Layla sat on the couch and watched Sora's and Rosetta's recorded performance. It was remarkable how the young Diablos genius had come so far. She watched as Sora reached out for Rosetta, and Rosetta took hold of Sora's hand as a princess who had just found her long lost prince. "Princess? What?" Layla took the remote and rewound the scene. She watched it again and was touched by the tenderness of Rosetta's performance. It was like watching a pair of lovers trying to make up for lost time. Layla bit her lower lip. She felt envious. It should be her and Sora in that scene. To reach for Sora, to take her in her arms, to look in her eyes as they spun towards the climax. It should have been her. Layla gingerly touched the bandages on her right shoulder. The surgery was a success and she was grateful that science was now able to repair her shoulder. Now, all that was needed was time. "I will make up for lost time. For sure. For sure." Layla said out loud. The door bell rang. Layla heard her maid scurry to answer it. Layla watched the performance a bit more and then turned it off. Layla thought, "If I keep watching it, it only makes me want ..." "Miss, you have a guest." announced the maid. A pair of footsteps echoed through the hallway. Layla turned to greet the guest. Her eyes widened in recognition. "...Sora..." Her name slowly rolled over her tongue in an astonished whisper. "Layla-san..." Layla's name caught in her throat. She hadn't seen Layla for over 2 years. To see Layla before her shook her very being and she reveled in the joy of her presence. The silence between them was deafening. "Umm..." "So..." Both paused to let the other finish. Then Sora smiled and giggled. Infected by Sora's giggle, Layla giggled as well. "You look great, Layla-san." "And you as well." Layla walked closer to Sora until they were just under a foot apart. "It seems that you've gotten taller as well." Layla glanced down. "And filled out a bit more..." she thought and was pleased that Sora had grown well in many ways. "Come have a seat." Layla gestured to the couch. "Thank you." Sora seated herself on one side of the couch. Layla walked over and seated herself right next to Sora. "So what brings you here?" "when I heard from Kate that you were coming home to recuperate, so I wanted to be the first to welcome you back." Sora fumbled with her fingers nervously. She didn't expect Layla to sit next to her. She glanced over at Layla's shoulder. "How's your shoulder?" "It is doing quite well. In a week or two, I should be able to do without the sling." said Layla proudly. "That's great! And when it's all healed, will you... will you go back to the stage?" "Of course! That's why I'm here." beamed Layla. "I can't wait Layla-san!" exclaimed Sora. "Kaleido Stage will be even better when you come back!" "Wonderful!" said Fool who clapped his hands at the prospect of Layla returning to the stage. "Oh? Fool is still here?" asked Layla in wonderment. "Er... yeah... Fool, stop following me around!" scolded Sora. And then she realized something. She turned to Layla. "You can still see Fool?" "Whenever you're around, he shows up here and there. Sometimes I see him behind a door." replied Layla. Sora hoped that Fool didn't get any chance to peep at Layla. She decided to scold him more when she got home. Meanwhile, Fool had laid out his cards as usual. "Don't bother, Fool." chided Sora. "You usually predict bad stuff anyway. I'd rather not hear it." But Fool had picked a card and held it up in front of him. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped visibly. "I think my deck needs more shuffling..." said Fool. He was about to return the card when Layla plucked it from his hand. "No... wait... " protested Fool and tried to take the card back before Layla saw it. But Layla saw the card before Fool grabbed it back. What she saw made her heart flutter. She wasn't sure what it meant, and she began to imagine the possibilities. Fool floated a bit further away and shuffled his deck. He spread it out and picked. His smile faded as he read the card, and read it again. Sora watched Fool's reaction and the subsequent dumbfounded look. She leaned forward and rested her head between her hands. "What's wrong, Fool? Is it the same card?" asked Sora. "How... how... did you know?!" exclaimed Fool with a surprised gesture. Sora straightened up and threw her hands up. "I just guessed. You do so much fortune telling, so I can sometimes tell what you're thinking." explained Sora. "Even if half of what you're thinking is some utterly perverted thing..." thought Sora inwardly. "So what is it?" Sora leaned forward and reached for the card. "Nothing... nothing you should worry about... " Fool shielded the card and