15th Red Ash Moon, 908

Once every year, a festival unlike any other comes around to the Echo Bell Kingdom capital in celebration of itself and prosperity. A time where the boundaries of class are taken down to enjoy the company of brotherhood under the guise of revelry. All who don masks can disappear from the expectations of society and come together for a singular purpose: to experience the greatest party Virdis will ever know.

This was the Misty Lights Carnival!

For seven whole days, the streets of the capital will be filled with the greatest foods around the region with the richest drinks ever devised and entertainment to mesmerize the masses with a fantastical display no one would soon forget. It was an honor for entertainers of Virdis to gather during this time of year to showcase their tricks.

Circuses, theatre, magic, and special effects that one must see to believe.

Around every corner, one would find a new stand serving a delicious foods rivaling the likes of the Festival della Festa. It was a wonderful opportunity for budding chefs to share their cooking to hungry customers, make a name for themselves, and get paid while doing it.

Games would open up around various ends of the capital for partygoers to test their skills. Will they overcome the ring toss, test their strength against the mallet game, win prizes by knocking down all the stacked bottles, or any other of the various activities in store?

Attractions would open themselves up for the partygoers as well. Buildings around the capital would be rented out and renovated for attractions such as the mirror maze, a haunted house, or perhaps a historical tour regarding the Echo Bell Kingdom's development. There were possibilities every year.

The grand spectacle of the carnival, however, was when night fell over the capital and lanterns are lit up to glide across the air, dazzling the Pokémon below with the beautiful colors matched only by the nighttime stars. On the final day of the carnival, all would gather to witness the Echo Bell Kingdom's famous fireworks display, an art that many craftsman of the kingdom worked tirelessly for the honor of hosting the final night's celebration.

This was the Kingdom of Revelry, and happiness was the number one guarantee it provided. All that mattered was the preserve the peace and happiness of the kingdom's spirit.


"Hohohoho! I've been looking forward to this day for months!"

As tradition in the Echo Bell Kingdom, this was the one time of the year where the royal family could throwaway their titles and partake in the festivities as equals with their subjects. None seemed more overjoyed at the prospect than King Visconti, who happily threw on a cloak over his bulbous head and donned a tiny party mask over his eyes.

"How do I look, my darling?" the king asked as he spun him in front of a hall mirror.

Queen Corrina, wearing a green and red striped dress and a mask of her own, giggled. "You look dashing as always, Massimo. You will truly blend into the crowd."

"Hoho! I am a master of deception!"

Evangelina rounded the corner into the hallway, dressed in a red cloak and jester hat-mask combo. She smirked and whispered to her mother, "Do you think one of us should tell him he stands out in the crowd every year?"

Corrina waved it off. "Oh, let your father have his fun, dear. It's hard enough having to hide a man of his size, but the rest of the capital doesn't bother him."

"Indeed. Was he not swindled by one of the carnival games last year?"

Corrina shook her head and sighed. "My darling husband, so sweet and so gullible. I had to drag him away from that accursed ball toss before he gave away the throne."

Evangelina laughed behind her tentacle. "Oh, dear father, you loveable fool."

Massimo glanced over his shoulder. "Did one of you say something?"

They smiled at him. "Nothing~!"

"Woohoo!" They turned as Azelia, Jessica, and Giselle came flying down the hallway, each wearing their own colorful disguises. Azelia blew on her flugelhorn and laughed. "I'm so excited! I heard a traveling band will be performing here. I am so going to show off my musical talents!" She blew energetically on the horn, bellowing mismatched notes.

Evangelina plunged the horn with her tentacle and smirked. "Oh please, save your angelic music for the people. It is a shame only we get to hear it every day."

Azelia grinned. "Hey, you're right. I need to keep my strength up!"

Jessica waved it off. "Do whatever you want. Giselle and I made a bet to see who can win the most games by the end of the week. Loser gets to choose a piece of jewelry from the other's collection."

Giselle pouted. "You think you'll win just because you're older? I've been practicing for this since last year!"

Jessica snickered. "Do your worst, Elle!"

Corrina laughed. "Alright, no fighting, you two. This is supposed to be a fun week for all of us. Your father and I will be enjoying the traveling shows."

