❊ their fall from grace .. the story of rora & stian ● intro

[Rora Sky]

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author's note: the following piece was written by adam & myself, and counts as the intro for both of us =)

❊ INT. THE ICEBERG SKATING PALACE - SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 17TH, 2014
(introducing Evan Lysacek as Vitaly Tretyakov and Julie Bowen as Alina Anasina)

It was the most important free skate of their lives and the tension inside the Iceberg Skating Palace was thick. 19-year old Sebastian Fournette was focused, in his zone, and looking straight ahead at the ice. He liked to watch the competition, look for their mistakes, and picture himself and his partner, 17-year old Aurora Vaillancourt completing a flawless program. After the short dance, the Canadian duo were in medal contention and given the fact it was one their first senior level competitions, everyone was in shock over their placement.

Except for them, of course.

It’s what they expected, especially after helping Canada take home a silver medal in the team event. Their home country of Canada had quickly fallen in love with them, dubbing them national darlings and their presence had taken over social media. The teenagers were known for their sharp lines and sizzling chemistry, seemingly only having eyes for each other.

Aurora, like always, had her back to the ice. She didn’t like watching the other skaters. Instead, she usually kept her focus on Sebastian. Having skated with him since she was just five years old, there was no one else in the world she was more comfortable with. He was her rock, her best friend, and her everything. Sadly, she wasn’t focused on Sebastian today. Instead, Aurora seemed a million miles away.

Sebastian's eyes stayed glued to the couple from the United States who were on the ice. Unlike Aurora, Sebastian could never look away from their competition. He would study their every twizzle; critique each lift. He'd been on rinks long enough to score programs himself within a single point. Every wobble and stumble he saw from his fellow competitors made his heart jump. He knew himself and Aurora were flawless; no mistake had marred their routine on any stage leading to this point and there wasn't a shred of nerves in his head. It didn’t matter that they were just teenagers at their first Olympics.

As the U.S. program ended, Sebastian exhaled the breath he'd been holding in, relief washing over him. He'd scored their program at 110.44. He and Aurora were capable of scoring higher due to their beautiful musicality and technique. He looked down at her and noticed she wasn't present. Aurora hadn’t even removed her Team Canada warm-up jacket and she was wringing her hands. Instead of her eyes on his face, they were turned towards the ground. Sebastian gently took her chin in his hand and tilted his face up to hers. “What’s wrong with you?”

Aurora pulled away and shook her head. “Nothing, I’m fine.”

She turned her back to Seb and started unzipping her jacket. Out of the corner of her eye, Aurora noticed their coach, Alina Anasina talking to her son, Vitaly Tretyakov. Almost immediately, Aurora completely tensed up.

“Why is Vitaly here? This isn’t his competition.”

Seb shrugged. “I think he was doing press for Russia today. He is the favorite to win and this is technically his home country. It makes sense.”

Aurora visibly shuddered and zipped her jacket back up. Over his mother’s shoulder, Vitaly Tretyakov caught Aurora looking at him and smirked. That smirk made her blood run cold and her heart drop down to her feet. Panic washed over her and she touched her hand to her mouth.

“I’m going to be sick.”

Confusion crossed Sebastian’s face as he watched Aurora hurry away. None of this was like her. Nausea never troubled her before a performance and, while she never directly watched their competitors, she always watched him, gently swaying to whatever musical piece their opponents used.

Sebastian chased after her, down the tunnel, and found Aurora bent over a trash can making ungodly noises. Sebastian collected all of her hair and pulled it back with one hand and rubbed her back with the other. This wasn't like her and she knew that, so commenting on it wouldn't do any good. He just kept a hand on her back and let her vomit in peace. Behind him, he heard the public address system introduce the hometown favorites, the Russians.

Team Canada was next.

When she was finished, Sebastian offered her his bottle of water. “I get it. I kind of want to too. We’re not in Montreal competing against other Canadians anymore. This isn't the Junior Grand Prix Final or World Juniors. We’re on the biggest stage the world has to offer - the Olympics. You and I both know that we’re better than anyone else out there. It's not going to do us any good for you to keep emptying your stomach in the hallway. We’re up next. Rinse out your mouth and let's do what we do.”

But Aurora wasn’t nervous about taking the ice. She was sick to her stomach over the fact Vitaly was lurking in the shadows. His presence unnerved her but she could never tell Sebastian that. He wouldn’t understand and besides, he focused solely on competition. Aurora wasn’t even sure he knew her birthday because half the time he didn’t even get her a gift. She took the water, did as he said, and walked past him. As they were walking down the hallway and back towards the rink, Vitaly walked past them. The 22-year old made it a point to purposely brush against Aurora’s arm as he past them. Aurora felt her skin crawl. Vitaly put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder to stop him and extended his right hand.

“Break a leg out there, huh?”

Sebastian shook the hand of their coach’s son.

“Hey, thanks Veet.”