floated further away. He made a hasty bow. "Allow me to give you both some time alone." And with that, Fool floated up and away. "Hey!" Sora grabbed empty air in vain. She stood puzzled over Fool's behavior. "Sheesh... why didn't he tell me? He always tells me..." thought Sora. Layla clenched her fist on her lap. The card troubled her. "I need to know... no... I must know!" thought Layla inwardly. She mustered up her determination. "Sora..." "Yes?" "Do you have some time?" Sora nodded. "I have the rest of the day off and the week as well. Kaleido stage is on break." "That's great!" beamed Layla. She grabbed Sora's hand. "Come with me, then." She lead Sora out of the living room. "Ummm... " Sora followed Layla with curiosity. "Where are we going, Layla-san?" Sora followed Layla through a couple of hallways. Layla pushed on a set of double doors and they entered a large room with a high ceiling. "Oh, I remember now! This is your practice room!" Sora was impressed that Layla had her own practice room. Layla opened a nearby drawer and took out a shoulder and arm brace. She took off the sling and started to put it on. "Are you... going to practice?!" Sora was alarmed because of Layla's healing shoulder. "But ... your shoulder!" "It's alright." said Layla. "I've done it a couple times already. The brace prevents my shoulder from moving, so it's fine." "But... isn't that a little reckless?" Layla stopped adjusting the brace and blinked a couple times. "I'm surprised to hear that from you, O most reckless of all." Layla said jokingly. "What? Me?" Sora pointed to herself. "Yes, you. Or do I have to recount every instance where I had to catch you when you fell?" "Oh. OH!" Sora rubbed the back of her head nervously and laughed her embarrassment away. "Er, did you need help?" "Sure... can you tighten these straps?" After Layla adjusted the brace, they mounted opposite platforms and faced each other. Layla unhooked a loop of rope and slipped it over one ankle. Sora quickly understood and did the same. "Are you ready?" Layla's voice echoed an invitation across the room. Sora nodded. "Yes!" She swung herself from the platform as Layla launched from hers. She met Layla at the middle and clasped her left hand with Layla's. Although Layla's right arm was bound, her performance did not diminish. For this, Sora's heart soared with relief and she sought to complement each graceful pose, each gentle gesture and each elegant movement. A feeling of peace filled her heart and she almost cried with happiness. "This... I missed this so much, Layla-san..." she thought. "I missed you so much..." Sora's mouth formed soundless words. Layla reveled with the joy of soaring through the air with Sora. Her body seemed to move on its own and wove complicated maneuvers in tandem with Sora. When she got a chance to, she locked eyes with Sora, and hoped that she felt the same. She was not disappointed and her heart soared even more. "Of all the stages that I have been on, the one that excites me the most is..." Suddenly, the door opened. The maid came in and bowed. "I'm very sorry, but another guest has come to see you." Layla looked over at Sora and Sora nodded in understanding. They pushed against each other using their palms and swung back to the other side. Layla turned to Sora. "Sora, we'll have to continue this some other time." "Anytime you want, Layla-san. Just let me know." replied Sora. She descended the platform and helped Layla out of the brace. They went out to meet the new guest. Cathy lounged comfortably in Layla's lazyboy. Judging by the snacks and dishes on the coffee table, Layla had another guest. She helped herself to the last piece of pie as she waited patiently for Layla. Finally, Layla emerged from the doorway followed by Sora. Cathy arched her left eyebrow. She didn't expect the other guest to be Sora. Judging by their flushed appearance, she guessed what they had been doing and sighed inwardly. Instinctively, she realized what Layla's answer would be to her proposal. But she had to at least try. Smiling she got up and extended her left hand to greet Layla. "Layla! You look great. It looks like the surgery went well, huh?" Layla shook Cathy's hand. "It's good to see you. How's the show?" "Pretty good. So good in fact, the sponsor wants to do one of my other plays and will back the entire production." "Oh, which one?" "Revolutionary Girl Lillia." Layla grinned widely. "Good one!" She sat down on the couch and picked up a glass of water. "So who's the lead?" She tipped the glass to drink. Cathy plopped down unto the lazyboy. "Why, YOU of course." Layla fought not to spurt. "Wha--at? Why me? I certainly don't fit the tomboy type." "That's just how she dresses. What's more important