Chapter 10: Momo's Past 2
Momo's parents never came. Eventually, she would come to realize she had been abandoned, leaving an empty space in her heart. The circus hopped one island after another, where in each show she was forced to perform. Having devil-fruit powers didn't make things any easier.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Please direct your attention to the top of the tent!"
The audience looked up and saw a little girl wearing a striped trapeze artist's outfit. Below her was a series of hoops leading straight down from the platform she stood on. Towards the bottom, the hoops leveled out with the circus floor and rose up to the ceiling.
"She may not look like much ladies and gentlemen, but prepare to be astounded," said the ringmaster.
The drums started to rumble. The girl put on her goggles, took a diver's stance and dove straight down. Gasps emitted from the audience as the hoops suddenly burst into flame before the kid fell through the first one. As she came closer to the rings on the bottom, wings emerged from her back and she leveled out with the rest of the hoops and out the ones that rose from the ground. The audience gave a loud applause.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Mimi the Human Insect," cried the ringmaster.
Momo came before the audience and bowed, trying to hold a big smile. She was then led backstage and locked in her cage. This was a routine that has been repeated ever since her parents sold her. When the ringmaster first tried to teach her how to jump from the platform and through the rings, she nearly caught fire. Her master had little concern for her safety; she was coerced to practice the maneuver right after the incident.
During the day, along with the rest of the freak show, spectators would stare and point fingers at her when Momo's cage was put on display. Children would often try to pull at her wings. One kid went too far and got stung on the pinky. Momo had tried to remove the shock-bracelet from her ankle, but it was kept in place by small hooks that dug into her skin whenever she pulled on it. Her only source of entertainment was a tattered children's book titled "Norland the Liar." At feeding time, someone would just toss a piece of fruit into her cage. The nights weren't any better; they were cold and lonely.
One night after her performance.
"Listen kid, tomorrow we sail for Loguetown. The place is crawling with marines. And if I here one peep from you, I will rip those little things off your head. Do you understand," asked the ringmaster.
Momo just nodded and retracted her antennae.
"Good."
A few days later.
Momo was, as usual, tired from the long show. Because they didn't feed her properly, Momo barley had the strength for each show. But she had never given up hope. The girl curled up and prayed once more, but not for her parents, that anyone would come to her rescue.
Elsewhere in Loguetown.
"Darn, that sword wasn't even low quality. That man tried to swindle me with a fake katana," Tashigi muttered to herself.
The marine walked through the marketplace bearing a look of disappointment. Today was her day off duty and she wanted to make the most of it. Tashigi wore a light-purple t-shirt, a pair of faded jeans, and carried a sheathed katana on her left hip. As she removed her red, rectangular spectacles to clean them, she tripped over a crack in the pavement.
"UAAAHHH! "Whump!"
Tashigi lost her glasses and blindly groped for them.
"Ah, Tashigi-san! Let me help you with that," said a familiar voice.
The person handed the marine her glasses and helped her up. She brushed a tuft of violet hair from her face and looked up at her rescuer.
"Oh! Daddy the Father! T-thank you very much! H-how are things with you and Carol-chan," the startled woman asked.
Daddy, a former marine-turned-bounty hunter, seemed to drift off for a moment.
"Ahhhh. I just took my little Carol to the circus. They've got a great show; Carol just loved it," he replied with a blush on his face.
"The circus is in town? When's the next show," Tashigi asked
"Why this afternoon," said the bounty hunter.
Tashigi decided to blow off steam with the help of an old fashioned circus performance.
(Chapter 10 end)