Happy holidays everyone!
Inspired by the movie The Butterfly Circus and Cirque du Soleil.
A nineteen year old girl with long, flowing locks of golden hair dove into the crystal clear pond in the middle of a small forest with the softest of splashes. The subtle ripples glided along the surface of the sparkling water, causing the reflection of the moon to flutter for only a fleeting moment. The girl, whose blue eyes were as clear as the water itself, gracefully waved her arms in slow, dramatic waving movements, reveling in the tingling feeling of the cool water sliding over her skin. She arched her back then pointed her toes, twirling beneath the bright moon in a long forgotten waltz under the surface of the water. A single tune resonated around her mind, keeping her graceful movements in time, only to be interrupted by only one other thought; more air. She swam up to the moon after several minutes of submersion, and cautiously broke through the surface. With her years of carefulness and practice, not a single ripple disturbed the clear surface. The girl inhaled silently then floated on her back. The water played with her silky golden hair and covered her ears as her bright blue eyes stared in wonder at the fullness and brightness of the moon. This was her haven, the water sending tingles around her body, the moon shining not too bright, not too dark, and watching over her. A satisfied sigh escaped her moist pink lips as her eyelids lowered and covered the orbs within.
She closed her eyes and listened to the noises of the night, muffled by the water. Her eyes snapped open at the franticness of muffled screams and then splashing. She slowly raised her head and searched for the source of the commotion. Her eyes quickly found a another girl, a couple years older than her with light brown hair and pale green eyes, doubled over and out of breath. Her multiple layered white and brown dress was torn in places.
"Cake? What's-?"
"Get out of the water, Fionna!" the girl panted. "Quickly!" The girl named Cake quickly glanced over her shoulders. "They're coming!" The brown haired girl quickly raced around the edge of the lake to the far side. The blonde, Fionna, quickly swam to where her clothes were on the shoreline with incredible speed. Fionna immediately scrambled into her dress as soon as she got out of the water. In her mind, she cursed the women's fashion in London at that time. Dresses are all for catching a man's attention. It doesn't help when you want to do something useful; neither did the slip on shoes.
"This way!" Cake whispered hastily and bounded into the woods. Fionna sprinted after her while wringing out the water from her locks of hair. The girls raced the shadows, used to running away from pursuers in the dark with ease.
"Who are we running from exactly?" Fionna called out as the sound of laughter and cheering of men echoed from somewhere behind them. "Wait!" Fionna hissed then looked upwards. "Let's climb a tree! We can fight them off if they decide to climb!" the blonde hopped up and grabbed a low lying branch. She heaved herself up as the elder girl grabbed the branch right next to her. The two of them scaled the tall but still young oak tree and sat on top some of the highest branches. The blonde turned to the panting girl across from her, a question in her eyes.
"Drunkards from a nearby village," Cake finally answered after catching her breath. "I was looking at a poster of a circus on one of the building's walls when they started whistling at me. I started to walk away but another man ran to them. He claimed that a naked angel was dancing in the water. The others got up at the word 'naked' and I ran before they noticed, knowing it was you that man was talking about."
"Hold on, I can hear them!" Fionna exclaimed. They clamped their mouths shut as the slurred laughter of the intoxicated men came from below. They stumbled into view between the branches, pushing and shoving each other. There were eight of them around their late thirties. To the relief of the two girls, one of them was somewhat sober and began to shepherd the others back to the direction of which they came.
The two girls stayed hidden in the foliage for a couple more minutes, just to make sure that the coast was clear, before scaling down the trunk of the tree. When their shoes touchdown back on the damp soil of the forest ground, Fionna turned to her sister who nodded back at her then led the way. When walking through the dark, Cake always led the way due to her incredible eyesight in the dark. The blonde often teases her about her 'cat eyes'. Fionna followed behind the brown haired young woman. Her own instincts were sharpened, ready to react to anything the forest was hiding.
Fionna always referred to her life long companion and best friend as her 'sister' and Cake did the same for her regardless of the lack of blood relation they share. Whenever someone asked either one of them how they know each other, they would usually reply with "She's my sister!", usually in unison and followed by an embrace. Cake Michealli and Fionna Nightingdale always looked out for each other ever since a plague that swept through England and claimed hundreds of poor souls as well as the parents of the two girls.
"Can you explain something to me Fionna?" Cake whispered after a couple minutes. "You love the water don't you? Being underwater?"
"Yeah. It feels great. It's nice and cool. There's no gravity keeping you to the ground, I can move anyway I want without being grounded to the earth," the blonde sighed, remembering the cool feeling of the water of the lake sliding over her bare skin.
"Then," Cake questioned slyly. "Why are you so terrified of the ocean?"
The color drained out of Fionna as the memory of the trip the orphanage took to the beach. Cake laughed when she saw it in the dark. "I'm not sure...it's just so vast and...I don't know...I'm not afraid of lakes or ponds or rivers but..." the blonde mumbled, unable to find the words to explain her thalassophobia.
"That makes no sense whatsoev-"
Laughter from all around them interrupted their conversation as their fighting instincts began to immediately kicked in. "Found ya!" One of the drunkards that was chasing them earlier stumbled from behind the bushes to their left. Six more stumbled out, slurring through their laughter, the sober one that supposedly led them back to the bar wasn't there.
"And just how did you find us?" The blonde snarled as she and Cake stood back to back.
"Well when you've hunted -hic- for years, -hic- two lost little girls -hic- aren't hard to find," one of them hiccupped as the he and the others circled the two young girls.
"Careful, if you corner a cat, you'll get scratched," Cake sneered followed by a smirk on Fionna's face. Before another second passed, the young ladies jumped into action. Fionna tackled one of them, slamming him against the ground. Cake punched the one that was about attack the blonde. The two of them ran through the gap they made on the circle of alcoholics. The men, still their intoxicated highs, ran after them, hooting and yelling as if the girls were their prey.
"This way!" Fionna panted and swerved to the left. Cake jumped through the bushes after her. The two of them ran to the edge of the woods and onto a lighted dirt road. A small wooden salon with three horses tied in the front stood solitarily on the side. The same thought went through the girls' heads: to go into the salon where, hopefully, there are other people around to serve as witnesses or maybe even help them against the alcoholics chasing after them.
