Kaleido Star: Legendary Rose

Part 23: "Would an Amazing Resolve Be Enough?"

Phoenix General Hospital Chapel

Kate hugged Sora warmly.

Kate: "I did everything I could to hold him back…"

Sora: "No. That was not what was needed."

"Ken was going to come if he snuck off the grounds of Kaleido Stage alone at 3 AM and came to the Grand Canyon on one of those tours out of Las Vegas…"

"He loves me…"

And with every passing word, the tears flowed more readily…

"AND I LOVE HIM!"

The scream echoed through a mostly-empty chapel. The other people, exhausted from praying for their sick friends, family, whatever… They were all asleep. Mostly, the practice was frowned upon, but the chapel minister told Sora that it would be all right for at least the one night.

So Sora laid her head down, at first on Kate's lap.

Kate used this opportunity to check on Sora - and, as much as she could without the use of technology, on her baby, now getting on almost two months along.

She smiled. The contingent of doctors and trainers had done marvelous work. Sora's musculature was getting to the point which Kate recognized from Sora's first Legendary Great Maneuver attempt.

Her heart was in good shape - though not, at the moment, in good spirits.

So this was where the chapel minister was a most welcome sight, with two things.

First, the minister prayed for Sora. Sora, had she been awake, would probably have ordered him to go to Ken's room and pray for him.

He finished with his first "gift": an anointing of Sora.

Minister (in a whisper to Kate): "She needs the blessings for herself and her child, as much as for the father of that child. This is to ask God to give her what we call 'Sacred Sleep'."

Kate: "What's that?"

Minister: "Sora has had a lot asked of her by God in the last few weeks. It's almost as if He, if not someone else, is testing her."

Someone… No, something… joined Kate and the minister without them even knowing it.

The Fool just hovered there, arms folded.

Oh, Sora…

Could you not have known that this was what the "judge" was talking about?

At that point, the minister crossed Sora, and gave her a pillow for her Sacred Sleep.

Kaleido Stage Training Facility

Of course, the Legendary Great Maneuver attempt was not the only Paris International Circus Festival news coming from Kaleido Stage.

May Wong had announced the name, and the name only!, of the maneuver which she and Leon would attempt to defend their championship.

The Double Demon Corkscrew…

A complicated mass of ropes and trapezes had been set up in the training facility. One portion of it that Marion watched looked like the days of Dracula when Leon would fly through the air and invert to hook his foot into the rope.

But now both he and May were doing it - and they were working on getting it timed perfectly…

For that was only part of the issue…

Grand Canyon Training Facility

Layla couldn't believe the height that Rosetta was now getting.

In just the two days that Sora had now been gone to go after Ken, Rosetta was true to her promise.

Layla: "I can't help to say but I'm impressed at your hard work. Though I truly believe that you will succeed, Rosetta, I never thought you would be able to hold your end of the promise."

It was as if, a couple of times, Rosetta actually flew over Layla in her attempt. She then asked by spotters on the ground whether Rosetta was improving enough to meet Sora in the middle of the massive trapeze setup.

They told Layla that it was very possible that Rosetta was improving enough to do what was necessary to succeed in December.

Layla nodded. She was going to have to redouble her efforts to give Rosetta what she needed to be ready to work with Sora when she came back to the facility.

The Next Morning

Kaleido Stage - Yuri's Office

Yuri was about the only person to have a calm night about all this.

That changed when he got to the office to hear the phone almost ringing off the hook.

One call was from Layla to tell him how Rosetta was doing.

A second was from Kate, to tell him no progress was heard from Ken - and that Sora, though extremely shaken, seemed to have gotten to Phoenix all right.

And a third was from a very reluctant Mr. Milieu.

He had notified Yuri that an authorization was made that, under two very specific conditions, there would be two stipulations allowed for the Paris competition - for Sora and Rosetta to be allowed to try the Legendary Great Maneuver.

The conditions were:

First, once Sora, Rosetta, and Yuri (representing Kaleido Stage) agreed that the Legendary Great Maneuver would take place, that a six-figure performance bond would be put in escrow to be paid to the organizers of the event should an injury or other reason prevent the attempt. No one on the committee actually believed that anyone would be mad enough to try the Legendary Great Maneuver under the auspices of this competition, and they wanted to cover themselves in the event that the fans (both at the competition and on television) would not get what was advertised.

Second, that a disclaimer underscoring the ultimate danger of the stunt, as if to expect that Sora and Rosetta would fail the attempt, and then die. As was customary for the Paris Competition, there would be no net.

If those conditions were agreed to, then:

First, should Sora and Rosetta succeed in the Legendary Great Maneuver, they are champions of this year's competition - by acclamation. The perceived sheer lunacy of attempting the stunt in this context made the committee scoff so much that they made that a special case - and they would notify all other contestants of it in Paris.

Second (and most importantly to Yuri), the stunt would be performed the one place which had the apparatuses to pull it off: Kaleido Stage.

By that morning, the only necessary signatures were the waiver signatures by Rosetta and Sora. Yuri readily agreed (knowing that nothing would stop a legitimate Legendary Great Maneuver attempt), so all they needed was Sora and Rosetta to make it official.

Phoenix General Hospital

But Sora only had one thing on her mind at the moment, and it had little to do with the Legendary Great Maneuver or Paris.

Her "Sacred Sleep" had gone very well. (In fact, Kate got the same treatment from the minister once she passed out.) A bunch of the nurses made sure the two were well-fed, since no one seemed to know when (or if) Ken would awaken from his semi-coma.

The latter was what worried Sora the most.

