Chapter Twleve-An Act Gone Awry

Espa,Jon,their little brothers and the Ishtars arrived at the carnival in the early evening hours, just as the night's patrons were massing. Espa blinked at the size of the carnival. "Wow....." He held on to Ej tightly, before they all continued.

"How are we going to find them with all these people,Big Brother?" Jonathan wanted to know. He couldn't remember the carnival being this big. "Was it always this big?"

"No.....it wasn't." Espa replied. He didn't have an answer for his brother's first question though. Christien and Victoria could easily be any number of places. He turned to the Ishtars now. "It was never this big...." He told them,by way of apologizing.

"Nevermind." Marik replied with a determined smile. "We will find them."

"Perhaps someone has seen them...." Ishizu suggested,as she looked around. "We know they're here."

"Espa! Look!" Jonathan moved ahead excitedly,pointing ahead. "It's Madame Leota!" He grinned broadly,remembering the long summer afternoons spent with the fortune teller.

"Maybe she's seen Chris. Let's go." Espa wished he could share his brother's enthusiasm of being back to their roots, but he couldn't. Not with everything that'd happened. Not knowing that their past had driven Christien to run away from him. He led the way over to the elder woman.

"Well now! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes,Espa Roba!" The woman smiled warmly. "It's been a long time."

"It has....." Espa began, but Jonathan interrupted him.

"Have you seen my brother, Christien?" He asked eagerly.

"Why, yes,I have. Although, he seems to have changed his name here. Look how big you've gotten,Jon! How old are you now? Fifteen?"

"Yep!" Jonathan smiled. "You're looking good too,Madame." He'd called her that for as long as he could remember.

"Your brother and his girlfriend are in the main tent. They're the main attractions tonight." Leota told Espa now.

"Main attractions? What do you mean?" Marik wanted to know. "That girl is my sister, Victoria." The Egyptian boy had followed with his own siblings behind him.

"They're going to perform on the trapese together tonight. It's quite an act they've put together too."

"Trapese?! Tori's terrified of heights!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Oh dear......" Rishid frowned in worry. "We must see if we can talk her out of it."

"A daunting task, if Christien is involved." Ishizu commented with a frown. "If you will be so kind,Madame Leota....where is this tent?"

"Why,just over the hill, beside the old ferris wheel." Leota pointed. She then glanced at Espa,as Jonathan led their two younger brothers after the Ishtars. "You are greatly troubled,Espa. Come in and sit. We will talk."

"I can't right now. I have to get Christien back....." Espa replied slowly. "It was very nice to see you again, Madame Leota."

"Alright then. Let me just tell you one thing then."

"Yes?" Espa kept an eye on which direction Jon went, as he listened.

"There will be more darkness in the distant future. An old enemy will return." The fortune teller returned to her tent now, and greeted her waiting clients.

Espa shivered at her words. "An old enemy.......?" He raced off to his brothers.

"Nice.......beautiful release,Madison!" Franklin smiled. He was the aerial acrobatics coach.

"Y-yeah...." Victoria tried hard not to look down at the floor below. "T-thanks...."

"Is she okay up there?" Franklin asked Christien.

The middle Roba shook his head. "We need a break......."

"Come on down then."

Victoria was more than happy to oblige, and she did. Christien took her into his arms,and she buried her face in his neck. "I.....I don't think I can do this...."

"Yes you can.....it'll be one shot tonight. Just don't look down next time." Christien said softly, He held her close. "Come on. Let's go rest in the trailer, okay?"

"R-right....." His girlfriend swallowed hard.

Christien led the way out of the tent, and up the path to the trailer.

"Christien Thomas!"

Christien turned around, his eyes the size of dinner plates. "E-espa! What are you doing here?!"

"What do you think?!" Espa demanded angrily. His stare was piercing.

"Please, let us go somewhere and talk about this calmly, Espa." Ishizu spoke up. She'd seen Victoria's face, and knew the children were caught off guard. She was just as upset with Victoria as Espa was with his brother, but she felt a little discretion was necessary.

"W-we have a trailer...." Victoria ventured finally.