But before they even came close to the entrance of the salon, Fionna saw her 'sister' get tackled to the ground from the corner of her eye. The blonde unconsciously slowed down and found herself gasping in pain as she too was slammed onto the ground. However, Fionna Nightingdale and Cake Michealli were not to be underestimated. Fionna grabbed the head of the man that tackled her and brought it down crashing onto the ground, breaking his nose. She jumped to her feet, pulled up folds of her dress and kicked the man restraining Cake. With the two 'sisters' working together, they easily knocked out three men in no time at all. The others, seeing what they could do, were more careful. One of them lunged at the blonde who jumped out of the way. However, they were expecting this for another easily tackled her down while she was focused on the other man. Fionna was slammed onto the ground. A man restrained her ankles while another held down her wrists. The blonde struggled against the hands that were fettering her but they were too strong. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cake in the same situation as she was.
"Let us go!" Cake grunted, flailing her limbs around in an escape attempt.
"Like hell we're gonna do that!" One of Fionna's captors snarled. His eyes were hazy from alcohol and lust for his current victim. The blonde could smell the rancid odor of alcohol from his breath. His grip tightened around her arms as she held back a cry of pain. "We didn' chase you down from 'em woods for notin'!"
"You won't get away with this," Fionna snarled.
The man restraining her ankles grinned sadistically and squeezed her ankles tightly. "And who's gonna stop us sweetheart?" He started laughing and the others joined in the chorus is cackles. In the midst of their laughter, their grips loosened by the slightest bit. Without wasting the opportunity, Fionna jerked her leg free and kicked the man restraining it square in the jaw. The man fettering her arms pushed his thumbs on the pressure points in her arms, causing pain to shoot down the limbs. The blonde felt tears build up in her eyes and let out a cry of pain but muffled it instantly as her legs were once again restrained.
"You're gonna regret that, you wench!' The man she kicked snarled. His jaw was bloodied, making his sadistic smile all the more menacing. He slammed his hands down on her thighs, found the pressure points and pressed down on them. Fionna felt her body shiver in the pain and struggled to make it stop. She let out another cry of pain.
"Is there a problem here?" The two men backed off the pressure points at the sound of a stranger's voice. The blonde silently sighed in relief then turned her head at the newcomer. His voice was calm and polite yet stern and serious, coming from someone who held authority. A man in his mid twenties with rectangular spectacles and combed strawberry blonde haired that seemed to glow slightly into the dark, stood watching the struggle. He was wearing a light brown trench coat and brown trousers. The stature he held himself in reminded the blonde of the early years of the mayor of the village she and Cake were from. A taller man with a white ponytail and darker complexion stood next to him. He looked about the same age as his friend and wore similar formal clothing. His brown eyes glared at the men and his hands balled into fists.
"Nothing' you need to worry about pretty boy," sneered one of the men holding Cake.
"Were you really expecting a straight answer for your question Bubba?" A deep, husky voice with a hint of mischief chuckled out of nowhere.
Fionna saw the drunkards turn their head toward the new arrival and used this to her advantage. She mustered up every ounce of strength she had left and kicked the man restraining her ankles again. This time he was thrown back and then collapsed on the ground. The impact between the man's face and Fionna's foot brought the attention back to the girls. The blonde heard the other girl struggled against the hands keeping her down. Fionna made the mistake of glancing at her sister because when she looked back at her captor, all she saw was his fist accelerating to her face. The blonde shut her eyes on the second of impact. She barely felt the air moved by punch on her face and snapped her eyes open at the feeling of coarse skin trembling, barely touching the tip of her nose.
"Is that how you treat a young woman?" The deep voice chuckled once more. The coarse fist was jerked back, and so was the man it was attached to. The blonde's savior's trenchcoat flapped around as he swung his long legs around and kicked the drunkard. Fionna scrambled to her feet as the drunkard went flying but stepped on the ends of her dress and stumbled. Gentle yet firm arms kept her from falling to the ground. The blonde felt long muscular arms wrap around her waist and hoist her to her feet. She felt herself being pressed against the torso of their master. She saw that her savior had long silky onyx locks that flowed down over his ebony eyes. He had a boyish yet handsome face with pale skin. He was a tall man in his mid twenties. The blonde, who was almost up to his shoulders, blushed and slightly pushed away from him. The dark haired man tightened his grip around her, pulling her closer, and and leaned his head against hers protectively. Fionna buried her face into his shoulders and willed her blush away.
The blonde noticed that she wasn't the only one being rescued. The man with the white ponytail has fought off her adoptive sister's captors and offered his hand to Cake. The brown haired girl had a shocked look on her face then flushed when she took his hand. Fionna turned her attention back to the man holding her so tenderly yet protectively. Like the other two men from the salon, he was in formal clothes save that his were black. A black vest covered his collared red shirt under the black trenchcoat that draped from his broad shoulders. His deep ebony eyes glared at the remaining drunkards.
Fionna felt his hold around her tighten once more. "Leave," he growled and the drunkards scrambled. "Are you alright miss?" The raven haired man loosened his grip on Fionna and let her use his arms for balance.
She lost herself in those midnight black eyed for a second then looked at her sister to hide her flushed cheeks. "Y-yes, thank you."
"Fionna!" The blonde heard Cake cry as she ran towards her. The blonde ran from the man's arms and embraced her adoptive sister. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes I'm fine. But what about you?" Fionna looked her up and down and sighed when she nodded.
"I take it's safe to assume that the two of you are alright?" Fionna and Cake nodded to the man with rectangular spectacles, the one the raven haired man referred to as 'Bubba'. He stood up from where he was squatting to check at the men that his friends took down. "That's good to hear. Please allow me to properly introduce myself," He walked up to the girls and held out his hand. "My name is Bubba Goldfax and this is my old friend, Lorn Chromic." Bubba gestured at the pony tailed man in his thirties that saved Cake. Lorn smiled and waved his hands in the air in movements unfamiliar to Cake. "He's deaf," the strawberry blonde man explained when he saw the girls' confused faces. "He also can't talk so he communicates through sign language."
"Oh my name is Cake. Cake Michealli'" Cake smiled to her rescuer, understanding sign language and shook his hand.
