Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters
White was frustrated at the endless letters that were piling up on her desk. The killer had been threatening her again and again. She had already tried to gather as much funds as she could but it didn't seem to appease him. What made the treasure so important since it was only money he wanted?
"What more do you want?" She screamed to the letters. She thought she was alone in her office so called out to relieve some of her stress. "Leave me alone! There is no treasure here and there's nothing more you can do to change that! I can't give you the treasure."
Sapphire sighed as she walked through the field on her hands. She kept her eyes forward as she watched the other performers set up the minimal to practise their acts. She stopped when several performers walked by and barely turned her head at the knife throwers. She flipped over so that she could walk on her bare feet again.
She ducked below the knives and waved to the other performers. Wally caught the knives easily and saluted to her. Her tucked the two swords into his belt and walked beside her. He was going to have an act since there weren't enough performers for next week's performance. That act was to practice his swordplay.
"How's the act comin' along?" She asked him. Wally was the newest recruit, before Ruby of course and had only done a few miscellaneous things until now. Wally was tall, almost six feet and had a lean muscular body. His green hair was cut sleek and his bright blue eyes held a mixture of innocence and experience. His simple white shirt held a crudely stitched 'T' on the collar and she wondered what it stood for.
When she asked him, he simple smiled with a small blush and said that it was from a friend. They reached the uneven bars where set up for her to practise on. She was able to jump and catch the bar to swing herself up. She landed easily, the bar familiar under her bare feet. Wally was still there, as if he had something more he wanted to ask her but hesitated.
"How well do you know Ruby?" Wally asked and she almost lost her grip on the trapeze. She swung from bar to bar until she stopped and rested on the bar. It was safer up there, far above reality but Wally was still there waiting for an answer. She didn't know how much he knew or what the others had already told him.
"Are ya asking me how well I know him or how long we've known each other?" She asked, swinging from bar to bar gently. He shrugged and she sighed at the ambiguity of the question. "I know him as well as how little he knows me. Of course he'll say that he knows me but… I wasn't me back then. What do you really want to know?"
"Is he really a magician?" He asked.
"Not professionally. He used to hang around the circus with us a lot and picked up a few tricks. I still don't know why he came back, even if he says that it's for me," Sapphire almost chocked in the words and she trained herself not to show the hurt. She didn't know if she didn't believe in his words or just was too afraid to. "Why do you ask? You've seen him do some tricks so you know that he's talented."
"I just think that it's a coincident that right after the killer, a magician, appears and then another one joins us. Dia's worried about him too though he's less skeptical since he did save Missy. I just think that we should be careful around him."
"Ya donna' need to tell me that," She scoffed and easily slide down the bar to hang upside down so she could look him in the eye. She couldn't read his eyes but there was nothing to really suspect from him, just another performer looking out for another. But even with his warning, she was a little too far gone to abide by them. She had already promised to help him solve this mystery and her heart was called by the illusion in her heart, created by those hypnotising red eyes.
"Dia and I haven't spoken with White about this," Wally went on. "But I thought that I should speak to you about it. Your relationship with him is infamous among this circus, so much that I'm surprise White allowed him to join but I'm sure that he was very charming. In my experience, some killers are the last person you would expect-"
"Ruby ain't a killer," She said sternly, grinding her teethes. She couldn't see Ruby doing anything to her circus.
"You're pretty quick to defend him, considering that you continually say how much you dislike him." Wally observed. "Anyways, shouldn't he be the one that's angry? You were the one that deceived him."
Wally almost fell backwards when Sapphire landed in front of him, her toes almost touching his as she stared angrily up at him. He hadn't meant to offend her, he was just a little socially awkward since his parents all but imprison because of a condition. He thanked Blue for saving him from his overprotective parents every day.
He expected her to yell at him but she merely turned on her heels and stormed off. Wally was going to go after her to apologize. He was stopped when someone grabbed his shoulder and turned to see Ruby. He seemed even more angry than Sapphire and braced himself for an attack. Ruby just pushed past him and went after Sapphire.
Wally cursed to himself. He was supposed to be connecting with these people! He offered to help Ruby to look for her but stopped when Ruby sent him a quick glare.
"Sapphire!" Ruby called after her. She had already run out of his sight but he could think of several places that she would go to. He was angry with Wally for bring up their past relationship without knowing everything, just the gossip. He didn't confront the man about it because is first concern was Sapphire.
