Chapter Five: The Cirque Du Noir
~BlackRoseRaven

Sally spent the entire morning afraid of making some horrible blunder while working at the Cirque du Noir that would make all these strange but wonderful ponies hate her. But by mid-afternoon, she felt comfortable enough with most of the ponies she'd met to even join in their friendly teasing of each other, feeling terribly... in place.

Sure, maybe she didn't look like she belonged in a Tim Burton movie. But even if she wasn't much of a freak outside, she was sure as hell one inside: she was an outsider to this fantasy world of ponies, just like many of these strangely-wonderful, grotesquely-beautiful ponies and people were.

She was amazed to find she liked it here. And she loved how open and friendly everyone was, once they got to know her a little. Sure, Splinthoof wasn't having a great time, but Sally thought that was partly his own fault: he kept treating even innocent little Harmony like she was going to sprout fangs and gobble him up, and he and Datura kept getting into arguments... or more accurately, Splinthoof would snap threats and insults, and Datura would just continuously provoke him until Dead Ringer or Vodka or Sally herself pulled the two apart.

There was another unexpected benefit to their little stay here too, though: Sally was actually able to learn about Datura. As a matter of fact, many of the Cirque's members were more than happy to tell her all about the strange unicorn and his affiliation with them... and from bits and pieces of information she gleaned here and there during their stories, she was starting to put together what had happened to Datura, and his fall from grace.

As she'd suspected, Datura had once been a fairly normal unicorn: that fit everything that Celestia had told her, too. But then the story got a bit different: in Celestia's version, Datura had started to experiment on himself after developing a fascination with pain and pleasure, obsessing over nightmares and fantasy worlds, but many of the members of the Cirque du Noir claimed that Datura hadn't been trying to do anything but numb a pain that was already there. He hadn't been trying to create a perfect nightmare, but escape the darkness that was haunting him.

She also was surprised to learn that Datura hadn't simply abandoned pony society after being dismissed from his duties as a Dream Weaver: instead, he had actually been sent to some kind of special asylum for Avatars. Whatever he had gone through there had only made him worse, however, and separated him further from pony society instead of helping him get over whatever had happened to him in the first place.

She wasn't able to put together too much of his past beyond that: either the members of the Cirque du Noir didn't know, or respected Datura enough that they weren't going to reveal any of his secrets behind his back. Sally thought it was a combination of both, though: Datura was plenty secretive, but he had apparently been helping out the Cirque even before they'd officially become a traveling circus of sorts. Freaks had to stick together, as Datura himself had said.

Sally had always felt that working beside someone, watching their habits, could teach you a lot about them, though. And as she and Datura worked side-by-side, she was surprised by his efficiency: he tended to take over and he was bossy and a little patronizing, but he worked fast and refused to take any breaks. She also couldn't help but notice that he was a little obsessive-compulsive: he wasn't just stacking toys willy-nilly in the prizes rack, but arranging them by color and size.

Datura was also a lot more pleasant while he was busy: he still ignored most of her questions, but he seemed to treat her with a little more respect, the more she worked. And he seemed to actually take honest enjoyment in the simple, menial task, which had made her smile and think that maybe she and this strange creature had more in common than she had thought.

She was amazed at how productive all these ponies were, though: by early afternoon, all the stalls and tents had been set up and were ready to go. Ponies of every shape and size stood at the ready, and less than twenty minutes after the last touches had been done on the final stall, the first visitors had wandered their way into the Cirque du Noir, gasping and staring at the sights the fairground alone offered with the eerie carnival ponies.

Sally herself had gotten lost in watching from the sidelines, and she only realized Datura had slipped away when she woke up from the mix of happy memories of carnivals past and amazement at this one. So, with no work left to do, she let herself be drawn through the tents and stalls, gazing back and forth in awe as she simply took in the atmosphere.

The Cirque du Noir was almost... majestic, she thought. There, Vodka was laughing loudly as she hefted a massive set of weights above her head with one hoof... along with the two stallions who were now clinging desperately to either end of the bar to avoid falling off, as a small crowd of ponies laughed. And there, ponies were already playing games, Harmony smiling from behind a pair of wraparound sunglasses as she silently passed out toys and rewards, her sharp ears apparently perfectly capable of telling her what prizes each player earned.

In the distance, she could hear the rough but carrying voice of Dead Ringer... and the gasps of ponies he was presumably reading the minds of. But Sally felt herself being drawn towards one of the smaller tents, cocking her head curiously as she ducked inside... and then she laughed and strode quickly forwards to lean over the short wall that separated the standing area from the simple dirt arena.

Inside, the Wolf Colt was currently walking slowly around on his front hooves, yipping now and then as Raindance grinned out at the crowd. The zebra priestess was regaled in bones and primitive-looking paints and clothes, her mane a rumpled mess, carrying what looked like a charred branch tipped with a skull. She shook this out at the crowd as she declared with an overemphasized accent: “You see what my voodoo can do? It turn this little colt into my animal servant! Oh yes, once he was nothin' but a wicked little boy, stealin' and lyin', and now, now he an obedient little puppy!”

Raindance made a spinning gestures with her staff, and the shaggy wolf colt yelped before he leapt backwards, flipping once before landing back on his front hooves to the gasps and cheers of the crowd. Raindance laughed loudly, then grasped her staff in both front hooves and swung it hard to the side, and the Wolf Colt flung himself through the air as if he was being magically yanked along by the staff's movements.

Sally laughed as she watched the show with fascination: the two played well off each other, and they entertained the audience for a good half hour before Raindance and Wolf Colt ended the show by vanishing in a burst of smoke. Sally was impressed beyond words, smiling into the ring and just relaxing there as the small audience began to filter away.