is her character - strong willed, brave and noble. That fits you quite well." Layla laughed. "You should know flattery won't get you anywhere." "But it's true!" Cathy turned to Sora and gave her a wink. "Don't you think so, Sora?" "Well... Layla-san did a few male roles in past performances, so I'm sure she can do it." "Not quite the answer I expected, but..." thought Cathy. "See? Even Sora says so." Cathy glanced quickly over to Sora. "She looks a bit troubled." Cathy noted to herself. "I'm really honored that you asked me first, but I'm sorry, Cathy. I have to decline." Layla said firmly. Cathy watched Sora at the edge of her vision. Sora seemed to look relieved at Layla's decision. She leaned back and sighed. "Well, if you don't want to, I suppose I can't convince you otherwise. You're too strong-willed." she said jokingly. Layla laughed softly. "You should know that best." Cathy put the script on the coffee table. "Here's a copy of the script. If you change your mind, let me know. And, if you don't mind, let me ask you one more thing." "What?" "Can I have another piece of pie?" "Of course, help yourself." "Thanks! Here, let me carry some dishes back." Cathy began to gather the empty dishes and glasses. "Wait, let me call the maid..." as soon as she said it, the doorbell rang. "Looks like she'll be busy. Don't worry, I know my way." "More like your stomach knows the way." said Layla jokingly. "Heh... that too." "Umm... let me help too!" Sora gathered the other dishes and silverware. She wanted Layla to have some time for her new guest, so she jumped at the chance to leave the room. Layla watched as Cathy and Sora left the room. She had to admit, the play tempted her. But she had made up her mind when she performed with Sora earlier. She picked up her pie and nibbled a bit while waiting for her next guest. Finally, the maid opened the door. "Hello, Layla. It's been a while." "Yuuri! How are you? How was Paris?" "I'm fine. And you look as good as ever." replied Yuuri. He told her about the time he spent in Paris. In exchange, Layla recounted her shows in Broadway. Meanwhile, Cathy and Sora cleaned up the dishes and prepared more pie and drinks. They were walking back to the living room when they overhead Yuuri. "I love you, Layla. Go out with me!" Cathy and Sora stopped in their tracks. They immediately moved and stood with their backs against the outside wall of the living room to eavesdrop. "Oh. Maybe that's what it meant..." Fool floated near the door. "Fool!" With lightning speed, Sora grabbed Fool. "What do you mean, Fool? Tell me!" Sora tried to keep her voice down as much as she can. "The... card... *gasp* ... means ... a special person... find ... heart... bond ... forever..." Fool began to turn blue. "Ok, I'm going to let go, but you better promise to tell me." demanded Sora. Fool nodded and Sora freed him from her grasp. Fool took several gasping breaths. When he got his wind back, he flicked his hand in a grand gesture and produced the card he drew before. He showed it to Sora and explained, "The Lovers. To the fortune seeker, it means that a special person will find a path to the seeker's heart. The seeker will shine the brightest with this person and will forge a bond that will last forever. With this bond, the seeker and this person become complete." Fool paused and looked in Layla's direction. "I wanted to do a fortune to celebrate Layla's return. Judging by what's going right now, it seems that the wheel of fortune is turning for Layla." Sora's hand flew to her mouth. "Are you saying that this card predicts that Layla will find her true love?!" Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Cathy's concerned eyes. "Are you alright, Sora?" Cathy was puzzled at Sora's behavior. It seemed that Sora was grabbing empty air and talking to herself. "Umm... I... I'm fine... I was... just surprised..." explained Sora in a halting voice. For some reason, the air seemed unusually and hard to breathe. "I guess... we should give them some time alone?" She spoke the words slowly as if poison barbs were in her throat. Just then the door bell rang. "Oh, looks like Layla has more guests." said Cathy. A phone started ringing in the other room just as the maid hurried by. Yuuri's voice carried to the hallway as he answered the call. Soon, the door opened, and Yuuri walked out. He paused when he saw Sora and Cathy, and then nodded a quick hello. He walked away while talking on the phone and made his way to the inner courtyard. Cathy turned to Sora. "well, shall we go in?" asked Cathy. Sora nodded and they made their way into the living room. They set down the pie and drinks on the table. After they had done so, the maid ushered in the new guests. "Ken! Rosetta!" exclaimed