"Marshall Lee Kingville," Fionna jumped at the deep tenor of her rescuer. Marshall walked up to the blonde and held out his hand.
"Fionna Nightingdale," she replied and shook his hand.
"The two of you are shivering. Why don't we go inside for a drink?" Bubba offered.
The two girls didn't even notice the shivers that ran up and down their spines. It was the middle of December in London after all, on the eve before Christmas. Fionna shivered in her long baby blue dress. It had lace going down the middle of her torso then disappeared into to folds of the skirt. Cake was wearing a light brown dress with designs in dark brown and frills on the long sleeves. The men started towards the salon. Fionna nervously looked at Cake who had a similar discomfort spreading through her face.
"Don't worry! We'll pay for the drinks. The two of you need it after tonight's excitement," Marshall Lee called over his shoulder then stuck his hands in his pocket. Cake sighed and gave Fionna a tired look. Then the two of them followed the three men back to the salon. "By the way," Marshall started as the girls caught up with them. "Hold old are you both anyways? I'm not about to let minors have alcohol. "
"I'm twenty-one and Fionna is nineteen. You don't have to worry about that. We don't drink alcohol," Cake answered.
"Wonderful!" Bubba exclaimed. "Then a few cocktails wouldn't hurt anyone."
Lorn was first to get to the salon where he opened the door and held it for the others. Each of them thanked him as they passed by and he nodded back politely. The salon has a small, quiet place. A small candle flickered on each table top while a couple lanterns lit up the bar in the back.
Fionna wrinkled her nose as soon as the pungent smell of smoke and alcohol hit her nose. Cake placed a hand on her arm and rubbed it for comfort. Fionna placed a hand over hers as a means of thanks and reassurance that she would be alright. Bubba was first to make a move and took a seat on one of the circular tables that seated five. Lorn sat on his right and Cake plopped herself down on the seat next to him. Marshall Lee grabbed the chair next to her and pulled it out for the blonde. She was taken aback by the gesture but kept her composure. "Thank you," she mumbled and took the offered seat, blushing slightly. The tall man slid the seat under her and placed himself on the seat between her and Bubba.
"Waitress!" The strawberry blonde man called in a friendly manner. "Five cocktails please! No alcohol!" one of the ladies in uniform nodded and prepared the drinks.
"Is there something on my face?" Marshall Lee asked out of nowhere.
The blonde, who was watching the waitress prepare their beverages, knew he wasn't talking to her. She turned to him and saw that he was looking strangely at her adoptive sister.
"I-uh-um," Cake stuttered then took a breath. "I feel like I've seen you before… all three of you actually... I just can't seem to put my finger on it," she explained. A smirk appeared on Marshall Lee's face as a small smile spread through Bubba's face. Now that the blonde thought about it, something about those three men that helped them was vaguely familiar. It wasn't until the waitress delivered their drinks and Fionna's first few sips that Cake's green eyes lit up, "The Circus!"
"Cake we've never been to a circus. How could you have possibly-"
"No we haven't but do you remember that poster I told you about?" Cake exclaimed. "The one before those guys started looking for you?" The blonde recalled the story told on the treetops and nodded. "Well, these guys were on it!"
Bubba let a out a small chuckle then Marshall spoke, "I'm glad our advertisements are working." He brought the tall glass of different liquids to his lips.
"You're in the circus?" Fionna exclaimed, her curiosity at its peak.
This time Bubba answered, letting the raven haired man finish his drink. "Indeed we are Miss Fionna. Have you ever heard of the Cirque du Celestia?"
"That was the circus on the poster!" Cake exclaimed.
"'Cirque du Celestia'? I know I've heard that before, somewhere," Fionna racked her brain then turned to Cake. "Oh! I remember Mistress Petrikova talking about it to Gretchen." She then turned back to Marshall Lee. "You guys do two shows as part of a days' performance; one during daylight and another in the nighttime."
"That's right Fionna," Marshall sighed after chugging his cocktail. "The first show, or as we call it the Sunlight Performance, is more of a parade around the streets. It serves as entertainment for all the little kids as well as an advertisement, or a preview for what we have in store for the nighttime show, or the..?"
"The Moonlight Performance?" Fionna answered.
"That's it," Marshall chuckled then winked at the blonde who blushed. "The Moonlight Performance is the main event of the night. I would tell you more but I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."
"I don't think we'll be able to see it so you can go ahead and spoil it for us," Cake said nervously.
"You won't be able to see it? Why not?" Bubba questioned them.
"Well.." Cake scratched her head. Fionna looked to the ground. She knew they couldn't go, no matter how badly she wanted to. They didn't have any money to buy the tickets. They barely had enough money to get food for the winter season. Fionna knew it would be difficult when she and Cake agreed to run away from Mistress Simone Petrikova's Orphanage for Lost Little Snowflakes seven years ago. They've survived by doing odd jobs and errands for money but without a permanent home, they don't know what to do.
"We saved you so the least you can do is watch our performances," Marshall said and took two slips of paper from his coat pocket. "Both performances." He handed the slips of paper to the girls. Fionna accepted one and handed the other to Cake. Her eyes roamed the red and green designs and over to the letters 'Cirque du Celestia: Moonlight Performance of Dec. 25. Ticket No. 785'.
"We can't take this!" Fionna exclaimed and put the ticket back on the table.
"That's right. You've already bought us drinks and saved us from those alcoholics. We have nothing to return to you," the elder girl explained and placed her own ticket back on the wooden table.
"You can repay us with your audience," Bubba replied calmly. "We like to see familiar faces in the audience and we would be absolutely delighted if two fair maidens such as yourselves could see our performances."
Lorn took the tickets and then held them for the girls to take. Fionna glanced at her 'sister' who sighed and looked at her. "If you insist," she gave in and took the tickets.
"Excellent. The Sunlight Performance begins at noon. We will be performing in that small village down the road so you'll be able to find us with hardly any trouble," Bubba smiled.
"You can bring your families too. It is on Christmas Day after all. How many more tickets would you like?" Marshall asked and began to search his pockets for more slips of colored paper.
"That won't be necessary Mr. Marshall," Cake explained nervously.