He went past the other performers but didn't really see them. They stared after him though, more curious than anything since his steps were purposeful. He was a man on a mission and they didn't know if they should intervene. Ruby let out a breath to relieve some of his anger, not wanting to go confront her angry. She was already hurt enough and he didn't want to add any more than he already had.
He went past her trailer, knowing that she wouldn't be in there. He went into one of the tents, drawn to it since it was the tallest. He walked in and saw that the platforms for the trapeze and the net were already set up but the actually trapeze weren't. He walked over to the high platform and climbed the cable rope to the top.
As he got closer, he could hear little sniffles that pulled at his heart. He knew that she often tried to be strong by holding all the pain inside her, not letting others see her pain or problems. The few times she did cry, at least that he knew of, she would hide away in her pride.
In truth he only saw her cry once when she spoke of her father's death. It was also at this high altitude that he held her. There was something about being high above the ground that allowed her to disconnect from her pride, or rather the problems she held inside. If she really needed to cry, then he would find her in her safe haven.
He knew that she was up there but it still broke his heart to see her curl in a little ball at the top. She was small so when she curled into a ball, with her face in her knees, not many people could see he from ground level. She didn't seem to notice him when he settled himself onto the platform. She was leaning against the pole and he moved himself in front of her.
She jerked when he touched her cheek, not knowing if he shocked her or if it was just his touch that made her react so. She turned away from him so he couldn't see the tears that misted her deep blue eyes. Her pride wouldn't allow them to fall yet her heart forced them to appear. She couldn't run from him, her back was against the pole and he had moved his body around her, thoroughly trapping her against his body.
He was so close when he placed a hand on her cheek. She didn't say a word or even look into his eyes. She didn't know if she would see the anger from years ago or the pity that others had given her when he walked away. She bit her lips, fighting the need to bury herself in his chest, her once safe haven from reality.
"How did you find me?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking and failing.
"I can always be able to find you, my gem." He smiled hoping that she would return it. Her face was skeptical but that didn't deter him. He knew that his words didn't have high standings with him. He reached behind her ear and pulled out a blue rose. "I will love you until this flowers dies."
She held her breath as he kissed her temple, slipping the flower behind her ear, securing it with a strand of her hair. Her hand moved to the flower without her thinking and she could feel that it was in fact an artificial flower. "I've forgiven you for your deception, now it's time for you to forgive yourself so we can be together. We'll be together forever, we'll live in the city of lights, I'll provide for you and we'll be happy. You don't need to blame yourself for our break up"
"I haven't forgiven you for what you've said to me!" She shot back at him suddenly. He winced, remembering all the hurtful things he called her and accused her of. She took advantage of his shock and pushed away his arm and climbed down the ladder. What had he said that made her run from him?
To think that she almost fell into his eyes again! How can he expect her to live in his life, giving up everything that she held close to her heart? It just showed how much they weren't meant to be together, she had already came to terms with that, she told herself. Then why was her heart hurting so?
Dia tried to keep his balance but fell promptly on his behind though he was laughing as he did so. Pearl groaned though, trying to perfect their latest act. Missy sat on the tightrope, watching the pair. She laughed softly at the two as they lovingly bickered. The two were the closest of friend, more like brothers in reality. That thought made her think of her own sister and a distant pain spread in her stomach.
"Now, when you think of a circus act…" The two went through the familiar routine and Missy still smiled to herself even if she already knew the punch line. Dia was on the tightrope next to her, trying to balance himself, and falling as the act dictated. He landed easily on the safety matt just two feet below in a silly fashion.
"How was that?" Dia smiled up at her, catching her giggling a little. Her training caused her to put on a regal mask and nodded to him. His smile warmed her heart though and she wished that she was able to speak normally to him.
"We almost have everything perfected," Pearl boasted. "Wait till you see our finale! We should practise that now. We'll need the pies and bicycle and-"
"I'll get them," Dia volunteered, knowing that Pearl could go on and on about the act. They were both passionate about their comedy act, even as Dia was often casted as the stooge. He looked back to see Pearl explain the finale to Missy. Just as when he first saw her, he thought she looked just as a princess would, regal and beautiful.
He pulled himself away and went to the wooden circus wagon carrying all of the props. He opened it and stepped inside, leaving the doors open so he could see. He pushed past the worn costume, which were most likely going to be sold now that Ruby had volunteered to make them new ones. He came across a tiara and thought of Missy.
