Kaleido Star Fan Fiction ❯ Setting Her Soul Aflame ❯ Op. I, No. 3: Running Out of Time ( Chapter 3 )

Music Terminology Reference:

+ sonata: music piece with no vocals.

+ Con Brio: with vigor or spirit

______________________________________________________________ ________________

 

Op. I, No. 3: Running Out of Time

 

A little girl was observing the serene demeanor of a blond hair woman, whose face looked strikingly similar to the curious child.

“Are you sleepy mother?” The woman opened her eyes to look at her daughter.

“No dear, why do you say that?”

“Because you had your eyes closed.” A slight chuckle perked the child's ears.

“I'm just feeling the music, that's all. Would you like to try it as well?” The little girl hopped onto her mother's lap and scrunched her eyes closed, making all sorts of weird contemplating faces.

“I'm not feeling anything. How can you feel music?” A teasing giggle provoked the child to pout.

“That's a good question! Hm, let's see… How about I take you out to see some happy musicians? Maybe you'll find out how to `feel' music when you watch them play?”

“Okay mother, but… how come you don't play an instrument?”

“Because mother's hands are too weak dear.”

The woman's serene face had dulled into a disappointing one as her eyes drifted towards the floor. The little girl, who was still observing, suddenly had tears rolling down her baby cheeks.

“What's wrong Layla? Why are you crying?” The child was sniffling while rubbing her eyes.

“Because mother looks so sad. It's not fair that mother can't play an instrument.” The woman wiped away her daughter's tears as she began stroking the girl's head.

“Shhhhh, it's okay dear. Mother is not sad. Mother can still enjoy music by just listening to it!”

“It's still not fair!” The woman cupped her daughter's face into her soft hands, leveling her head to meet the girl's eyes.

“How about this? If you can play music for me, then mother won't be sad.” The child's tears had refrained from falling as she briefly paused to think.

“I'LL DO IT! I don't ever want mother to be sad ever again!”

“That's my wonderful little girl! We'll go to a concert first and then get you started, but right now, it's your bedtime. How about we go to sleep?”

“Okay! Um… can I sleep with you tonight?”

“Now how can I say no to those puppy blue eyes? Sure sweetie!”

The little girl climbed into bed as her mother tucked her in, joining her shortly afterwards. The woman kissed her daughter's forehead as the child snuggled up around her neck.

“I'll make sure mother will never be sad!” The child murmured before drifting off to sleep.

 

Layla stirred from her sleep as she squeezed a pillow, nuzzling her face into the soft fabric which she felt could have rival that of an infant's smooth skin… Skin? Smooth as skin? She could not recall any pillow ever being that smooth, and since when did she ever hug anything in her sleep? Slowing peeling her eyes open while adjusting her vision to the moonlight, she was met with the outline of a jaw and the crook of a neck. Immediately, her eyes widen as she instinctively shot back from the extremely close contact. After her brain had registered the surrounding environment, she sighed as she realized the person next to her was only Sora, who was sound asleep, mouth ajar.

Rolling over while placing an arm on her forehead, she sighed again and stared at the ceiling while pondering about the dream that had occurred a few moments ago. It was rare to have memories of her deceased mother slip into her mind like that. She also blushed when she realized what the dream had caused her to do earlier. Turning on her side, she gazed at the tranquil features of the peaceful girl's face, which slightly glowed from the late night illumination, as she reminisced about the events that have happened during these past few weeks.

After that insane day of ridiculous ordeals, nothing had ever been the same again. During every single concert thereafter, she had felt very exasperated each time she performed. Something had been odd. Something had been wrong. Something had been… missing. She was furious at whatever had taken away the peace she felt whenever she played and equally enraged at whatever had awakened the addictive emotions she felt during that day. Only one person could have caused such chaos and she had sought after that person, hoping to find her lost ability to take pleasure in rendering music like there was no tomorrow.

Pulling out her hand from under the blankets, she reached towards the slumbering girl's face, as if her stolen feelings were but a grasp away. Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that Sora was shivering and guessed it was caused by the blankets she had deprived from the girl when she pulled away earlier. Knowing that her silly attempt was futile, she sighed and settled her hand under Sora's chin, pushing it up to close the hanging mouth before pulling up the blankets around them and huddling herself near the unconscious girl.

