Disclaimer: Nightcrawler and his family are owned by Marvel. The villagers of Lubny are all mine. Oh, and by the way - Lubny is a real city in Ukraine, but I have never been there and I don't know what it looks like. I've just used my imagination. Hope that's ok, and please don't flame me if it isn't! :~)
German language is written like this.
Thoughts are written in Italics.
When Love Crawls Into Your Heart
by Waterfall
The little circus was putting up their tents for the evening's show, which seemed to promise a full audience. The camp teemed with life, and for a bystander it would have looked like total chaos. But Kurt Wagner and the other members of the circus knew better.
- Hand me the rope, Stefan! he called down to his foster brother.
- Ok! Stefan yelled as he threw one end of the rope up to the furry, long-tailed, yellow-eyed, demon-boy who was perching peacefully on the top of the long pole that was going to be in the centre of the performance tent.
The throw seemed to be a good one. The rope flew upwards... only to tangle into one of the hooks attached to the pole when it was half-way up.
- Scheisse!
- Hah - missed! Kurt called as he flung himself from the pole, plummeting downwards, his cry of pure joy almost drowning in the screams and cheers from the audience. When he reached the rope he grabbed it, using his body weight to pull it loose. Then he reached out with his arm and tail, grabbed the pole and stopped the fall, not far from the ground. Amazed "Ooooh!"s and "Aaaaahh..."s came from the crowd below.
- And this is only a small part of vat the circus has to offer you, good folk of Lubny! Kurt shouted in his not-too-bad Ukrainian.
- Come to our evening performance, and you vill see it all! Stefan added.
When the crowd started to applaud, the two boys looked at each other and grinned.
This was not the first time the Bavarian circus visited Lubny. It came here every three or four years, although Kurt could only remember having been here one time before, when he was five. Now he was nine, a sweet, kind of shy boy who was already used to being despised for his appearance. But not here. Most of the inhabitants could remember him clearly from the last two times the circus had visited the village; the first time he had only been a baby.
- ...and a sweeter, more fuzzy baby was hard to find! some of the women used to say. It was very embarrassing, but it also gave him a feeling of being accepted, so he didn't say anything against it. Actually, he could hardly wait until the end of the performance so that he and his brother and sister could explore the village and see what they remembered from the last time they'd been here.
* * * * * * *
- And now, meine Damen und Herren, our team of vonderful, fantastic, amazing acrobats - the Nightflyers!
The four performers came marching into the ring, all of them wearing black and blue suits and capes decorated with (fake) gold.
- Starknight!
The first man, whose real name was Tim (he was from England), somersaulted forwards.
- Nightsong!
Dzenana, the second performer, walked forwards on her hands.
- Moonsword and Sunset!
The twins Georg and Hanna ran over to the tentpoles and started to climb upwards. The whole circus had laughed at the acrobats' flashy names, but they had to admit that it made quite an impression. There was something almost supernatural about the four figures now standing on a platform several meters over the ground.
- And our very special attraction, the mascot of the circus... Nightcrawler!
Once again Kurt flung himself from the pole where he had been sitting, hidden in the darkness, this time in absolute silence. His acrobatic abilities and flexible tail made him the best acrobat of all, and the circus master knew how to use his unusual appearance as a valuable asset. But right now Kurt didn't think about that, he just concentrated on the fall and the trapeze that was hanging right under him. He caught it with one hand, pretended to lose his grip - only to catch it again with his tail when it seemed as if all hope was lost and the audience was screaming under him. His appearance didn't matter now, nor his shyness, it was only him and the audience.
- The boy thrives on performances, his foster mother had said, and it was true.
After the show was over and they were all bowing to the ecstatic audience, Kurt happened to glance up at the "royal seats" where the richest family in the town always sat. This time one of the "royalties" was a young girl on about his own age. She was clapping as hard as she could, beaming down at him. Against his will, Kurt smiled back. I'd like to get to know her better, he thought. Maybe he'd get a chance to talk to her later?
* * * * * * *
The sky was dark now, and the air was colder. For the three siblings it was just perfect, giving them a chance to cool off after the performance. Chatting happily, they were walking - and occasionally running - through the village. Jimaine, his foster sister, was chasing Stefan down the main street, but Kurt slowed his steps and looked up at the starlit sky.
- So beautiful, he whispered.
Was his real mother or father looking up at the sky as well? Were they thinking of him? Probably not. Haunted by these melancholy thoughts he stopped completely, and in the silence he could hear someone crying. The sound was coming from the little river running close by. As he came closer, he saw that it was the girl he had seen at the circus; she was sitting leaned into a tree, crying her eyes out.
- Vat is the matter? he asked, sitting down next to her.
- I... I fell into the river! And my dress is all wet, look!
It was indeed wet, and dirty as well. Kurt put his arm around the girl, and tried to comfort her.
- It is ok, you can borrow one of my sister's dresses. I think they vill fit you.
- But Mother and Father'll still be mad at me!
- Don't vorry, Kurt said. - I'll protect you.
Brave words, but he had no idea how he would do it. I hope I'll figure something out, he thought. The words had helped, though. The girl had stopped crying and looked up at him with wide eyes.
- You will? she asked.
- Yes.
Now she smiled, and touched his face.