Sora. "What are you doing here?" "We heard that Layla was in town, so we came by to welcome her back." said Ken. Ken offered Layla a bouquet of flowers. "We got these for you." "Thank you, Ken how nice." replied Layla. "Cathy, can you help me find a vase for these?" "Sure!" Cathy took the flowers from Ken and left the living room. "How long will you be staying, Layla-san." asked Ken. "Hopefully, for a while. When my shoulder heals, you better have the stage ready for me." said Layla proudly. "Really! That would be something! Right, Rosetta?" asked Ken. "The return of Layla Hamilton! Kaleido Stage will shine even brighter!" Rosetta struck a dramatic pose. They all laughed boisterously at Rosetta's pose. When they settled down, Rosetta asked "Hey, Layla, I heard that you co-starred with Mark Crewford in your last Broadway show. Is that true?" "Yes. I did." replied Layla. Layla answered their questions about the young popular actor. They were in a midst of a debate when the phone rang. A few moments later, the maid came in. "A call for you miss." The maid held a cordless phone in her hand. "Thank you." Layla turned to her guests. "Excuse me for a moment." Layla exited the room and took the call in the secure AV room to avoid eavesdroppers. Rosetta watched Layla leave. After a few moments of small talk, she touched Ken's shoulder reassuringly. "I have to go to the ladies room. I'll be right back." Rosetta quickly left the living room. "Ok, Ken. Go for it!" Rosetta thought and smiled inwardly. And then she walked around to find the ladies room. Layla paced the AV room. She glanced at the surveillance monitors to see what was going on in the living room. Her eyes widened as she saw Ken take hold of Sora's hands in what appeared to be a confession. Her hand almost dropped the phone when she saw Ken lean in. Ashamed of eavesdropping, she turned away. "What am I doing?" she thought. And then she heard the insistent caller on the phone. She had to end this call. Now. "No, thank you. Please check it again. Yes. That will be fine. Goodbye." Layla left the AV room and walked down the hallway aimlessly. She remembered the card that Fool had. She sighed and muttered, "I should have expected that... Sora has him..." "Has who?" asked Cathy who walked up behind Layla. She carried another helping of pie in her hand. When Layla turned toward her, she wasn't prepared for the look of loss on Layla's face. "Something's up... first Sora, now Layla... hmm..." She remembered Sora's words in the hallway. And then she remembered seeing Ken stumble onto Sora when she returned to the living room. It also occurred to her that Layla sometimes takes calls in the AV room where all the surveillance cameras in the house were located. As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, a mischievous grin spread across her face. She took Layla's arm. "Let's go this way." "But the living room is that way." said Layla. "I know. Don't ask. Just come with me." Cathy took out her cell phone. She proceeded to make a call. Cathy led Layla outside the mansion and to her parked car. Cathy increased the pitch of her voice to high school student levels. "Hello, may I speak to Sora please? It's about the stage. Yes, I can hold." "What are you up to?" Layla was now concerned that Cathy was going to force her to do the play. Cathy opened the door to her car. "Get in, please." She talked into the cell. "Sora. It's me. I have something you want. Please meet me outside, by the second gate. Come soon. Bye." Now Layla was curious. She decided to go along for now and sat in Cathy's car. A few moments later, Sora came over. Cathy gestured to the car. "Get in." Sora was about to protest, but she saw Layla in the car. She obediently got in as well. Cathy got into the driver's side and started the car. They drove away from the Hamilton mansion. "Umm... where are we going?" asked Sora. "Patience. You'll see." said Cathy. They arrived at the Hamilton's private dock. Cathy stopped the car. "Well, ladies, here we are. You can come out now." Layla knitted her brows as she and Sora got out of the car. "Why did you bring us here, Cathy?" With a sweeping gesture, Cathy made the dock her stage, and declaimed: I saw tribulation did thy tryst thrice beset. Fate's hand compelled me to take you away So that you may resume your stage today. Let your humble servant exit with regret To leave than to watch this story be told. Your stage is set, let your destiny unfold. She bowed and Sora and Layla clapped at her performance. "Well then, I'm off. I'll take care of the rest of the folks at your place." She waved farewell and smiled a mischievous grin. "Have fun, ladies."
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