The air was a bit chilly after all.

______________________________________________________________ ________________

 

“I told you, you're too slow!”

“Yes. Sorry. Please, one more time.”

“Ready? Begin. One, two, three, one, two, three… ugh”

“Ah! Sorry, I was too early!”

“Pull in without hesitating.”

“Yes!”

“It's not enough! Con Brio!”

“Yes!”

“You came in late again!”

“Oh! Sorry…”

“Wrong! Don't just play it however, play it right."

“Yes. Sorry.”

“Don't scrunch up your face when you play.”

“Eh? I was? Sorry!”

A knock on the door interrupted the frustrating practice session.

“Come in.”

“I think you should give your junior a break. It IS lunchtime after all.”

A tall, well built young man casually strolled in, running a large hand through his pearl jagged hair that lusciously flowed down to his neck. Layla's eyes widen as she instantly recognized the guy, who flashed her a flirtatious smirk.

“Yuri!”

“Long time no see, Layla.” She hastily got up and rushed over to the man, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“When did you come back? You didn't call!”

“I wanted to surprise you!”

“What are you doing here?”

“Ohhh, just came by to tie up some loose ends, here and there. Come on, I'll take you out to lunch. Your father will also be joining us.” She turned to face Sora, who looked a bit dazed, wearing a dumb smile.

“Sora.”

“Yes!”

“I think now would be a good time to take your lunch break.”

“Okay…”

“I'll be back in a few hours, so take your time.”

“Okay, have a good lunch!”

“Thank you.”

After leaving the practice room, she was escorted outside where the familiar sight of a scarlet Ferrari awaited, provoking her to roll her eyes at the thought of how boys overdo it when it comes to cars. Yuri opened the door and took her hand, easing her into the passenger seat and joining her on the driver's side shortly after. He ignited the engine, letting it roar before shifting the car into gear and pulling out of the concert grounds.

“So, who was that girl you were boiling in there?”

“Sora will be temporarily filling the role of concertmistress during my tour.”

“Ah, so she was the one who performed with you that one night.”

“How in the world do you know about that? You were in France at the time, were you not?”

“Ah Layla, you may think that typical concert was nothing, but critics from France were coincidentally present that night, and might I add? You rattled their tailbones with that little duet of yours. I just happened to be at the Orchestre de Paris and witnessed such gossip first hand.”

“…” She glared, remembering the turmoil she had felt that evening.

“What's this? I've never seen such a strong reaction from you before.”

“It's nothing…”

“With that look on your face, I seriously doubt it. Since when did you decide to have secrets?”

“… It's just… I never felt this way. I wonder what it is…” She fell silent, lost in her thoughts.

“… If I were to guess, it's about Sora, isn't it? She has something you don't.”

“What? Why do you say that?”

“Earlier, I was listening in on your practice for awhile before interrupting. Judging by the way you interacted with that girl, it seemed like you were trying to obtain something from her.”

“…” She knotted her brows, wondering how he could come up with such accurate presumptions in such a short period of time.

“… Were you the one who chose Sora as your understudy?”

“No. Carlos had insisted, as much as I had refused.”

“Carlos… I don't know what he's thinking. After all, you and that girl seem like oil and water. I don't think his plan will work out. He'll do anything in order to be the topic of conversation. Aren't you both just being used by him? In order to make the concert somewhat presentable, you're the one who has to take the fall and put effort into making it work.”

She raised an eyebrow, slightly startled by what she heard. Never once had Yuri ever given his opinion about Carlos, let alone outright criticize the Maestro like that. This was not the Yuri she had once known.

“… Whatever his intention is, it has nothing to do with me.”

“That's true, but what Carlos wants from her is… probably…”

“Someday, the audience will come here just to see her.”

She frowned upon remembering the prophecy that Carlos had uttered to her that day. Turning to face Yuri, she scrutinized his countenance and attempted to read his mind. First it was Carlos shooting confusing riddles at her. Now it was Yuri dishing out equally disturbing messages. Once more, she averted her gaze back out the window. The rest of the ride was filled with idle chit chat and updates on life, but she could not shake the feeling that something stressful will soon be happening again.

