Sora and Layla waved goodbye as Cathy drove off. Sora wondered out loud, "I don't understand what she said, but it sure sounded pretty." Layla paused and pondered at Cathy's prose. She thought, "Cathy reads people very well... I think I'm beginning to understand what she meant. But she obviously knows something that I don't." Layla's lips drew to a taut line. "I'll just have to adlib." She turned to Sora. "How's your sea legs, Sora?" Sora's eyes widened in realization. "They're as good as ever, captain." Layla smiled warmly. "Good. You'll be needing them." They check out a yacht from the caretakers and set out of the harbor. Sora watched as Layla manned the helm. "I didn't know you can sail, Layla." "I learned in between rehearsals. The schedule isn't as hectic as Kaleido Stage's." Layla sailed to a good anchor point and set the anchor down. She invited Sora to watch the sunset with her. They exchanged very few words as they watched the sun set together. After the sun had set, a boat sailed to their side. Cathy waved from the other side. "I've got some stuff for you!" Cathy came aboard with a crew man and brought a few bags with them. Sora recognized her duffle bag as Cathy handed it to her. "Sarah helped me pick these. I hope that's fine with you." "Umm... yes... thank you." Sora accepted the bag gratefully. The scent of chicken wafted through the air. She turned around to see the crew man unpacking food on the coffee table. "Wow." When he was done, Cathy turned to Layla and Sora. "Well, then, maybe I'll see you both tomorrow?" "Maybe." replied Layla. She smiled gratefully. "And thanks for all your help." "No thanks needed. I'm having fun too." Cathy smirked mischievously. "Anyway, good night, ladies!" With that, Cathy returned to the other boat. Layla waved back. "I bet you are." thought Layla. When the boat was out of sight, she turned to Sora. "Dinner?" "After you, captain!" said Sora brightly. As they sat down for dinner, Sora noticed a pair of lit candles and wine glasses along with the appetizing entrees. The cabin's lights were dimmed as well. It all seemed strangely romantic. They ate dinner quietly. Sora was so happy to be dining with Layla, and she didn't want to say anything to spoil the mood. "Tonight, it's just me and Layla." she thought. Yuuri's proposal and Ken's confession weighed heavily in her mind. "Nothing will come out of worrying about it right now." she consoled herself. "Who knows what will happen in the future. But for now, all I can see is you. I don't know how long this moment will last, but I'm grateful that you chose to spend it with me." She pushed her doubts aside. All that mattered was that Layla was here with her, and only her. When they finished, they put the dishes away. Layla gestured to the bathroom. "Feel free to take a shower." When Sora heard shower, she instantly looked around the cabin and in the bathroom. "I hope he didn't stow away..." Sora thought. Layla was perplexed with Sora's behavior. "What are you looking for Sora?" Sora cupped her fist into her palm. "Oh that's right!" She turned to Layla. "If you see Fool, let me know right away!" "Why?" "He always tries to watch me shower." "Oh." What Sora said began to sink in. "What?! But doesn't he just pass through walls and stuff?" "No, he can't. That's why we have to catch him if he's here." "In that case, go and shower. I'll guard the door." With that, they took turns showering and guarding. When they were finished and dressed, Layla asked, "Do you want to view the stars?" "Yes, I'd love to." "In that case, help me with the telescope." Layla opened a cabinet and gestured to a high performance telescope. Together, they brought it to the upper deck and set it up. Layla showed Sora how to adjust the lens and identified several constellations. "Do you know where Sagittarius and Leo are?" asked Sora. "Yes. Sagittarius is over here... and Leo is... over there..." Layla directed Sora to point at the appropriate location. They looked at a few more stars until Layla began to yawn. "Oh, pardon me..." Layla guessed that her medication was making her a bit sleepy. Sora noticed the yawn. "Why don't we go down and get ready for bed?" Layla sat up. "That's a great idea!" They put away the telescope. Then they proceeded to change for bed. Layla opened the suitcase that Cathy left in the cabin at the upper deck and looked for something to wear for bed. She found her favorite style of negligee and remembered the look on Sora's face when she wore it in her room. Suddenly, a thought struck her and she looked around for Fool. She realized now that when Sora asked her not to wear the negligee, she was trying to protect her from Fool's prying eyes. "Hah... and I thought it was only you who would see me in it..." she ran her hand over the negligee. "Only you..." Layla undressed and put on the negligee. She thought about Fool's card and the connection to Yuuri's proposal and Ken's behavior. The possibilities indicated by the card cast a shadow over her heart, but Cathy's soliloquy seems to suggest another path. "Which path is it?" Layla asked herself. She closed her eyes and imagined, "What's at the end of the path? What will I find there... no... what do I want to find there? Fortune be damned! I have always set my goals to my future self. And this time, the future I want, is a future with..." A knock on the door interrupted her reverie. Layla opened the door. "Yes?" "I just wanted to wish you good night. And thank you for star gazing with me." "Oh. You're welcome." An idea popped into her head. "Since you like star gazing, let me show you