Sally remained, then smiled again in spite of herself as Raindance wandered back out from the narrow backstage with Wolf Colt walking quite normally beside her. The zebra glanced over at Sally, then smiled warmly and beckoned to her, and the Pegasus Avatar easily hopped the small wall, boosting herself naturally with a flap of her wings as she said asked: “Do you need help raking the dirt?”

“You pretty sharp, girl. But nah, don't you fret. Wolf Colt will take care of that.” Raindance gestured easily to the shaggy stallion, who barked cheerfully. But Raindance only rolled her eyes in amusement and shoved at the stallion's head, saying wryly: “Save it for the stage, hon.”

“Fine, fine. Would you like me to go fetch you a spot of tea then, milady?” asked Wolf Colt ironically with the barest trace of a British accent, and Sally blinked in surprise before Wolf Colt gave her an amused smile, asking mildly: “What's wrong, mum? By now you must know quite a few of us oddballs are Avatars.”

“I guess your favorite movie must be American Werewolf in London, huh?” Sally asked mildly after a moment, and Wolf Colt blinked... then laughed and rolled his eyes, grinning across at her.

“Americans! All you ever think about are yourselves and your own silly pop culture references!” Wolf Colt teased, and then he easily pushed himself up onto his front hooves, standing on them for a moment before cheerfully beginning to pace back and forth on them, continuing: “Oh, it's not like Britain ever came up with anything good, right? It's not like any famous bands or characters or writers or anything else ever came out of jolly old England...”

Raindance rolled her eyes, then she said mildly: “Ignore the boy. He gets like this now and then with you Avatars. You humans must be prouder of your countries than these ponies are of Equestria... amazing, how all of you seem to think a few imaginary lines on a map can make anything yours.”

“Oh shush, Raindance. As if you don't have all kinds of hexes and witch's charms over that tent of yours.” Wolf Colt retorted, continuing to easily walk back and forth on his hooves before he shoved himself off the ground, flipping neatly and landing back on all four hooves as he grinned and winked over at Sally. “Say, you're a pretty mare! Want to go get a pint with me down at the pub? It ain't much of a pub, and there's little better than water, but we can still pretend to be drunk so we don't have to remember the morning after, just in case you're really a man under all that mare!”

Sally rolled her eyes, then she leaned forwards and studied the Avatar intently, focusing in on him. And now that she knew Wolf Colt was an Avatar... “That's very nice of you to ask, sweetie, but I don't think you'll be old enough to buy me a drink for at least another three years.”

Wolf Colt stared at her, then he blushed deeply, shaking his head before he burst out: “Two and a half!”

Raindance laughed loudly, shaking her head slowly as Wolf Colt glared at Sally, and Sally grinned in response... until finally, Wolf Colt's mouth quirked into a smile, and he remarked mildly: “Bloody hell. What are you, a Dream Weaver like Datura was? Or do you just have eyes like his?”

“No, I... I guess I'm just good at... seeing things.” Sally confessed after a moment, smiling awkwardly and shrugging slowly. “I have no idea still why I'm even here, how I even got here, or... what I should even be doing with myself.”

Wolf Colt chuckled at this, and Raindance smiled kindly before she said gently: “Sally, I do not pretend to know the intricacies of the world: not all of my people are very fond of your kind, Avatars... but I believe that as with all things, some are good, and some are bad. There has been much bad in recent years, all over Equestria, reaching even down to my homeland... but you are good. And I believe you have a great purpose here.”

“Celestia said something like that too...” Sally murmured, looking down in embarrassment before she shook her head, blushing quietly. “But I don't... I don't think I'm here to save anyone or anything. I don't... I'm no hero. I just want to go home.”

Wolf Colt smiled and shrugged, and Raindance chuckled quietly before she said softly: “It does not matter whether or not you are a 'hero,' it only matters whether or not you strive to do good, and to do good for others. You are helping us, and you are helping our friend, and... perhaps, you will help Equestria, if things...”

She quieted, looking over at Wolf Colt, but the shaggy pony only gave a warm smile as he looked up and shrugged. “This dream has to end sometime, right? I... I want to be here, until the very end, to support all the friends I've made here... but I know that when we have to go... it'll be time to go, too. No point in lamenting about it or wishing otherwise.”

Sally nodded slowly in agreement with this, smiling a little, and then she said finally: “You seem pretty smart for a kid.”

Wolf Colt shrugged, replying: “Well, hey. I've been here for years now, and...” He shifted a little, scraping a hoof against the sand before raising it silently in front of himself. “And to be honest, I used to be part of Canon Camp. Used to try so hard to conform, to fit in, to be just like the 'real ponies.' But... like Datura says, you start off in this world as what you want to be... but sooner or later, who you really are takes over.”

Wolf Colt blushed as he shook himself like a dog, and then he looked over at Raindance with a smile. “But things worked out great, really. No more Canon Camp, no more rules and regulations, and now I've got lots of friends and... it's certainly opened up a whole world for me!”

Sally looked at him curiously, and then she asked: “What's Canon Camp? It sounds kind of... unpleasant, for some reason.”

“Oh, right, I keep forgetting. You're a little...” Wolf Colt gestured at her awkwardly, and Sally only looked at him dryly. “Sorry, I mean, you're not in the loop yet. Not to worry, though! No one who's fresh to Equestria knows about Canon Camp and all the other factions, and-”

“And I think it would be better if you asked Datura about that, Miss Sally. Wolf Colt and I still have to clean this place up. Ponies seem to always think it's okay to just leave garbage where they please.” Raindance interrupted smoothly, and then the zebra winked over at Sally as she looked lamely at the mare. “You go on now, hear? And take my advice, and listen well: if you want Datura to trust you, you gotta trust him first.”

