seem real."

"It's definitely real," Mikhail assured her, kissing her on the forehead. "It's a dream come true." He brushed a piece of loose hair back behind her ear. "You're a dream come true, Yume."

"Oh, Misha…"

"Aww, look at the little lovebirds," another male voice said, breaking up the romantic mood between them. "See, I told you it would all work out in the end. My fortune-telling never lies."

Sighing, Yume turned around and frowned when she saw the Spirit of the Stage floating by the door. "What are you still doing here, Fool?" she asked, holding her robe tightly closed with her hand. "I thought you would disappear once we did the Lovers' Maneuver."

"Oh, don't pretend you're not happy to still be able to see me, Yume Naegino," Fool said. "After all, don't you want to become a real Kaleido Star?"

"A real Kaleido Star?"

"Well, Sora is retiring, right? That means Kaleido Stage is currently without a top star. Rosetta is a great performer, but she's never been able to quite match Sora's shine. You, on the other hand, you have the same shine as Sora and Layla - someone who is truly destined for the stage."

"But I'm a figure skater, Fool," Yume reminded him. "Even if Fire & Ice remains a hit, Kaleido Stage isn't going to suddenly become a full-time ice theater."

"Then you will just have to become a trapeze artist, too," Mikhail said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist

"Misha?" She craned her neck to look back at him. "What are you saying? I can't just -"

"One thing I've learned about you, Yume, is that if you set your mind on something, there's nothing you can't do."

"B-But -"

"Besides, it might be fun to try the trapeze," he continued. "I watched a little bit of Rosetta's and Rebecca's routine during the show. Some of those maneuvers they performed were just incredible."

"Wait!" Yume pivoted around to face him. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked. "You really want to try the trapeze?"

"Yes, I do. If that's what you want to do, I'm with you, absolutely." Reaching for her hands, he gave them a light squeeze. "So, what do you say? Do you want to try to become a true Kaleido Star?"

"I-I-"

Yume couldn't believe it. Even when she had briefly considered Rosetta's suggestion to take up the trapeze, she never imagined that Mikhail would want to try it, too. That was part of the reason why she never seriously considered the idea. But if Mikhail's offer was genuine…

There was only one answer she could give.

"Let's do it, Misha," Yume said. "Let's become true Kaleido Stars!"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Finally, after well over five-plus years, this story is done! Thank you to everybody who has stuck around to the end. I'm sorry that it took way longer to post this chapter than I originally planned, but I had a bit of writer's block, on top of having fell and injured my hand about a month ago, making it impossible to do any serious typing. I hope the wait was worth it! (By the way, despite ending on a bit of a sequel hook, I have no plans to write a sequel to this story. I just don't have a lot of time to write anymore, unfortunately.)

Aishiteru - Japanese for "I love you."

Ya lyublyu tebya vsem serdtsem. - Russian for "I love you with all my heart."