"Please, just Marshall. I'm not that much older than you. May I ask why it would be unnecessary? Wouldn't you want to spend this holiday with your family?"
Fionna hung her head and grabbed Cake's hand under the table, a tightening feeling began in her chest. Cake squeezed her hand and sighed. "Well, we are orphans. We both lost our families to the plague years ago and had to live in an orphanage run by a crazy lady. Don't get me wrong, she was nice some of the time but she has gone through traumatizing things. So we ran away. We've been surviving on what we can for the past seven years."
The three men were silent. Bubba looked at the girls with sympathy. Lorn put his glass down. Marshall stopped rummaging through his pocket and whispered "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Fionna looked up and smiled. "Sure we've gone through some difficult times but we are healthy and we have each other so we'll be fine," she assured them, trying to hide the pain of the last seven years.
"That's the spirit," Bubba mumbles, still feeling sorry for the 'sisters'. "Would it be alright if we were to walk the two of you home? We wouldn't want more drunkards to come after you."
"Uh..actually we just stay in the woods.."Cake mumbled.
"Waitress!" Marshall called, making the two girls jump, and the uniformed lady that served their drinks walked up to them. She collected their now empty glasses then accepted the pay from Marshall. "Do you happen to know a place anyone could spend the night?"
"Yes sir. We have a couple rooms in the next building but they're not exactly, luxurious, but they are in good condition."
"That'll work. I'd like to pay for a room for the night," Marshall gave some more money. "Can you include breakfast with that?"
"Yes sir."
"Thank you," Bubba thanked her and he, Marshall and Lorn stood up as the waitress went to talk to the manager. "Not tonight, Cake."
"Wait!" Fionna exclaimed. "We really do appreciate what you've done for us. We will definitely go to your shows tomorrow. There's no need for you to do this!"
"What kind of men would we be if we let two beautiful ladies sleep in the cold snow in the woods?" Marshall smirked at them.
"Honestly it's okay. We've done this for years. We're used to it! We'll be fine!" Cake lied. Though they have survived out in the cold for years, they barely live through it. Fionna remembered the years when she or Cake were sick and almost died from the cold. It's been extremely tough for them. These three men are about to save their lives for a second time but the blonde seriously thought they've helped them enough and she doesn't want to seem like beggars to them.
"No," Marshall said firmly. "It's going to colder than ever tonight and you will be spending the night under a roof."
The manager of the salon, a man in his late forties, came up to them and led them through the door. Bubba put on his small top hat as the icy fingers of the winter reached through the door. Shivers ran through the bodies of the girls as they huddled together for warmth. They walked out of the bar together until Lorn grabbed Cake, opened up his coat and pulled her into it. Fionna felt a heavy but warm weight on her shoulders. Marshall draped his black jacket on her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Before she could protest for him being too kind, he pulled her close to his chest. Fionna blushed and basked in the warmth his body provided. She wrapped an arm around his waist as he steered her towards the next building.
"This way!" Bubba's voice shouted somewhere in front of them. Fionna had her face buried in Marshall's chest and relied on him for direction. Seconds later, she no longer felt the ruthless wind but the warmth of the inside of the building. The blonde sighed as the warmth spread to red cheeks and then her fingers. Bubba shut the door as soon as all of them were safely inside. "Wow. It's brutal out there. I'm glad you two will have a roof over your head tonight."
Fionna couldn't agree more with the strawberry blonde man. "This way to your rooms," the manager said and started towards the stairs.
"This is where we say good night," Marshall said. "We have to get back into town before this wind gets worse and blow our horses away. We'll see you in crowds right Fionna?"
"If you look hard enough," Fionna smiled, her cheeks still red from the cold, and handed him back his coat. Marshall wiped the blonde locks from her face and placed them on behind her ear, making the red on her face brighten.
"You can bet I'll be looking for you," he laughed then put his coat on.
"Thank you," the blonde heard Cake mumble to Lorn. She knew the brown haired girl hated the cold and wanted nothing to do with it. Lorn nodded and smiled at her. Fionna went over and wrapped her arms around her adoptive sister. Cake placed an arm around her shoulders as the men made their way to the door.
"Thank you for everything and we will see you tomorrow!" the blonde called out to them.
"It was a pleasure to meet the both of you. We look forward to seeing in our audience tomorrow!" Bubba returned as he, Marshall and Lorn braced themselves against the winter wind outside.
Once the door shut behind them, Fionna and Cake turned around and followed the manager up the stairs. "This will be your room for tonight," he gestured at a door down the hall.
"Would you like for breakfast to be delivered to you in the morning?"
"No that's okay, we'll just make our way back to the salon," Cake replied politely.
"Alright. We serve breakfast at nine."
"We'll be there." The manager nodded at Cake's reply and bid them a good night before going back down the stairs. Fionna opened the door with the key he gave them and walked inside. There was a bed in the middle and a bathroom on the side.
The blonde jumped onto the bed and snuggled under the sheets. Cake soon joined her and giggled at the warmth in their toes. How long has it been since they last slept safely in the warmth with a roof over their heads?
"You like him don't you?" Cake smiled knowingly to her sister. She laughed at the red hue that immediately spread through her face.
"What are you-"
"Oh please, Fionna. I'm not blind I can see you like him. I've never seen you blush so much around another person. You like that Marshall Lee don't you?"
The blonde flushed. Marshall Lee was a very handsome man and Fionna couldn't help but feel safe and protected in his arms. The blonde shook her head. What was she thinking? "What about Lorn? You've taken quite the liking to him!" she countered to her 'sister'.
"Wha-what?" Cake stuttered. The blonde smiled triumphantly. "Oh it doesn't matter. Cake began hiding the blush on her own face. "Let's get some sleep so we have plenty of energy tomorrow." The blonde smiled and snuggled deeper in to the blankets, falling asleep in no time at all.
"Cake, hurry! Everyone is gathered over there! The parade is going to start soon!" Fionna exclaimed excitedly and ran to through the crowd. Her bun was bouncing up and down as she was in excitement.
"Fionna, wait! Let's not get separated!" Cake yelled after her, struggling to keep up with the younger girl. The snow from the previous night covered London in a blanket of white. The streets were cleared, anticipating the oncoming members of the Cirque du Celestia.