She was still working on the first adventure. How was she to survive another?

______________________________________________________________ ________________

 

Inside an exquisite Italian restaurant, Layla could not believe what she was hearing as she sat across from her father, who was calmly eating his seasoned chicken breast dish. Clenching her fork, she glared at her Caesar salad as she slowly processed the fact that her father had just sold off all of the stock shares he had on Kaleido Philharmonic.

“Did you really do that father?”

“Yes, I sold all rights. So you should completely withdraw.”

“Why? I thought the plan of touring was temporary?”

“It was until I found out that the current orchestra is practically a corpse. Just thinking that you're still there makes my blood run cold. Why didn't you tell me everyone was leaving? I could lose a lot of money in the future if I had kept this investment.”

“Father, Kaleido Philharmonic is not dead yet.”

“Layla, you did more than enough. I will set up the management office for you shortly. There are many orchestras where you can make the most of your talents. You can go wherever you want. First, audition for Vienna Philharmonic. I heard Maestro Vieira is interested in having you participate in his symphony after hearing about your reputation here. Yuri also frequents there, so he can give you a valuable recommendation. I think being in Europe suits you.”

“I don't think you understand how much this orchestra means to me now.”

“If you say it's that much, do you want me to hire temporary musicians and see if that will help get the orchestra back on its feet?”

“That would be meaningless.”

“Layla, then what do you want to do?”

“Well, I… wonder what I want to do...” Maybe, she didn't want to lose… the person who motivated her so much…

“If you start doing something new, you will forget about it soon enough.”

“I doubt it.”

“In any case, I can't buy back the shares if no one is willing to sell them back. That is something I cannot change.”

“I understand.”

“Layla… When you look back on this, you'll be glad you did what I told you to do.”

“Yes, father…” Placing her fork down, she glanced at Yuri for some kind of support or say on the matter, but all she got in return was an understanding nod before he went back to sipping his coffee.

All of a sudden, she lost her appetite.

______________________________________________________________ ________________

 

After the unpleasant lunch, Yuri had driven Layla back to the hall and dropped her off before heading out to run his unspecified `errands'. As she entered the private rehearsal room, she noticed that Sora was not present and guessed that the missing girl was still away on her lunch break. Plopping down on a chair by the wall, she decided to rest while waiting for Sora to return. Yuri's sudden appearance and her father's unfavorable actions had left her fatigued. It also did not help that she lacked a hefty amount of sleep from the surprising dream the night before. Leaning the back of her head against the wall, she closed her eyes as she cleared her thoughts and focused on what she could do to improve Sora's skills.

Sora... Three weeks have past and still, she could not get the girl to reenact the godly performance she had witness on that eventful day. She herself could not reproduce the emotions that were awakened during their duet. Discovering that Sora was far more proficient in playing by ear than by reading music sheets had brought her closer to her goal, but that still was not enough. The errors that occur during their practices have dramatically decreased to almost nothing, but when the girl portrayed a piece, it was a little… strange… Time was running out. She would have to leave soon. What could she do to relive that beautiful night? What was Sora missing? What was she missing? What was it?

“I'll give you some advice. Take the word `pressure' away from her vocabulary and you'll hear something interesting.”

Her eyes flickered open when Carlos' quote had once again sneaked into her thoughts, but now she realized the full meaning behind his words. She also realized she was no longer leaning against the wall, but on someone's shoulder. Immediately sitting up straight, she turned to identify the person who was none other than Sora.

“Are you feeling okay? You kind of just toppled over when I tried to wake you up.” She was a bit flustered at her embarrassing slip. Was she that exhausted?

“I'm… I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all.”

“Shall I make you some tea then? Or would you like me to walk you back to the apartment so you can rest?”

“I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about.”

“Are you sure? Is there anything else I can- ”

“I said I'm fi- …” She paused midway, noticing that Sora looked… nervous. Was this why their practices were not progressing the way she wanted it to?

“On second thought, let us make some tea and relax.” Now was the time to try out Carlos' advice.

