Set This Circus Down

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Chapter 7, Cat and Calico

A/N: Calico shall return in another chapter besides this…just not sure when yet.

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The statement seemed a contradiction of everything he was. "Why not?" Cat asked curiously. She remembered Horse had the same incredulity as in the forest.

"Well," Monkey thought, glancing up at one of his pencils lodged in the ceiling, "There was…a girl."

Taylor controlled a small smile and stared interestedly, encouraging him on.

"Her name was Katherine. And she died during the first war…right at about the end of it. She wasn't even in it, but her little mountain town was attacked by the army from the west. I couldn't get there in time to stop it. But she died in my arms…I was devastated.

"But… she too had a power. That's what makes it so hard…even now. Her's was…one that was really hard for all of us to believe. But real or not, I loved her. I was going to marry her," Saru smiled a little, looking down at his hands. "Her gift was reincarnation. She told me that when I first met her. She said she was two hundred years old and in all that time, she'd never met a man like me. Yeah…I know," Saru grinned a little, watching the girl's expression grow wide in either disbelief or amazement—or both. "At first I couldn't wrap my head around it either. All I knew was that I loved her. The very moment I laid eyes on her. She was amazing. So kind, so beautiful…so incredibly patient. She knew so many old songs and stories…she loved dancing, and taught me how.

"But when she died, she touched the hand of her best friend…Akeno. That's how Katherine said her power worked. When she was near death, all she had to do was touch another person, a female, so that she might be born again.

"Well, years passed, and her friend…" Saru chuckled, "Who was already not thinking she'd ever get married, got married, to her surprise. Then a while later, they decided to have a child. Well. We all hoped…no…we were all expecting it to be Katherine. I was so elated," Monkey smiled. "I even stayed with them in her last trimester…drove them all so crazy with my excitement…But…the baby…turned out to be a boy. And he was the only child they were ever able to conceive. He's almost thirty now…and he and his wife are expecting. Well…" Monkey looked down again, "I'm fifty-five now, but I still want to go back. I just want to be there…and see if it'll be her…I have the feeling it won't be. But I still want to go back there anyway. I always wanted to live on the mountain," he said truthfully, "Like our grandfather did. He had red stripes too, you know," he pointed with a smile. "His were in a different place though."

"Aww…" Taylor said at last. "I'm sorry," she said to him, staring a little blankly over his numbers now. "Why wouldn't it have been her though? Why was it a boy?"

Saru shook his head. "We could never answer that. Our only guess was that she may have been too close to death for it to have worked. But still…I've never shook the feeling she is out there…somewhere. Born or not. I just need to find her…I just want to look, one last time."

"Well. I guess you need to look. Even if nobody wants you to go."

Monkey smiled. "Thank you. And thanks for helping me tonight. You're way nicer to work with than Harou."

"Hahaha…" Taylor smiled. Then she looked at him again. "You know, you don't look like your fifty-five."

"Oh yeah?" Monkey perked up, "How old do I look?"

"You look like you're twelve," she said, with a small roll of her eyes.

"Twelve! Well how old are you?"

"I'm fourteen."

"Fourteen! Huh, well you're two years older than me!"

"Oh, haha, very funny," Taylor grinned sarcastically.

"See? I can do math…" Saru laughed with her.

"Well…" Taylor looked back down to the book. "This is a start," she told him. "I'm too tired to do anymore."

"Thank you! That's awesome! And you make me want to clean up this mess some more. Thank you, I really appreciate all this. And hey…we'll help you find a way back home. Got that? We may be a bunch of old fogies, but we'll help you in any way we can."

She smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure they know I'm gone by now. I feel so bad. But I had just wanted to go out looking, too…it got me in trouble. Typical."

"Things will work out. If you came here, there's always a way back. There has to be."

She smiled bravely, "Sure. I hope so."

"Good. Let us know if you need anything."

"I will. I think I'll talk to Dalzen, and then try Harou."

Saru nodded.

"Thanks…" she almost said, uncle Saru, but she finished, "Monkey."

"Anytime Cat!" he winked.

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The archway to the magician's lair was ivory, like bone, complete with carvings as scrolls etched into the columns and ancient writing over top. But Taylor wasn't allowed access, for there was a chain separating the light from the dark with a small sign that read: Next show in 90 minutes.

"Ninety minutes…" she sighed.

Disappointed, Taylor turned around, wondering if by some chance she might see the oddly caped wonder or even Coushander walking around the rides or games with a toolbox in hand. Well, Cat started wandering, but had no such luck.

She wandered back to the tiny tree however, wishing something might happen and the portal could re-appear. Maybe even the little owl could come back and offer up some help or advice…Then Taylor wondered if someone could've been behind it, rather than a natural phenomenon. She couldn't really tell either way, but she vowed to keep watching the circus crowd for any deviant or familiar face.

So far, the only things recurring were the conversations in front of the food truck behind her. After standing there and smelling the food, the teenage girl couldn't help but be hungry. She didn't remember eating lunch. She was in Sakumo's room all day. So she turned around and decided to wait in line, studying the menu as she got closer. She was pleased to see that even with all the fried food and hot dogs, traditional options were still present like miso.

