Chapter One- The Ferris Wheel:
"Oh look, Miguel! The Ferris Wheel! Can we go, oh please, Miguel?" Charity beseeched. She glanced up towards the gigantic ferris wheel, towering above them, as it's glittering lights flickered in the approaching sunset. Miguel followed her gaze and laughed at Charity's enthusiasm; she knew that he would take her to the ends of the earth if she asked him to. "Sure, Charity, whatever you want!" Miguel responded, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend as she snuggled closer to him. They both stood, staring at the dancing lights as they circled the sky. Miguel interrupted the sight, turning to face his sweetheart. "Do you want something to eat first?" Charity thought about it and then answered "No, but a lemonade would be great, if you don't mind." She playfully toyed with his shirt collar. Miguel laughed and then replied "Mind? Why would I mind? I offered, right?" Charity smiled and took Miguel's arm as they walked over to the nearest refreshment stand, the gleaming, mechanical sphere dancing in the air behind them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ugh... doesn't it just make you sick?!" Kay retorted, watching her cousin leave with Miguel. "I just don't get it, Tabitha. Why her? Why not me, the mother of his child?!" Kay stomped her foot to emphasize her point. Kay had planned to bring Maria to the Carnival with her (to make sure that Miguel didn't run off with Charity), but Dr. Russell had decided that the baby needed to remain in the hospital, at least for another day or so. Tabitha stepped up behind Kay, holding her infant daughter Endora. "Well, Kay, that's probably because you tricked him into bed." Tabitha replied matter-of-factly as she rocked her baby. Tabitha was growing weary of the teen's constant whining, and no longer minded being blunt. Kay folded her arms against her chest at Tabitha's remark. "Don't remind me." Kay pouted, keeping an eye on the object of her affection. But Tabby smirked and continued to remind Kay of her misdeeds: "He thought you were Charity when he made love to you; ha! That must have been a rude awakening..." Kay turned and yelled at Tabitha "That's enough! I get it, okay? He'd rather be with Charity, I understand!" she turned, gazing longingly. Kay sighed, her eyes fighting back tears. "I just don't know how to make him want me, how to make him forget about that little blonde..." Kay's sentence trailed off as she watched Miguel playfully sweep Charity up into his arms and kiss her. Kay sighed again as she watched him carry her lovingly towards the line to the ferris wheel. "I love him so much, Tabitha..." Kay whispered, not necessarily to Tabitha. She leaned against the wall of a game booth, imagining herself in Charity's place, in Miguel's arms. Tabitha shrugged, advancing toward the anguished girl. "Well then, Kay, I guess you just have to keep on trying..." Kay turned around, facing Tabby. "Don't you know any love potions, anything that I can use on Miguel and make him mine? Or even something to get rid of Charity?!" she begged, hoping that the old witch would give in and help her. But to no avail; Tabitha simply replied "Don't you think I would have given it to you by now?" Kay rolled her eyes. 'Hmpf! What good is being a witch if I can't even cast a love spell?' she thought, and with that Kay huffed off towards the ferris wheel line, where Miguel and Charity already stood waiting. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh, Miguel, do you remember the first time we met? It was at this very carnival!" Charity smiled, reminising as she sipped her lemonade. She had been here with her mom, so many years ago, and as soon as her eyes met Miguel's, Charity knew that it was true love. Miguel threw his arm around her waist as they stood in line for the ferris wheel, pulling her closer to him. "Yeah, I guess that's why the Harmony Masquerade, especially the Masque Carnival, are so special to you, right Charity?" She nodded without taking her eyes off the magnificent ferris wheel. Harmony had just purchased it in order to make sure that this year's masque would be one that nobody would ever forget. Little did they know just how unforgettable it would be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soon Charity and Miguel were at the front of the line. She lay her head against Miguel's chest as they both gazed upwards at the magnificent ride. "Wow. Have you ever seen anything so grand before? Almost makes you forget about the Masquerade tomorrow night..." Miguel whispered. Charity turned back to him, smiling almost defiantly. "Oh, not even! As wonderful