Vitaly held on to Sebastian’s hand a beat longer than a normal handshake, his eyes boring holes through the skater. Vitaly dismissed him with a pat on the back sending Sebastian off in the direction of the rink where Aurora was compulsively flattening the non-existent wrinkles out of her flowy, black skirt. If Sebastian had the time to consider the interaction he just had, he may have found the whole thing odd. But the fact was that he was about to step onto the ice for the biggest moment in his life. He didn't even notice Vitaly side-eying him as he walked away.

Sebastian approached the side of the rink where Aurora was looking anywhere except at the Russians on the ice. Trying to assuage the nerves he thought she had, he placed one hand on the small of her back and cupped her face with the other. “We've done this a million times since elementary school. We’re flawless, Rory. Now let's go do what we were put on this Earth to do and shock everyone with a gold medal skate.”

Aurora didn’t reply. She slowly removed her jacket. The Russians were finishing their spirited ‘Swan Lake’ inspired program to a raucous ovation from their home fans. As they left the ice and passed Aurora and Sebastian, they were breathing heavily. However, none of that mattered. Sebastian took Aurora’s hand as he had a million times before and led her out onto the ice once they had removed their skating guards. They were next and it was their time to shine.

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Their program fell apart.

The moment their music hit for the free dance, a modified version of “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, Aurora went blank. Aurora and Sebastian were known for their daring lifts, and this program had several. The first one came a minute into their skate and the moment Seb placed his hands on her waist, Aurora tensed. Dozens of different images hit her mind and as he hauled her up in the air, wrapped his familiar hands around her legs, panic seized the teenager.

“PUT ME DOWN!”

Aurora kicked at Sebastian and her blade sliced into his forearm by accident. She tumbled from his arms and landed hard on the ice, smacking her chin against the surface. The collective gasp inside the arena was deafening and their music abruptly stopped. Blood from Sebastian’s arm dripped down beside Aurora and dotted the ice around her.

Despite the deep gash on his arm, Sebastian’s first instinct was to go to her. With concern in his eyes, he reached out and wiped away the sliver of blood that trickled from her own cut on her chin. Aurora recoiled at his touch. She scooted away from him, backing away while seated on the ice. Sebastian didn't notice the 10,000 faces in the crowd. He didn't notice the judges watching in horror. The thought of the thirty million Canadians that were counting on this gold medal didn't enter his mind. He looked at Aurora entirely confused. Almost as quickly as it happened, the pair were surrounded by emergency staff tending to their cuts. Sebastian couldn't feel the sting of the rubbing alcohol entering his wound and tried shaking off the gauze as it was applied to his arm. His was trying to catch a glimpse of his skating partner through the throng of personnel.

Alina Anasina rushed to Aurora’s side.

The moment the motherly blond dropped down beside Aurora, the Canadian starlet scrambled to her feet. “Stay away from me,” Aurora snapped, which was completely uncharacteristic for her. She was sweet and polite, but her voice was full of distress and anger at the moment. Aurora scrambled to her feet and pushed away from all of the people who had gathered around them.

“Aurora let them check your injuries, please,” Alina pleaded. Like everyone else, she was so puzzled at the bizarre turn of events.

Tears filled Aurora’s green eyes and the moment she finally looked at Sebastian, she felt the rest of her world come crashing down. The look on his face seized control of her heart and crushed her soul. At the very moment Aurora knew she loved someone she could never, ever give herself too.

Because thanks to Vitaly, she was ruined.

And now both of her and Sebastian’s mutual dreams had been destroyed. It was the second worst moment of her life.

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❊ INT. SO-CAL ULTRACOLD WINTERFEST 2018 - ULTRACOLD PALACE IN YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA - JANUARY 31ST, 2018
(introducing Shayna Baszler as Dijuanna Marietta)

Rora Sky banged her hands on the mat as hard as she could. “Come on Stian!”

Stian was in trouble.

Malachi Siddiqui (the newly crowned SCUC Champion) had Stian close to tapping. Their match had been long and grueling, and both men were busted open. Stian had lost a lot of blood along the way and Rora found herself growing more and more concerned. The last thing she wanted was to see her partner tap out. It would be a bitter ending to one of his best matches so far. There wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that Stian was a future wrestling champion. He had adapted to MMA far more quicker than she had, and getting involved in professional wrestling satisfied both of their desire to compete, as well as perform. He was just so perfect inside that ring.

Stian looked to the back corner of the small hall and saw his mentor and trainer, Dijuanna Marietta, on her phone. His mind flashed back to last month when she showed him how to defend the heel hook he found himself in now. He fought through the pain to roll on his side and pushed his upper body up. He used one foot to force apart Malachi’s legs and loosen the vice he had on Stian's knee. Stian used his free foot to kick away at Malachi’s arms, chest, hands, face, anything he could hit. It worked and Stian took advantage of Malachi’s lost grip.