Massimo laughed as he played with his mustache. "A famous circus rented out a spot on the capital square, so I am looking forward to seeing that. What will you be doing, Evangelina?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I might just walk around with a few of my friends. Try some food, maybe."

"If you see anything good, tell me."

"Sure things, Pops."

As the family floated out of the hallway and toward the stairs, they spotted the last of their family lingering by the railing. The eldest and only son, Asterio Visconti, wasn't dressed for the carnival, instead wearing a dreary black cloak like he always did and staring at the floor with his tentacle crossed.

Despite his moody deposition, Massimo addressed his son with his usual optimism. "Not exactly in the spirit of the carnival, but I love the attempt."

Asterio closed his eyes. "I am not coming."

Azelia frowned. "Again? You've been going less and less each year, now you're just staying home?"

"Yes."

Corrina approached her son. "Is there something wrong, Asterio? Do you not like the carnival?"

He looked away from her. "I just don't want to go, that's all. Too noisy. Too colorful."

Evangelina rolled her eyes. "Ah yes, how can I forgot your war on all things positive? Come on, you could use a little sunshine. You rarely leave the castle."

He growled. "I said I don't want to go. Deal with it."

Corrina raised her hand, but Massimo stepped in. "If you don't want to go, that's your decision. You're free to join us if you feel like it. We'll be back before the sun sets, okay?"

"…Fine."

He nodded, then grabbed his wife's hand. "Leave him be, dear."

Corrina sighed and followed him along. "Alright."

The rest of Asterio's family followed behind, all but Evangelina who lingered back. She crossed her tentacles and scoffed. "The moody depressed persona really suits you, but must you suck the life out of everything because you're sad all the time?"

He clenched his teeth. "Shut. Up."

"You know Mom and Dad are worried about you. You should just talk to them."

"You and I both know that's not an option."

She shook her head. "You're such a gloom fest. You're supposed to be the heir to the kingdom? I could lead this kingdom better than you ever could. You'd probably send us into the Dark Ages just to make yourself smile."

He clenched into his arm. "I didn't want to be the heir in the first place."

"Then tell Dad you don't want to."

"…" He looked away.

She scoffed. "Right, because you don't want to disappoint him. Grow a backbone for once in your life."

"Shouldn't you be getting drunk with your idiot friends right about now?"

She shrugged and floated down the stairs. "See you later, Asterio."

"…Later." He straightened up and floated away. He curled his tentacle into a fist, suppressing the growl trembling in his throat. I hate this stupid carnival.


There was only one place in the castle Asterio felt he could seclude himself away from the humdrum and chaos of royal life: the archives. It was perhaps his favorite room in the castle, magnified only by how clean it was compared to his other visits. He intended to thank the Snivy knight who helped clean it, though she didn't seem comfortable talking to him…just like everyone else who wasn't his immediate family. He didn't care.

To pass the time, he combed through random scrolls, all of which were actually alphabetized instead of thrown haphazardly into an open drawer.

He found himself peeking through the military records, which had a list of all knights in the Echo Bell Kingdom, active or not. He occasionally had to refresh his memory on certain details, like when was Angelo's birthday. For as gloomy as the prince was, he tried to stay somewhat cordial with the very few friends he had, even if Angelo was just his personal guard.

However, as his tentacle traced over the scrolls, he brushed over one: a scroll labeled Sir Salvo. It was filed with the rest of the scrolls regarding knights still active in the military.

"…" Asterio picked the scroll up and inspected it. "Hmm…"

"Ooooh, Star Prince!" He glared over his shoulder as the royal archivist, Monica, came bouncing down the stairs. "Ha! Thought I'd find you down here. Evangelina told me you weren't going to the carnival this year."

"…Yeah. Wasn't feeling up to it."

"Whatcha' looking at?"

He dropped the scroll back into its place and shut the drawer. "Nothing important. Sorry, I'll get out of your way."

She waved it off. "Nah, I finished all my work yesterday, so you're good." She slid over to the center table and sat down. "I thought I'd come here and keep you company. That's what friends do, right?"

"…" He sighed and sat down at the table as well. "I suppose so. I thought you were looking forward to the carnival, though."

