Chapter Four: Welcome To The Freakshow
~BlackRoseRaven

Sally sighed softly as she splashed a bit of water over her face, then she looked moodily down into the little creek that was burbling happily away here, at one side of the glade they had set up camp in: there was just enough light from the campfire in the distance to tinge her reflection faintly red, while the ghostly glow of the stars and moon above left everything else painted a solemn blue.

Solemn. She'd kill for solemnity right now: it would be a hell of a lot better than this tenseness. She felt like she was sitting on a powderkeg, just waiting for it to rupture and explode and ruin any chance of this weird little group ever working properly together.

It certainly wouldn't take much at this point, after all: they hadn't really talked so much as sworn at and insulted each other, and while Datura seemed to have some vague smidgen of respect for her, he and Splinthoof already hated each other. Angel was pleasant to everyone, but as a Figment, her emotions seemed... different, more muted, more controlled than theirs, and Sally thought it was pretty clear that no matter what happened, she was going to end up doing whatever her 'master' told her to. Which was creepy in a different way, but Sally felt like so many creepy and weird things had already happened she was really starting to move past the point of caring.

They had at least worked out their plan: Datura had some obligation with some friends, he said, although he wasn't telling them precisely what it was. Sally was pretty sure he was keeping it secret not to build dramatic tension or because he was embarrassed or anything like that, but purely because he seemed to know how much it pissed her and Splinthoof off.

Well, fine, let him act like a child. And Splinty could go off and sulk in the woods, and Angel could... do whatever it was she did. Sally honestly didn't want to think about it. And she would... she would continue to fight to live up to the promise she had made Princess Celestia, and do what would make Daddy and Momma proud of her, and... and...

Sally sighed softly, shaking her head and trying not to think about that. They were both... too fresh, for different reasons, and the Pegasus Avatar bit her lip before she closed her eyes and reached up to silently touch her breast, murmuring: “Okay. Just... one thing at a time, Sally. And for now, you can just go and get some sleep and put all your troubles away until tomorrow.”

She shook herself out, then turned and headed back towards their little campsite. Splinthoof had set up a tent, but Angel was simply curled up in the grasses, a musty blanket over her and a smile on her face, while Datura had taken his bags and skull mask off and put them aside, the unicorn scowling moodily into the flames before he looked up as Sally hesitantly approached.

She sat down beside him, and they looked at each other for a few moments before the mare asked quietly: “If you didn't create Angel... why are you her 'master?' And you know, for a slave... she seems to pull your strings a lot.”

“The submissive controls the agenda. That's basic psychology right there.” muttered Datura, and Sally only gave him an amused look before the scarred pony shrugged and looked into the flames grumpily. “Why do you have to keep asking me questions, when you know I'm not going to give you any answers?”

“I can hope that one day you will. And sometimes you say things that are pretty damn close.” Sally shrugged a bit, following his gaze into the flames before she bit her lip, then sighed and lowered her head. “Look. You scare me. You scare Splinthoof, too. But I know there's more than one reason why the princess sent us to find you and I want to believe that there's something more to you then... who you present yourself as.”

Datura looked moodily over at the mare, and then he gave her a distasteful smile, asking wryly: “Is this the part where I break down and cry and expose my feelings and I turn back into the prince from the beast that I am?”

“No, this is the part where you stop acting like such an asshole and give me a straight answer for once.” Sally retorted, and Datura blinked at her... then laughed.

It was a short, sharp sound, but it was still a laugh, and Sally was surprised by it... and by how much it lifted her spirits as the unicorn muttered: “Amazing. But at least you have a bit of backbone.”

Sally shrugged a bit, and then the two looked at each other for a few moments before Sally gave a brief smile, reaching up and rubbing her stomach as she said finally: “So... there's going to be food where we're going, right?”

“Lots of food. None of it healthy.” Datura shrugged, and Sally smiled a little wider before the unicorn looked into the fire and asked: “If God exists...”

Sally scowled, not liking where this was going and expecting the usual question she always heard from argumentative atheists... and thus found herself very surprised when the unicorn asked quietly: “If God exists, does He love us all equally?”

“I... I think so.” Sally stopped, then looked down, biting her lip before she said quietly: “It's... it hurts sometimes, believing in something bigger than you, only to see people you love snatched away. It's hard to believe in Heaven all the time when our world... bad people get rewarded, good people get hurt, stuff... stuff just doesn't seem right or fair, for anyone. People either get too much or too little.

“But we can't blame Him for giving us all a chance, right? He's trying to love us all, and if Heaven exists, then... good people have to be rewarded, right?”

“Then what about Hell? Does Hell exist?” Datura asked, and Sally looked at him uncomfortably before the unicorn looked away, saying softly: “I hope Hell exists. And I hope that your god is as loving as you believe he is.”

Sally shifted nervously, asking uneasily: “Because... what? You think that otherwise, we're just... the playthings of some kind of... kid on a power trip?”

“You said it, not me.” Datura said dryly... and then, to her surprise, he shook his head before replying quietly: “Because if Hell exists, but God is loving, then Hell cannot be a place of eternal torment. Hell instead has to be... a place where broken people, bad people... are made better. Fixed.”

Datura looked silently down at one of his own hooves, flexing it slowly before he murmured softly: “Otherwise, Hell is a place to throw everyone who doesn't agree with you... and Heaven is nothing but another clubhouse for the self-proclaimed elite...”