The blonde stopped and waited for the elder. As soon as she saw her, she grabbed her hand and practically dragged her through the crowd. Seconds later, the music began. The sounds of accordions, bells, guitars, drums and trumpets rang out from around the corner of the street, unseen by the girls. Part of the crowd cheered as the parade came around the corner where Fionna and her 'sister 'stood. Wanting to get a full view of the Sunlight Performance before it passed them, Fionna dragged Cake to the front and stood behind a couple of children.
At last the blonde was able to lay eyes on the colors and enthusiasm of the show. The members of the performance with incredible finesse, each showing off their skills as the crowd erupted in cheers. Fionna wished she had an eye for each of the twelve performers in the parade. There were two children that looked to be related, maybe even twins, riding around in unicycles while laughing and smiling at the crowd. Three dancers in big skirts, a pink one, an orange one and a rainbow colored one, danced around the troupe with bells attached to their wrists, ankles and hips. A man juggling knives and swords of various kinds made the crowd hold their breath in awe. He was followed by a tall skinny man who was bending his limbs in impossible ways and doing cartwheels then pulled out a viola and joined in the music. At the very back of the parade, a lion roared with a woman on its back. The king of the jungle was followed by an elephant with a seal on its back, a couple monkeys dressed in red, a tiger, a bear and a lioness.
"Look who's leading the parade. I guess that makes him the ringmaster, huh?" Cake whispered to the blonde.
Fionna looked to the oncoming parade and found Marshall Lee dancing in step with the music. He was wearing a black top hat with a red pattern of a kingly crown around the base and the same regalia as last night. A black and silver mask framed around his eyes and covered the top side of his face. His fingers danced over the strings of a red guitar strapped over his shoulder. As his fingers danced over the strings of a red guitar in the shape of an axe, Bubba danced beside him, playing the accordion. He was wearing a white and gold mask was dressed in a light pink suit and a purple vest. Lorn was walking behind them with ten feet tall legs and was playing a trumpet. A man with a drum strapped over his shoulders marched behind them while beating it with two mallets of fire. He raised one of the mallets to his face, took a deep breath and blew fire to the sky, making the crowd grow wild.
The blonde looked around the crowd. Smiles were on everyone's faces as the performers of the circus danced before them. "Oof! Oh I'm sorry sir!" she heard Cake apologize to a man after he bumped into him. Fionna turned around to see a giant of a man with slicked back jet black hair and a scowl on his face.
"Do watch were you're going little girl," he growled and pushed through the crowd. The two girls glared daggers at his back and didn't noticed the ringmaster approach them.
"Well, well. Look who made an appearance!" Marshall Lee said joyfully as the blonde's cerulean eyes met his deep ebony ones. He squatted down to the children separating the two of them after slinging the guitar over his back. The little boy and girl stared up at him with bright eyes, waiting for his surprise. Marshall Lee took off his hat and reached inside it. He pulled out a toy train and a doll then gave them to the children who started to jump up and down in joy. The raven haired man then stood his full height and placed the hat back on his head. He bowed to the blonde and offered his hand to her.
"Uh, Marshall? What are you…?" Fionna stuttered, confused.
"Do you trust me?" Was he seriously asking her that?
The blonde hesitated for a moment. He was a complete stranger, yet… "Yes," she smiled then took his hand. He pulled her out to the street and she dragged Cake along with her.
"Hey! Fionna wait!" Cake started but quieted down when Lorn kneeled down to normal height and picked her up. He placed the brown haired girl on his back and rose up to the full height of his stilts then started playing once more. Cake hung on to his shoulders and enjoyed the view from up top.
Fionna laughed as Marshall brought her in the front of the parade. She felt joy bubble up inside as the raven haired man beamed at her and began to skip in the step, playing a joyful, upbeat tune on his guitar. The blonde let out a laugh and began to dance along with him, lifting her skirt so as not to step on it. The two children on the unicycles rode around her in circles as she laughed and danced to the music. Marshall, Bubba and the tall skinny man jumped into the circle and danced along with the blonde. Fionna couldn't help but laugh at the joy she was experiencing.
Then the strumming of the guitar disappeared and Fionna found herself in Marshall Lee's arms. He had one hand intertwined fingers with hers while the other traveled up her back and to her bun and took out the pin keeping it together to let her golden locks cascade down her back in waves. The blonde flushed as the young man smirked and led her to a tango. Fionna placed her other hand on his shoulder as his hand fell to the small of her back. She found the steps easily, having experiences with dancing with her father over what felt like a lifetime ago. Marshall led her to the beat of the music and Fionna lost herself in the joy and ecstasy the circus brought with it.
Marshall spun her out of his arms and she continued to dance in graceful movements before the crowd. They clapped and cheered her on. She felt two large palms on either side of her waist and then she was lifted to the sky. Marshall picked her up and spun her around as she pointed her toe and let out a small giggle. The man set her back on the ground with an arm around her waist so she was facing him. With a flick of his wrist, a white daffodil appeared on his hand. He put it in her hair and tucked her bangs behind her ear. He touched his forehead against hers for a lingering second then began playing his guitar again.
Cake came out of nowhere and playfully shoved the blonde. "Hey!" the blonde laughed and chased after her. She wondered how she got down from Lorn's back but didn't spend more than a second thinking about it. The two of them danced with the three female dancers who showed them the steps and welcomed them to the parade. Fionna beamed at the crowd. Everyone was happy and clapped along with the music. Marshall and Bubba brought in kids from the crowds and danced with them, even allowing their parents to join. The blonde smiled when she saw Marshall produce a bouquet of flowers from his pocket, hand it to an old lady in a rocking chair and gave her a small peck on the cheek. Bubba did the same with a little girl then went back to the parade. Both girls, young and old, blushed deeply and waved as the young men danced away.
The parade danced down the street and turned a corner where an enormous and colorful tent loomed over the buildings. A carnival was set up with stalls for food and prizes. There were games and rides for everyone on the way to the tent. The crowd, who began to follow the parade cheered at the sight of the carnival. The Sunlight Performers went into the tent as everyone else scrambled to explore what the carnival had to offer.