Stian threw another series of kicks that knocked Malachi out of the ring. The new So-Cal UltraCold Champion wasn't going to go down easily. He pushed a fan out of their chair before grabbing it and snapping it shut. Stian sat in the corner, rubbing the feeling back into his leg. He was a sitting duck for Malachi. Short of turning tail and running, there wasn't anywhere for him to go and Malachi knew this. He stalked Stian like a lion creeping upon a wounded gazelle.

Malachi suddenly found himself flipping head over feet and hitting the mat hard. Rora Sky had leapt off the top rope to hurricanrana Malachi, neutralizing the folding chair!

Rora climbed back to the top rope and reached out for Stian. He raised his hands overhead and used all his strength to flip her over, bringing her leg down across Malachi’s throat. She quickly scooted away and allowed the exhausted Stian to fall over the champion for a full three count!

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The saying goes “those who can't do, teach.” While Dijuanna Marietta could most certainly “do” when it came to mixed martial arts, she could never do quite as well as Stian Fournette had been able to in just two-and-a-half years. While she felt a certain amount of pride in how far her two pupils had come in that time, she still took any chance to needle them. After Stian used a pinfall to defeat the SCUC Champion and earn a future Championship match, she took one such opportunity. She licked her chapped lips and clapped a hand down on Stian’s shoulder.

“I put my time and energy into training you, into getting you booked, into showing you how to apply some of the most lethal submission holds in the world, and you win your match with that little 'Fall From Grace'?”

Stian and Rora both cringed. Dijuanna had taken to calling almost any move the duo performed together a “Fall From Grace” and Stian could feel his stomach knot up every time. Rora put a comforting hand on his arm and wrapped her other one around his waist. “Clearly he was in no position to apply any type of submission hold, Di. I did what I thought was right and made sure my guy won.” Rora looked up at Stian and beamed. It never failed. Whenever he was around she had stars in her eyes. The look he gave her back was almost identical. “We are a team and I couldn’t just watch him get hurt anymore. He’s going to be a champion now, and honestly it’s what he deserves.”

Stian wrapped an arm around Rora’s shoulders and pulled her into his side. She fit so perfectly and whenever she was around, Stian pretty much forgot about Shiloh. Rora was his ride-or-die, the one who was put on this planet just for him, and she had just put her own body on the line to make sure he succeeded.

Dijuanna just rolled her eyes. She didn’t give a damn about their bond, but she couldn’t argue with the fact they had walked out win a victory. “About that title shot,” she sighed.

Stian tensed. “What about it?”

“Well, there’s another opportunity on the table that may keep you from cashing in on that.”

Rora looked up at Stian, gauging his reaction. Even if his face showed nothing, she knew exactly what he would be thinking. His jaw was set, he had ran a hand through his sweaty rumpled hair the moment Dijuanna had said “opportunity.” He was intrigued. So she spoke up.

“What’s this opportunity?”

Stian gave her hip a little tap, a silent ‘thank you’ for asking the question he didn’t want to ask. Rora nuzzled closer against his side and waited for Di to reply.

After a moment, Dijuanna finally explained. “So basically I know this guy, and actually he knows another guy and there’s this place in Jersey opening up soon. This guy my guy knows, well, he knows the two of you. And he’s specifically asking for both of you by name.” Dijuanna let her words sink in.

Rora looked shocked. “Us?”

“You’re Aurora Vaillancourt and Sebastian Fournette, correct?”

They used to be.

“Look, I don’t know nothing about this guy except he wants both of you. I don’t know his intentions or if he just wants to exploit you both for your failures.” Dijuanna never minced words. “But he wants you exclusively in this place of his, The Factory. So if you go, there’s no more Ultracold. No more freedom to do and go where you please. You work for The Factory.”

When Stian was finally able to pull his eyes from Rora's he looked around at the UltraCold Palace. It was small, it was dingy and it was no different from the hundred other Canadian venues they'd toured since 2015. But it was also home for them and a place they still found some kind of appreciation in their home country.

Rora was the one to lean in this time and pushed her hip into Stian's side. He knew exactly what that meant, because he was a split second from doing the same to her. They were on the same page, and the look they saw in each other's eyes when they exchanged a quick glance confirmed that.

“Sure, let's… let's give this a shot,” Stian said, while Rora nodded.

“I'll let 'em know.” Dijuanna gave them each a look they couldn't be easily read; whether she was excited for them or felt bad about sending them into this environment couldn't be said. She flashed her cell phone, implying she'd be reaching back out to her contact and stepped out into the frigid Yellowknife night.

Rora and Stian turned to each other and grasped one another's hands. They simultaneously exhaled the breath they'd been holding in. It was not quite a sigh, but an acknowledgement of the decision they'd just made - another in the long line of life-altering decisions they'd made in the last four years.

Their former Team Canada teammates were readying to find glory in Pyeongchang, glory they failed to capture four years earlier in Sochi. Meanwhile Sebastian Fournette and Aurora Vaillancourt were readying to take the next step in their second careers and attempt to find glory in New Jersey. It wasn’t exactly validation for being the best at something, but it was a step in the right direction.

So together, the two of them went to The Factory and truthfully neither of them knew what was in store for them.