The first time he ever laid eyes on her wasn't around the production of the Sayuki performance first started. No, Leon Oswald first laid eyes on the dark pink girl was the year before. He was actually on a break from performing and was just causally visiting Cape Mary in California.

The day was sunny and the temperature was lovely despite him wearing dark clothes, which would ordinarily make anyone feel warm wearing such conditions, but Leon was too proud and stubborn to care as he continued walking down the streets. As he was walking aimlessly around, his thoughts would always be on one thing. And that thing was Sophie, his precious younger sister. She was his only family and the only partner in their performances. They completed each other, even when they were very different, and they didn't want it any other way. However fate pulled a horrible trick on them and she died tragically three years ago, leaving him alone in this world with a promise that he didn't want to fulfill. She had begged him on her deathbed to fulfill her dream to become a true Kaleido Star on a conflict free stage. It was a silly dream in his opinion, but he did promise her just before she passed away, so he began searching for potential partners who could realize this dream and let his conscious rest. However no one proved to be good enough and slowly began earning himself a horrible reputation along with the nickname "God of Death", due to his hard training and treatment towards his partners who mostly ended up injured and forced to give up. He knew that his methods were wrong, but he couldn't find himself to find someone who could replace his sister, especially someone who didn't any inch of potential that Sophie had. Distracted by the dark cloud that was hanging above his head, he didn't realize what was going on around him until he heard a young woman shout, "Stop, give me back my suitcase."

Leon looked up ahead and saw a young girl chasing after a thief that was heading his way. Normally he didn't pay attention to such frivolous things, but something stopped on his path and he couldn't help watching her as she was running and almost jumping after the thief. Just as she was beginning to get too far behind the thief someone offered her a pair of roller-skates, which she thanked and put them on before she rolled after him in an incredible speed. They went right past him and crossed the street, where neither of them seemed to slow down and the chase continued. Leon found himself running after them, curious how the situation would resolve. When they reached the market place and the thief was running straight into a thick crowd, the girl jumped on beach chair and began making acrobatic spins and twists in the air before she landed on the bouncy roofs from the shops and used them as a trampoline. She continued doing this until she was in the lead and she landed on the pavement right in front of the thief. Then she kicked the thief to the ground with her skate and sat down on her suitcase, which was crushing the thief to the ground and said happily, "I'm taking this back."

The crowd who had watched the event cheered and she awkwardly appreciated the cheers. Leon couldn't help but let out a small smile as he had never ever seen anyone do something like that before, especially in public like that.

"Thank you-Thank you," the girl laughed. She held on hand behind her head and rubbing it awkwardly. She was beautiful with long dark pink hair and light brown eyes and he found her breathtaking despite her average appearance. His cheeks became warm and he was pretty sure they were blushing, so he quickly turned away from her. This had never happened before. It was always women who got attracted to him, not the other way around and especially with strange girls. The feelings that was building up inside was driving him mad and he needed to get away from the scene, away from this strange girl who made him feeling things his cold heart seemed to have forgotten for some time now.

Once the police arrived shortly after everything had happened and brought the girl and the thief back to the station, he left and began walking aimlessly around the streets again. However this time instead of thinking about Sophie, the girl with the dark pink hair entered his mind and was smiling the same warm smile she had done earlier.

"It is silly," Leon mumbled to himself as he brushed one hand through his long silver hair. "She was just some girl who was retrieving her stolen suitcase, nothing special. I don't even know her name."

He forced himself to forget about her because she had truly not made any real change in him and it was not like he was ever going to see her again. And eventually the memory of a young woman apprehending a thief with her acrobatic tricks slowly faded from his mind. It wasn't until a year later, when he was contacted by Kalos and was offered to be a performer for Kaleido Stage that the dark pink woman appeared once again in his mind.

The second encounter was horrible. When he had first heard the rumors about Layla Hamilton and a young newcomer performing the Legendary Maneuver, he was curious and most of all annoyed how the pair managed to do such maneuver where things ended with a professional like Layla being forced to retire early due to an injury. So when he met up face to face with the newcomer he was shocked to see the dark pink women he saw a year ago, standing there with bright smile on her face. She introduced herself as Sora Naegino and was assigned to his new partner. Let's just say he didn't take the news very well. He might have been slightly impressed by her a year ago, but that didn't mean he would ever consider her as his true partner who could help him fulfill his promise. So he did what he usually did, acted cold and strict towards her. In the end the Sayuki performance was the start of the competition between Sora and another newcomer May Wong to become his partner. Both of them showed great potential, even though his interest was more peaked on Sora than on May, but in the end it was May who earned her way to become his partner for the Circus Festival. That was fine by him, because he didn't believe Sora would handle the scene of the festival due to her optimistic and naïve nature.

