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The Circus of Talents

At 8:00 p.m. the students entered the Theater of Tales that was residing now at the School for Evil. Above each side floated a chandelier of ten swan-shaped candles burning white over the side for good and a dark blue over the side for evil. Between the chandeliers hovered the Circus Crown with seven long, sharp spires.

As the decorations seemed to come to life and interacted with the students eventually the children found their seats on their side. The ten who would be competing were to sit up front in front of the stage. Nine Evers sat up front and started chatting with the decorative princes and princesses. The Evergirls flounced around in their gowns and the Everboys strutted about in their tuxedos.

From the east doors barged in the Nevers hooting and cheering telling each other the Theater of Tales would be staying on their side. Evers blanched at the decorations on their side; beasts murdering peasants and witches eating children. Their ten champions claimed their seats up front.

Lily looked about worried. Rose was not here yet and he was supposed to be a part of the competition. The students began to settle down and Lily craned her neck to find him.

Then the west doors opened once more. Everyone watched the angel walk in. Dressed in all white with golden hair stepped in Rose. He wore a pure white shirt, a pure white waistcoat, his tuxedo pants were white striped with a bright purple. He wore a pure white cape as well with an amethyst holding it on.

Lily gaped with all the girls at the beautiful prince as he took his seat in between Raven and Monica up front.

"Welcome to the Circus of Talents," a white wolf from the School for Evil growled. Beside him was a sparkling fairy glowing green. "We'll begin with the 10th ranked Never and Ever. They will perform, a winner will be selected, and the loser shall be punished. Then we shall move onto the 9th ranked. Then the 8th. Etcetera etcetera until this blasted thing is over. Let's get it over with. As of now the doors are locked. No one gets in. No one gets out. Not until the Circus is over. Now, we'll have Julie and Bard begin. Bard, begin."

And so the event started. Bard stood up on the stage and began belching the Happy Birthday song. Nevers started hooting and cackling at him while the Evers cringed at the horrible noises. Following him Julie, who had worked hard to work her way up to tenth place from twelfth, stood upon the stage and performed a ballet from Swan Lake.

A blue candle was snuffed out and suddenly Bard began belching rainbow gems. One by one the students competed and the losers were punished. A white candle went out and Adrien broke out in boils. A blue candle went out and Maggie's spectacles became an iridescent beetle. Percy's ears turned into bunny ears when a blue flame died. Stefan was chased by a rouge chicken and a white disappeared. Vlad looked at the chandelier in horror as a blue flame went out and his hair fell out.

Corrin took the stage and Rose looked upon his competition. Corrin's red eyes glowed with confidence as she pulled out a pocket watch. Slowly, she swung the pocket watch from side to side and gazed deeply into Julie's eyes, "You are getting sleepy. You are getting sleepy." Corrin chanted over and over again until Julie began to chant with her, "I am getting sleepy. I am getting sleepy." Slowly, Julie's eyes closed and she began to softly snore, which many Nevers laughed at. "Now, Julie. When I snap your fingers, you are a chicken." Corrin snapped her fingers. Julie opened her eyes and started clucking and flapping her arms about. The Nevers started laughing even harder. Corrin snapped her fingers again and Julie stopped and blinked. She looked around and blushed. She had no idea what she was doing standing up and why the Nevers were laughing. She quickly sat down.

It was Rose's turn. He stood up upon the stage and reached into his waistcoat. And pulled out a flute. Rose hadn't known what else to do so he was going to play the lullaby his great grandmother sang for him. Closing his eyes he brought his flute to his mouth and began to play.

Finishing, he looked up at the chandeliers watching for a candle to go out. Nothing happened. Rose looked out upon the audience and the bridge of his nose burned red. They had all fallen asleep. Rose hopped down from the stage and shook Lily until she woke up.

She blinked up at him, "Rose?" She yawned."

"You fell asleep. Everyone fell asleep."

Lily looked around and frowned, "Well, I suppose we should wake them up. You start with the Nevers?"

Rose frowned, but nodded. He went over to Maggie and shook her. "Wha—what? Ew, an Ever. Why are you touching me?"

"You fell asleep. Help wake the others?"

She looked around and she nodded. Rose went back to his side and started shaking Evers.

Once everyone was awake everyone started muttering about the chandeliers that wouldn't go out. Were the deans arguing over who had won? Had the deans fallen asleep? Even the wolf and fairy were getting antsy.

The chandeliers began to sway as to get everyone's attention and everyone looked up wondering if the deans were there. Then a blue candle went out and Corrin started screaming, "No, no! He can't win! He always wears pink! I can't lose to . . ." her lips swelled up and it just turned into muffled noises no one could understand.

The wolf cleared his throat, "Now, Eustis and Raven. Eustis, show us what you've got." And he did, to the Evers' dismay. Eustis apparently is double jointed in his knees and elbows and he showed them off as the Evers' gagged as his knees bent backwards.

Then it was Raven's turn. He stood up on the stage and took a deep breath. He then began to sing. It was a beautiful song and the mouths of all the girls (Evers and Nevers alike) dropped open. His voice was gorgeous. After his song a blue candle went out and Eustis seemed to lose all his bones in his arms as they began to flop about like tentacles making the Evers gag more.

The good won the final two competitions as well. Mia won singing opera and Richard won crushing a piece of coal into a diamond. Jasper ended up with a horse's tail and Hawthorn's hair grew out like Rapunzel's. Good cheered when they saw there were more remaining white flames.

The Circus Crown started to shake. It glided east towards the Nevers who cheered. It changed course for the Evers. It went back to the Nevers. Back to the Evers. It slowed down. It hovered over Richard. Then Mia. Then Raven. It continued a little towards Rose, who shook his head and tried to get closer to Monica, squishing into her. The crown changed its mind and went back over Raven.

It came and rested upon Raven's head and the Evers began to cheer, "Ours! Ours! Ours!" Richard stood up and the cheers stopped. He turned to Mia and got down on one knee, "Mia, will you be my princess for the Snow Ball?"

The Nevers booed but Mia ignored them, "Yes! I would love to go with you Richard!"

There was then a moment of silence as the Everboys looked to Raven. Raven shook his head and hesitantly Stefan got down on one knee, "Wendy, will you be my princess at the Ball?" and then all the boys were getting on one knee. The Nevers started booing again.

"Lily, will you be my princess for the Ball?" from Cedric.

"Julie, will you be my princess at the Ball?" asked Peter.

"Beatrice, will you be my princess for the Snow Ball?"

One by one boys asked and girls said yes. Rose glanced at Raven who had passed up his turn wondering why. Had the boys discussed who they were going to ask beforehand so they already knew who was asking who? Or perhaps Raven was going to take half ranks so Rose could go with a girl. Would Raven do that? Rose didn't need to ask. Raven would.

But one by one girls were taken. Monica, Alya, Alexis, all of them. Rose had been wrong. There still weren't enough girls.

The Ever side went silent as the Everboys looked at Raven with the Circus Crown upon his brow. Raven should have been one of the first to ask, but there he was, still sitting on the bench. Until he slowly stood up and turned to Rose. He kneeled down and gazing into Rose's eyes he asked, "Rose, of House of Beauty, will you go to the Snow Ball with me?"

The Never side went quiet. Rose's mouth opened but nothing came out. He glanced over at the Nevers who were staring at him. He looked to the side where the Evers were staring at him. His eyes locked with Lily who nodded. "I—I will."

Raven and the other boys stood up and the Nevers stared at them in confusion, but said nothing as the doors opened and students filed out of the Theater.