something." Layla drew Sora into the cabin and closed the door behind her. She grabbed a remote control and motioned Sora to sit on the bed. "Please sit down." Sora obeyed and Layla sat next to her. With the remote, she turned off the lights in the cabin and turned on the converter. There was a clicking noise and the ceiling of the cabin split in half lengthwise. The ceiling and sides folded themselves along the walls of the cabin. When the mechanisms stopped, the cabin gave a breath taking view of the night sky. "Wow!" said Sora as she gazed at the sky. She turned to Layla. "This is great, Layla! You can just sit here and watch the sky." "Isn't it? Father had the cabin modified for me." As Layla looked into Sora's eyes, she was struck by the sudden luminance and depth of Sora's eyes. She gazed with bewilderment at those eyes shining like golden brown plates against the backdrop of a silver moon behind Sora. As she wondered if Fool was playing tricks with her eyes, Sora murmured, "You're so radiant tonight, Layla." It was then that she realized that she was seeing her own reflection within Sora's eyes. Layla's eyes softened as she said, "That's because... you're here." Sora's eyes grew wide and Layla smiled gently as she caressed Sora's cheek. "Don't you see? It's your star that shines in me." Sora blushed and Layla's fingertips delighted at her warmth. "When you shine, I shine as well. And when I shine, you do as well." Not knowing what to do, Sora just stared at Layla. The light from the moon illuminated Layla as if she were a goddess. The moonlight made her damp hair glisten and shine. Her skin radiated with a pale glow. "Are you still unsure?" Layla took Sora's hand and laid it on her cheek. Sora's hand felt warm against her cheek, and she felt her own cheek respond in kind. Layla whispered, "I'm here, right now. How can I shine like this without you? Without... my partner?" Sora's eyes began to fill with tears. Her hand slipped down to Layla's shoulder and closed with a gentle pull. Layla understood the movement with intuitive ease, and pulled Sora close to her that a sudden shudder rushed through her spine. "Is something wrong, Layla-san?" Sora felt Layla tremble slightly in her arms. She relaxed her hold on Layla, but Layla drew her back. "It's nothing... it's just that... this feels so... familiar." Layla smiled inwardly with nostalgia as she remembered how they held each other as the boat rocked on the open sea. And then she recalled the conversation they had before they went to bed. She leaned back and pulled Sora with her onto the bed. Sora gasped as they plopped down on the covers. Layla cupped Sora's chin. "You stole something from me, so I'm going to take something from you." "Eh?! What did I steal?" "My heart." With that Layla captured Sora's lips. The pressure of Sora's lips upon her own was almost electric. It spurred her on and she kissed with all the raging fire since their last night on a boat. "I have made my leap towards my future... will you catch me or will I fall?", she thought as she released Sora and drew back to see Sora's reaction. Sora was too stunned to think. A bright light had enveloped her and she was overwhelmed by its warmth. As she floated within the light, a outline of a person appeared before her. A hand extended as if it were waiting to be received in midair. Sora instinctively reached out and grabbed the person's wrist. She pulled the person up and into an embrace. The brightness faded and she heard someone calling her name. She opened her eyes and beheld Layla's concerned face. She caressed Layla's face to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. Soon, she regained her senses. "Layla kissed me. Me. Of all people." she thought happily. She thought of all the times they practiced and performed together. She remembered the feeling as she flew with Layla during the Mystical Act. Her eyes wandered to Layla's injured shoulder and back to Layla's face. "I have to do something." Sora leaned forward and kissed Layla's shoulder. Layla was startled at Sora's action. "Sora?" "Marion said that in the US, if you kiss a booboo it will get better soon." explained Sora. "I want it to get better soon, so we can be partners forever." Relief flooded Layla's face and she felt the joyous sting of tears well up in her eyes. "We don't have to wait for my shoulder to heal to do that. We can become partners forever anytime!" "Really?" "Yes." She held Sora closer. "Have you ever been to Boston?" "When we go there, we can make our partnership official." "Wow! Let's go there tomorrow!" Layla chuckled at Sora's enthusiasm. She cupped Sora's face in her hand. "But first... we have a performance to fin-- mmmph!!!" Layla was surprised at Sora's sudden kiss. It was abrupt but playful. Sora drew back. "I dare you to catch me, pirate." she whispered. "I accept your challenge!" Layla captured Sora's lips again. "Now, you're mine!" she declared to herself. Together they staged a performance for an audience no other than themselves. It was a performance filled with daring, of desire, of passion and excitement. Their breathing rose and fell with reassuring movements which traced spirals and patterns across their stage. When their hearts began to beat as one, they rose higher and higher to finally explode in a shower of stars which gathered together to form a bridge between their souls. "And thus was the prediction fulfilled." said Fool who confirmed the fortune with his crystal ball. " And as for your future... together you will fly with the stars above."
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