She laughed. "Hanging out with you is loads more fun than pushing my way through a tight street. You should know how cramped those streets get, especially in the middle of the week when more people show up." She drummed her fingers on the table. "Still, I'll admit, I was looking forward to checking out some of the food stands and playing some games."

Asterio frowned deeper. "Oh."

She noticed his expression and laughed. "Oh, but that doesn't mean I'm missing out on much. I love hanging out with you."

"Hmm." He crossed his tentacles and noted the twitchy smile she was wearing. She only made that expression when she wanted to talk about something exciting. He sighed and asked, "So, what's new with you—"

"Well, since you asked…!" She reached inside her robe and pulled out a folded letter. "My sister wrote back again!"

"From Rubina? Cool."

Monica grinned and unfolded the letter. "She told me things are going well in the Arcania Kingdom. Nothing major, but she's been helping out the king with his responsibilities. They had a good harvest this year, too! She helped research new techniques to improve their gardening."

Asterio nodded. "That's…very cool."

"Oh, I would love to visit the Arcania Kingdom someday and visit Big Sis!"

Asterio shook his head. "Um, probably not a good idea. Warfront around New Chariot is getting worse, so travel's not going to be easy in the east."

She sighed. "Yeah, true." She smiled. "Oh well! It makes me happy to know she's doing fantastic. She's so amazing, going out of her way to help the less fortunate." She sighed and looked away. "I wish our parents were more appreciative of her hard work. They always said she should put more effort into making connections with the upper class instead of helping others. I'd say she's doing a great job!"

"…" Asterio sighed. "They were always hard on Rubina."

"I think they're jealous she only sends letters to me. That's because I'm her favorite sister!"

"You're her only sister."

"Still counts!"

Asterio shook his head. "Right. Well…tell her I said hi or something."

Monica giggled. "I'll be sure to send it with little hearts~!"

He looked away from her. "Sh-Shut up." He sighed. "So, uh, you want to browse through some old war scrolls or something?"

Monica put her letter away and smiled. "Sure! I must admit, I'm quite curious about this giant crossbow you mentioned. I believe you said it was the peak of stealthy defense weaponry."

"I wouldn't say that, but I suppose my great grandfather had a knack for exaggerating details. We aren't exactly a war kingdom."

Monica giggled. "Nothing wrong with intimidating the enemy with absurd weapons. I'll find the scrolls!" She jumped out of her seat and searched for the scrolls.

Asterio watched her with his cheek resting against his fist. He breathed a quiet sigh before smiling a little. Even if it was a temporary relief, he could count on Monica to bring a little bit of positivity back into him. He just wished he could hold onto that feeling a little longer.


The one upside of everyone wearing masks at the Misty Lights Carnival, anyone can roam the streets without being recognized. Such a practice would allow criminals to run amuck without being recognized, though it was nigh impossible to perform nefarious deeds in the dense streets.

For that reason, it was also a handy way for criminals to slip by and enjoy the festivities if they happened to be currently wanted.

Case and point, a Machamp and Weavile were enjoying themselves as they walked among the partygoers without turning any heads. So long as they kept their heads down and their heads clean, no one would suspect them of any past wrongdoing, for they were the likes of Rush Force Armant and the Great Frediano.

Armant was dressed in a red, green, and yellow poncho that went down to his waist and wore a stylized Pangoro mask over his face. He carried a barrel of ale over his shoulder while chowing on a kebab through his mask. Frediano, who took the lead, was dressed in a much flashier outfit than his previous. A white suit with a crest of rainbow feathers exploding from the collar and rainbow wings replacing his majestic cape. He wore his usual golden mask.

Frediano raised his arms to the sky. "The Misty Lights Carnival! Wonderful, wonderful! This is where I, The Great Frediano, shall make his majestic debut to the world! These fine people deserve to see true, fabulous art in the form of…me!"

Armant finished his kebab and deftly flicked the stick into a nearby receptacle. "Try to keep a low profile, Fred. We got into enough heat the last time we were here. Best to stay chill and enjoy the festivities."

Frediano spun on his foot and laughed. "Oh, indeed! I dare not miss this wonderful carnival! Why should I waste my time hopelessly hunting bounties when I should be partaking in the most important mission: introducing the world to the Great Frediano!"

