Cyan popped her arm sitting in front of the bumpy wagon that held some of the performers of the circus. It wasn't very comfortable sitting in the third wagon in the line. The wagon she rode on was a rickety, dark brown old wagon and it wasn't the most relaxing mode of transportation. The seats were worn out pillows with straw stuffed inside the case. They used to use their own sleeping pillows to make the seats tolerable to sit on until someone farted on one of the girls' pillows and the men never heard the end of it until the girls got new pillows. Cyan thanked the Lord that it wasn't her pillow that met that unfortunate accident. However, the girls never heard the end of it from Satin Sally, their dancing leader and resident over-dramatic queen of the circus. It was hard to understand her heavy western Spanish accent, but her pistols did most of the talking. It wasn't a pretty sight seeing the guys trying to run from her while she tried to get a good shot at their arses.

The main reason Cyan was stuck on this wagon was simple. She lost in a card game on who would ride beside their oldest member of the troop: Grandpa Apple Chatter, or just Grandpa Apple for short. The man was a chatter bug because he talked about everything he could think of and never shut up. If you think he would be quiet when he slept, you are wrong. His snoring is almost as bad as his chattering. I'm starting to think Jacque cheated on the card game. Cyan thought to herself as Grandpa talked about how nice their performance was in Germany.

"I have to say we put on a good show. But I think the animal act could have been better. Did you see the little trick the tamer did with the tigers?! If they dug their claws into the elephants, those giants could have rampaged into us or even the crowd! I maybe old, but I am still too young to die by elephant!" Grandpa rambled at Cyan's ear.

"But our tigers have known the elephants since they were little, Grandpa Apple." Cyan insisted, looking off to the side when the knife throwers rode past them on the horses with the female acrobats. The knife throwers were mostly the men with accurate aim and there was one woman knife thrower in the group but she mostly helped juggle the knives into the air. The acrobats liked to feel the wind so they rode with the troop's fastest horses. If Cyan had the chance, she would hitch a ride on a horse too.

"But even when they were little, the tigers was still small compared to the elephants!" The old man waved his jagged cane at no one in particular. The horses pulling the wagon seem to be used to their loony driver because they didn't give a single thought or a back kick at their seats.

"Grandpa, I think they can't help it. Calm down before you fall off the wagon again!" Cyan tried to pull him back onto his seat when he started to tilt to the right of him. She had a firm grip on his arm even when he batted her hand with his cane.

"Perish the thought, child! I can steady meself just fine!"

"I think he's finally cynical, Cyan." One of the knife throwers, Steven McFallen called out to her. "We may need to put him into retirement."

"Better yet, we should dump him in the next old men's club and see how that turns out." The troop's tiger tamer Rebecca replied from the back. She rode in their wagon because of the animals cart was behind them. The tigers were at ease when she was around. They would listen to her like lionesses following a male lion.

"For your information, I am in impeccable shape and my mind is as sharp as ever!" Grandpa Apple waved his cane at the busty Rebecca which proved to be in vain since she could easily lean away from the swings. "Why back in my day, women would flock to me just to witness my strength. I could snap a small log with my knee and I can recite the war call of the peacock."

"What call of the what?" Both the women asked. They didn't understand what he was trying to say about the war call. However, they thought they should let the old man humor them. All they hope for is he does not fall off and break his back.

They quickly regretted asking the question. The old man groaned and bellowed through the deepest part of his throat. His white beard almost curled to his chin as he sucked in a big gulp of air, rolled his tongue and let out a ear splitting scream. Cyan covered her ears at the scream and wondered how Grandpa Apple wasn't deaf yet. Or better yet how he was still alive from all the crazy stories he's told them and the shenanigans him and the ringer leader went in their youth. The "call of the peacocks" seemed like it dragged out for maybe an hour and most of the troop that was in front of their wagon was starting to look back to see if the old man was breathing or just to see if he was still alive. He took a deep breath and there was silence. Sweet, blissful silence. The girls could hear the sounds of the wagon wheels going along the path and the animals breathing. It was perfect silence without anyone talking.