The Pegasus Avatar nodded hesitantly to Raindance, and then she asked after a moment: “Where do you think I could find him, then?”

“Check the main tent. I'm sure he's preparing for tonight's performance by now.” Raindance replied, and Sally nodded hesitantly before she smiled to the two, then turned and headed quickly towards the exit, leaping the wall and absently flapping her wings to boost herself over before she flitted out through the tent.

She didn't even realize she was flying until she absently touched down after traveling for a good fifty feet or so, and then she looked over her shoulder in shock, mouthing wordlessly to herself. She spread her wings and flapped them once, then kicked off the ground, and her wings caught the air with natural ease, the mare laughing loudly and staring with awe as she flapped her wings several times, then shot suddenly straight up into the air, forgetting everything else for a moment as she spiraled up into the sky.

Sally twisted and shot to the side, laughing again before she rolled smoothly around and flapped her wings firmly, streaking back and forth above the camp before a strong burst of wind suddenly buffeted into her, and the mare's eyes bulged in shock as she overreacted to the invisible shove, flailing wildly and rolling onto her back before yelping as her wings simply gave out on her.

She fell through the air, flailing wildly in all directions... and then she suddenly simply stopped, the mare blinking stupidly. The ground was still quite a few feet away from her, which made her wonder weakly if time had just frozen, if she'd somehow broken this dreamscape or maybe killed herself and now she was going to... to...

The Pegasus Avatar was gently pulled down through the air, the mare blinking stupidly before Vodka calmly set her down on the ground and smiled at her. The immense mare carefully swept her off, and Sally blushed deep red before Vodka said kindly: “Is good to see you, little mare. You have look on your face that says you are sorry, but I do not know for what. Did you enjoy first flight?”

“I... yeah, I guess I did.” Sally said embarrassedly, and then she only rubbed the back of her head when Vodka laughed loudly. But after a moment, Sally cleared her throat before looking awkwardly out over the crowd of gawking ponies currently staring at them, the mare mumbling: “Oh god. Where did all these people come from?”

“Dead Ringer is very good at finding right place and right time for right people. We always set up in strange and empty place, but always quickly become very busy. Is good this way: most problem pony too lazy or too stupid to make journey into unknown.” Vodka replied pleasantly, and then she patted Sally on the head several times, making her wince a bit. “You go now and find Datura, little mare. He in big top. You go around back, you find him.”

“Uh. Right.” Sally said lamely, and then she blushed before excusing herself quickly, leaping off the little stage Vodka was on. The Pegasus Avatar absently flapped her wings to launch herself backwards and neatly spin around, landing on her hooves past the crowd... and then she looked disbelievingly down at herself, wondering when the hell she'd gone from a klutz to an acrobat... and feeling a strange sense of unease at how natural it felt to move like this, as a Pegasus.

Sally stayed firmly on the ground as she made her way through the fairgrounds, for some reason feeling... a little afraid of herself, for reasons she couldn't put her hoof on. Maybe she was just overreacting out of fear, or...

The mare shook her head briefly, biting her lip as she found her way around to the rear entrance of the big top, where a few carnival workers were lounging on break, two of them smoking cigarettes. Sally found her eyes lingering on this, studying the workers and wondering if the Avatars had brought this, too, like they had brought so much else to Equestria that... didn't belong here.

She shook herself briefly, then walked into the tent, looking back and forth as she entered the backstage area: immense, muffling curtains blocked this zone from view, giving the performers plenty of privacy for last minute rehearsal and makeup amidst the crates and cages and piles of props.

Datura was off in one corner of the room with Angel, and Sally hesitantly approached the two before she blushed slightly at the sight of Angel: she was dressed in a sultry outfit, with a black lace corset over her body, stockings belted tightly to her legs, and a thick black collar with a large, oversized buckle around her neck.

She was smiling over at Datura, who had his skull mask over his face and seemed... shinier than usual. She realized after a moment that they had actually applied some kind of makeup or oil to his body that made both his musculature and his scars stand out: it made him look a lot more intimidating, although at the same time... “What did they do, laminate you?”

The scarred stallion slowly turned towards her, his single eye regarding her with surprise... and was that the slightest hint of embarrassment? “Shouldn't you be working?”

“No one seems to have anything for me to do.” Sally replied, shrugging a little and smiling a bit as he looked over the two, then asked curiously: “What are you doing?”

Datura only grunted at her, turning his head away, but Angel gave the Pegasus Avatar a tender look before she answered: “Datura and I always help with the grand opening, my dear. But today I have also talked him into doing a small performance now, as part of the warm-up before the real show begins tonight. Will you stay and watch, darling?”

Sally couldn't help but smile after a moment, nodding as she turned an amused look to Datura, who only sighed tiredly before he said moodily: “Alright, fine. Why not? Let's go invite Splinthoof or whatever his name is, too. They can both watch, then reassure Celestia how I've been trained like a little dog to do little tricks.”

“You are not the little dog, darling. I am your bitch.” Angel said in a matter-of-fact voice, and Datura snorted in amusement as Sally smiled in spite of herself, looking with entertainment at the white Pegasus. Angel was both serious and joking at the same time, but Sally thought she was starting to get used to the... the weirdness of the two.

Then Datura turned his eyes back to Angel, asking her quietly: “Are you ready, though? We haven't done this for a while.”

“I was made for this, darling.” the Figment replied with a kind smile, bowing her head towards the stallion with a soft laugh. “I love you, and I trust you, and I only wish you would not worry so much about this. Think of it as a game, darling.”