Armant laughed. "Sure, sure, Fred. It's nice to take a break. I still got some debts to payoff, and I'm strapped for coins. I can barely afford a stay at the inn. I swear, they rack up room prices just for this week alone."

"Fear not, my mountainous friend, for this will be the best week of our lives! I personally look forward to examining the roaming theatres. They will pale compared to me, but they will be blessed by my one-man performance: A Tale of The Great Frediano! Starring the Great Frediano!"

Armant smirked under his mask. "Don't you need to rent out space to perform a play?"

"You expect my artform to have a price? Nay! The Great Frediano is not restricted by something as insignificant as rules and regulations. Art is unrestrained and must be shared with the world." He stopped and posed in the middle of the street. "For I, The Great Frediano, am art personified!"

Nearby partygoers stopped to stare at the strange Weavile. Armant scooped his friend under his arm and carried him like luggage. "Yes, yes, you are amazing, Fred." He picked at his ear before saying, "Listen, how about you head along without me? I can meet up with you at the gaming area."

Frediano twisted around in the Machamp's hold and asked, "You have other plans for the afternoon?"

"Potentially. For as much as I hate the inn prices, I paid them without complaining for a reason. I just need to check out a store and place an order before I can enjoy the week."

Frediano shook his head. "Even though it must pain you not to be blessed with my majestic self, I will not hold you back from your quest, my friend! Very well, I shall attend the carnival games and dazzle the people with my unparalleled skill! They will be so moved by how majestically I dominate the games that they will weep, claiming me to be an angel sent down from the gods!"

Armant set the masked Weavile down. "Whatever you say, Fred. I'll catch you later." He turned and made his way through the dense crowd.

Frediano tucked his arms behind his waist and carried along his way. "I dare say that sounded like sarcasm." He threw his head back and laughed. "What a baffling notion! Everyone loves the Great Frediano!"

"(The Great Frediano?)" he heard a nearby, masked Claydol say.

Brimming with pride, Frediano turned to the masked dragon. "(You called?)"

"(That sounds like the jerk that was causing a fuss last year!)"

Frediano froze. It was the constable who was hunting him last year.

"(Uh…I'm not the Great Frediano. I'm the Mild…Breadiano.)" He dashed off into the crowd before the constable could get a word in.


"(Thank you, have a wonderful day!)"

With the many different stalls serving food at the carnival, most had to work hard to stand out and attract their customers amongst the masses. Fortunately, a sure fire way to draw in the crowd was with the alluring scent of perfection itself. Partygoers would get one whiff of the heavenly aroma exuding from the stall and be drawn to it with their coins at the ready.

Manning this particular stall was one Melissa Penworth, also known as Harlow of the Foresters, but the customers didn't need to know any of that. For today, she was simply the kindly pancake saleswoman.

Pokémon gathered around the stall as Melissa, wearing an apron over her street clothes and a bonnet that partially covered her face, took down orders and passed them off to her esteemed cooks, Wyatt and Avel, both hard at work manning the woodfire skillet as they drizzled batter over the hot metal. Wyatt moved like lightning, flipping pancakes with impeccable skill and tossing them into the air for Avel to catch onto disposable plates with his tongue.

Melissa caught the plates and handed them to the next customers after collecting their coins. "(Thank you, have a wonderful day!)" She gathered the coins and dropped them into the lockbox under her counter.

Sitting in the back corner, Jason was observing Melissa, Wyatt, and Avel while taking notes. He wore one of Pandora's surprisingly effective false beards as no one seemed to question why there was a grizzly Pikachu sitting in the back doing nothing but writing in a notepad.

"(Thank you, have a wonderful day!)"

He smirked a bit as Melissa served another customer. "Is that the only thing you know how to say in their tongue?"

She turned to him with a sheepish grin. "(Thank you, have a wonderful day?)"

"That's what I thought." He shook his head and returned to his notetaking.

He was mostly jotting down how Melissa and the brothers were keeping up the illusion of business. He had to admit, it was an effective way to get into the carnival without drawing suspicion. Hiding in plain sight and assuming the role of a kindly pancake stall was a disguise no one would think of being suspicious of. Plus, the extra coin they were making was an added bonus.

