The Circus

Cowboy? Jack? Dead?!

"No," he muttered, rushing towards Cowboy's tent. "No, no, no!"

Lark screamed, Making him run faster, then Kaiya. He burst into the tent, a step behind Rogue, and nearly tripped over Jack's body.

Dent sank to his knees with a cry of anguish. He couldn't be dead, he couldn't. Just this morning...was it really just today?...they had been laughing and wrestling in the dirt like brothers...and they were brothers, weren't they? Not in blood, maybe, but definately brothers of some sort.

He buried his face in his hands, trying to keep calm. He didn't want to keep calm; he wanted to break down and weep like he would for a brother. But right now there were too many people around.

Dragon was still standing in the doorway, his face unreadable, and Dent felt a flush of fury. This didn't mean anything to him. Cowboy--Jack--was just a name to him. A name and a corpse. He didn't belong here.

~Jewel~

What was that commotion outside? I ran to the flap in my tent. Dent was kneeling on the ground. Kaiya and Lark were screaming. I saw Flip holding Cowboy's hat. Cowboy's boots jutted out from the mass of people.

I ran to Lark's side.

I let out a bloodcurdling scream, and blacked out.

Rogue (Robyn)

I caught Jewel as she fell, Cowboy was dead.... who would want to kill him, raw anger pumped through my veins no one not even my real parents had ever seen me angry before. I cupped Jewel's face.

"C'mon honey wake up." I said, my voice breaking.

No response. "Jewel sweetheart wake up." I shook her, she was out cold. I gave her to Chase. "Chase, honey take her to the well, splash some cold water on her or something."

He nodded, and took Jewel from me.

I knelt near Cowboy's corpse, I could probably get a vision or something, but there was nothing I could really do, if it were an accident or not, it still looked the same in the end. I closed my eyes and placed my shaking hands over his chest, I closed my eyes and I gasped and closed my eyes even tighter.

I saw it like a movie in my head so much pain, betrayel, hate, anger....

"Rogue......... What do you see?" Lark asked, I didn't need to open my eyes to see that tears flooded hers.

"I see a knife, Cowboy's back was turned..... He knew who it was.... He knew what they were coming to do..........." A tear ran down my cheek. "And he didn't even fight back...." I sobbed, I tried harder to find out what happened.... Then my body took control.... I started talking- it wasn't my voice.... or my words... but it was the killers....


"It's for the best... I'm sorry." I opened my eyes. "Their coming." I whispered as tears ran down my face...

"What?" Lark clasped my hand

"The killer.... their here." I said, and completely blanked out....

Dent stood quickly to catch Rogue as she fell. Sighing, he rested her gently on the floor.

"What is going on?" A voice thundered, and Dent heard a crack of a whip.

He ground his teeth. No, please, not now...

Rusty burst through the tent, face red with anger. "Why is everyone here?" he snapped. "What's going on?!"

Dent clenched his teeth. "Shut up," he growled.

Rusty looked shocked for a moment, then his face darkened in color. "What did you say to me, boy?" he asked, dangerously low.

He was about to answer, but then Rusty saw Jack lying on the ground, and he turned deathly pale.

No one said anything for a moment, then Rusty took command. "Right. Dent, Sai, Chase--Chase, dammit, where is that loafer?--you'll be working the lights for tonight's show. With the three of you, you'll be better than this slacker ever was. The body will have to be burned. We don't have time or workers for a burial, and he didn't deserve it, anyway."

Dent lost all control then. Cowboy was never afraid of this aging fat man. Why should he?

He launched himself at Rusty. "I'm going to kill you!" he shouted, landed punches wherever he could.

Rusty stood there taking them for mere seconds, shocked, then felled Dent with one hard blow that sent him sprawling.

Dent hit the ground hard, the breath driven from his lungs, slightly dazed. He was unable to dodge as the man kicked at him, throwing him into Jack's old cot which toppled to the ground. Dent stayed there, tears running down his cheeks. There was no controlling them now.

Rusty watched him for a moment, making sure Dent wasn't going to attack him again, then told the others, "Make sure Chase doesn't skip tonight," and left the tent.

~Jewel~

What was that wetness on my face? There was pain in my arms as I regained concsiousness.

I opened my eyes to see Chase towering above me.

"Jewel?" His voice was quiet; wary. It all came rushing back.

Tears poured out, and my chest was shaking.

"Lark! Lark, can you help me?" Chase called. It was a few moments before she came stumbling through the brambles.

"Jewel, it's okay. It's all gonna be okay," she consoled me. Huge sobs ripped through my chest. Cowboy.

The tears came even harder. "C-C-Cowboy."

A silent tear fell down Chase's face. "C'mon," he said roughly. "Help me carry her back to her tent."

Lark grasped my calves, while Chase pulled me up from my armpits.

"She's light," Lark observed solemnly.

Their footsteps shook my body as we headed back around to where Cowboy's body lay. I scratched and pulled at their arms, and freed myself.