“… Relax?”

“Yes.”

Striding towards the table that held all of the necessary supplies, she began preparations for a pot of tea while Sora momentarily lagged behind before coming to help out. After settling in and pouring Sora and herself a cup, silence emerged as she quietly sipped her tea while observing the peculiar girl, who was fidgeting quite a bit across from her.

“Sora.”

“Yes!”

“Give me an honest answer. How do you feel right now?”

“Uh… kind of… nervous?”

“Why?”

“Well, I'm not sure what you want me to do right now.”

“I said we are to relax, did I not? So why are you feeling nervous instead of feeling relaxed?”

“Sorry!” She sighed, noting that the conversation was becoming just like the ones during practice. She would have to try another approach.

“Do I... make you nervous?”

“Um…” She could tell that Sora was hesitant to answer by the way the girl had averted her eyes.

“I give you my word that I will remain calm if you answer yes. After all, I did ask for an honest answer, so I'm fully prepared to hear anything.” Sora indecisively scratched her head before finally nodding.

“I see… Why is that?”

“Well… I guess… When I'm around you, I can't seem to hold any confidence and get very anxious and helpless. You could say… I feel inferior to you…”

“Inferior?” Sora's eyes were swaying, as if carefully choosing words before speaking… Or was it something else?

“… To me, you're so strong and independent, never relying on anyone, very cool and calm, even under unbearable pressure. You always seem to be full of confidence and you're also very… pretty…” After hearing those types of complements so many times before, she wondered why she had blushed when hearing them from Sora, who had apparently turned a shade of pink.

“Thank you, but you shouldn't put yourself down like that. I know you're fully capable of accomplishing a lot based on what I have seen so far, so have a little more dignity. Besides, I think you're plenty cute.”

Did she just call another girl cute? Blushing at her own boldness, she noticed that Sora's face had now turned red. Silence once again fell over as she attempted to cool her flustered face. She thanked the heavens when Sora took the initiative to speak.

“So… you'll be leaving soon… huh?”

“That's correct… I…”

“Yes?”

“I wonder if everyone will be okay, when I leave.”

“You're truly amazing, Layla. You're always thinking about the orchestra.” She smiled at the flattery and found the girl to be somewhat… charming.

“Layla, why did you join Kaleido Philharmonic?” She blinked momentarily at the uncommon question before giving it some thought.

“When I was a child, I saw Kaleido Philharmonic with my parents. It was so wonderful, like a dream. Of course, the concert was wonderful, but I thought it was strange to see my mother be so absorbed in the music that she would actually shed tears. What surprised me the most was seeing my father let down his guard. I never seen him look so relaxed and at peace before.”

“Oh wow! I also saw Kaleido Philharmonic with my parents when I was a child, but of course, it became the last memory that I had with both of them.”

“My mother, too… She has passed away, but it was my first and last time seeing my mother so passionate like that. After my mother died, my father devoted himself to work to take his mind off of her.

“It would be nice if your father could see you onstage this time.” She frowned at the mention of her father.

“Oh… Did I say something I shouldn't have?”

“No… you're fine.”

Never had anyone ever asked about her personal life and she never imagined she could speak about her mother so causally like that. This girl may possess a power that can change her surroundings, not just in music, but in everything else as well. She could tell... There was something special within this girl.

“Let's get back to practice.”

“Yes.”

“Oh that's right. I have a request for you.”

“Yes?”

“Don't worry so much about your technique today, but be sure to listen to my playing. The rest you can play however is right for you, as freely as you want.”

“… Okay!”

Her insides squirmed at the sight of Sora's gleeful smile. For some reason, it looked quite… adorable. Sitting down at the piano, she took a deep breath before resting her fingers on the keys. Locking eyes with Sora, she nodded to signal the start of the sonata and returned her eyes to the music sheet.