It was essentially the first step to Melissa's heist, according to her. The way she worded it, they would lay low during the carnival and perhaps use their position to their advantage. While they were working, the other half of Melissa's team would scout out the castle amongst the festivities and determine the best time to break into the castle. Lucient was tasked with monitoring Victoria and Felix with the goal of letting them handle most of the scouting. He was only to offer marginal assistance should it be required or to make sure they didn't get themselves into danger.

Overall, it was looking to be a simple and effective heist. All they had to do was steal the king's crown, and they'll all pass.

It seemed silly to continue with the heist given their situation. Alas, Jason had his reasons for attending the carnival and pursuing Melissa's heist.


"Don't you think we have other pressing matters to attend to than host a heist?"

Jason looked back at Percival and Eadwulf as he finished combing through his personal files. "Melissa was really looking forward to doing this, and I'd hate to disappoint her after all her hard work."

Eadwulf crossed his arms. "As sweet as that is, you're usually more pragmatic than that."

Percival nodded. "We'll staved off our food crisis for the time being thanks to House Freia, but we should be focusing our time into countering Last Autumn."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Jason asked. He closed his filing drawer and faced them. "This is actually a perfect excuse for me to head into the Echo Bell Kingdom and do some recon of my own."

"Recon?" Percival asked.

Jason glared. "We've only just found out that the Wick Kingdom has some sort of alliance with Last Autumn. To what extent and the reason behind it, I cannot say, but having an entire kingdom at their disposal could mean problems for us. That's why I had to send JoJo into the Verde capital. We have to figure out who Roscoe is and who he's aligned with, otherwise we might be in Last Autumn's territory right now."

"What does this have to do with Echo Bell?" Eadwulf asked.

"Wick and Echo Bell have been allies for some time. I feel it's worth investigating the royal family for connections. If it turns out all three kingdoms are allied with Last Autumn, the entirety of West Virdis could be our enemy. We only know the Senbo Kingdom has no connections, but I fear how they can withstand the might of three kingdoms striking them down at once."

Percival scratched his chin thoughtfully. "So we investigate now before Last Autumn can get the drop on us? Makes sense."

"Plus, it keeps us closer to Nalzona while Luna's team investigates Sir Gerard. He may know something about the Crownless King and what connection they may have to Last Autumn. If something goes wrong, we're at least an hour from their position."

"But why go through the trouble of the heist?"

Jason looked away. "You know as well as I do how Melissa has been feeling these last several weeks. She's doing better now, but I want her to go through with her heist to get her confidence back up. If she wants to be a true leader, she'll have to endure the stresses that comes with it."

Eadwulf smiled. "Still giving her tough love, huh?"

"I'm not going easy on her, but I'm not going to shatter her confidence. I'll be there to support her and help her when she needs it."

Percival smiled as well. "Heh. You are a lot more open than I remember."

Jason chuckled. "What can I say? She's been a good influence on me."


"(Thank you, have a wonderful day!)" Melissa waved to the last customer before pulling down the divider. She wiped her hands together and smiled at the brothers. "Wyatt, Avel! Break time!"

Avel groaned and hopped off of Wyatt's head. "Thank goodness. I think I'm starting to get sick of the smell of pancakes."

Wyatt gasped. "How can you say that? Pancakes are the food of the gods!"

"I don't care if they're laced with ambrosia, the aroma is making my head spin!"

Melissa giggled. "You two go take a break for a couple hours. I'll clean up here."

"Thanks, boss!" Wyatt scooped up Avel and raced out of the stall.

Melissa picked up the utensils and brought them over to a water basin installed in the back. As she started scrubbing them down, Jason set his notepad aside and removed his fake beard. "Need any help?"

"No, I got it."

Jason smiled and stepped up next to her, rolling up his sleeves. "Just because I'm your examiner doesn't mean I'm leaving all these dishes to you. Move over." He gently bumped her to the side and grabbed a rag.

Melissa smirked. "My, how chivalrous, protecting me from these dirty dishes."

"Just one of my responsibilities as your knight."

"Heh, you tease." She bumped him back before focusing on washing the spatula. "So, I know it's rude to peek at my results early, but how am I doing?"