He held it up to the light and the fake gems sparkled in the dim light. He could see Missy wearing it as she danced through a ballroom. He couldn't help but imagine himself as her dance partner. He placed the tiara back since it wouldn't fit with her gypsy character. In fact, he couldn't remember which costume this belonged too. He rubbed his chin, trying to think of it but stopped when a soft sound finally reached him.
He turned and saw a little Jack in the Box sitting on a box. Curious, he went over to it and tapped the box. He saw it in White's office several times before but thought it was just a little knickknack. The soft music got louder as it reached the end of its song, the handle turning. He turned his head to the side and something caught the light. There was a transparent string tied to the turning handle.
He jumped back when the jack popped out of the box and the doors slammed down at the same time. He ran to the door and started banging on the door, calling out for help. He heard something ticking and turned to see the glowing eyes of the clown. His heart stopped when he saw the clown held a candle.
"Dia? Dia!" Missy heard his call for help. Pearl and she got worried when he hadn't come back yet, so they went to look for him. They walked by the wagon and heard the banging. At first Pearl laughed thinking that Dia had trapped himself in but when Pearl couldn't open it and he could feel a heat behind the doors, the weight of the situation dawned on him.
Missy tried to keep Dia calm as Pearl went to get White for the key. It scared her though that Dia didn't speak to her, just the continual banging on the wagon door. The other performers had gathered around them and tried to force the door open. Ruby cursed when he touched the door and it almost burnt his hand.
"I'm here!" White ran to her side and unlocked the wagon door. She opened the door to see that the wagon filled with candles and in the center was a giant box. She breathed in deeply when the masked killer stepped out from behind the box.
"I am tired of waiting for you to bring me my treasure! This is the last warning I shall give you." He took a candle and held it to the box. "Every night I do not get my treasure, I shall kill one of your performers. This is your last chance, give me my treasure or I'll burn your clown!"
"Stop!" Missy called out, but she barely heard her own words over the pounding in her ears. She lowered her eyes and pulled her hair over her face. Her heart stopped when the other performers parted and left her the center of attention. She could hear Dia pounding on the box and tightened her hold on her skirt. Her voice shook as she asked, "How much money do you want? I'm sure we can-"
"I don't want your damn money. I want my treasure! That treasure is my birthright." The man raised the candle to throw the candle but Ruby started pulling out napkins from his sleeves, catching the man's attention.
"I am the amazing Ruby Wizard!" Ruby declared trying to distract him so that Sapphire could sneak up on him. Ruby took out a crystal ball drew his eyes, human nature made him gravitate to the mystery. Ruby made the ball float a feet in the air though the masked man suddenly lost interest.
"Do you think to challenge me with such a weak trick?" He scoffed. "I have years of experience, more than you can even hope. There is not a trick that you can perform that I cannot."
Ruby clenched his teeth, holding back the urge to just tackle the man. The wagon was full of candles and fight could easily lead to a fire. Sapphire was already inside, trying to free Dia and he wasn't going to risk either of their lives.
Sapphire had crept behind the box and tried to find a way to open it without the killer seeing her. She couldn't find a secret door or anything similar so looked around the wagon again. She suddenly had a thought, she could trap him. The only thing stopping the others from entering was the threat of the fire. All she had to do was put out the candles which was easy enough.
The killer turned when the candles suddenly went out one at a time. He swore and went to stop her but she easily ducked under his arm when he tried to catch her. She took one of the candle stick and hit him over the head with it. He moved so it hit his shoulder instead which paralyzed him long enough for her to rip off his mask.
He immediately raised his arm over his arm over his face so that cape covered his face. He backed up until he was blocked by the wall. Sapphire grinned, thinking that she had finally captured him. He merely pulled his cloak around him, turning in a circle until the cloak fell lightly to the ground, the killer gone.
She stood there in shock and barely noticed the others running into the wagon beside her. Ruby was beside her, gathering her in his arms, feeling her shake in anger. Missy ran to the box and threw open the door and found that it was empty. She looked down to see a Jack in the Box, the clown swinging from side to side, banging on the side. In one hand, it was holding a picture and she took it. She clenched her teethes and began to tear it apart, putting the pieces in her pocket.