Sally was quiet as Datura simply looked into the flames for the longest time, and then the mare bit her lip and looked down, shifting back and forth silently before she asked awkwardly: “So you were... uh... you were a big fan of My Little Pony, huh?”

“Yes, that's a great conversation starter.” Datura said sourly, and then he sighed a little before sitting back... but he seemed to study her for a few moments before asking: “And you honestly had never heard of the show, the fanbase, even the toys before this?”

“Well, yeah, I mean... I probably had a few of the old toys. It's been around for a while, hasn't it? All this stuff is based around the new generation or something, right?”

Datura nodded, giving a brief smile before he looked into the flames, then his eyes flicked towards her and studied her before he said softly: “You react very naturally. I imagine that you would react to pain, and pleasure, with the same naturalness as any normal pony... other Avatars tend to move like they did in life, when their bodies are shocked. They try to stand up tall, they try to bring up what are no longer arms and end up falling on their faces, they forget they're supposed to be... prey animals. And when they try to run, it's always a little too late.”

He smiled at her, his teeth glinting as he studied her for a few moments, and Sally shivered a bit: there was a fascination in his eyes, and more than a hint of madness. There was a sense that she was speaking both to Datura... and to Datura, the palpable, almost sentient malice she could feel emanating from the Avatar.

She did her best not to show fear, keeping her head high, staring him down like she'd stare down an animal... and to her great relief, it actually seemed to work. Datura calmed, looking back towards the flames as if he didn't even realize what had just transpired... and she was left wondering silently if there had been other reasons for this stallion to choose a place so far away from civilization, apart from the fact that he claimed he liked being alone.

There was silence between them as the mare shifted uneasily back and forth, and then she asked quietly: “What does your name mean? Datura...”

The unicorn looked over at her for a moment, and then he glanced away before saying gruffly: “It's a poisonous plant.”

She had the feeling that definitely wasn't the entire story, but she didn't press. Instead, she simply sat and waited, feeling like if she was patient enough... “Are you going to choose a name for yourself? Or are you just going to stick with 'Sally?'”

“Sally's my name. It's a nice enough name, I think.” the Pegasus Avatar replied with a shrug, and Datura looked at her with entertainment before he turned his eyes back to the fire.

She wanted to ask him more questions, to find out more about him, to see if she could goad him into another actual conversation... but instead, she forced herself to just take a breath before she said quietly: “I don't think you have to stay up all night and keep watch or anything. I know Splinthoof was worried but... these woods seem pretty safe.”

“Considering the fact I've lived here for around eighty, ninety years, I think you probably shouldn't be lecturing me about my forest.” Datura said dryly, and Sally gave him a flat look before the unicorn shook his head. “And it's not the woods or the beasts I'm worried about, anyway. This might come as a surprise to you, but not all Avatars are very nice.”

“I never would have guessed.” Sally muttered, but all the same she shifted uneasily as she sat beside the unicorn, asking hesitantly: “But... if this is like paradise to a lot of them, then why...”

“Because for some people, you can't have paradise without a little bloodshed.” Datura said moodily, and then the unicorn shook his head before he muttered: “You get your narcissists, and your egotists, and your stupid kids all together in one pot, and then you tell them all: 'you can do anything you want here without consequence: if anyone dies, they just get thrown out of this magical dream world.' So what do you think is going to happen?”

Sally shivered, leaning back and hating that the first thing that came to mind was... “They kill for fun. They kill for sport. They kill ponies because the ponies will eventually be reborn, and they kill Figments because the Figments 'aren't real,' and they kill each other because it's just a game to them, and there's no consequences for their actions. Too many Avatars came in, too fast, with widely-varied powers. They couldn't be policed efficiently, and they set up their own... worlds, really. As faith and belief and desire compounded, parts of this once-great nation warped: if you keep heading west, you'll eventually hit an apocalyptic waste-zone that's all desert and monsters and technology, for example. There's other pockets and miniature worlds all over Equestria... not to mention all the brothels, dungeons, weapon shops and everything else.

“We are a poison.” Datura said calmly, sitting back and smiling bitterly down into the flames. “In our defense, I don't think all of the Avatars ever meant to be... I don't even think most of them meant to hurt this world. And it's not entirely our fault: Celestia asked for too much, too fast. She thought she could control what was going on, but... she slipped. We all slipped...”

He fell silent, then shook his head slowly before murmuring: “This world was powered by friendship, once. It was harmonious: now most of Equestria is in chaos. For the last ninety years, it's all been peeling apart, little-by-little...”

He shook his head moodily, then his eyes flicked up as he said quietly: “Once this was an innocent world, Sally. Now, in our brave new world, if you see an Avatar out here in the wild, I dearly hope you're prepared to kill them. Because I'm certain they'll be more than happy to kill you... if you're lucky, that is.”

Sally stared disbelievingly at the stallion, and then she shook her head quickly before whispering: “N-No. There's... there's more solutions than violence, and people... people aren't bad, Datura. Why would you think...”

“I didn't say that people were bad. I used to think people were bad, but it's not that: it's that people are selfish, and childish.” Datura replied moodily, and then he stood up and strode over to her, the mare looking nervously up before her eyes bulged in shock as he slammed a hoof into her stomach.