Fionna and Cake stopped in front of the tent unsure whether they should go in or not. The blonde wanted to experience all the fun the carnival had but knew she couldn't. Money was still an issue. She smiled sadly as her eyes took in all the lights.
"What's with the long faces?" A voice behind them made them jump. Marshall and Lorn came back out from the tent. Marshall seemed to know exactly what they were thinking. "Don't worry, the only thing in this carnival that requires money is the Moonlight Performance. Since that performance alone gets so much money, everything else is free. Well, except for the food."
Lorn walked over to Cake and signaled something to her. "Sure! I'd love to!" Cake exclaimed when he put his hand back down.
"Wait, you understood him?" Marshall asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. I used to work with the deaf children back at the orphanage. I taught them sign language."
"Oh, that's impressive."
"Thank you!" Cake turned to her 'sister'. "Fionna, Lorn offered to show me around the carnival. Why don't you stay here with Marshall?" She smile suspiciously and winked at her. The blonde glared at her as she walked away with Lorn.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Marshall smiled to the girl. "So, Miss Fionna. What shall be our first stop today?"
"I'm not sure," the blonde looked around. "There are so many things to see. I don't know where to start."
"Well, the Moonlight Performance doesn't start until it gets dark and I really don't have anything to prepare. We have about six hours so we have plenty time. Mind if I take the lead?" Marshall offered his arm to her.
"Not at all!" Fionna smiled and happily hooked her arm around his elbow.
The raven haired man led the opposite direction Lorn took Cake and towards the games. He took off his mask and placed in his pocket. "That was some incredible dancing you did back in the parade. Your sister too. Where did you learn to move like that? I also remember your fighting skills the other day. I've never seen a lady fight like that."
"Our mothers were instructors at a dance studio. So being their daughters, they passed down that talent. Our fathers taught us some self defense. They were in the army and we didn't have any brothers so they taught us."
"Do you like dancing?"
"Yes I do. It's liberating and exhilarating, especially underwater."
"You can dance underwater?" Marshall exclaimed. "That's impressive!"
"Thanks," the blonde looked away to hide her blush. "So Marshall, what do you do in the show?"
"Well, I conduct it. I am the ringmaster after all. As you saw in the parade I can do a little bit of magic tricks." He unhooked his arm with Fionna's and wrapped it around her shoulder. He then proceeded to place a finger behind her ear then a coin appeared in between his thumb and finger. "I know the first thing we're going to do," he whispered softly into her ear then led her towards a booth with lots of large hats hanging around it and tons of bottles on a table in the middle.
"Hey, Marshall! Great job at the parade today, you too miss!" A lady with short brown hair and a green dress greeted the two as they approached.
"Thanks Lollipop Girl," Marshall chuckled.
"My name is not Lollipop Girl! It's Lottie Pope!"
"Sounds the same to me," Marshall teased and grasped Fionna's shoulder. "Anyways this here is Fionna Nightingdale."
"My, aren't you a lovely young lady. She's a keeper Marshall. Don't lose her," Lottie smiled as the blonde blushed.
"It's her first time in a carnival," Marshall ignored the last comment. Fionna looked up at him. Was his face a little red? "So I'm showing her around and you get the honor of being her first impression."
"Well I hope I do a good job. The game here is simple Ms. Fionna. You simple have to toss this ring," she held up a yellow ring about the size of the opening of a can, "and make it around one of the bottles. You get three tries. Think you can do it?"
The blonde nodded eagerly and stepped forward. Marshall stood back and watched as Fionna took one of the rings and tossed it. It missed. She grabbed a blue ring and tried again but ended up with the same result. She took the last ring and took a deep breath. She aimed for the one closest to the front and tossed it. The ring landed around it and spun around a couple times.
"We have a winner! Pick your prize." The blonde looked around. There were so many hats. She wanted to try them all on but she wouldn't know where to start.
"What about this one?" Marshall held up a woven hat with bunny ears. He placed on Fionna's head and looked at the woman in booth.
"I think it's perfect." The blonde nodded in agreement and smiled at the warmth the hat provided for her head.
"Congratulations Ms. Fionna and good luck on the show tonight Marshall!" called after them as they walked away.
"Thanks!" Marshall called over his shoulder then took the blonde's hand. "Come on Fionna. We have hours more to waste and I want you to see the carnival at its fullest." He led her around, making her play games and try different kinds of food. The blonde was particularly fond of the candy apples Marshall bought for her. They met many different people and somehow their names were associated with sweets. "The circus is called the Cirque du Celestia but this carnival is known as the Candy Carnival Kingdom," the ringmaster laughed when the blonde asked him about it. They met a very muscular man who was actually a sweet man with the name of Mr. Cupcake. He offered a large hammer to Marshall and challenged him to beat his record. A tall pole with a bell on top had increments written on it with 1000 on the very top was his event. Mr. Cupcake's record was 900.
"What do I get if I beat it?" Marshall chuckled as he took off his coat and placed it around Fionna.
"I will take your place with cleaning up after the Moonlight Performance."
"Deal," Marshall smirked as he raised the large hammer over his head and brought it crashing down on the platform. A small weight shot up and hit the bell, making a loud ring echo through the carnival. "I'm glad you'll be helping out tonight Mr. Cupcake."
The muscular man's eyes were wide open then his mustache shook as he started laughing. "Well, it's about time you beat me!"
"Hey!" Marshall faked a hurt expression and led Fionna back to the tent. Fionna gawked at what the raven haired man just did. Mr. Cupcake was at least twice his size in muscle mass. How was this man able to beat his record? "Let's get back to the tent. The show is going to start soon and you're going to want front row seats."
"Why is it called the 'Cirque du Celestia'?" the blonde asked its ringmaster as they walked.
"I'm glad you asked. The word 'celestial' pertains to anything in the visible sky," Marshall looked up and sighed. The blonde followed his gaze then marveled at the bright full moon watching over them. "In the case of our circus, it means the moon and the stars. It's more of a symbol actually. We travel to places without much joy in it and bring a little light, just like the moon and stars do to the evening sky."
"Well, you guys definitely brought some light into this place. Cake and I have been here for a month and this was the only time I've ever seen anyone smile."
"We heard that this place was the most miserable in the country and we were right. No one here was happy until the parade. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"
"Well nothing exciting happens here."