Cat ordered that when her time came and was also able to get a side of teriyaki chicken. She took all that and a cup of water to a picnic table in the back, readily starting into the miso soup. The line had ended with her order and moments later the girl saw another young girl (older than cat though) step down out of the back and untie a dirty white apron which she hung on a hook off the side of the doorframe.

She was holding a cup of lemonade with a straw, no ice, just a lemon wedge floating near the top. The brown-haired girl paused coming down, but there was plenty of room at the table for both of them. The girl nodded to Cat, and Cat nodded back. The older girl sat at the end of the table and couldn't help but glance over to the silver-haired wonder. The older girl smiled, "Hope it's good!"

"Oh yes," Taylor replied.

"You know…you look a lot like the owner of this place. Are you his daughter?"

Haha! "Um—no. We're…" Well, they were related, but she shouldn't say so. Man, being in the past sucked…Taylor frowned. "We just happen to look alike. I do know him though." She met him yesterday!

"Oh," the girl nodded. "Well it's nice to meet you. My name's Calico. It's actually Emma, but I like Cal a lot better. It's been my nickname forever."

"Oh! Well, they call me Cat," the teenager grinned, "But it's really Taylor," Wait, should she have given her real name? Oh well, too late now…

"Have you been in town long?"

"Not really…I'm new here."

"Have you got any family?"

Why does everyone ask that…Taylor began to wonder. "Um—yes." After a fashion, she thought But her original question was answered with Cal's next comment, "It's been tough around here with the shape things are in. I used to be able to walk home alone, but not anymore. It's just too dangerous."

The teenage girl began to feel sad for the people here. The mask of the happy circus crowd was slowly coming off. Taylor possessed a lot of empathy to begin with, but it was brought out more with admissions like that. Suddenly her appetite vanished. "So do you have someone?" Cat asked in return, since she couldn't really tell if this brown-haired girl had a power or not.

"Oh sure," Cal smiled. Taylor almost caught a blush on her face, but perhaps it was still the heat of the kitchen… "I have my partner in crime there," the older girl nodded back to the truck. "I mean…" she lowered her voice, "I feel bad once they drop me off—he has to go the opposite way. We three walk together, me and him and then this other guy who works a station here."

"Oh! Are you guys able to defend yourselves…?"

"Well…sort of. My gift isn't exactly an offensive one though. It's really lame actually. My skin can change colors or blend in with nature, and that's it. If I touch another, their skin can change too, but only when I'm touching them. Sometimes I do have to mind that I don't get flustered or upset…I can turn either red or blue," she laughed, "Depending on my mood. Sometimes it's been embarrassing."

"Aww—that's strange."

"I know," she smiled, "I hate it. My partner doesn't have a gift though. Well—actually, that's not true. The three of us joke he has no heart since he doesn't care about anything. Our other friend is a pretty good runner…though we're not really sure that's a power, either…" she trailed thoughtfully, sipping her drink.

"Well I guess I'm lucky," Taylor murmured. "I know how to defend myself. My father and grandfather trained me pretty well." Though her power did bring her here…

"Hey, would you give lessons?" Cal asked. "I always want to ask Saru-Shin, but I've been too afraid too. Plus I'm sure he's always busy running this place."

"Well…I suppose…" She was about to say she could ask Saru for her, but they both heard a voice from inside the truck, "Yo! Caaaal, we have a line again…."

Cal looked up and then smiled to the silver-haired girl, "Sorry! Hey, I hope I see you again! Come back for some more miso…it'll be on the house!"

"Oh, thank you!" Taylor smiled, "Bye!"

"Bye!"

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Taylor finished eating soon and wandered back to the magician's tent. She still had some time to kill, so she sneaked behind the large, dark house, finding, lo and behold, Wolf and Owl in the back with a pair of floor lamps. Coushander was screwing in some new light bulbs, "I think my brother broke the bank for these...which is hilarious considering he might sell the place…" he finished in a grumble.

"But why the hell are they blue?"

"Look, I don't argue aesthetics, I just do as I'm told."

Owl raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Well I just hope Monkey knows my stage is a show and not a nightclub."

Wolf clutched his stomach, laughing. "He'll have you quit magic and start telling jokes!"

"I do not tell jokes."

Taylor grinned as she stepped forward, "You tried to tell me one when I first met you!"

"Oh…! You...! Well, I suppose I did…But you looked so heart sore I couldn't help it."

"Awww!" Wolf nudged the man, only a few inches taller than himself, "Dalzen, I had no idea you'd turned into such a softie! Giving girls roses…tellin' jokes…Next thing you know, we'll have you in a big furry panda suit!"

Dalzen shot the man a glare of death, but both Wolf and Cat were laughing hard like hyenas.

"It's bad enough I have to wear this," Owl muttered, "Thank you so much for entertaining me with the thought of an upgrade…"

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