She whimpered weakly, gasping for air and clutching at his shoulder with one hoof, the scarred stallion saying coldly: “Why should I feel bad when this isn't your real body? Why should I keep my hooves to myself? Why shouldn't I just throw you down and do whatever I want to you? There's no rules here. God isn't watching here. I don't have to live with the guilt of having taken someone's life away when everyone knows this is just a dream, a game. There's no 'real' consequences... it's just like an internet forum. And not even trolls, but little power-hungry children who have just discovered the magical world of porn are the ones running it.”

Datura shoved her backwards to the ground, and Sally gasped as she hugged herself, wiggling away from him as she stared up at him with shock and betrayal. Datura only grinned at her, his eyes gleaming dangerously as he stepped forwards... then looked up at a shout.

A moment later, Splinthoof leapt into the campsite and landed at Sally's side, snarling at the stallion as his horn glowed. “Stop right there! Back off, you monster!”

“Monster? You haven't seen me be a monster yet.” Datura said distastefully, and then he smiled thinly. “I didn't hurt her, kiddo. I just... gave her something to think about.”

Sally shivered, still gasping for air as she clutched her stomach, and then she gritted her teeth and slowly forced herself to sit up. He had hit her hard, but precisely: there was little pain, but her head was swimming with nausea and he'd knocked the wind out of her.

It made her angry as hell, though, the mare shivering and steadying herself with a last, whooping breath before she glared across at the mocking, scarred unicorn. “You... you asshole!”

Datura simply shrugged, looking at her mildly... and then Sally stepped forwards and slammed a hoof into his chest, and the scarred stallion stumbled backwards in surprise, before swearing and raising his forelegs to protect himself as Sally flailed at him angrily with her small, sharp hooves, hailing surprisingly strong blows against the emaciated stallion as she shouted: “Look, you say whatever the hell you want, but you keep your damn hooves to your own damn self! You think you're so hot, so smart, but you're nothin' but an asshole child like... like everyone you claim to hate! Maybe the problem isn't us, Datura, it's you!”

Splinthoof was simply staring, and Angel had woken up to watch with a strange fascination as Sally pounded away at Datura before the scarred unicorn swore and finally grabbed the flailing Avatar's forelegs. She yanked herself back and forth, and he cursed in surprise at how strong she was before Sally suddenly flung herself to the side, likely meaning to tear free... and instead dragging both herself and Datura down to the ground with a loud flump.

She kicked at him several times with her rear hooves, and Datura growled as he shoved her away and tried to roll backwards... only for Sally to leap onto his back, grabbing the back of his head and pinning him face-first into the ground as his eyes bulged in surprise. He flailed a bit beneath her, but she had all her weight on the center of his back and his skull and he wasn't able to buck her off.

“One of my brothers taught me this. What do you think?” asked Sally grouchily, and Datura growled uselessly up at her as he kicked his hind legs out.

Finally, the scarred unicorn slumped moodily, glowering off into the distance before Sally climbed off him and glared down at him, saying shortly: “I don't believe that everyone is me, Datura. Maybe you should try and look at the world around you instead of just the one that's inside your own damn head, huh?”

“Bossy, bossy, bossy.” Datura muttered as he climbed up to his hooves, and then he looked moodily for a few moments at the mare before he shook his head in distaste, saying icily: “I hope for your sake that you're right, Sally. But I'm a product of this world, don't forget: you're the stranger here. And I'm sure your good friend here knows precisely what I'm talking about when I say that Avatars can be dangerous.”

He tilted his head, his broken eye glaring balefully at Splinthoof, and the Royal Guard grimaced and looked away as Sally frowned. But before things could break down any further, Angel sat up and said softly: “Datura, please. If you need an outlet, that is why I exist.”

Datura grumbled under his breath, and then he nodded shortly, sighing a little as he looked over at the Figment grouchily. “Not in front of Sally, dear. She finds us disgusting.”

“She does not. If she is afraid, it is because she does not understand; if she does not understand, it is because we have not explained.” Angel replied pleasantly, smiling softly before she shook her head and looked kindly between Sally and Splinthoof. “Perhaps we should all stop provoking one-another. Perhaps, instead, let us try and find a way to work together.”

“Enough, Angel.” Datura said moodily, and the Figment lowered her head politely before the scarred stallion sighed tiredly, one of his hooves clicking apart into claws so he could rub grouchily at his face. “I suggest you two sleep for a few hours. You're going to want to wake up nice and early, because otherwise I'll leave you here to find your own way to where Angel and I have gone.”

Splinthoof glared at the scarred stallion, and then he growled: “And why shouldn't I just take you into custody and drag you back to Canterlot?”

“Would you like to try it?” Datura asked in a low voice, his eyes gleaming dangerously as his broken iris seemed to pulse and twist.

“Maybe I will. You don't even seem to do that well against the mares you sucker punch, after all.” growled Splinthoof, stepping forwards aggressively and glaring angrily up at the scarred unicorn.

Sally bit her lip, a tremble of both anger and a strange feeling of insult running through her... then suddenly rose her head and said shortly: “I don't need you fighting my battles for me, Splinthoof. And Datura, I don't need you provoking everyone. Back off.”

Datura looked at her moodily, and then he rolled his eyes but thankfully stepped back, while the other unicorn seemed a little hurt as he looked at her uncomfortably. “I... Sally, hey. This Avatar, he's a psychopath. I just want to protect you.”