Kate had made Sora contact Layla to let her know that she was all right - but that she would not be returning until she knew that Ken Robbins, the father of her baby, would be all right.

Layla agreed to that readily, knowing that Sora's full heart, strength, and soul had to be in the attempt - and, until then, Layla would have to impart her knowledge and expertise to Rosetta.

With any other performer in the world, Layla Hamilton might not have the confidence necessary not to demand Sora return, regardless of Ken's condition.

But this was Sora Naegino, the Kaleido Star. The conqueror of the Angel's Maneuver, on top of the Legendary Great Maneuver.

So Layla had nothing to worry about.

But Sora did.

She asked to see Ken, but, since he was still semi-comatose, they didn't let her.

Finally, after about four hours more, she wouldn't let them say no to her any longer.

They tried to hold her back, but to no avail…

Ken's Hospital Room

So they just insisted that she not disturb Ken.

Not that anything short of physical jostling probably could have.

He was hooked up to a number of machines.

There was at least one good thing for Sora - she didn't see anything which would imply that Ken was having to be assisted in breathing or in his heartbeat.

So she quietly walked to his bedside, sat down…

… and then broke down.

"Ken, I'm SO SORRY…", Sora wept…

As the tears came, so, finally, did the words that Sora needed to tell Ken (whether he could actually hear them or not, in his present condition, was another matter entirely):

"You know that Rosetta has the dream of performing the Legendary Great Maneuver with me, and she also has to win the Paris Competition to stay at Kaleido Stage! You know that I love you, and, yes, I understand you are concerned for myself and my baby."

"Layla and the Hamilton Foundation have a team of doctors, not only to watch over us for any injury that we need to be aware of, but also to keep an eye on the baby. Our beautiful child will not be harmed, Ken. I promise you that. The attempt will have to kill me to take the baby, and I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!"

"Ken, thank you for caring about me, but this is exactly what I feared would happen if you found out too soon. I just want you to wake up so I can see those eyes and know you are all right so I can return to my training."

"Ken, the Stage grieves for you right now."

"Ken, everyone at Kaleido Stage grieves for you right now."

"And Ken…"

" I grieve for you right now."

And just at that moment, she thought she saw something…

She thought she saw his hand flinch!

Sora grabbed it and sobbed. She could tell in her heart that, somehow, Ken could hear her!

The nurses came in and, at first, almost wanted to wrestle Sora off of Ken, figuring she had done something wrong. The doctor, who had been quickly summoned, cut them off abruptly.

He knew. A loved one can be the best medicine a sick patient needs.

And the one person who loves Ken Robbins more than anyone in the world was at his side.

And Ken was moving. Slowly at first, as if he was waking from a long nap.

Then his eyes opened - the most beautiful sight in the world for one Sora Naegino.

Moreover, his eyes opened to his most beautiful sight - his girlfriend, the mother of their baby… At his side, tears in her eyes, but now of elation…

Ken tried to get up, and that was something the doctor didn't want - not yet.

Ken laid back down and collected his thoughts. He clearly didn't know where he was or what day it was.

But, for the moment, that didn't matter.

Ken (very weakly): "Sora?"

Sora (sobbing): "Ken…"

Sora then embraced Ken as if he were the last man on Earth.

Ken: "What's going on?"

Kate, who was also summoned, gave that answer.

Kate: "Ken, you gave us all quite the scare. You're in Phoenix…"

That caused a large jump in the heart monitor - not more than what a normal person would have for such a shock, but still something that the doctors took note of…

Doctor: "Kate, it might be better to let these two have a few moments alone…"

Kate nodded and understood. As she was the last one out the door, the last thing Sora saw before the door closed was Kate with a beaming smile, a thumbs up with one hand, and getting the telephone to call Layla with the other.

Sora was still holding Ken.

Ken was still holding Sora.

And neither cared if it would be Doomsday before they let go.

Finally, Sora broke the ice…

Sora: "You all right?"

Ken: "I'm sorry. I just got scared of what might happen to you - or what might happen to our baby…"

Sora: "Ken, as much as I can say… We have doctors keeping an eye on our condition at all times. Kate even checked me out in the chapel and everything's fine.

Ken: "Your body looks a lot more muscular - sounds like you're ready to go…"

Sora: "Yeah. Except we're not going to go anywhere to do the Maneuver. Yuri insisted that we be given the opportunity to do it at Kaleido Stage, because they have the means to set up the proper apparatuses to give us the best chance to succeed."

Ken: "What about all the negative stuff?"

Sora: "I'll have a campus full of people watching over us - and you'll be right at my side, won't you?"

Ken smiled. He needed that assurance. He remembered what happened three years ago, and did not want to see a repeat when Sora's very life would be on the line.

Then, Sora put a finger to her mouth to tell Ken to be quiet and lie still.

Sora then hummed a song - the same song that she hummed to him after they made love in Sydney, and caressed his body with her hands.

Unlike Sydney, though, this had nothing to do with sex or anything of the sort. This was the power of the human touch as a healing moment between two people who loved each other more than words can say.

Ken was in Heaven - and not like what he always felt before he finally expressed his love for Sora.

This was a million times better, and he never wanted it to end.

So he had to ask Sora one simple thing.

Ken: "Sora?"

Sora: "Yes?"

Ken: "…. Sora, if…"

At that, Ken stopped himself…

There can be no doubt, Ken remembered.

Ken: "No, when you complete the Legendary Great Maneuver…"

Sora leaned in close… "Yes?"

Ken: 'Marry me…"

Sora could've done the Legendary Great Maneuver right there in Ken's room, but only one thought crossed her mind.

The thought of telling her future husband that she would marry him - in Paris, as part of the awards ceremony!