A/N: While I would usually attempt to make my author's note rhyme, I just want to get to the point today :P

When I first started this story, I only had a general idea of what I wanted to occur, but after writing the second chapter, it hit me as to what I actually wanted to happen. I have sooooo much in mind for this story, it's just that so many things in my life have been changing -in a positive matter -and it's just a matter of finding the time. And I've probably said it a million times, but I've started creating deadlines for myself. It's been working for my original stories (some of which you can see on fictionpress! I go by the same name there ;D ) and now I'm trying to move that same motivation to get things accomplished onto my fanfiction. Fingers crossed that I can keep it up!

It's short, and I know it is.
But from here on out, the action begins.

And just so you know, to hold true to my word
I'm writing the next chapter, creating this world

It's coming together, just wait and see!
There'll be wicked fun coming for you and for me

So hold your breath, and then count to ten
And know that foxchicka is at it again ;)

03
Do you hear that? It begins!
The circus of fun and fright
Where every motion makes you spin
And you never feel quite right.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Luffy asked, shifting from one foot to another between my bed and the doorway. He was slowing inching towards it. He wanted to go and check out the island, I knew that better than anyone.

"Just go, Luffy," I sighed.

"I'm watching over her, don't worry," Suki said, adjusting the pillow under my foot. She straightened up, placing one hand on her hip. "Get out of here, go have some fun."

"Then, I'm going?" he stretched his leg, placing it right beside the door, then, after a final look in my direction, took off.

"You don't have to stay behind and watch over me," I prop myself up. "I'll probably move to the deck later, read a book or something. You'll probably have more fun on the island."

"It'd be better if there were someone not… crippled to watch over the ship," she gave me a small grin. "And it's fine. I've… I've been to this island before. It's… nothing exciting."

"You have?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "but that was before Suki the singer, and long before Suki the Straw-hat." She gazed at herself in the mirror by the door, moving her hand to brush a hair out of her face.

"What were you here?" I asked.

"Sukina," she was facing away from me when she said it, but when she turned she had a smile on her face. "But my friends still called me Suki."

It struck me then that I didn't know a whole lot about Suki before we met her on the cruise ship a while back.

"What do you say to an afternoon of talking on the lawn deck?" I swing my feet over the edge of the bed.

"Here, let me help you," she hurried over, slipping under my arm on my right side.

Together, we made our way out onto the deck. Franky, Brooke and Chopper were still aboard, talking on the deck outside of the kitchen. They all gave a small wave as we moved towards the stairs.

"Was it nice growing up here?" I asked, catching my first sight of the island. The town was big, rising towards the center in a gradual hill. If there were more of the island beyond it, I didn't know, but I was pretty sure I could make out the big circus tents from where I stood.

"I was happy to escape… I was," she paused to think of the right wording, "I was always a big dreamer."

There was a small silence as she helped me down the stairs. As we reached the chair, I looked up at her and said, "I take it, you don't want to talk about it."

"Sorry," she gave a fragile smile. "Let's just say, in a small way, I'm happy you got hurt and I don't have to take one step on that island."

"Bad memories?" I asked.

"The worst," her smile eased up.

I leaned my head back and glanced up towards the brilliant blue skies above us, "Yeah, well, we all have our fair share. Some worse than others."

"Nami?" Franky called out as he came down the stairs.

"Mm?" I don't turn my gaze away from the sky.

"I need a few thousand beri to buy the materials for the ship. On the way here, I could only do a makeshift job, but –"

"Chopper, can you fetch the small blue pouch from the chest in my room?" I rubbed a hand over my face.

"Is something bothering you?" Suki asked as Chopper scurried off.

"Yohoho!" Brooke interjected, "Perhaps it's because Nami can't replenish the beri on her own by looting strangers."

"For a man with a hollow head, you sure are good at thinking," Suki kissed his cheek quickly.

"Yoho—hey!"

Instead of apologizing, Suki patted his afro while smiling.

Brooke sighed. "Sometimes I miss my one man show. I didn't insult myself with skull jokes…"

"I'm not insulting you… I'm helping you build a backbone," Suki pressed her lips together to suppress a laugh.

Brooke watched her for a long moment, before he could no longer contain himself. "Yohoho!" Brooke laughed loudly. "I just can't stay mad at you. You always hit my funny bone."

"It's not a hard bone to hit," I muttered to Franky, who let out his own loud laugh.

Chopper came back down, carrying the blue pouch in his hands carefully, as though it might bite him. I don't know why my money scared everyone.

"Here," I waved Chopper over to Franky. "Use what you need. I'll half the interest as long as it stays to the boats needs."

"My, how generous," Franky murmured. I ignored him.

"Everyone else has left? Robin and Zoro, too?" I asked.

"Mm, they left shortly after Luffy and Usopp," Chopper looked a little dejected.