“I can protect myself.” Sally quieted a little, then repeated in a softer voice: “I appreciate it, but I can protect myself. And Datura is...”

She looked up, but Datura was already walking away, Angel following in his wake with a dreamy smile on her face, and Sally sighed as she realized this was... useless for now. Instead, she only shook her head before muttering: “I'm just going to go to bed, I guess. Do you mind if I stay in the tent with you, Splinthoof?”

“What? Of course not.” Splinthoof smiled at her, blushing maybe the smallest bit before he cleared his throat and gestured at it. “Bedrolls are already in there, anyway, I... wasn't sure if you wanted privacy or not, Sally. I'm going to... I'm going to stay up for a little while longer, though, out here by the fire.”

“Okay. Just... be ready in the morning.” Sally hesitated, then she reached up and gently grasped his shoulder, smiling at him faintly. “And I really do appreciate it, but I'm a big girl, and like it or not... Datura... he has a point.”

Sally didn't entirely know what point that was, but Datura had shaken her... and made it very clear that even if what happened to this body 'didn't matter,' she could still certainly feel pain and discomfort as much as anything else. And she wondered silently if Avatars maintained their memories when they returned to their world... because if they did, she didn't want to think of how many of them must be hurting and terrified right now, suffering very real consequences for the actions they had taken in this dream world... and more, the actions that had been taken against them...

She shivered and shook her head quickly, then turned with a sigh towards the tent. No, for now, she was just going to sleep, and forget everything that had happened today. In the morning, hopefully everything would be easier.

Sally awoke after a dreamless sleep, but she felt... better. Rested, at least. And Splinthoof was snoring quietly into his pillow on the other side of the tent, one of his hind legs kicking lightly and making her smile in amusement.

The mare let herself out of the tent... and was somehow unsurprised to see Datura was by dying fire, poking at it with a stick held in one claw. She looked uneasily at him, then took a breath before approaching, sitting herself beside him and studying him silently.

He looked over at her, then gestured towards Angel, who was wrapped in a blanket... but now, there were several large, gleaming red marks over her body, and Sally shivered a little before Datura asked softly: “Here's a shade of gray for you: if someone asks to be beaten, if they truly take pleasure in that pain... is it wrong to give it to them?”

Sally looked silently at Angel, then her eyes flicked towards Datura, saying quietly: “I don't understand you, and I sure as hell don't understand her. But even if you won't admit it... you care about her. I think you're dangerous, and I don't agree with... pretty much anything you've done so far. But you care about her. So I'm going to... to wait, and reserve judgment.”

Datura smiled briefly, and then he looked quietly down into the flames, poking through them before he murmured: “We all say that we would leap to the aid of some poor girl being beaten by her boyfriend. But how many of us really would? We're all scared of being hurt. We forget, easily, that the kinds of people who beat their loved ones are often cowards, and it's not the physical power they hold that's a real threat: it's the mental power.

“You hear a man, yelling at his wife or his kids. Drunk, or crazy, threatening them ruthlessly. You hear a woman, throwing things and screaming profanity. You hear the sounds of crying and the sounds of hard smacks through the wall. What do you do?” Datura looked bitterly down into the flames, before he whispered: “The answer is nothing. Because you don't want to get involved. Because... someone else will take care of it. Because, hey, you can't help. Because you still have to live with them as your neighbors. When the rent agreement is up, then hey, maybe you'll do something. Because of a thousand reasons that all come down to cowardice, and fear for yourself. Self-preservation is the strongest emotion.”

Sally studied Datura quietly, and then she asked him softly: “What kind of world did you grow up in, to believe all that? My Daddy... he taught me to always stand up for myself and for others. That's... that's why I'm here.”

Datura looked at her moodily, and Sally smiled faintly, shrugging slowly. “Maybe, yeah, there's some selfishness, some worries for my... for the people I care about driving me, too. But every time I've done something stupid or selfish, I keep thinking back of Daddy... and Momma. They taught me right from wrong and... the world is only a bad place if you let it be a bad place. If you help other people... if you give 'em a reason to believe in good... then they're gonna believe in good.”

Datura chuckled quietly at this, and then he shook his head slowly before murmuring: “I hate people who have good families.”

Sally shrugged a bit at this, and the two studied each other silently before Datura closed his normal eye to study her with his broken one. It still made Sally shiver a bit, but it didn't bother her quite as much as before, as she asked hesitantly: “You never told me...”

“This eye is the result of a spell backfire. It sees... colors, blurs, and auras now, and ghosts.” Datura replied casually, and Sally's eyes widened slightly at this.

“Ghosts?” She looked nervously back and forth, reaching up and touching her own chest as her heart thudded fearfully. “What do you mean, ghosts?”

“I mean ghosts. Both in the literal sense, as well as... emotional imprints.” Datura said softly, and then he smiled dryly as he gestured calmly outwards. “Is it so hard to believe in a world like this one that spirits and the undead exist? I think they were here even before we Avatars were, Sally. I think... ghosts exist everywhere, one way or another. I've met more than my share of haunted people, after all... haven't you?”

“We all have our demons, I guess...” muttered Sally, and then she looked uncertainly up at the stallion and into that scar-white, spiderwebbing iris, biting her lip before she asked in spite of herself: “What do you see when you look at me?”