"Where's Dia?" Pearl asked, frustrated that he had let his best friend get captured for the killed. Ruby walked next to the box and ran his hand over the ebony wood.
"Get back." He ordered and took the Jack in the Box. He would have to send it to Silver the moment they get into a town or city. Ruby then turned back to the box and closed the door. He tapped it several times before opening it again. Dia was on the ground, his temple bleeding slightly.
"Dia!" Missy fell on her knees next to him so she could put his head on her lap. He was so pale, but she could feel his pulse, which reassured her. She checked his wound and it reassured her that it was just a flesh wound. He didn't react to her cries and everyone gathered around them. Pearl pulled Dia's arm over his shoulder and helped him to his feet to bring him to Dia's trailer.
White went after them, ordering Black to get a first aid kit.
Sapphire cursed as she stood in the spot that the killer stood before he disappeared. She turned as he did but nothing happened. Ruby was more content with going through the man's mask. He had placed the cape she took from him under the Jack in the Box. He looked at the inside of the mask and saw a little logo on the inside corner.
"Damn it! How did he escape?" Sapphire stomped her feet, frustrated that she couldn't figure out his trick. Ruby looked up from the mask and watched her spin around again. He smiled at himself, admiring her body as she gracefully turned.
Not being able to help himself, he set the mask aside and went to her. He gently took her hand as she turned and pulled her closer to his body. She placed her hands on his shoulders to keep herself from falling and looked up into his eyes.
"May I have this dance my lady?" He asked, taking her smaller hand into his larger one and she rolled her eyes. She was going to pull away, she told herself but she couldn't take her hand from his.
"We should be trying to find some clues," She told him but that didn't seem to deter him as he turned with her in his arms. Her foot caught on something and they went tumbling to the ground with him on top of her. She blushed but tried to hide it by turning away.
"Please, don't turn from me, my gem." His lips whispered across her cheek, heading to her lips. She closed her eyes and found herself rising to meet his lips. She stopped when he touched her cheek, bringing her out of his illusion. She turned away and curled back into herself, placing a hand on his chest.
"What did I trip on?" She asked, ducking under his arms and crawled back to her feet. It was a little handle, painted to match the floor so well that she could barely see it. She hocked her feet under it and turned so that she lifted slightly. She moved slowly but she could easily imagine that with practise it one could make the motion look effortless. One might even do it effortless enough to create the illusion of a man disappearing through the floor.
Ruby sighed at her evasion and knelt next to her as she looked down the trap door. It led easily to the ground, right to the outside. That only solidified his suspicion that the killer was one of the performers. How else could he slip out without anyone noticing? He jumped down and traced the footprint there. The small space was so small that he had to crawl to get out from under the wagon.
He went back to the back of the wagon and held out a hand to help Sapphire down from the wagon. She reluctantly took it and stepped down from it. She wringed her hands together after she took it from his, feeling the heat still burn her from years ago every time they touched. She was still holding the killer's costume and the Jack in the Box in her other arm.
"I'll keep those safe," He offered and she only hesitated slightly before she handed them to him. He would probably send it to his police friends, which was better than it collecting dust in her trailer. She didn't like handing control over to anyone but it was for the best.
But the one thing she wouldn't hand him was her heart, despite the pleading in his eyes.
Missy took the wet cloth and dabbed it on Dia's cheek. He was flushed now and she hoped that he wouldn't develop a fever. They were far from any town and they might not have enough mendicant to help him.
Pearl was guilt ridden and would've be there beside her but she convinced him to rest while she watched over Dia. She laid her head next to his and began to whisper to him. He was in a fretful sleep right now and that made her feel safer as she spoke to him.
"I'm sorry," She began. "I didn't mean to bring you all such trouble. I could've helped you but it seems that my wealth can only do so much. In fact, it seems like it has caused more trouble than not. I will thank you though, for being so kind to me and I know that it is true. I always wonder if I ever lost this illusion, would you still be kind to me."
Missy raised her head and kissed his temple. She lifted his hand to her cheek and felt it curled toward her, reassuring her that he would live. She wasn't going to lose him, she decided, she refused to lose the only person that had truly been kind to her. He brought her to this circus and owed him for all the happiness she experienced in the few years and known him. "I will find that treasure. That treasure is my birthright and I shall use it to save this circus."
"T" is for Tansy. I have a bad habit of using Silvia's OCs. Review if you liked.