"I'm sure you'll find them," I ran a hand over my face.

"Is your ankle okay?" Chopper asked.

"Right now? It's fine. Just go on," I waved them all away.

"Well, then we'll see you later," Franky said.

"Bye," Suki waved as they jumped over the rail to the docks below.

"It's going to be a long week," I muttered, crossing my arms and looking at Suki.

"We'll just have to make time go by quickly on our own," she shrugged. "How 'bout a game of chess?" I sighed, she smiled, "I'll go get the pieces."

Robin

"The library," Zoro sighed as we approached the building. "Why?"

"Because I want to try to see if I can find anything that can relate to the hole in our ship that came out of no where," I told him, pulling on the heavy door. "If it's to do with the island's history, we should find something here."

"And I'm here because…?" he asked, taking in the dim room with boredom. "I could be back on the ship sleeping right now."

I lowered my voice to a whisper. "You can't say that you don't think this island is suspicious too."

He's silent.

"Help me –it'll go faster with two people," I told him.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for."

"Then just keep me company," I let out a sigh.

"That, I can do," he gave me a small grin.

Zoro

I sat on the windowsill while Robin hovered over several books laid open in front of her on a long table. Her frown was getting deeper the longer we were here. I didn't think it was going well.

Outside the window, the sky was turning orange. We'd spent all afternoon here. My stomach growled, and that seemed to jolt Robin from her thoughts. With a soft sigh, she closed all the books simultaneously, using multiple hands. She piled them all up on top of each other, then pinched the bridge of her nose as she approached me.

"No luck?"

"None."

We fell into a small silence as we watched the town for a short moment.

"Let's go eat something before we try finding Luffy and the others. Then we'll head on over to the circus."

"I'm sure we can find Luffy while we're finding something to eat," I sneaked a grin her way. She returned it, and the slight frustration she had on her face disappeared. "Let's go."

As the two of us left the building, a man bumped into Robin roughly on his way in.

"Oi!" I called out angrily at him. He turned meeting my gaze evenly. He was my height, with blue eyes as cold as ice that bore into mine, lacking fear and an apology. His hair was shoulder length, a jet black that matched Robin's. The hairs on the back of my arms rose, and my hand immediately went to the hilt of my katana. Something was off about this guy.

"It's fine," Robin patted my arm. I clenched and unclenched my hand before letting it drop to my side. Without a word, the man turned and entered the library. The two of us turned and started to walk again. I glanced at Robin, who snuck a peek back at the closing door.

She sensed it, too.

But instead of saying anything, she pulled my arm, taking me in the opposite direction that I was instinctively going.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"To find Luffy."

"That's what I was doing," I told her.

"And that's why we're going this way," she grinned mischievously.

I sighed. There was no point in arguing with her. But when we didn't find him in this direction, I wouldn't let her live it down.

Suki

"Thanks for the meal, Sanji," Nami let out another sigh. We were still sitting out on the deck, watching the sky turn from blue to orange. Slowly it got darker, and slowly the ominous feeling sank deeper. I couldn't shake it no matter how hard I tried. But still, I tried my hardest to ignore it.

"For you, I'd do anything," Sanji smiled happily as he gathered out dishes.

"Did you guys explore enough? I want to see the town too. How am I supposed to make a map of an island I can't explore," Nami muttered.

"We saw a lot… even them bringing all sorts of things inside the tents for the circus," Harumi shifted from one foot to the other as Sanji walked by her. They were cute together, and Harumi trusted him –as well as the other guys on our ship –but I guess it was hard to get rid of such a strong disdain for men so quickly. But while Sanji was a pain in the ass, he knew how to treat a woman with the utmost respect. "They set it up in a big field just north of the town. The tent is huge."

"Is this your first circus?" I asked her.

"Mm," she nodded.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself," I smiled at her. "What about you Sanji? First time at a circus?"

"Why, it is, Suki-chan," he turned his smile on me.

"I'm fairly certain it's the first time for everyone," Nami told me. "Hence the buzz of excitement from the crew."

"Ah," is all I replied with. I clenched my fist at my side. It'd been years since I'd been here, but the fear still struck me hard. Every time I wanted to speak up, the words became lodged in my throat. It happened when I first found out that we were going to be coming here, and again when Nami asked me about my past.

And suddenly a loud voice called to everyone from all over the island. A shiver traveled so quickly down my spine that my knees seemed to go weak. But I steadied myself before anyone was the wiser. I closed my eyes and listened, the words coming in clear.

"Sound the trumpets, blow the horn
We're calling you all to come and adore
The Cirque du Lune, and all it's good fellows
During a show that's nowhere near mellow
Prepare yourself, you're about to be amazed
Come quickly, you hear, to the tent that's been raised."

I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to open them. I couldn't bear to open them. But eventually I did, telling myself that things must have changed. After so many years, it was impossible for them not to...

Right?