"So what do you think of that, Miss Doubting-Your-Own-Grandpa?" Grandpa Apple asked, ruining the blissful moment. Cyan sighed as she struggled to find a way to describe the horrible assault on her ears. She glanced back at Grandpa Apple only to see hardly an expression on his face. Grandpa Apple was a short old man about 5'4 while Cyan herself was 5'6. His hair was gray and he was balding on the top. He wore faded green trousers and a faded black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He also had short black boots on. He was a tough old man but Cyan wanted to carefully think on how to respond to her dear adopted grandpa.

"It sounds like a dying animal to me." Cyan blurted out. She froze and covered her mouth. You idiot! You weren't supposed to say that! Grandpa Apple may be old, but it doesn't mean his hearing was gone. It seemed like every year his hearing gets sharper and sharper only when her and the younger members of the troop joke about him behind his back. Or when they try and sneak one of his famous candied apples.

"It did not!" He shouted. His face grew deep red from both embarrassment and anger. If he turned any redder, Cyan feared he would force himself a heart attack or get a nose bleed. It was easy to make him flustered or angry since he had the temper of a Spanish bull. Members of the troop wondered if a Spanish bull and Grandpa Apple were to be put in the same arena or the same room, who would win. Personally, Cyan thought he would win even though she doesn't want to put the two in the same room. It would be hell to clean up after either one.

"What's wrong with the animals?! Which one is dying?!" Their ring leader rode up in his white horse toward their wagon. Grandpa Apple frowned deeply at what his old friend said. When he frowned, he looked like wrinkled out cat after a bath.

"I ain't dying, ya colorful fool!"

"If you are, it is about time. I had to carry on your heavy load since I was a lad! It will be a blessing to rid myself of the evil that is you, Monsieur Apple Chatter. Or should I say Monsieur Ferdinand of the Liver."

"I thought I told you to never speak of my name!"

"I only shortened your name, my friend~." The ringer leader laughed heartily as the old man waved his cane trying to hit him on the head. Cyan only smiled at the sight and sighed in content.

Their ring leader was Valjean the famous owner of the Golden Dream circus, the most magical circus the world has ever known. Or maybe a few countries at least. Their circus was a funny and amazing one because of the ring leader's hat. His hat brought him many things and helped him with his tricks. He is forty-eight years old but he had the stamina of a twenty year old man. Nothing seemed to slow their leader down.

"You are really funny as always, Monsieur Valjean." Cyan rubbed her eyes trying not to laugh at poor Grandpa Apple's humiliation. Valjean turned his head to her direction and sighed almost reminiscing. He couldn't believe how much she grown over the years from a hurt seven year old girl to a young, independent nineteen year old woman. However, there was one habit that hasn't died off.

"Cadence, you know you can always call me Father if you want." Valjean told her while he steadied his horse. Cyan looked away embarrassed.

"I-I know but it's just a habit." Cyan felt warm on her face. Despite her time with the circus, she was still a child at heart and such habits stuck with her. Valjean was like a second father to her since that fateful day when her mother abandoned her twelve years ago. She learned how to perform each different act in case a member was sick or unable to perform their stunt. However, calling their leader 'monsieur' was an old habit that she could not get rid of. She felt like she wasn't worthy to be in the circus because she was the only normal person in the group. Most of the members have lost a limb or could do tricks like dislocate their arm and put it back in easily.

However, everyone did their best to cheer her up and drive those negative thoughts away.

"Awww, the little red head is blushing. It's so adorable." Rebecca smirked at her comrade's tomato colored face.

"IT IS NOT!"

"Even your reaction is also adorable! You're like a tigress with the attitude of a kitten." Before Cyan could defend herself and deny her claim, they heard the acrobats up front cheer and soon the horses started to get excited as well. It did not take long before the rest of their animals grew excited and the entertainers in the back started to shout with amusement. This only happened if they were coming into a town. Both the girls smiled and got up from their seats and ran to the back where they kept their giraffes. Grandpa Apple shouted for them to sit down but it fell on deaf ears. They climbed up one of their giraffes to see a small town up ahead of them. It looked like heaven to the troop since they had not seen a town since they left Germany and had to stop in the middle of forests just to get fresh fruit, fresh meat, and water. Valjean let out a loud hearty laugh and tapped the bridge of his top hat.

"Strike up the band and ready yourselves everyone! We are coming into our next stop: Villeneuve!" He shouted.


I do not own Beauty and the Beast. It belongs to Disney.

I only own Cyan and the circus!

Please no flames or mean comments!