as the carnival is, it's nothing compared to the Masque! I just can't wait until tomorrow night, Miguel, it's going to be so magical..." Charity trailed off, lost in thought. Miguel smiled and gently kissed her forehead. "Next!" the carnie yelled, interrupting their debate. Miguel stepped up towards the empty ride, holding Charity's hand, and turned to help her up onto the platform. Kay, who had been standing behind the couple, trying to ignore their coquetry, saw the opportunity to be with Miguel and snatched at it. "Miguel, WAIT!" she called, pushing her way past Charity and almost knocking her off the platform (had the carnival worker not caught her, Charity would have fallen). Once Kay reached a confused Miguel, she tried to regain her composure and explain her cause. "Um, I think you and I should ride this round, Miguel. You know, so we can talk about....uh, Maria's future..." Kay smiled, as she started to climb into the seat. Miguel tapped Kay's shoulder, trying to get her attention. "Actually, Kay, I promised Charity that we would sit together. You know, this is pretty special for us, being where we met and all..." Miguel smiled as he glanced over to his girlfriend, who stood next to the carnie, dejectedly off to the side. But Charity's disappointment melted away into joy as Miguel once again reached his hand out to help her into the seat. "Are you sure, Miguel? I mean, Kay does want to-" Miguel took both of her hands in his, interrupting Charity. "I made a promise to you, and I'm not going to break it. This is special for us, Charity. Kay and I can talk later." Charity beamed, hugged Miguel, and then let him help her into the seat. Kay stood, gaping at what had just happened. "But, Miguel?!" Kay cried, stomping her foot. Miguel sat down next to Charity as the handlebar came down into place. "I'm sorry, Kay, but like I said, this is special to us. We can talk about Maria's future later, alright?" The ride began to move, and Charity laid her head down on Miguel's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her; the happy couple moved slowly up into the air, smiling, finally together and alone. "Miguel!?" Kay called from below. No answer. "Argh!" Kay yelled in frustration, as she huffed off away from the line and down into the crowd. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh look, Miguel! The Ferris Wheel! Can we go, oh please, Miguel?" Charity beseeched. She glanced up towards the gigantic ferris wheel, towering above them, as it's glittering lights flickered in the approaching sunset. Miguel followed her gaze and laughed at Charity's enthusiasm; she knew that he would take her to the ends of the earth if she asked him to. "Sure, Charity, whatever you want!" Miguel responded, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend as she snuggled closer to him. They both stood, staring at the dancing lights as they circled the sky. Miguel interrupted the sight, turning to face his sweetheart. "Do you want something to eat first?" Charity thought about it and then answered "No, but a lemonade would be great, if you don't mind." She playfully toyed with his shirt collar. Miguel laughed and then replied "Mind? Why would I mind? I offered, right?" Charity smiled and took Miguel's arm as they walked over to the nearest refreshment stand, the gleaming, mechanical sphere dancing in the air behind them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ugh... doesn't it just make you sick?!" Kay retorted, watching her cousin leave with Miguel. "I just don't get it, Tabitha. Why her? Why not me, the mother of his child?!" Kay stomped her foot to emphasize her point. Kay had planned to bring Maria to the Carnival with her (to make sure that Miguel didn't run off with Charity), but Dr. Russell had decided that the baby needed to remain in the hospital, at least for another day or so. Tabitha stepped up behind Kay, holding her infant daughter Endora. "Well, Kay, that's probably because you tricked him into bed." Tabitha replied matter-of-factly as she rocked her baby. Tabitha was growing weary of the teen's constant whining, and no longer minded being blunt. Kay folded her arms against her chest at Tabitha's remark. "Don't remind me." Kay pouted, keeping an eye on the object of her affection. But Tabby smirked and continued to remind Kay of her misdeeds: "He thought you were Charity when he made love to you; ha! That must have been a rude awakening..." Kay turned and yelled at Tabitha "That's enough! I get it, okay? He'd rather be with Charity, I understand!" she turned, gazing longingly. Kay sighed, her eyes fighting back tears. "I just don't know