"Well, Wyatt makes a killer pancake, so you have a career in the food business."

"I meant the heist," she said with a laugh.

"Ah, that!" He laughed and scrubbed down the batter bowl. "Be patient. It's just the first day of the carnival. Not much of a heist to examine until the rest of your team returns."

Melissa puffed her chest out. "Well, my apprentices are top notch, so I'm positive they'll come back with excellent information!"

"If they were trained by you, I'm more worried about the poor bystanders."

"Oh hush." She flicked him with the wet dishrag.

"Hey! Gross!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

She snickered. "You're a lot more playful than I remember. It's pretty cute."

He chuckled, though much softer. "I'm not that cute."

"Nah, you're adorable."

"Oh hush." He flicked his rag back at her.

"Ew!" She laughed while smacking his shoulder. "That's disgusting!"

"You started it."

"Heh, perhaps." She sighed and smiled warmly at him. "But really, it is nice seeing you like this. I'm so used to you scowling at everyone that I cannot believe you're the same Jason I first met."

He smiled a bit. "I guess I've been overworking myself. I'm just happy you're doing better."

Her smile faltered a bit. "Heh, yeah. Better."

He frowned. "Still having the nightmares?"

"They're not as frequent, but…yeah. I am sleeping better, don't get me wrong, just…I woke up a couple of times in a cold sweat."

"Did you talk to Marie or Pandora?"

"Pandora was pretty crabby, but Marie kept me company until I went back to sleep. She's a good friend."

Jason glared down at the water basin, scrubbing the bowl harder. "If only she applied that same energy into her trust…"

Melissa frowned. "Do you still think she or Basil poisoned Otis?"

"It had to be one of them, but…I don't know, something about their stories isn't adding up. They both said they saw the other do it, and they've been adamant on that point for weeks. It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe it was an illusion they saw. There are some Pokémon that can do that."

"True, but…" He sighed through his nose.

"But what?"

"…" Jason scratched behind his head.

"Are you keeping secrets from me again?"

"This one's…a bit different. I actually promised Marie I wouldn't tell anyone, not even you."

Her eyes widened. "A promise? What do you mean?"

"Look, I don't want to say anything without Marie's permission. She just…wants to forget the past. It's partially why I don't entirely trust her. She's…someone that took a long time for me to trust, too."

"…" Melissa sighed and went back to scrubbing. "Guess I'll just ask her when we return home."

"Don't be surprised if she denies anything."

"Heh, right."


With the other half of their team manning the pancake stall, Lucient accompanied Melissa's apprentices to the rooftops where they had a perfect view of the castle. Lucient spied through his own telescope, but kept his mouth shut to let Felix and Victoria work on their own.

To their credit, they were much more focused once the mission started. Felix was jotting down notes as Victoria scanned the perimeter of the castle and the entry ways.

"Twenty knights stationed atop the castle wall making rotations every ten minutes," Victoria said. "There are guards standing by at the castle wall entrance."

Felix jotted her observations down. "And we just saw the royal family leave an hour before noon?"

"Correct. It seems the prince was the only one who didn't accompany them."

"So, the prince is still in the castle. Let's make a note of that in case it becomes a repeated pattern." Felix wrote it down. "So, we have a general idea of the knights' rotation schedule and the times the royal family will leave for the carnival." He looked back at Lucient. "How's that so far?"

Lucient set his binoculars down and nodded. "An excellent start, in my opinion. However, we have the entire week to work on the heist, so we must make regular assumptions of the schedules until we have an average time for infiltration. We'll have to stake out for the rest of the day until they return and make note of what times they are most likely to return."

Victoria set her binoculars down and groaned. "We have to sit up here all day? That's so boring!"

Lucient shook his head. "We can't take the easy way out. If we want this heist to go off without fault, we'll need to be extra prepared. Remember, you're doing this for Melissa."

Victoria groaned again. "Still…"

Felix sat up. "Actually Lucient, Victoria and I were thinking of investigating the catacombs for Melissa tomorrow. We need to double check her map and run a trial for escape routes. Would it be alright if you handle this for tomorrow instead?"