- You look funny - and you've got fur all over!
Just funny? Not ugly, or dangerous?
- You're not scared? he asked surprised.
- No one else is.
Well, that made sense. This was Lubny, after all. Probably the smallest village in Ukraine, but the only one where he had been so thoroughly accepted.
- Ok, then.
They both got up and started walking back towards the circus.
- What is your name? Kurt asked the girl as they entered the circus grounds, realising that he couldn't present her to his mother as "a girl I met".
- Svetlana, she answered. - What's yours?
- Kurt.
- That's nice.
They were holding hands now, swinging their arms as they walked. Kurt had found that he actually liked having someone who depended on him, and it didn't seem as Svetlana minded having him around either. The other artists smiled at him as they passed, and Tim called out:
- Got yourself a girlfriend, Kurt?
- Shut up, he answered in German, and blushed.
The call had alerted his mother, who came out of the wagon where they lived, and looked around.
- There you are, Kurt. I was just...... well hello there. And who might you be?
As she noticed the little girl holding her foster-son's hand, Margali changed languages in mid-sentence.
- Mother, this is...
- Svetlana! Get away from that monster!
A man came running towards them from the circus master's tent, shouting as he ran. When he reached them he grabbed Kurt and threw him away.
- Kurt!
- Father, don't!
To shocked to react, Kurt smashed into a wagon and hit his head. He groaned. Now a crowd had started to gather around them, and several hands pulled Kurt back up.
- What do you think you're doing?
- He's not a monster, he's my son!
- ...just a kid!
- No business of yours coming here and...
- Everyone be quiet!
The roar was unmistakable. Only the circus master had a voice that was as strong as this, and it had an instant effect. There was not a sound to hear except Svetlana's sobbing. The circus master turned to Svetlana's father and gave him a harsh stare.
- What were you doing, Herr Savjalov?
Confused, Savjalov looked around himself, at Kurt, down at his daughter, and then at Kurt again.
- But it had my daughter! It's some kind of demon - surely you can see that?
The only reply he got was angry stares, but he went on bravely: - It's dangerous, it should be locked up!
He believes it! He really thinks I'm some kind of monster! I should have known, I should be used to it… so why does it still hurt so much?
- No, Father! Svetlana piped up. - It's not Kurt's fault!
- Who's Kurt?
- I am! Kurt answered, swallowing his tears and stepping forwards.
He could see the astonishment in Savjalov's face, see the doubt in his eyes.
- It can talk? he asked, stunned.
- Stop calling me it! I'm a boy!
At least on the inside…
The thought was treacherous, and Kurt could feel the desperation welling up inside him. He sobbed, and ran.It was even colder now, and it had started to rain, a soft drizzle that mingled with his tears and blinded him. The river was running fast, the swirling waves resembling the chaos in his head.
He hates me, they all do, not even my parents wanted me…
- Kurt?
His thoughts were interrupted by Jimaine's soft voice, and he put his head on his knees.
- Mmfflg!
- What? she asked, sitting down beside him.
- I said go away.
Instead of doing that, she hugged him tight, and he hugged her back, holding on to her as if she was his lifeline.
- It's cold here, she said after a while. – Mom was worried about you.
- I'll be alright.
- Won't you come back? Pleeeaase?
He sighed. How could anyone resist a sister like this?
- Ok.
* * * * * *
The next day Kurt walked around in a kind of daze, carrying the sadness inside of him. He had really liked Svetlana. And even though his mother had said that Savjalov had regretted his behaviour when he finally understood that Kurt really was human, he didn't think he'd see her again before the circus left. He was so wrapped in his misery that he did neither see the car that stopped by the circus tents nor the two people coming out of it.
- Kurt! someone called.
- Svetlana?
It really was her, but she wasn't alone, her father was there as well. What's going on? he thought, frightened. I haven't done anything! Savjalov came towards him and he wanted to back away, but he didn't.
- Kurt, Savjalov said, looking down at him. - Your foster mother told me that I made a terrible mistake yesterday. I'm not sure that I can believe that you are fully human - even though my daughter tells me that this is so – but I don't think that you are dangerous.
- I'm not! Kurt said defensively. Savjalov half-smiled at him, and continued:
- Svetlana insisted on meeting you today, and there isn't much I'll deny her. But if you hurt her…
He's her dad. He's just worried. He doesn't understand. You shouldn't hate him.
- I'd never hurt her!
Some of the anger must have showed in his eyes when he answered, because Savjalov held out his hand at him.
- No… of course not. I'm sorry.
- It's ok, Kurt answered, taking the hand.
Solemnly they shook hands, and then Svetlana's father left, leaving the two kids alone.
- What do we do now? Svetlana asked, suddenly a little shy.
- I'll show you the circus, of course! Come on!
His tail twined around her wrist and he dragged her with him, both of them laughing. The circus would be leaving tomorrow, but for now… now Kurt could be happy.
* * * * * * *
Words:
Scheisse
means damn or shit (or something like that).Meine Damen und Herren
means Ladies and Gentlemen* * * * * * *
Ok, so that's it. What do you think? If you like it, there'll be another story coming up. It might take a while, though, I'm not a very fast writer. (i.e. I never get enough time to write…)
Shade and sweet water,
Waterfall