“Shush.” Datura grumbled, and Angel smiled and bowed her head respectfully... but Sally thought she saw something much more under the surface, now. Angel was still maintaining eye contact, her head humble but her eyes mischievous, and Datura wasn't being commanding as much as he seemed a little embarrassed.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Datura cleared his throat before looking over at Sally, saying suddenly: “Thank you, for... helping out, and for agreeing to do this.”

Sally stared at him, surprised by this sudden change in temperament before she nodded hesitantly, studying him quietly before Datura smiled briefly at her, then added: “But I'm still holding you to the other half of your promise, and all this will be less than meaningless if you give up halfway through. Do the job right, or don't do it at all.”

“Oh, good. I was worried for a minute there that you were actually being nice.” Sally said dryly, and then she shook her head slowly before saying softly: “Funny, though. You and me... maybe we're not so different after all.”

“You like to hurt people too?” Datura asked mildly, as he absently reached back and roughly slapped Angel with one hoof, hard enough to knock her head to the side. But the Figment only blushed at the treatment, looking with shining eyes up at Datura as Sally only glowered, refusing to allow the stallion to psych her out.

“I'd like to hurt you.” she retorted, leaning forwards and glaring at him, and Datura leaned down and glared back at the Pegasus Avatar.

“Is that a promise? Because it'd be nice to skip dinner and just get to dessert.” the unicorn snapped back, and then he paused before asking suddenly, in a voice that was curious and casual: “So you want to make out?”

Sally winced back, then she reached up and firmly smacked him, knocking the bone mask aslant on his face. Datura only grinned at her from under the askew skull, and Sally's eye twitched, her teeth grinding together as she looked at that stupid, troublemaking, complete asshole of a...

Before she knew it, she was smiling at him, the tension vanishing from her body, her frustration with him becoming... something else. And after a moment, she shook her head slowly before saying finally: “I want to learn about you.”

“I thought you were learning about me. That's why you've been going around, asking everyone questions.” Datura replied mildly, reaching up and adjusting his skull mask, and somehow Sally wasn't surprised. On the other hoof, it did prove one of two things: either these ponies really did respect Datura enough to let him know she'd been snooping around, or he was a lot more intuitive than he acted like. There might even be a brain in there, hidden under all the layers of insane jerk.

So Sally only shrugged, replying quietly: “I wouldn't have to ask everyone questions if you would just tell me about yourself.”

Datura only looked at her moodily, and then Sally bit her cheek before she touched her own chest, saying softly: “I'm from Arizona. I grew up on a farm, the only girl among seven brothers. I... Daddy rose me, mostly by himself. Momma... Momma was a good person, but when I was real young... she died. She was...”

Sally cleared her throat, looking down, and Datura studied her quietly for a few moments before he glanced away, saying with surprising gentility: “It sounds like she left a big impact on you, Sally. And if you're anything like her... then I know that she must have been a good person.”

The Pegasus Avatar smiled a little, feeling strangely touched by this before she nodded briefly, saying after a second of hesitation: “Thank you.”

There was an awkward silence for a few moments... and then a popping sound before the audience began to cheer, and Datura sighed a little before Sally looked up in surprise as a loud voice echoed through the tent, shouting cheerfully: “Welcome, one and all, to the Cirque du Noir! The fabulous freaks only show their heads when the sun falls and darkness begins to cover the land, but for now, we want to share with you one of the wonders of the world: one who hails from the blackest depths of Tartarus itself, and the another so pure and good she forswore herself from Elysium to tame this wicked beast!”

Sally looked with amusement at Datura, and the stallion only grunted before he rubbed moodily at one shoulder, muttering: “Hey, screw you. Dead Ringer likes to sell the crowd. Now get out of the way: you can watch from the curtains, but try not to draw too much attention to yourself.”

Datura brushed past her, scowling under his mask before he shook himself quickly, and Angel paused only a moment, reaching up to squeeze the Pegasus Avatar's shoulder as she whispered gently: “Don't fret, darling. He's just getting into character.”

“He's playing himself?” Sally asked dryly, and Datura shot her an ugly look over his shoulder, but the Pegasus Avatar only winked at him before calling teasingly: “Break a leg, Datura! One of your own, preferably.”

Instead of looking back at her, Datura held up a hoof as it clicked apart into a claw and flipped her off moodily, but Sally only smiled in entertainment at this, feeling a strange sense of victory. If there was ever a nervous gesture from the stallion, that was clearly it, and she liked seeing that even this monster could get anxious about something.

And it told her something else, too: he was more dedicated than she had expected. It showed in his every action... and how the moment his cue came from a blare of instruments and a shout from Dead Ringer, he and Angel quickly strode through the curtain, Sally hurrying up to where they had been and pulling it slightly aside so she could peer through and watch.

Other ponies clustered in with her almost immediately, and Sally whistled a little: there was a spotlight tracking Datura and Angel as they strode towards the center ring of the circus with heads raised high, the Figment's body moving with a natural, sultry rhythm as Datura stomped forwards, his movements stiff, his head high and proud. People shouted and cheered as the two strode to the center of the ring, and then Dead Ringer picked something up from a table, throwing it forwards...

Datura caught it with telekinesis and snapped it off to the side, the whip cracking like thunder before he caught a second heavy, long leather whip when it was tossed to him, snapping both of these forwards one after the other with sharp flicks of his horn. He moved with confidence as Angel almost danced away from him, turning her back for a moment on the stallion before she spun around and stood up on her hind hooves, keeping her wings tight to her sides as she spread her forelegs wide.