"We can change that," he smiled. The two of them stayed quiet until they reached the tent. "You go through here. I have to go around to the back since I'm part of the show."
"Can I come see you after the show?" Fionna blurted out.
Marshall was taken aback by the question then smiled. "Of course." He took a step back, bowed down and kissed Fionna's hand. The blonde blushed deeply as turned around and walked away.
"Fionna!" the blonde turned to see Cake running up to her. "How was your day? Nice hat by the way and whose jacket is that?"
"Thanks! Oh it's, um, Marshall's," the blonde blushed and wrapped the jacket tighter around her petite frame. "My day was great. It was fun. Where's Lorn?"
"He went around to the back entrance. Let's go inside! I really want to see what they're going to do!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, we of the circus would like to thank all of you for spending your holidays with us! My name is Marshall Lee Kingville and I will be your Ringmaster tonight. Now, without further ado, I present to you the Moonlight Performance of the Cirque du Celestia!" Marshall Lee the Ringmaster's introduction was met by a roar from the crowd. Fionna and Cake cheered along as the lights dimmed in the tent. The audience was seated in semicircle bleachers in front of the raven haired man. Fionna's bright blue eyes met with his ebony ones behind the masked. He winked at her then introduced the first act.
"Tonight, we will start with the twins, Beemo and Geemo!" From the back of the tent, a little girl and boy, about six years old, rode out on their unicycles. Both of them wore matching outfits: a frilly little blue green dress for the girl and a cute little suit of the same color for the boy. Their hair was dyed the same color as their outfits. The boy, Beemo, had short hair while his twin, Geemo, had two curly ponytails bouncing around the sides of her head. The crowd cheered as they rode around the and waved at them. Then the twins started to circle around Marshall Lee, who, by rolling back his shoulders and stretching his arms into a "T", somehow produced ten pins, five of them standing on each of his outstretched arms and earned a gasp from the crowd. He tossed them into the air then hustled out of the way as the twins caught them then juggled. At first they both juggled five each but then they tossed them to each other, juggling all ten together.
"Next I would like to introduce two men that stand firm against fear and danger then learned how to control it. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Master of Fire, Ignatius Blazen, and the Master of Blades, Finn Mertens!" Fire erupted around a platform in the back left, making half of the audience jump. They gasped as the fire died down to reveal two men. Both of them only had a pair of loose fitting black pants that came down to their ankles. Ignatius Blazen was juggling six flaming torches, the fire illuminated his reddish orange hair that stood in a spike, making it look as if it was fire itself. Finn Mertens had short blonde hair and was juggling six curved daggers. The two of them slowly walked down the stairs leading from the platform. They continued walking until they were in the middle of where the twins were juggling their bowling pins. Torches and blades flew in patterns while the bowling pins were tossed around them. The crowd roared.
From behind the curtain came Lorn on his stilts. He was carrying a colorful box, about the size of a large hat box, and set it down on the ground after kneeling down. "Lorn Chromic is a man over ten feet tall and can even touch the sky!" Suddenly, the front side of the box fell open as Lorn stood his 'full height'. The tall, skinny man that danced with Fionna earlier unfolded himself from inside the box. The blonde gasped. How did that tall man fit inside that box without breaking anything? "Jake Dogson, also known as the Human Rubber Band, has the ability of contorting his body into impossible shapes and forms!" Marshall introduced and clasped shoulders with Jake. The Human Rubber Band had dark blonde hair, almost pure yellow, and wore fitting clothing the same color as his hair.
Suddenly, a woman with light blonde hair in a rainbow dress jumped from a small platform near the top of the tent and landed on a large trampoline. "Lillian Rainica is our trampoline acrobat and along with Francine Sparx," a red haired woman in puffy orange clothing, a trapeze artist, caught Lillian and tossed her higher into the air. "And Bonnibelle Shugarston," a pink haired woman, another trapeze artist in pink puffy clothing, caught Lillian and together they swung over the crowd then both of them twirled in the air and landed back down on the trampoline followed by Francine. "The three of them make up the Cirque du Celestia's acrobat troupe!" The crowd applauded and whistled for them as they touchdown on the ground and bowed.
"Last but not least is our animal trainer, Marceline Abadeer!" A lion roared from behind the curtain followed by a bear's then an elephant's. They stalked behind a woman whose long jet black hair was held up in a high ponytail. She wore a short red and black dress with knee-high boots. The ringmaster took out what looked like three rubber balls from his pocket and thew it to the center of the stage. With a snap from his gloved fingers, the balls disappeared in puffs of smoke. When the smoke cleared, three large balls, about the size of a young man, took the places of the smaller ones. With a crack from her whip, the lion, elephant and bear stalked towards the balls and jumped on top of them. Each of the large animals balanced on their hind feet on the balls while monkeys danced around. The crowd cheered and cheered. All the acts have been introduced but Fionna can't help but feel that something was missing. What about Bubba?
"These skilled ladies and gents, along with myself have a holiday special to present to you," Marshall Lee's voice rang out once more. "Under direction of Bubba Goldfax, our Shadow Silhouette Artist, the Cirque du Celestia would like to present," The lights dimmed to almost nothing. A giant curtain fell in front of the audience then a light from behind it brought out the shadows of all twelve members of the circus and Marceline's animals. "A Christmas Night at the Circus," Marshall finished dramatically as everyone danced behind the curtain, the shadows showing the outlines of their bodies. The crowd gasped as the shadows of the performers bent and came together and formed different shapes. The first was a Christmas tree with a top hat, who, the blonde knew, belonged to the Ringmaster, on top instead of a star. Then the shadows separated, some becoming larger and others becoming smaller, to form the scene of a little girl opening a box and the shadow a cat, the lion, coming out of it.
Fionna couldn't believe the many pictures the performers could make just with their shadows. Her breath was taken away when she saw the image of a family gathered around a Christmases tree and sitting by a roaring fire (arms and palms were waving around to show this image) and opening presents. Something heavy fell on the blonde's heart, a tightening feeling. She remembered the last Christmas she spent with her family. Cake and her family decided to have dinner and open their presents with them. The two little girls were ecstatic that Santa left presents under their tree. A tear slid down Fionna's cheek without her permission. She jumped at the sound of hundreds of hands erupting into applause and people getting to their feet. The blonde missed the last apart of the show and now it's over. The lights came back on and the curtain was pulled back to reveal the circus troupe lined up side by side and bowing. Fionna and Cake joined the applause and stayed while everyone else filed out of the tent.
