The Circus

Rogue (Robyn)

"You could have died! What's wrong with you two?" I asked coughing. "I was meant to die in there." I said.

"Those fumes really must have goten to your head." Chase said.

"You don't understand..." I said. "You two screwed up... big time." I said.

Adeline looked at me as if I were insane. "What do you mean?"

"A couple of days ago, I had a vision, I knew where I was. I was bleeding. There was alot of pain, and no one was around. I was suffocating in my own vision, then I died." I said. "That's why I punched the mirror and you saw bleeding Adeline."

"Oh my God." Chase said, he looked like he was going to throw up.

"Yes... You messed with my fate, you saved me when you shouldn't have." I said.

"What's going to happen?" Adeline asked.

"I don't know honey, but I'd be worried if I were you." I said.......

Dent stood up, and one of the lionesses lifted her head and loped over to him. Her muzzle was bloody, and a shred of red silk hung from her lips. Dent felt he was going to be sick.

But the animal bounded up to him and nuzzled him like a dog, leaving a long streak of red on his pantleg. Dent swallowed the bile and gingerly patted her head. She tried to look up to press her nose under his hand, but he pulled away quick enough.

"Over here!" Kaiya shouted.

Dent left the lioness and ran over to the tent she indicated. Rusty's old tent, he noted, still smoldering and smoky. Chase and Adeline was dragging a limp body between them, and Dent's heart leaped to his throat. Not her...

He rushed to them as they carefully laid her down on the ground. She was half-concious, but alive and well. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

Then he noticed her mouth was bleeding, one eye was blacked, a purple bruise blossoming across one cheek, the cuts and wounds on her arms, her clothes torn to reveal more serious wounds...

This should be me... he felt a pang of guilt. He should've never let her go in his place.

He knelt beside her. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

Rogue (Robyn)

For a moment I stared at Chase and Adeline. I sent a strong message through their minds.

"Just.... don't tell anyone.... ok? Just between us three. Ok?" I whispered through Chase and Adeline minds.

They both nodded. When Dent asked.

"Are you ok?"

I nodded.

"That should be me." He looked guilty.

I grasped his chin tightly, "No." I whispered.

"But-" He tried.

"NO!" I yelled at him. "I don't ever want to hear you say that ever again. Understand?" I said. My grasp was tight on his chin.

He nodded.

I let go. "Good." I said finally.

***Just to let you guys know, I'll be gone for a week. Dent is up for a community character. Anyone can use him however you want, just so long as he's not killed. He's totally there to be used. Try to keep the story alive while I'm gone....***

Dent clenched his teeth and looked away. He was tired of being considered weak, a child that needed protection. Rogue was not his mother.

And she was wrong. It should've been him. He knew the risks of taking a shot at Rusty, and he had been willing to take them.

He stood up. "Never again, though," He insisted. "Never. I can take whatever comes to me, and I don't need you of all people getting in the way." Then he headed in the general direction of where their tents once stood. "I'm looking for Jewel."

*Hey, is Rusty alive or dead? It just seemed a bit uncertain.*

Chase

I stood, trying to stop myself from shaking. Apparently Adeline was in the same state as me - Rogue's news had rattled us. I waited until Dent had gone before taking a deep breath, relishing the cool night air, the relief from the smoke. Then I looked over at Rogue, "We wouldn't have left you anyway. Messing with fate or not, I don't think Adeline or I could live with ourselves if we let you die."

Rogue started to say something before Adeline cut her off, "We can deal with it, Rogue. After all," she continued, turning to look over at me, "We've dealt with some pretty bad stuff in our times."

Rogue shook her head, "I dunno...this could get pretty bad."

***yes I think Rusty is dead****

Rogue (Robyn)

I looked down, I knew Dent was right. But we still had to watch over each other.

"It couldn't be THAT bad." Chase said.

"Oh you'd be suprised." I said. "I think... That, maybe, we should just stay away from each other. I'm mean I know we're all really close, and everthing is just getting harder, but if I am right... And fate DOES come to attack, it will attack all of us if we're together." I said.

"What you mean like split up?" Adeline choked.

"For now." I said.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" She said. "All the bad things happen when people say 'oh yeah, lets split up!'" Adeline's eyebrows clashed together.

Adeline~

I was freaking out. I didn't want to be alone worrying about them and waiting for fate to find me. My whole body was convulsing with fear.
"Calm down Adeline." Rogue said. Chase put a hand on my shoulder.
"I can't! It's scary." I said, looking out at the dying flames. I watched one go out. Like life. That's what it would be like if I died. I thought. Like a flame going out slowly.

Dent stepped into Jewel's old tent. It was only smoldering; the others had left it alone...

"Jewel?" He said quietly, stepping into the dark tent. He could hardly see anything in the gloom. "Jewel?"

There wasn't an answer. Dent caught sight of a form on Jewel's cot. Was she asleep, then?

Through all of that?!

A sudden chill ran through his back. "Jewel!" He said with some desparation, rushing to ehr side. "Jewel, Jewel, please wake up!"

He gave ehr shoulder a rough shake, and he noticed she was tied down to the cot. Oh, no....

An open wound on her chest was still bleeding a little bit. Dent staggered back.

Rogue (Robyn)

"Adeline, it will be alright ok?" I said looking at her with sadness in my eyes.

"What did you get a vision about that too?" She snorted.

I glared.

Kaiya

She began searching the tents for Dent. They were dark, she couldn't find him. Kaiya came to one tent, and She saw someone,

"Dent?"

Dent whirled on Kaiya, eyes wild. "No," he whispered. "no, no, no, no....." He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Cowboy, then Jewel.....who would be next?

He took a deep breath and covered his eyes with his hand.

Rogue (Robyn)

I put a hand to my head, someone was worried. There was a pang in someones chest, there was pain, fear, what was wrong?

"What's wrong?" I whispered into my mind.

Kaiya


She looked farther in, what was wrong? Kaiya saw the bloody body. The body was tied down, blood all over. Everything went black.

Dent sighed as Kaiya fainted on the ground. He wanted to help her...

He stumbled against the taut canvas, and his vision was edged with black. but he didn't let it come near him. Not now, not here.

"Jewel..." he whispered.

Then, in one sudden burst, all the frustration from everywhere, from being precieved as weak, falling from the beam, killing Rusty, missing Rusty, letting Rogue take the blame, everything--It all tore out of him. He fell to the ground, screaming in anger. He was tired of it all.....

Chase

I could see Rogue starting to lapse back into one of her visions, and turned back to Adeline, "I know it seems stupid, but Rogue has...I dunno, I guess she has more experience with these kind of things than either of us do. Maybe it would be a good idea to split up."

Her eyes went wide, "Are you insane? What if fate still comes for us, like she said? How could we do anything if we were split up?"

I hugged her, "Alright, it was just a suggestion. Rogue can do what she wants as far as I'm concerned, but if you don't want to split up, I won't leave you. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all."