Datura was only silent, and then he shrugged before turning his attention back to the fire, saying calmly: “I'm glad you're awake. We have an hour or so, and I would recommend making sure you're ready for the day. We're going to see a lot of strange things, and I would like you to do your best to keep your little guard dog at bay.”

“He's not a guard dog. He's just trying to make sure we all get back to Canterlot in one piece.” Sally replied grumpily, and then she looked uneasily over the stallion before asking moodily: “What could be worse than you, anyway?”

Datura smiled slightly, leaning down and replying easily: “I didn't say they'd be worse than me, little Sally. I'm just saying that you're about to step into a very different world than you might be used to. Really, I should thank you for dragging me out of that dark little hovel I live in: I'll be able to surprise my friends with a visit now.”

“I thought you didn't have any friends.” Sally said dryly, and Datura gave her a cranky look before the mare said pointedly: “You can't have it both ways.”

“In this world, you can.” Datura grumbled in response, and then he shook his head shortly before he sighed and tossed the stick he had been using to poke the fire with into the dying embers, his claw closing tightly into a hoof-like shape.

Sally looked uncomfortably at this, studying it a little too obviously, and Datura looked at her mildly for a moment before he reached his claw up to easily grasp her by the end of the muzzle as it clicked back apart, saying distastefully: “Just ask.”

The Pegasus Avatar wrinkled up her snout, then she sneezed in reflex, Datura scowling and drawing his claw away as he flicked it distastefully several times, glowering at the mare as she rubbed at her snout before asking sourly: “And will you give me an actual answer?”

Datura shrugged, and Sally sighed and decided it was probably better not to get sucked into this game again, instead drawing her eyes over the emaciated unicorn: he was so... different from every Avatar she'd seen so far. But then again, that was her acting like she'd actually met more than a few Avatars, when in reality...

She bit her lip, then looked back at her own hip: still blank. And that was starting to feel weird, considering the fact that every other pony had that weird 'cutie mark' thing going on, even Datura... “So you... you said something about how Avatars...”

Datura wasn't paying attention to her, though, and at first Sally scowled... before her frown became more uneasy as she realized his attention seemed to have focused elsewhere, and he was muttering under his breath, as if he was arguing with someone else. Someone who wasn't there...

Sally shifted nervously backwards, watching silently as Datura absently began to flex and loosen his claw, sealing the digits together before popping them apart as he muttered: “No, I... that's not true, I am...”

His eyes closed... and then Datura shook himself quickly out before he looked suddenly back at Sally, asking waspishly: “What?”

“Nothing, I... nothing.” Sally said uncomfortably, leaning back and looking nervously up at the stallion before she looked awkwardly up towards the sky: the sun was just starting to rise, and color was slowly spilling through the air above, the mare mumbling: “Well, at least it seems like it'll be a nice day...”

“It's always a nice day in Equestria. Pegasi control the weather.” Datura replied moodily, and the mare blinked in surprise at this, the unicorn looking at her distastefully for a few moments... but then he only gave a dry smile as he said wryly: “Right. I keep forgetting. You don't know a thing about Equestria. Well, at least you're still cute.”

“Ha ha.” Sally grumbled, looking crankily at the stallion before she looked up at the sky, asking slowly: “Why do they control the weather? I mean... it seems like this world is... I don't know, almost like it needs someone to constantly take care of it...”

“I think nature always finds a way, even in a world like this. I think the problem is these ponies like being in charge, like having everything their way.” Datura replied with a shrug, looking meditatively at the mare before he calmly gestured up at the sun. “Celestia raises the sun, and Luna moves the moon. They both supposedly affect this entire world on a cosmic scale. And yet for all their power, they're naive. Helpless to control the Avatars. Victims of their own weakness and hubris.”

Sally frowned a little at the stallion, studying him intently before she asked disbelievingly: “How can... how can they be powerful enough to do things like that and yet... and how many princesses are there?”

“Luna, Celestia, Cadence... sometimes Twilight, depending on the cycle. The princesses are very popular; so are the mane six, so to speak, and I hope you can hear the pun in that name.” Datura said dryly, then he reached up and absently flicked Sally's mane a few times, making her grimace before she slapped his hoof away grumpily. “Get it?”

“I got it.” she grumbled, and then she shook her head before biting her lip, looking up at the sky again before she shook her head and muttered: “Next you're going to tell me the ponies change the seasons, too. But I guess even that isn't as crazy as... choosing when day begins and ends.”

Datura only smiled wryly, and then he shook his head before returning his eyes to the fire, saying calmly: “Ponies are a lot of things, Sally. Just because Avatars are dangerous and unpredictable, don't be fooled into thinking all the ponies are nice and pleasant, too. The Avatars haven't just changed their world... our presence has changed the ponies themselves, too.”

Sally looked uncomfortably at Datura, then watched as he turned away, striding over to Angel. He gently grasped the Figment's shoulder and shook her awake, and the ivory mare shifted before yawning and opening her eyes, looking up at the stallion with warmth as Datura looked down at her with affection... and sadness.

The Pegasus Avatar couldn't help but study the two in silence, even if she knew it wasn't exactly the most polite thing in the world to do. But there was something both... both wonderful and sad about the way the two interacted: she questioned a lot of things about Datura, but she did believe he had a deep affection for this Figment, whether or not she was really... real.

Angel glanced towards her, then smiled knowingly, and Sally blushed a bit before hurriedly turning her eyes away. Thankfully, only a few minutes later Splinthoof woke up, and they went through the process of quickly pulling down the campsite, working in two clear pairs: Datura and Angel on one side of the camp, Splinthoof and Sally the other.