The unicorn turned suddenly, then stepped towards her, whips cracking down on either side of Angel... before Sally's eyes widened in shock as they both snapped powerfully upwards; yet Angel didn't so much as flinch even as she was tossed surprisingly high into the air, flipping neatly-

And her rear legs caught around the handle of a trapeze that seemed to appear out of nowhere, Angel swinging herself calmly up to sit across it as ponies cheered in awe, watching as Angel slowly swung herself back and forth with a smile across the ring. Her momentum built as the trapeze raised itself higher in the air at the same time, increasing the distance between her and the ground steadily before the mare suddenly threw herself backwards, wings still tightly furled to her sides, the crowd gasping-

And with ease, Datura snapped his whips upwards, and Angel was caught across their leathery bodies before Datura yanked backwards as Angel rolled herself, the Figment rotating rapidly through the air before she landed on one rear hoof, her other three limbs extended as she smiled coyly, with perfect poise and confidence.

The crowd roared, and Sally laughed in awe before Datura snapped his whips forwards, seizing Angel around the waist and limbs before he turned and roared as he hauled her through the air: but the Figment moved with incredible grace, seeming to flow through the sky before Datura's whips cracked upwards and Angel tore free from them, flying straight into thin air above as she flipped smoothly once... and then caught the trapeze as it swung by, immediately kicking her hind legs up over her head and straightening her body out like a board, performing an impossible feat of agility and strength with ease.

The show was incredible: Datura and Angel were a perfect team, and the unicorn controlled the whips with grace, lifting, stroking, grasping the mare with them, showing off a strength and discipline that Sally hadn't expected. And Angel performed flawlessly, never missing a beat, seeming lighter than air with how easily she moved.

By the end of it, Sally didn't know what to think: and when the two took their bow, Sally blushed and stepped backwards, fumbling for something to say until Angel and Datura stepped through the curtain, and she blurted: “That was awesome!”

Datura only smiled wryly as he pushed his skull mask up, looking at her with amusement, while Angel blushed and bowed her head: they were both sweaty and flushed, but the exercise had at least seemed to loosen up Datura, who shrugged a little before saying finally: “Thanks. But I have to go wash all this oil off and get something to eat before the last show.”

He halted, then sighed when Angel punched him gently in the shoulder, the stallion biting his lip before he asked in a mumble: “You um. You want to join me? Not for washing me off, for the food, I mean.”

Sally smiled a little after a moment, and then Datura added mildly, as he glanced up at her: “Although you can certainly join me for washing me off if you want, too. Angel just gets jealous sometimes, that's all.”

“I do not, darling. I would welcome the company.” Angel said kindly, smiling over at Sally, and Sally blushed a bit as she looked awkwardly at the mare, giving a lame smile in return. Although at the same time, she couldn't help but note with irony that now it was the Figment who was creeping her out instead of the large, scary unicorn.

She realized they were both looking at her still, and Sally blushed a little deeper before she cleared her throat and said hurriedly: “No, no... no. That's fine, but no. I wouldn't want to infringe on your... creepy... whatever the hell you two are. I'll... I'll meet you for food though, sure. Where?”

“Master and slave. But also good friends.” Angel said softly, bowing her head with a polite smile, and Datura... was he blushing a little? “Very well, though, my darling. We shall not insist beyond what is considered to be polite.”

“Yeah, but... uh, okay. There's a bunch of tables and benches set up next to the food vendors. We'll meet up there.” Datura said, gesturing absently off to the side with one hoof, and then he turned away, adding over his shoulder: “I think your Royal Guard friend is with Rose still. You might want to rescue him before she puts him through the cotton candy machine. I'd hate to see such an easily-provoked asshead go to waste.”

“You're so charming, Datura.” Sally said ironically, and then she shook her head with a slight smile, letting the two leave ahead of her. Part of her wondered uneasily what she was getting herself into, but... it was kind of nice getting to catch a different sort of side of Datura, to feel like maybe there was some thin possibility the two of them might actually make it back to Canterlot, and then...

She could leave. But the thought didn't fill her with happiness now, as she scraped a hoof slowly against the ground... then blushed as a pony half-shoved her out of the way, mumbling an awkward apology to the work crew hurrying to get the next performance ready before she headed quickly out of the tent, shaking herself briskly. “One thing at a time, Sally. Don't go overboard.”

The Pegasus Avatar concentrated for now on just making her way towards where all the food stalls were placed: while there were convenient little candy shacks just about everywhere, if you wanted actual food, you had to come here. Which wasn't actually a bad idea: the food court area was in the very center of the carnival, with the big top visible in the distance, the lights and music of the games to one side, the shops and sights to the other. Every path converged here, and the only straight aisles through the tents and stalls always seemed to lead further away from any possible escape...

Sally made her way first towards a large food stall that looked as if it was made out of gingerbread, twinkling with glitter and smelling of sweets. She smiled amusedly as she looked over the peppermint counter at Splinthoof, who looked sweaty and miserable beneath the stained apron he was wearing, his eyes widening at the sight of her before he begged: “You have to get me out of here!”

“Shut up, get back to work! We're low on cookies and if you don't get baking, I'm going to start cutting strips off you to sell as candied meat.” Rose growled, storming up to the stallion before slapping the back of his head roughly, and Sally winced in spite of herself before the mare glared out at him, eyeing her dangerously.

Sally couldn't tell if she was a Figment or an Avatar: somehow, she seemed like a little bit of both, as Rose looked steadily back at her before she grunted and reached down, then pulled out a large lollipop, almost thrusting this at Sally. “Here.”