I crawled swiftly to his corpse. Dried blood surrounded the wound as fresh blood slowly trickled out. I let out a sob, and lay my head against his cold chest, wrapping my arms tightly around his middle. Lark stepped forward to pull me away, but Chase stopped her. "She has every right."

It wasn't long before Kaiya came back. She knelt beside me, saying, "Jewel, he's gone. Jack's gone."

I held on even tighter to Cowboy's now tear-drenched body. "Christian. His name is Christian Neyland." They must have thought I'd lost my mind. In a way, I had.

"I love you, Christian."

Rogue (Robyn)

"Don't you dare touch him!" I whispered toward Rusty.

"Shut up Robyn, if you know what's good for you." With that he slapped me, a hard vibating slap that make me see two, that made tears come to my eyes and my cheek split open, a large cut on my cheek, blood didn't pour out. then, Rusty left. I crawled over to where Dent was and pulled him into my arms, where I held him, I held him tightly. We were all scared... I saw Sai glare at Rusty as he walked out of the tent.

"How did we ever get into this damn mess?" Dent said.

"Dent! Watch you're language!" I gasped.

"Why should I?! Rusty saw what happened to Cowboy, and he doesn't give a damn! He doesn't care Robi! I don't understand why we have to go through all this shit!" He yelled.

Tears came to my eyes, but didn't spill over. "Maybe he'll change his mind." I tried, yeah right I was just in shock.

"HE'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE HIS DAMN MIND ROBYN!!!! COWBOY'S DEAD!!! HE'S NOT COMING BACK AND WE HAVE NO DAMN HOPE!!!!!" Dent yelled at me.

I whimpered and then.... burst out crying....

Dent sighed and buried his head in her shoulder, hugging her tightly. Why did he keep doing this to her? She was pure as gold to him. An older sister, just as Cowboy was an older brother. "I'm sorry," he whispered, again. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, please, don't cry..." He felt his own tears trickle down his cheeks.

Ropgue (Robyn)

"Why the hell didn't he just fight back....." I sobbed, now I was the one who should have watched my laungage, I'd never cussed before and it hurt. I held Dent. "I'm so scared..." I sobbed.

Dent closed his eyes. He was terrified, himself, but he wouldn't admit it. Not to anyone. He looked at Jewel, sobbing over Cowboy; Chase and Lark behind her, silently crying; Kaiya, who hadn't even known Cowboy, also feeling his loss.

"We all are," he whispered, suprising himself. "All of us are scared. But we'll pull through this...we always do, don't we?"

~Jewel~

I heard heavy footfalls above my head. It was Robyn.

"Jewel, honey, you've gotta get off him." Her voice was to strained to comfort me.

I sucked in a shaky breath. "Robyn... I know who killed him."

Dent sighed and stood, limping over to where Cowboy lay resting. The cot had fallen on his ankle, and it hurt.

"Jewel," he said quietly. "You're in shock. None of us could possibly know who did this to him. They're long gone, now."

Rogue (Robyn)

"It's my fault... I should have been here with him." Jewel sobbed.

That made me angry and it hurt me too, I grabbed Jewel's face with my hands and cupped her face. "How could you think that? No it's wasn't your fault."

"But-" She studdered.

"NO!" I yelled. I closed my eyes, and I pulled her into my arms.

"He was everything to me... I want him back....." She sobbed.

"I know darling I know." Jewel was like my sister, hell they were all family.

"Why did he have to go? Why did they take him?" She cried.

"They're going to pay I swear to you." I said, as I cried with her... and everyone else.

Dent shook his head and stood back. They were deluding themselves. The murderer was gone, and there was no way of tracking him. If there was a way, Dent would be on his trail with a vengence. But there wasn't. Cowboy was gone, finally escaped the Circus. And he wouldn't be looking after them anymore. They had to look out for themselves. And each other.

Fighting back tears, Dent picked up the board where he had dropped it and set out to do what he had meant to do.

Kaiya

She stared at the chaos. Kaiya never knew this person, but he must have been special, everyone, everyone was grieving. She saw Rusty had walked away. Kaiya ran to Rusty.

"Rusty!"

"What?" He turned, shouting at her.

"About cowboy-" Rusty interrupted.

"I don't care!" Rusty turned and started walking away again. Kaiya frowned, and walked back. She approached Dent.

"Are...you okay?" She asked.


*Rawr*

Lark

I wandered a bit on my own and finally sat on the ground, to heart-broken to go any farther. If only I had read his fortune, I thought. If only I did, I could've told them all and stopped it. It's more my fault then anyone's. I traced the outline of Cowboy's hat in the dirt with my finger. I smiled grimly as I traced a large heart around it and wrote:

'In memory of our Cowboy,
Beloved member of our circus,
Great friend and like a brother to all.
May it be known that he shall forever be missed.
We love you Christian Neyland.'

I now let the tears stream down my face, still avoiding to let them land on the delicate art. I tried to sing but only strangled gargles came out.

"Hey everyone, come here. I want you all to read this and sign this," I choked out.