"Cake," Fionna said, tugging at her sister's sleeve. "I'm gonna go congratulate Marshall. You should go find Lorn."
The brown haired girl blushed and mumbled an agreement before climbing down the bleachers. The blonde chuckled to herself as she watched Cake go down to Lorn and sign something to him. She heard footsteps thundering up the bleachers towards her. She turned her head to see the Ringmaster climbing up to see her. Fionna smiled, blushed slightly, then climbed down in order to meet him halfway.
"So, my little bunny, did you enjoy the show?" He teased when they met.
"It was fantastic Marshall!" The blonde laughed. "What do you mean 'your little bunny'?"
The raven haired man took off his mask and tagged at the ears of the blonde's hat. She completely forgot she was wearing that. "You know you could've chosen any hat. I just suggested this one because it was warm. You didn't have choose it."
"No I like it. It's cute and warm," Fionna smiled. Marshall returned the smile and led her down to the entrance of the tent where they ran into Mr. Cupcake.
"Ah Marshall Lee!" He laughed and clasped hands with the ringmaster. "Another flawless performance. You know little miss," he said turning to the blonde by Marshall's side. "I've been to every performance this man done and the performers of this circus never ceases to blow my mind."
"Uhh haha he's just saying that," Marshall chuckled modestly while scratching the back of his head. The blonde noticed his cheeks were turning slightly red. "Hey blue," he said turning to the blonde. "Ever rode on a ferris wheel before?"
'Um, no," Fionna hung her head.
"Well how about we fix that? They don't need me here to clean up since Mr. Cupcake is going to help out," Marshall smiled.
"Yes. I made that promise and I shall keep my word," Mr. Cupcake vowed.
"Thanks!" Marshall called as he draped an arm around Fionna's shoulder and led her out of the tent and towards the large circular ride near the edge of the carnival. The cold blast hit Fionna and she was thankful for the raven hair man's trenchcoat around. However that did not stop her from snuggling under Marshall's arm. The ringmaster chuckled and hugged the young woman closer to him. "Here we are," he said as they stopped in front of the brightly colored ride. "Hey Starchy!"
A short stout man with a large black mustache, wearing a ball cap and a tux with striped pants, jumped from behind a metal box and greeted the tall ringmaster. "Good evening Ringmaster! Excellent performance as always!"
"You're too kind," Marshall replied. "Are you closing for the night or do you have time for one more ride? I'd like to take this lady here for her first ride."
"You're quite the lady killer, ain't he miss?" Starchy laughed as the young man and woman blushed and avoided eye contact with one another. "'Heard you've been showing her around the Candy Carnival. Well, I was closing down for the night but a ferris wheel ride is the best way to put a finale on a night with your girl. Only for you, Ringmaster."
"Wait, we're not- ugh never mind," the raven haired man blushed and steered Fionna into one of the cars. "Strap yourself in," he grunted as he squeezed in with the blonde and strapped himself in.
Starchy pressed a button on the metal box and the ride jolted alive, causing the blonde jump and grab the Ringmaster's hand. The man let out a deep laugh and entertained his fingers with hers. The blonde sighed and snuggled into his shoulder. She felt Marshall Lee tense in surprise then relax the second later. The long metal arms of the wheel lifted their car up into the sky. The temperature was dropping the higher they went, causing the blonde to shiver even under the coat. The man removed his fingers from the blonde's and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He rubbed her arm as a means of warmth and comfort.
"The show was amazing," Fionna whispered. The raven haired man slouched down and pulled the blonde closer to him. Fionna snuggled into his chest. Her arms wrapped around to his shoulder as his did to her waist. "What are you guys going to do know that the show is done?" The blonde whispered softly, afraid of the answer.
The Ringmaster removed his hat with his other hand then placed it on his lap. He ran his fingers through his raven hair before answering the blonde. "The people here are happier now. I guess, we move on to the next town, the circus I mean."
The blonde felt something grip heart, another heavy weight on her chest made her eyes sting. What did she honestly expect?
"Fionna?" Marshall sighed and began stroking her golden locks.
"Ye-yeah?" She replied trying to keep her voice calm.
"Do you like it here? In this town?"
"Well there's work. It's not so bad here without the snow. Cake and I can always pay for the things we need and-"
"How about coming with us?" Marshall blurted out.
The blonde sat up straight and stared at his face. It had nervousness and anxiousness etched onto it, along with a reddish hue. His deep ebony eyes reflected the light from the ferris wheel. "Wait, you want me to-?"
"I'd like for you and Cake to come with us. I mean, the circus is a great place and the two of you have great talent. You'll feel right at home. You'll be welcomed by the rest. You got along with them during the parade. Personally, I think Lorn has taken an interest on your sister," he rambled out nervously.
"Wait, really?" Fionna couldn't believe what she was hearing. She and Cake, in the circus? To perform with the troupe? To have somewhere they belong and people want them.
"Yeah," the Ringmaster sat up straight and scratched his head. "I've already talked to the others about it. They feel that you and your sister would make a fine addition to the family."
"Family," the blonde sighed. How long has it been since she's said that word? She sighed happily. Can she and her sister finally find a place they can call home? Fionna felt Marshall's eyes on her, waiting for an answer. She opened her mouth to answer but the ride ended in a jolt. The two of them got out of the car to find the rest of the performers waiting for them. Cake pushed through them and Fionna ran into her arms.
"I have fantastic news Fionna!" She squealed happily.
"I think I already know," Fionna smile and hugged her. She turned to Marshall who had a smile on his handsome face. "I think you already know the answer."
"Tell me anyways," he smirked and walked towards her.
"I'd love to join the circus."
Marshall placed a large palm behind her head and planted a small kiss on her forehead. Her face flushed and the troupe cheered. She turned towards them to see their warm smiles welcoming her. Cake smiled along with them, watching her with teary green eyes.
"We're home Fionna. We're home."