Sally blushed, smiling a little as she reached out to take it, beginning: “I don't have any money, but I'm sure that-”

Rose caught her wrist before she could grasp the lollipop, the Pegasus Avatar wincing as Rose leaned slowly forwards and said in a low, threatening voice: “If you do anything to screw with us or with Datura, I will end you, Avatar. I will kill you. And I won't have to feel bad about it, because you want to go home anyway. Really, I'll just think of it as doing you a favor when I snap your neck.”

Sally stared, trembling a little before Rose let go of her, the Pegasus Avatar stumbling backwards as she gripped the lollipop tightly in her invisible clutch, her eyes and Rose's still locked before the dull-pink mare gave a thin smile, saying moodily: “Enjoy the candy. If you need anything else, just ask. Splinthoof, get back to work.”

The Pegasus Avatar stared for a moment longer, and then she bit shivered a little before shaking herself briskly and turning, heading away from the food stalls and towards the benches with one last nervous look over her shoulder at Splinthoof, who had gone back to working miserably away.

She sat down at one of the tables and looked at the lollipop for a moment, then shrugged before sticking it in her mouth: it was almost painfully sweet, and she realized that it was also the first thing she had really eaten in... quite a long time, now. She didn't know why, but she just hadn't seemed all that hungry or thirsty since she'd first arrived... maybe it was because this was all some weird dream world or something, that was why...

The Pegasus Avatar let her mind wander as she watched ponies come and go, thinking about how far she'd come since arriving here and... how much had changed. Thinking about all the interesting people she had met, and everything she had learned, and how even if sure, part of her was disappointed to see how human presence had corrupted this world... at the same time, she was proud to find how other Avatars had banded together and done great things here. And maybe, just maybe, that included that weirdo Datura, too.

She glanced up... and smiled as she saw the unicorn himself approaching. To her further surprise and pleasure, he actually looked clean for the first time since they'd met... and even if he was still a little hard on the eyes, at the same time, he wasn't utterly terrible to look at like this.

Angel was there too, by his side as always, still dressed in her stage gear. But as they approached, Datura said something to her, and the Figment smiled kindly before turning and heading off towards the food stalls.

“Must be nice to have your own personal servant and all that.” Sally said wryly as Datura approached, but her voice was amiable, and the unicorn only gave her an amused look, not falling for her baiting.

“You're the one who brought a hired bodyguard. Angel and I fulfill each other's needs.” Datura replied easily, and then he sat down across from her, the two studying each other for a moment before the scarred stallion gestured at her. “Where is he, anyway?”

Sally held up the lollipop, saying mildly: “Your friend Rose claims she still needs his help. I... decided it was probably best not to argue with her.”

“Good choice.” Datura smiled briefly, and there was an awkward quiet for a moment before the stallion asked finally: “You know about Avatars and Figments, but have you been told anything about the different factions?”

Sally shook her head, then she hesitated before saying: “Well... Wolf Colt mentioned something about how he used to be part of Canon Camp, whatever that is... that's actually why I came to find you in the first place.”

“That would be one of the factions.” Datura stopped, then he rubbed at his head before sighing and looking up at the sky, saying moodily: “I guess I might as well tell you about them. You need to be aware of the different clans of this world, so to speak.”

Sally nodded a few times, leaning forwards as she asked hesitantly: “They have their own little worlds or something, right? You mentioned that before...”

“More like tumors, if you want a better metaphor. They didn't change so much as... infect things.” muttered Datura, and then he chewed on his lip and shook his head before beginning: “The most important factions are Canon Camp, the Alicorn Alliance, the Cloppers, and the Crossworlders. I am now going to ask you a ridiculous and yet very important question: do you know anything at all about fanfiction?”

“I know that some people take it really seriously, while a lot of other people think it's stupid. And I know a lot of it is really bad.” Sally replied, and Datura smiled in amusement, nodding in agreement before he gave a soft sigh.

“I used to write a lot of fanfiction myself. A little bit was good... a lot of it was bad.” the stallion said softly, and then he shook his head briefly before he tapped a hoof slowly against the tabletop. “But in this world, a lot bad fanfiction comes true. People are able to live out their fantasies, and a lot of the most popular stories and ideas have already come to life. Any idea that resonates with a lot of people, that even gets a lot of people to say: 'hey, that's neat' or 'I have a strong emotion about that,' has the power to come to actual life, resulting in new Figments, new sections of Equestria, changes to the laws of reality itself here.”

Sally shivered a little at this thought, looking uneasily at the stallion before Datura continued softly: “The different factions started innocuously: like-minded Avatars who liked certain things. You know, clubs, really. But once they realized what the Figments were, and that they could actually alter the world around them to a point with enough concentration and effort from a large enough group, they became a lot more serious.

“Now, these factions each want something very specific, and have taken over different territories and tailored them to suit their desires. The Alicorn Alliance, for example, is made up mostly of winged unicorns and Avatars whom others would consider ridiculously overpowered, Mary Sues, etcetera etcetera.” Datura paused, then said wryly: “Thankfully, it seems there's a certain... balancing effect in play in this reality. No Avatar can exert a world-changing influence, and all of us have limited supplies of energy... and distinct weaknesses.”

Datura flexed one hoof slowly, looking down at this for a moment before she shook his head quickly, muttering: “The Alicorn Alliance can be dangerous, but they're more annoying because of their bark than their bite. The Cloppers, well. They're all ponies who basically want Equestria to become a sex-pit. Angel, for example, was created by the influence of the Cloppers.”

Sally's eyes widened in surprise at this, and then she tilted her head towards him before she asked dumbly: “Wait. I didn't think any of the ponies even had... well... I mean, I know you must but it's not like anything is... visible...”