The beginning was perfect, but still lacked the heart and soul she was desperately searching for. As the sonata progressed, she patiently waited for Sora to revert back to her hazardous style of playing. Sora's style… Unpredictable… uncoordinated… unusual… Although the eccentric girl's technique may have been unorthodox, it was not wrong at all. She finally realized that this was the primary reason that stumped her progress in obtaining the desired effects from music. She had put a cap on Sora's full potential when she tried to fit the girl into a mold of mechanically playing the piece to perfection. Instead of working with Sora and adjusting to variations, she had just completely stopped the music and made the girl redo what was carved in stone, but now she would change. She would let Sora choose any crazy pace, even if it leads the sonata into oblivion. She could keep up with the girl. She would keep up with Sora no matter what! Her ears perked as she sensed a shift in tone. It's here…

Ever so slowly turning to face the violinist, her body trembled at the brilliant sight of a saintly Sora, who seemed completely engrossed in the melody, playing over difficult parts as if they were nothing. She felt the shimmering excitement and lightning of youth that seemed to be radiating off the simplistic girl. It felt amazing! It felt incredible! She was completely at peace with the world. Sora was not just playing the sonata. The passionate girl was making it sing! Finally, she had found what she had been seeking. Finally, she was feeling the emotions she had longed for. Finally, she was breathing as one… with Sora.

The sonata came to a soft and soothing end. Her breathing became rasped as she struggled to remove her hands from the keyboard without falling off the bench. The aftermath of the piece had shaken her senseless and its disturbing effect still lingered behind. As she attempted to regain her composure, two firm hands had grasped her shoulder, making her look up to find a pair of concerned and innocent eyes, gazing at her caringly.

“I think you should rest. You really do look unwell.”

She chuckled, feeling a bit guilty about deceiving the naive girl, but could not resist grinning. Sora had no idea how much joy she had just felt when performing that piece. Standing up, she placed a hand on the confused girl's shoulder, gaining her full attention.

“I think you'll be all right.” It took a moment before Sora's face lit up with realization at her words.

“…Yeah!”

For the first time in a while, she smiled freely.

______________________________________________________________ ________________

 

The day had come. Layla was patiently sitting in an airport terminal, awaiting her flight with the final destination being Austria, home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, where she would audition and definitely pass the judging criteria to fulfill her father's wishes.

Closing her strained eyes, she sighed, feeling down and depressed about leaving the Kaleido Philharmonic. These past few weeks have been frustrating and exhausting, but truly worth the experience. Mia and Anna, who had been two specks in her mind, have turned out to be very interesting girls, each with their own unique personality. In the past, she always assumed that people were weak and rarely could do anything right, but after living in such close quarters with everyone, she had learned how to appreciate people much more and had also learned how to just… live. She even saw Sarah in a whole new light when she discovered that the gentle diva had a passion for martial arts. Much had changed. New encounters, new experiences, new feelings… Sora… The girl's very existence had irritated her to no end, but for some bizarre reason, the perky girl had grown on her and she even found Sora to be rather… captivating.

The intercom came on and a stewardess announced that her flight had finished preparations and is now allowing passengers to board. Taking her time to gather her carry on and violin case, she leisurely stood up and headed towards the terminal gate to scan her ticket and board the plane, but was promptly stopped when a familiar voice hollered out her name. She searched the hustling crowd for the source of the call and spotted Sora dodging people left and right to reach her.

“Layla! They… We… Out…” Sora was gasping for air, trying to recover from that speedy dart across the crowd.

“Sora. Stand up straight and breath. I can't understand a word you're saying.” A moment had past before Sora stabilized her breathing.

“Most of the musicians were forced to leave the orchestra. Mia, Anna, and I were kicked out. Sarah and Maestro as well!”

“Carlos left? Why did this happen?”

“I don't know, but they made an announcement in the auditorium and posted this list. The replacements were introduced there as well.” Sora handed over a large poster, which looked like it had been ripped off a wall.

“They? Replacements?”

She quickly skimmed the poster taking note of the many French and German names that were listed there. Her eyes then paused under the `owners' column on a name she could not overlook, as much as she had tried to deny it being there. Facts began clicking. Her uneasiness turned into dread. Her apprehension was unfolding.

“Yuri Killian…”

Her fear… had come true…

______________________________________________________________ ________________

 

Chapter Notes:

- If you got something to say or ask after reading, I want to hear it! The Email Author or Write Review link is there for you.

- 12/31/2008