It only took them ten minutes to clean camp, although Datura had thrown on his mask and satchels and was impatiently tapping a hoof after only five, clearly wanting to be on their way. Sally sensed a kind of nervous energy about the stallion: she wondered curiously exactly why he was so excited, but decided it would probably be better just to wait and see for herself.

Datura led them quickly through the woods, Splinthoof scowling and Sally feeling more and more curious. The scarred unicorn almost had a bounce in his step now as they pushed their way through trees and forest, the stallion's visible eye gleaming and an eager grin on his face. He seemed to be moving almost completely on autopilot, pushing through bushes and branches instead of walking around them as he headed straight for... well, Sally didn't know, although she was starting to get a little bit excited herself.

Sure, she was following a rather-monstrous, possibly-psychopathic not-quite-pony to some unknown destination he clearly enjoyed. But all the same, she couldn't help but feel like she was going to like what was coming, somehow. But she had always loved the unexpected, and surprises, and-

And Sally's eyes widened in amazement as they suddenly pushed through a wall of bushes to emerge into a field, and she found herself staring at what could only be one thing: “A circus!”

Datura laughed at this, shaking his head before he grinned over at her, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Well, yes and no, although that is what we freaks call it. Come on, it looks like they're already setting up. I'll introduce you to everyone.”

Sally's eyes gleamed with warmth and amazement as she nodded rapidly to Datura, before turning her eyes towards the carriages being pushed and pulled into rows, the stalls being quickly set up, the enormous, dirty red and white tents that were slowly rising high into the air. Of all the things she'd imagined, she had never pictured this...

Splinthoof was only frowning, following at a slower pace as his eyes narrowed: Sally was all-but-hopping after Datura as he trotted past a large pile of bags and several carriages, but a poster pasted on the side of one of the large, somehow-ominous carriages caught his eye, the stallion approaching hesitantly... before his eyes widened in shock, going pale before he swore loudly and immediately shot towards Sally-

His legs tangled in one of the bags, and he tripped and rolled painfully, the plasticky bag tearing open as the stallion rolled several times... then gasped in horror and flung himself backwards as heads, pony heads, fell out of the sack, one of them landing with a sick squelch on its face. He tried to call out in terror as he scrambled backwards, kicking the straps and torn bag loose from his body, and then he threw himself to his hooves before charging straight for Sally, terror surging through his system as his heart pounded in his chest and he saw that oh no, oh no, that bastard Datura was leading her right into a trap, right towards a cluster of these fairytale freaks, these monsters he'd only ever heard rumors of...

“Sally! Look out!” Splinthoof shouted, and Sally looked over his shoulder at him in surprise. Datura began to turn as well, his eye gleaming darkly beneath his skull mask, and the monsters Sally was unwittingly walking right towards all shifted...

Splinthoof plowed straight into Datura, slamming into him as hard as he dared before slinging a fierce punch into the side of the monster's neck, knocking the psychopathic unicorn rolling backwards to flop on his belly with a grunt of surprise more than pain. Then Splinthoof turned, seizing Sally even as the Pegasus Avatar cried out in shock before the soldier spun around, only able to think about getting out of there as fast as possible-

Then he halted dead as he found himself face-to-face with a horrific apparition: the monster stood fearless in the sunlight, mouth sewn shut, black, empty sockets staring pitilessly up at Splinthoof, scraggly hair falling around the hideous thing's face. Splinthoof staggered with a shout, and then he spun around... only to find another monster snarling at him, shaggy and animal, sharp teeth jutting from the creature's mouth as its hackles rose and it stomped towards him.

They were everywhere, all around them, and Splinthoof looked back and forth in terror before he said sharply: “Sally, Sally, you've got to fly out of here! Forget about me, I'll hold them off for as long as I can but fly, fly all the way back to Canterlot and don't you dare look back! Don't-”

“Hey, asshole! It's five bits per candy head, and you just ruined a whole batch of them!” shouted a furious voice, and Splinthoof's face went blank as he slowly turned to see a dull-pink pony storming towards him, her blue eyes glowing furiously, her long, straight mane half-covering her face. She looked almost normal... apart from the piercings that gleamed across her face and the countless tattoos that covered her body, that was.

“Well, he's still making a better first impression than Datura did.” remarked another pony: one who almost looked perfectly normal with his fine chestnut coat and short, spiky black mane... except for the fact that halfway down his body, there was a gruesome series of grafts and thick stitching and stapling that connected his body to another pony's upper half. A much-less pleasant-looking pony, who was scowling horribly and had his head low, his coat a sallow blue and his own black mane long and hanging over his eyes.

“That's not saying a whole lot.” he grumbled, looking moodily over at Datura as the scarred stallion calmly picked himself up, and then he added crankily: “Bet he thinks we're going to eat him or something stupid like that.”

“Little pony is too little for eating. He has no meat on bones. He is like twig.” remarked a truly-massive mare in a thickly-accented voice, her richly-evergreen body enormous and muscular and dressed in a tiny little leotard that clung to her gargantuan frame. Only a bit of her russet mane peeked out from beneath the ushanka on her head, and her beady red eyes studied the shocked stallion with an indulgent, amused smile before she glanced over at Datura and said cheerfully: “Is nice to see you here, Little Kafka and Angel, with little friend pony.”