However she surprised him by appearing at the festival with Yuri Killian of all people. Leon hated Yuri for what he did during the last festival, which ended with Sophie's demise. What was even worse was that Yuri and Sora was going to the Angel Act. That was like throwing the whole saltshaker at him and on his wounds, but he didn't act on it instead just watched her train until the performance day. The festival was the same as always filled with tension and competition between each other, but something had obviously happened with Sora because during her performance she cried and appeared more like the angel of sadness, so incredibly beautiful yet the saddest performance he had ever seen. His heart was torn by the sight, but again forced on his stone-face and continued to watch. And in the end she forfeited from the competition and quit the stage and went back to Japan. Leaving him standing alone with May as victors of the competition and the lead performers of Kaleido Star. However he had come to realize that Sora was his true partner, who he could perform the Angel Act and become the true star.

When Sora came back she began working backstage and refused to perform. Everyone was shocked over this and continued to try and convince her to return. Even he tried to convince her and become his partner, but she continued to reject him. He was lost and haunted by his memories that when she was about to get run over by a car he managed to save her just in time, but he had managed to mistake her for Sophie. However he shrugged it off and pretended nothing had happened despite both Sora and May asked him about who Sophie was, but once again memories of Sophie haunted him when he had forced Sora back on the stage in the middle of his performance. She adlibbed her way through and you could truly see how much she had missed performing, but when she missed the trapeze bar he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, but she managed to pull herself up and floated in the air like the angel act was supposed to be done. It was a perfect moment until she tried to leave and he tried to follow after her, but accidently let go of the bar and fell down and got hurt. But he had made up his mind and now there was nothing she could do to separate herself from the stage, especially since it was calling her back.

They trained the Angel Act and even when he tried to make the performance easier she knew and she continued to work her hardest and her determination never wavered. So they continued the harsh training to the point where she was too exhausted to stand on her feet. However she rose up from the difficulties, even when Layla challenged her for the part of Odette, Sora was the superior one in the challenge and beat Sora with her angel.

Leon never believed he could have been more proud and honestly happy for her as he began to truly understand her and slowly grow those feelings he had hidden away from the time he had first met her. He never expected her to feel the same for him, but during the Angel Act performance she had leaned in and was just a few inches away from his lips before she separated from him and continued to fly away. Before he even knew it he had fallen in love with the angel, the true Kaleido star.

"Leon?" Sora asked, interrupting his path down memory lane. However he didn't mind as he turned to look at the beautiful girl and gave her a small gentle smile. "What are you doing?"

"Just thinking," Leon murmured. He reached out his hand and began touching the locks of her dark pink hair. Sora's cheeks began to blush, as she was not used to him being very affectionate with her. "About the first time I saw you till the moment I realized that I was in love with you."

"Really?" Sora tilted her head in wonder, but she smiled warmly. "Well, I'm glad that you fell in love with me. Because if you didn't we wouldn't be married now, would we?"

"I have never regretted it," Leon replied. He began pulling her closer and carefully placed his lips on hers. The kiss was sweet, but firm. Sora responded with moaning softly in pleasure before she leaned back to catch her breath.

"I love you," Sora said breathlessly. "Always and forever."

Leon smiled as he remembered those words from the vow she gave him at their wedding six months ago. Sure, there was times he had doubts and wondered why she would love him being who he was, but he never doubted his love for her and would continue to prove to her if not himself that he truly loved her and was the happiest man alive to be loved by her.

"I love you too," Leon said softly. "Always and forever, my angel."

Then they leaned in once again and continued their kissing session until someone knocked on their door, telling them that break time was over.

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Short story, but I hope guys like it. I was just thinking how it would have been if Leon had seen Sora earlier in the series. Of course there is no chance he could have fallen in love with her this early on, but an interest might have peaked because she is Sora after all.

Quickly, I will say that I don't own Kaleido Star and will never claim I do.

Please review, favorite, follow or whatever.

xXrebelgirl07Xx