Lucient tapped his chin. "Well, I suppose two of you running through the catacombs would speed things along, and I can multitask up here. Alright, but be careful not to get lost down there. Those catacombs are really old and easy to get lost in."

Felix waved it off. "No problem. The danger is the fun part!"

Victoria threw her arms up and laughed. "Exactly! With my good luck, I bet I can navigate those tunnels with my eyes closed!"

"Ooh, that sounds fun!"

"We should totally do that! Master Melissa will be so impressed!"

Lucient frowned as he watched the two apprentices giggling over their troublesome plans. He took off his spectacles and massaged his face. I can see why Melissa tasked me with keeping an eye on them.


At the capital square in the center of town, a large crowd was gathering around the gated off section, saving room for an impressive amount of space. This was where a famous circus was supposed to be performing, though most were just muttering confusions as to why nothing has been set up.

In the middle of the crowd, Massimo was tapping his tentacles together anxiously. "Oh dear, don't tell me they didn't make it. I was looking forward to watching a performance."

Corrina stroked his other tentacle. "There, there, dear. I'm sure there's a reason."

Just then, in the center of the square, a burst of flame exploded upward. The flames reached high up in the air and twisted into a tornado, condensing itself back down into a spiraling ball of heat. Sparkles danced across the flaming sphere before bursting outward, sending a shower of embers over the audience's heads.

From the flames formed a Mr. Mime, dressed in a yellow suit and top hat with black and white checkered pants. He sported a crest of rainbow feathers pinned to his top hat and a red rose to the left side of his jacket. He brushed away the embers from his shoulders and pulled off his top hat as he bowed to the crowd.

"(Greetings, people of the Echo Bell Kingdom and beyond! Welcome to the performance of a lifetime!)" he announced, his voice booming over the dense audience. He flipped his hat back onto his head and raised his arms. "(Are you here to see spectacles the mind has yet to comprehend? Are you here to witness the power of Virdis' finest artists? Are you here to experience the power of the magicians?)"

"(YEAH!)" the audience cheered, throwing their hands and food into the air.

The mime rolled up his sleeves. "(Allow me to enlighten the minds of the mundane. Our world is divided by what is seen and what hasn't been seen. All we've ever imagined is what we've seen in reality. We artists take our craft seriously, to bedazzle the minds with wonders beyond our comprehension!)" He placed his fists together and separated them, pulling out a white cane. He dangled the cane within his right fist before dropping and grabbing it, revealing its golden, curvy, L-shaped handle. "(We are here to put on a show to remember!)"

The audience cheered louder, chanting for the mime to start the show. They stomped their feet in unison, the square echoing with the rhythm of impatience.

He laughed. "(The crowd asks, I deliver. I am your master of ceremonies, Benvenuto Pavone! Let the show begin!)"

He spun his cane, summoning eight flames around it. He threw the flames and had them spin within the gated perimeter. With a tap of his cane to the ground, the flames sped up and linked into a solid ring. The audience watched as darkness surrounded these flames like smoke.

Benvenuto tapped the ground again and thrusted his staff to the sky. The audience gasped as the flames shot upward, forming a cyclone composed of scarlet and black. Everyone shielded their eyes from the embers flying off and the heat racing across the square.

Mere seconds after it formed, the flames dispersed in an instant. In its place stood a newly filled square with colorful caravans and dozens of performers standing atop their roofs, bowing to the stunned crowd. Fireworks went off from the back and exploded within the square, dazzling the roaring crowd with a beautiful lightshow.

Benvenuto spun his cane, caught it, and tipped his hat to the crowd. "(Welcome, one and all, to the Cirque du Madness!)"


The cheering crowd could be heard from within one of the caravans. Inside was a dark room with torches lit in a vibrant scarlet flame. Sitting within a throne, wielding a scepter with a scarlet glass orb on top, a scarlet top hat and black cape with a high collar, was the master of the circus himself, Itzal Abasolo.

The fanciful Gourgeist smirked as he listened to Benvenuto hype up the crowd. The inside of his scepter glowed with a small spark of scarlet. Their admiration brought him such joy. Joy that filled his inner flame, his desire to spread his passionate art to all corners of Virdis, to show the world true happiness.

"Alright, everyone. Let's put on a show this kingdom will never forget."