Datura only smiled in amusement at this, gesturing outwards with one hoof at the ponies all around them, replying: “I think it's because no matter how you look at it, this world was originally designed with kids in mind. Little girls, to be precise. So unless you're specifically looking for crotches, your brain just kind of filters everything out. Think of when you're in the monkey house, how you get used to the smell after so long.”

Sally looked at him suspiciously, and Datura leaned forwards, saying seriously: “Just say to yourself, 'I'm going to look around and see what a pony's crotch really looks like,' and then you'll see exactly what I mean.”

“Oh, that's stupid. And gross.” Sally said flatly, leaning back with a huff... and yet mentally, she found herself questioning exactly whether or not there was some kind of crazy logic to what Datura had just said, and wondering, as she absently glanced away... “I mean, it's not like oh my god why is it just hanging out there and why does he have so many piercings?”

Sally gaped at a stallion who was standing across the field, happily chatting away with some other pony, and then she turned hurriedly back towards Datura with a deep flush on her face, glaring at him furiously as one of her eyes twitched. But Datura only looked innocently back at her before he said mildly: “You're the one who wanted to see all the pony penises, not me. Which means you've either seen too many horse penises or too few on your farm there.”

“We grew lettuce, not horses!” Sally snapped immediately, blushing and glaring at him, but Datura only grinned back at her, eyes glinting with mischief.

“Never knew you could grow a horse.” he replied amiably, crossing his forelegs, and the Pegasus Avatar felt her teeth grinding together: not at his smartass response, but his smartass tone.

And yet all she could manage in response was a strangled: “Shut up!”

Datura looked pleased with himself before he said pleasantly: “Just relax and it'll go away again. Just be glad we're all an evolved society here and most of us don't pee and poop wherever we please.” He paused, then said mildly: “Well, the Ferals do that, but... their faction is dedicated entirely to living like actual wild horses, so they're not exactly all that important. And the Cloppers aren't, either: they just want sex and debauchery. Most of them are relatively harmless... although a few of them are known to be... violent.”

Datura looked a bit moodier at this, slowly flexing one of his hooves, but then he shook his head briefly before continuing quietly: “The Crossworlders are unorganized, but more dangerous. They're often the kinds of ponies who have no problem with killing. Who treat this all like a game. Often younger, and concerned only with playing by their own set of rules. Quick to fanaticism.”

Sally shifted uneasily, leaning forwards worriedly before Datura continued: “They are also the faction that has transformed the largest amount of territory. They're responsible for a lot of the Figments you see and wield a lot of power, and they've brought a lot of technology into this world. Thankfully, technology that's Figment-based seems only to operate in a very specific area, one that's already been 'transformed:' in other words, some kind of... anime battle armor won't work outside of anime battle armor zone.

“But the Crossworld fanatics are very aggressive in expanding their territory. If you enter an area that looks like a post-apocalyptic warzone, then welcome to Crossworld territory.” Datura tapped the tabletop quietly, meeting Sally's eyes. “But Crossworlders can still be bargained with. They want escapism and adventure. They want excitement and action.

“Canon Camp can't be argued with, can't be bartered with. Canon Camp doesn't kill unless it has to, but it does much worse: it 'reeducates.' Canon Camp is made up of ponies who absolutely idolize the 'canon' of the show.” Datura grimaced a bit at this, shaking his head briefly before he said moodily: “As if anything we Avatars do is 'canon.' I hate that word.”

He halted, and Sally frowned uneasily before she said uneasily: “I don't know all that much about the show but... I mean... it doesn't seem like any of what I've seen so far would really fit with a little girl's cartoon...”

“Not just because the Avatars have changed things, but because the show is designed to be enjoyed by children. Children, who don't question continuity errors or plot holes, who don't have to get every single reference or joke to completely enjoy something, who don't need depth, or moral lessons, who just need to believe... that the world is a good place.” Datura quieted, looking down silently before he shook his head briefly. “Canon Camp has created an entire charter and guidebook that very specifically describes how all ponies should behave, and what should be expected of them. These are the kinds of people who walk right up to actual Trueborn ponies – real ponies – and tell them they aren't behaving right. Who will lecture 'canon characters' like Celestia herself about being 'out of character' or tell her 'she is using inappropriate dialogue.'

“Their territory and their base is far away from any location that's been indicated on the show, thankfully, so traveling to Canterlot should be safe enough: but they like to send out 'envoys' and 'instructors' every now and then. You know. Like recruiters for the Hitlerjugend.” Datura said dryly, gesturing with one hoof. “And also like the Nazis, if you don't indoctrinate, they eradicate.”

Sally grimaced, then leaned forwards and asked disbelievingly: “And... and these factions are all just allowed to exist? But... but why?”

“Because... like it or not, many ponies are... simple-minded. They look at the immediate, and they try to be tolerant, and understanding. They believe, really believe, when someone says: 'I'm not going to use this omnipotent power to hurt you.'” Datura said in an almost bitter voice, gesturing off to the side. “They're... wonderful and awful like that. They're prey creatures that have lost all prey instinct thanks to the kind of mollycoddled society they've been living in for a thousand years.”

He halted, then sighed softly, lowering his head and murmuring: “And honestly... what can Celestia do? The Avatars aren't just stupid kids or bloodthirsty brutes or guys looking for a quick lay, however it comes about. Some Avatars... are very dangerous. Some Avatars are extremely intelligent. And some of them are very, very determined to get their way... by whatever means necessary.”

Datura quieted, then sighed and shook his head slowly before he murmured: “And until now, it's worked: Equestria has suffered, the ponies have bared the brunt of our... our sins, our crimes, but Celestia maintains peace, somehow. Except now... you're here. And you've changed the equation, Sally. And... a lot of us long-timers have come to recognize that we honestly don't belong here... even if... it's so hard to bring ourselves to leave, even after our true forms start bleeding through...”