“Yes, well, I'm sorry they haven't made the best impression so far.” Datura replied, giving a sour glare towards the stunned-looking Splinthoof and the stupefied Sally, before the scarred stallion sighed tiredly and quickly began to point out the different 'monsters' all around them. “The big mare is Vodka. The brothers are Arsu and Azizos. You've met Rose, and Harmony would like you to please be quiet. She has very sensitive ears.”

Datura turned, then pointed out several more ponies, continuing mildly as he gestured to each monster and freak in turn, each of whom bowed their head politely or waved when they were indicated: “The zebra here is Raindance, and the werewolf, of course, is named Wolf Colt. Very original. Uh... these are Tshilaba, Ironmade, De la Couer, and last but not least, our humble leader, Dead Ringer.”

“Charmed.” rasped the last stallion, grinning and showing off too-white teeth in pale, thin features. He had black rings around his yellow eyes and an expensive, old-fashioned suit with a long set of tails: his own tail was cropped short, and when he calmly pulled off his top hat, Sally was surprised to see he was bald: as a matter of fact, he didn't have a single hair on his rubbery, whitish body... “Sergeant Splinthoof, miss Sally O'Connor... allow me to welcome you both to the Cirque du Noir, the finest freakshow in Equestria.”

Sally's eyes widened as Splinthoof simply mouthed wordlessly, and then she finally pushed herself off of the unicorn's back, stumbling a little before she reached up and said in surprise: “Wait, I didn't give you my name!”

Dead Ringer only smiled pleasantly, the earth pony calmly raising the cane he held in one hoof and tapping the skull-shaped handle easily against his own head. “We all have our talents, miss. And when you're leading the troupe, it's important that you're able to properly know the crowd.”

He smiled again, and then the dappled mare named Tshilaba held up hoof, adding brightly from beneath her purple shawl: “And while we may not all be the prettiest ponies in Equestria, we certainly know our work well.”

Sally looked at the mare, and blushed a bit: with her flowing, curly black locks, her gorgeous blue dress adorned with bells and charms, and the golden hoops that adorned her ears, she was eccentric, but she was also... she was utterly beautiful. “I... I don't know about that.”

Sally looked slowly back and forth at these... these freaks. Except, no: here, all these ponies, from mighty Vodka to blind and stitched Harmony, they were the normal ones. Even Datura fit in here, with this strange mix of... of actual ponies, and Avatars, and one or two Figments. Here, she and Splinthoof... they were the freaks.

And then Sally winced when Rose reached out and firmly seized Splinty by the shoulder, shaking him roughly before jerking the unicorn towards her as she growled: “I'm still waiting for my money. For one thing, those things aren't cheap. For another, they take up a lot of my time to bake, and my time is very valuable, you got it?”

“He's a Royal Guard. We'll send the bill to Celestia, she'll pay.” Datura said dryly, and Rose grumbled at this as she looked moodily over at the stallion, but then gave a brief nod after a moment. “Alright, good. Splinthoof, do me a favor and don't attack anyone else while you're here. Sally... I'm rather surprised and almost a little disappointed to see you taking this all so well.”

Sally blushed a bit, shuffling a hoof awkwardly at the ground as her wings flapped lightly, and then the sourer of the sewn-together stallions said dryly: “Bet she's sorry for us. Bet she thinks she can fix us, hug us all better.”

“Oh, now come on, Azizos.” Arsu said cheerfully, smiling warmly over at Sally, who gazed back at these two... and found herself unable to tell if she was looking at a Figment or an Avatar. “There's no need to be so suspicious! Besides, I think it's very nice to see such a pretty Pegasus who isn't treating us like a bunch of monsters.”

“Yes, is nice.” Vodka agreed, stomping a hoof and seeming to make the earth shake with that alone, before she added in a teasing voice with a wink to Splinthoof. “She is not little filly like her friend with bib.”

“It's... it's a cravat.” Splinthoof argued weakly, reaching up and lamely touching the strip of cloth around his neck before he swallowed a little, then looked weakly back and forth, shivering in fear as his mind refused to process what was going on. Refused to believe that these.. that these monsters were anything but that.

This was the Cirque du Noir: he'd always thought this was a fairytale, a... a myth. He'd never imagined that a place so frightening and terrible could actually exist, even if the Avatars had brought other horrible things to Equestria.

He looked back and forth weakly... then flinched and stared in shock when Dead Ringer said pleasantly: “Now now, young colt, you should know better than to believe everything you hear. Sure, we're not 'normal ponies,' whatever that might mean... but we aren't quite as dangerous as you seem to think we are, either. Not unless we are... pushed.”

Rose grunted, slamming her hooves together as she said coldly: “But if you push us, you son of a bitch, you'll be lucky if we don't turn you into hot dogs for the kids.”

Splinthoof winced and leaned away, and then Datura clapped his hooves loudly together before saying mildly: “Well, before Rose kills our guests, I just wanted to let everyone know that I've been called away to Canterlot on business. So I thought I would come here early and help with setup, and I can at least do opening day with you.”

Dead Ringer smiled warmly, before Arsu rose his head and said brightly: “I know! If Datura is going to be in Canterlot, we should make a surprise trip there, too! Or at least to the Everfree Forest!”

