Preparation

"Alright children. It's time to come out." The rider of their little mobile home called out as she dropped the reins with a sigh. Her black, slightly graying, frizzy hair flew out of her dull rainbow bandana. Those peppered locks fluttered as she jerked her hood off her head. She smiled towards the sky.

Dawn had just broken upon the horizon when the horses stopped in their tracks. The place they took claim of was a decent section abandoned, grassy land. It resided on the edge of town, surrounded by dense forest. There were a few stumps here and there, but the rest of it seemed untouched.

The fog was slowly dissipating into the wind. Rosy pinks collided against deep indigo up above, yet shadows still held control over most of the forest. It would pass within the hour, not even, replacing it with orange sunlight. Beyond the shadows, miles on end, all that could be seen was just nature. The perfect spot to prepare for their show without disruption.

"Thank mages we're finally here!" The moment the horse-drawn caravan came to a halt, a lean boy with short copper hair flew through the thin fabric that blocked them from the world. He waved the fresh air towards his face, intaking the scent of dew soaked grass. His face bathed in the newborn light; his moss-green eyes filled with joy.

The rest of his group, full of men and women followed him out. They all matched him, dressed in black, raggedy shirts, and trousers. One by one they fled from the back entrance, taking in their new surroundings. The shortest of the bunch, a four-foot woman named Illese, huffed at him while wagging her finger his way despite being only two years older.

"Don't be so childish Dusty! You're eighteen now, and besides there have been far worse rides we've had." He rolled his eyes at his companion, quite literally looking down on her as she trudged towards him. His green met her hazel, causing a few degrees to drop around them. The teen sneered at her pudgy, pinched expression.

"You weren't the one listening to Bastian snore, Illese. He was as loud as the elephants we have parading around during our shows. Why don't you live a little for a change? Enjoy what the world's got going for us rather than be a stick in the mud." Small smiles formed throughout the troupe as they stretched their limbs and cracked their backs. Most of them were well used to the banter between certain members, unsurprised with the prattle.

"I don't snore." The man in question pouted as he retorted. Bastian was just as tall, perhaps a bit thinner than his bunkmate. Gray eyes remained hidden in his long ginger hair while he looked away, a nervous habit he had yet to break. Only to flinch when one of the more vocal members planted her hands on her hips with a scoff beside him.

"I'll take the snoring over Dante's perfume; I swear I'm being poisoned every time I'm within a few feet of him." Her petite, heavyset victim with a bald head snorted, shifting in her direction. Dante's arms were full of flower entwined garlands, yet with a swift motion, he balanced the garland in one arm while his free palm scurried through her red hair. He rubbed hard, destroying the nicely brushed bangs she made.

"Love you too, sweet Coco. How your twin stands you, I'll never know." He snickered while the freckles on her cheeks scrunched up in disdain. She smacked him away with a red tinged scowl. Hissing like a feral cat before he could do anymore damage.

"I'll have you know; Momo adores me! And in any case, I'm ten times better than Luna! That girl's a nightmare with all those concoctions she's brewing so late into the night. If I didn't know any better, I would've assumed she was making a potion to turn me into a dog-again!"

Momo, her freckle-less sibling nodded her head. In complete agreement as she implicitly linked arms with Coco. Showing her silent support when their attention swerved to the smiling perpetrator in question. They glowered; blue orbs illuminated towards their target who had her hands raised in mock surrender.

"A tad too early for pointing fingers don't you think?" Sighs were heard all around. Suspicious slits locked onto the aforementioned woman, who showed no true signs of distress. If anything, she smiled. Her own purple eyes narrowed with a jutted chin Coco's way, taunting her. Tension filtered into the air.

"Now, now, that's enough bickering. It's time to get to work, dears." The elderly woman leaped off of their wagon, landing gracefully onto the ground. Though a few of her bones popped as she rose into position, causing her to groan. Gingerly she placed a hand to her back, rubbing it with an embarrassed grin.

"Oof. Don't get old children." She recovered a moment later with a small laugh. Now that she properly stood upright, she rubbed her shriveled hands fervently. Those around her formed a small circle, their attention centered on her figure. A hand gently patted her back, warmth spread through Ori's body, easing the aches she felt.

"Take it easy Mama Ori. We can't afford to have you down for the count." The ringmaster turned towards her left, not disappointed when she saw bright white hair, purple eyes, and a grin still full of mischief. An amused chuckle chimed out from her, only to clear her throat a moment later. Her relaxed features sharpened, taking in the light that was slowly treading their way.

"As if I could afford to, dear Lunaira. Ahem, alright boys and girls, new town, new show! I'm heading out to advertise and find out the local gossip so Lunaira is in charge." Moans of agony were found from all but the two newest additions. Both of which stood the farthest away, and even then, they didn't seem too pleased with that either.

"Oh, come on, I'm not that bad!" Lunaira dramatically sulked after hearing their wordless complaints, kicking the ground. She whirled to each of her companions, where each person she met gave her blank glances. Coco in particular pointed at the older girl with a grudge filled snarl. Accusation laced within the words that spewed from her lips.

"Again, you turned me into a dog!"

"Don't tell me you forgot the time you made me eight feet tall. I know I said I wanted to get a little more height but not by four additional feet."

"Forget Coco, and Illese, what about the time you tricked me into eating monarch berries? I was the laughingstock of Aurelious City because I was constantly crashing into stuff thanks to you!" They saw as she shrugged, unaffected (and not guilty whatsoever) with their accusatory statements.

"You looked good in butterfly wings, Kail. The rainbow really complimented your eyes." Her three victims specifically gave her deadpan stares. Not one of them, however, could hide the fond exasperation they had despite their supposed annoyance. Especially when some of the others laughed at the specified occasions.

"Don't we have things to do, Ori?" Suddenly a loud, stern voice cut through the playful banter. It seemed not all were content to mess around since Lunaira was just barely able to see from the corner of her eye a harsh, impatient glare sent her way. It was their newest female recruit to the circus. Ori in turn sighed as she nodded in the younger woman's direction.

"Quite a bit, Marrow. Lunaira dear, you know what to do." Tilting her head, the woman in question took a step forward. She hummed in thought as she took in the area around them. Broken branches scattered in all manner of directions, long blades of grass that rose up to their calves teased their skin, and big chunks of gravel littered the ground. It was truly a mess. She sighed before clapping her hands once.

"Alright, alright, you heard Mama Ori-come on! Dusty, Dante, Bastian, Kail, and Graves, I want you five to clean up the area for the tent before you set it up. Make sure that when you do, it's secure. Illese, Marrow, Coco, and Momo, the moment the boys set up the tent, we're getting in there to prep for the show. We have got a nice piece of flatland here. More than enough for the bonfire, Dusty's signs, Dante's flowers, the safety markings-all of which has to be put in place. For now, get out our decorating supplies. I'll focus on cleaning the rest of the area. Let's see some magic people!"

"Yeah!" With the exception of Marrow and Graves, everyone raised their fists. Only seconds later did everyone scatter, no further words said while doing so. They sprinted away at blinding speeds, eager to finish their tasks. Allowing the two oldest members the opportunity to speak privately.