Datura looked silently down at one of his hooves, and there was silence between them for a few moments before Sally said quietly: “You're doing the right thing. This... I don't know how this world works, but I know... we don't belong here, and these ponies... deserve their own world.”

“They do. I just...” Datura looked silently up, and Sally frowned before looking to the side to see Angel was only standing nearby, the Figment smiling softly around the large paper bag hanging from her mouth before Datura whispered: “I don't want to lose my only friends... even... even though I know they're not real.”

Sally softened at this, and Angel calmly strode forwards and set down the paper bag on the table, before she turned soft eyes to the stallion and said quietly: “I may not be real, darling... but these ponies are. When the Avatars are gone, I and all the other Figments will vanish, but that burden is not upon you. And nor is it something I am sad for: I am only glad that I have had the time I did with you... and that you have always considered me to be as real as any other pony.”

Datura smiled faintly, glancing down and rubbing at his face awkwardly before Angel leaned in and kissed his cheek, and the stallion let his eyes slide closed before she murmured: “I will meet you at the big top in an hour, my darling. Until then... do play nice with Sally, will you? She means well.”

“Yes, mother.” Datura intoned wryly, and Angel only reached up and touched his face tenderly before she turned and strode away. Datura watched her for a moment, then he shook his head before grabbing the paper bag, opening it and fishing out a large box of what looked like onion rings.

He glanced into the bag, then shrugged and shoved it towards Sally, but she only smiled a little and rolled her lollipop between her teeth. So for a few moments there was silence, as Datura shoved handfuls – or hoof fulls, I guess – of onion rings into his maw at a time, chewing loudly.

“You're eating too fast.” Sally said finally, and Datura only grunted before the Pegasus Avatar hesitated, then asked uneasily: “When we... when we head back to Canterlot, what are the chances of running into any of these factions?”

Datura looked moody, rubbing at his face slowly before he replied finally: “Just be prepared to defend yourself. There might be Hunters as well... Avatars who specifically search for Figments like Angel, who are worth a lot of money to the right people, and who... well... try and eliminate people like me.” Datura gestured at himself distastefully. “Not that I've ever been good at making friends. I know that at least Canon Camp has me on their kill-on-sight list.”

Sally looked at him for a moment, then she blinked and leaned forwards, saying disbelievingly: “You're not kidding.”

“Look at me.” Datura flexed a hoof, which popped apart into a claw that he gestured at moodily, as his broken eye gleamed. “My very existence is an offense to ponies everywhere. Combine that with the fact that my old stories... deviated just slightly from the 'canon material,' well. You can understand rather quickly how they wouldn't be fond of me.”

Sally shifted a little, and then she asked finally: “Is that why you live out there in that abbey, instead of here? But I mean... the Cirque du Noir seems to respect you a lot, and you seem happy here, and since we've been here-”

“Stop assuming things about me.” Datura said icily, his eyes suddenly narrowing dangerously at her, and Sally leaned back in surprise before the unicorn took a slow breath, calmly locking his claw back into the shape of a hoof as he allowed his gaze to drop, muttering: “Some of us just have to be alone. That's all.”

“Yeah.” Sally murmured, not knowing what else to say, and then she shook her head slowly before she bit her lip and asked quietly: “What did you write about?”

“Things in the past.” Datura said shortly, and the mare felt like she'd just stumbled onto a bad topic as the unicorn grumpily began to shove onion rings into his muzzle, glowering grouchily at the tabletop.

It was so easy to piss him off. She didn't know if that was because he was just that moody, or if it was because of all his years in solitude, likely only with a servant... and well... the friends he wouldn't admit to having, for some reason.

She shifted uneasily, then, not knowing why, she said finally: “I... I managed to fly today. Before I came and saw you, I... I was just... flying naturally. But then I tried to go too high or the wind caught me and... I was just lucky that Vodka was there to catch me.”

Datura grunted at her, but he looked up curiously, much of his irritation vanishing almost immediately. And Sally bit her lip before she asked uncertainly: “Is that... weird?”

The stallion smiled a little at her and shrugged, and then he replied quietly: “Yes and no. There have been Avatars who have been able to fly the moment they arrived, but... it's rare. And in your case... well, it actually is pretty weird.”

Datura looked down meditatively, all his annoyance gone. And all she had to do was defer to him a little bit and give him a puzzle to occupy himself with, and suddenly he was happy again. Or at least as close to 'happy' as the stallion could get... his smiles never really seemed genuine, after all.

Then he looked up at her, studying her with his broken eye, and Sally winced a little before she half-rose a hoof between them, mumbling: “I really wish you wouldn't do that.”

“I'm differently-abled than you.” Datura retorted, continuing to look at her before he grimaced and reached up to rub grumpily at his eye. “Anyway, this has been out in the light for too long. I need to go find an eyepatch so the big top's lights don't kill me. And...”

He frowned at her, and Sally leaned back a bit before Datura said quietly: “You need to remember that I am not your friend. I'm doing a job here at the Cirque, and then I'm doing a job for Celestia, all because of old promises. And when these jobs are done, the fantasy ends for everyone, and we all go home, never to return here again, never to see each other again, likely without even memories of these events. We don't win, we don't learn anything, we don't end up as friends.”

Sally looked silently up at the stallion as he looked calmly back at her, and then he simply shoved himself away from the table, turning around and striding away... but the Pegasus Avatar was left wondering silently if Datura was really talking to her, or if he was just trying to convince himself that he didn't need anyone else in the world apart from his imaginary companion.