"A trailer?" Espa repeated. "Okay. Let's go." He grabbed Christien's arm, and they all went into the trailer.

"I still can't believe you'd do this,Christien! Do you realize how dangerous this could've been?! And what's more, you put Tori in danger!"

"I put myself in danger." Victoria interrupted. "Christien has been protecting me this whole time."

Espa sighed. "Be that as it may, you two acted selfishly, and thoughtlessly. Chris,I know you're mad at me, and I understand why. However, you had no right to put Victoria in the middle of our family problems. I've told you that thousands of times."

"You understand nothing, Espa!" Christien exploded. "You and Jonathan have all those memories of Mom and Dad. You and Jon have the memories of this place. What does that give me?! Nothing! Yeah,I can very vaguely recall the shelters, the trailer park. But I had no memories of this place until I came! And since you two can share them,I shared with Victoria,because she is loyal to us, Espa! She is a Roba, as far as I'm concerned!" He fumed silently after that, glaring at his elder brother. "I know something happened here that you don't want me to know, Espa, but unfortunately, I won't leave until you do tell me."

"Chris......." Victoria moved to sit beside her best friend, but Marik began his own vent then.

"And as for you,Victoria. You should have called or left a note. We worry about you when you just suddenly take off." There was a mixture of anger and relief in the Egyptian boy's voice. "I don't approve of this trapese act either."

"Well, that's an obligation." Christien told him now. He was more subdued now, as he looked over at Marik and his siblings. "Don't be mad at Victoria, Marik. I told her not to call. I wanted us to have some time away."

"That may be. However, it was irresponsible for both of you to pull this stunt." Marik told him quietly. "I would rather not see Victoria on the trapese...."

"Well, you're going to." Victoria told him now, surprising herself. "It's thrilling up there, Marik."

"Victoria, do not be foolish. It's a very dangerous act." Rishid said now, his eyes narrowed.

"Rishid, I can handle it." She turned at sound of someone knocking on their door. "That'll be Nora."

"It must be curtain time!" Christien grinned at Victoria. "Are you going to be okay? Seriously now...."

"I'll be fine. Let's just go." The young pair left the trailer before anyone could stop them.

By the time the elders got to the tent, Christien and Victoria were already preparing to begin their act. Espa watched with worry. "Something feels off....." He whispered to Jonathan.

"I know...." Jon had his two younger brothers close to him. Ej was on his back, and Andrew was clinging to his hand,whining about wanting to ride rides.

"Pwease?"

"Later, okay. I promise." Jonathan told him. He watched them prepare for their act. "They better be careful."

Espa nodded,gripping Jon's free hand. "Yes...."

"Victoria, please reconsider!" Marik called up, as Victoria ascended the ladder to the platform.

"It's too late. I have to do this....." Victoria replied. She stepped on to the platform,her eyes focused across the length at Christien on the other side. He nodded to her, as they both took their swings in their hands. She gripped hers tightly,as she climbed into it, and sat down,prepared to go out to Christien. She looked across at him. "Whenever you're ready......"

"Okay. Here we go." Christien left the platform, and so did she. They met in the middle, and he gripped her wrists firmly as they swung back. On the second round,Christien swung out to her, and was almost there, when there was a loud snap.

"Christien!!" Five people screamed at once, as the middle Roba fell fast and hard.

Victoria looked down in horror. "Chris.......no!" She got herself to the platform on her side. She felt dizzy and weak. "Gods.....no....don't you dare die on me....." She couldn't make herself take the ladder down to him though. She looked below again. "Christien!!! Can you hear me?!" She saw doctors, and the Robas gathering around him. "Chris!!! on. I'll help you down." It was Marik who slid beside her. "Give me your hand."

She took it, and they carefully made their way down to the floor again. He hugged her close. "M-marik....is he.....?"

"I don't know. He might be seriously hurt though." The words were barely out of Marik's mouth before Victoria ran over to the Robas. Marik looked at his siblings. "This doesn't look good....."

"Poor Espa , we should go and see if he needs anything." Ishizu suggested, looking sad.So the three Ishtars joined their sister and the remaining Robas,as they watched Christien be loaded on to a mini truck, and out to the infirmary.