how to make him want me, how to make him forget about that little blonde..." Kay's sentence trailed off as she watched Miguel playfully sweep Charity up into his arms and kiss her. Kay sighed again as she watched him carry her lovingly towards the line to the ferris wheel. "I love him so much, Tabitha..." Kay whispered, not necessarily to Tabitha. She leaned against the wall of a game booth, imagining herself in Charity's place, in Miguel's arms. Tabitha shrugged, advancing toward the anguished girl. "Well then, Kay, I guess you just have to keep on trying..." Kay turned around, facing Tabby. "Don't you know any love potions, anything that I can use on Miguel and make him mine? Or even something to get rid of Charity?!" she begged, hoping that the old witch would give in and help her. But to no avail; Tabitha simply replied "Don't you think I would have given it to you by now?" Kay rolled her eyes. 'Hmpf! What good is being a witch if I can't even cast a love spell?' she thought, and with that Kay huffed off towards the ferris wheel line, where Miguel and Charity already stood waiting. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Oh, Miguel, do you remember the first time we met? It was at this very carnival!" Charity smiled, reminising as she sipped her lemonade. She had been here with her mom, so many years ago, and as soon as her eyes met Miguel's, Charity knew that it was true love. Miguel threw his arm around her waist as they stood in line for the ferris wheel, pulling her closer to him. "Yeah, I guess that's why the Harmony Masquerade, especially the Masque Carnival, are so special to you, right Charity?" She nodded without taking her eyes off the magnificent ferris wheel. Harmony had just purchased it in order to make sure that this year's masque would be one that nobody would ever forget. Little did they know just how unforgettable it would be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soon Charity and Miguel were at the front of the line. She lay her head against Miguel's chest as they both gazed upwards at the magnificent ride. "Wow. Have you ever seen anything so grand before? Almost makes you forget about the Masquerade tomorrow night..." Miguel whispered. Charity turned back to him, smiling almost defiantly. "Oh, not even! As wonderful as the carnival is, it's nothing compared to the Masque! I just can't wait until tomorrow night, Miguel, it's going to be so magical..." Charity trailed off, lost in thought. Miguel smiled and gently kissed her forehead. "Next!" the carnie yelled, interrupting their debate. Miguel stepped up towards the empty ride, holding Charity's hand, and turned to help her up onto the platform. Kay, who had been standing behind the couple, trying to ignore their coquetry, saw the opportunity to be with Miguel and snatched at it. "Miguel, WAIT!" she called, pushing her way past Charity and almost knocking her off the platform (had the carnival worker not caught her, Charity would have fallen). Once Kay reached a confused Miguel, she tried to regain her composure and explain her cause. "Um, I think you and I should ride this round, Miguel. You know, so we can talk about....uh, Maria's future..." Kay smiled, as she started to climb into the seat. Miguel tapped Kay's shoulder, trying to get her attention. "Actually, Kay, I promised Charity that we would sit together. You know, this is pretty special for us, being where we met and all..." Miguel smiled as he glanced over to his girlfriend, who stood next to the carnie, dejectedly off to the side. But Charity's disappointment melted away into joy as Miguel once again reached his hand out to help her into the seat. "Are you sure, Miguel? I mean, Kay does want to-" Miguel took both of her hands in his, interrupting Charity. "I made a promise to you, and I'm not going to break it. This is special for us, Charity. Kay and I can talk later." Charity beamed, hugged Miguel, and then let him help her into the seat. Kay stood, gaping at what had just happened. "But, Miguel?!" Kay cried, stomping her foot. Miguel sat down next to Charity as the handlebar came down into place. "I'm sorry, Kay, but like I said, this is special to us. We can talk about Maria's future later, alright?" The ride began to move, and Charity laid her head down on Miguel's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her; the happy couple moved slowly up into the air, smiling, finally together and alone. "Miguel!?" Kay called from below. No answer. "Argh!" Kay yelled in frustration, as she huffed off away from the line and down into the crowd. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~