Rose immediately snorted at this even as several other ponies looked thoughtful, before the dull-pink mare grumbled: “That sounds about as smart as going to Ponyville. Christ.”

Sally looked quickly over at Rose, studying her intently: if there was ever a tell she was likely an Avatar, it was that... except... well... something about her...

Rose scowled over at her, then made a gesture that was clearly not friendly, in spite of Sally not entirely understanding what it meant. But Datura only sighed and rolled his eyes... then looked up in disbelief as Dead Ringer said meditatively, rubbing slowly under his chin: “Canterlot would be a fine crowd. And Datura, if you're there working for Celestia, you could put in a good word for us. Better yet, Nightmare Night is just around the corner, and I have a feeling...”

“Oh come on, Dead Ringer, don't do this to me.” Datura complained, and there was something so... so normal, so natural about him now. The psychopathy had vanished: even with the scars and emaciation, even in this den of freaks and monsters, Datura was just another pony, pleading with another pony about a job he obviously didn't want to do. “Fifty years ago, the Cirque du Noir was formed to give the freaks like us a chance, not to one day march us right back into hell!”

But Dead Ringer only smiled in amusement, shaking his head before he replied calmly: “The Cirque could also use some updates, better carriages, and of course we have to feed and clothe and look after our players. Originally, we started with a crew of only a dozen ponies, as I'm sure you recall, but now we have a full traveling troupe of sixty good ponies. We draw in quite a few curious wanderers and gawkers everywhere we go, but like it or not, we need to earn more profit.”

Datura grunted, looking moodily at the stallion for a few moments before he sighed a little and lowered his head, scowling but muttering: “Well... as much as I would love to argue with you, I know you have a point. Fine, if you really have to come to Canterlot, then come to Canterlot. Just don't blame me when everything goes to hell.”

Vodka only snorted in amusement, then walked over and firmly slapped Datura on the back, making his spine crack as the stallion visibly flinched. “You are very silly, zvezda. Is good to see that you have not changed.”

Datura only smiled wryly, and then he turned his eyes towards Dead Ringer, asking: “What work still needs to be done?”

“Good point, Datura. Everyone, back to work.” Dead Ringer said calmly as he tapped his cane firmly against the ground, and there were a few grumbles before most of the strange ponies turned to leave, as the ringmaster smiled and turned his eyes back to the stallion. “But there's quite a bit, actually, that we still have to take care of. Most of the tents are up, but the seats must still be arranged, the rings set up, the stalls filled and the games all designed. And yes, Sally, your help would be greatly appreciated, if you are going to be so insistent about offering.”

Sally blushed at the way Dead Ringer didn't even have to look at her to answer the question she had yet to even form, and Datura only gave a dry smile before he looked in amusement over his shoulder as Rose seized Splinthoof by the collar, saying moodily: “And this guy is going to come with me and help make up for all the product he ruined.”

“Fine, but leave him in one piece. Celestia doesn't like it when I hurt her little guard babies. She still sends letters scolding me about what I did to Royce.” Datura said dryly, and Rose grinned before turning and half-dragging Splinthoof away as Sally winced a little.

But before she could say anything, Angel held up a hoof, saying gently: “I would also like to help. Will you allow me to hand out flyers with Tshilaba?”

She seemed to be asking Datura more than Dead Ringer, and Sally couldn't help but note the way the ringmaster deferred to the scarred stallion, at least in this. Datura didn't seem to notice... or at least he pretended not to, as he shrugged a little. “If Dead Ringer is fine with it. Just make sure you get back soon.”

Angel smiled kindly and nodded to him politely, and Sally shifted lamely before Dead Ringer turned his eyes to her. He looked frightening, and he had such a raspy, gravelly voice... but he sounded so... so kind, all the same, as he asked gently: “Why don't you go and help Harmony? She would never admit it, but she has a little bit of trouble with the higher shelves. But don't remind her that she's short.”

Sally smiled briefly, thinking of the mare for a moment and how 'short' wasn't the first thing that would have popped to mind in describing her... but Dead Ringer only smiled knowingly at her, then he reached up and tapped his own temple with the end of his cane, saying softly: “Everything, dear, is just a matter of perspective.”

Coming from him, and standing here, in the middle of this... Cirque du Noir, whatever it was... it made Sally realize just how true that really was. That it was a lot more than some meaningless bit of wisdom or platitude, and she smiled briefly before she shook her head and murmured: “You're right.”

She quieted, then cleared her throat before looking over at Datura. Datura frowned at her from under his mask, but Dead Ringer only chuckled before he poked the emaciated pony in the chest with his cane. “Just be a gentlecolt for once in your life and help her. It won't kill you, Datura.”

Datura sighed and rolled his eyes, then he grunted at Sally before gesturing moodily at her. “Come on, then. Harmony runs the toss games when she's not doing a show. Let's give her a hoof.”

“It's weird how naturally you say that. Hoof, horse, pony.” Sally said before she could stop herself, and Datura only looked at her until she blushed a bit, then argued lamely: “Well, it is.”

Datura just continued to study her, and then he gave a brief smile beneath his mask before shrugging and turning away. And after a few moments, the mare sighed before following in the wake of the stallion, shaking her head slowly and wondering what the hell kinds of things went on in the strange unicorn-creature's mind... and how he could both fit in so well here in this world of freaks and monsters hidden out of sight of the rest of the nation, and yet at the same time, seem so very much alone.