This is not the second part of the Howloween Lore drop, that will be dropped Nov 10th This is just a short-story to learn a little about this year's mascot- So sit back and enjoy!

 “Oh Yippers, don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud!” Amber giggled, running through the crowd as it trickled into the abundant circus. Vibrant, flashing lights formed arrows pointing in all directions. Every attraction, shop, path, and employee was littered in miniature beacons, Yippers stepping back as the nebulruff’s pin-prick pupils stared through him through the abrasive light. “There’s so much to do— Oh, the sister’s are just so generous for inviting me to their shows. I’m not even sure what to expect!”

 “Amber—” Fluff enveloped his face, Yippers wrenching his head back in shock as a stick of cotton candy was shoved up his nose. An acidic scent slammed into his senses, scrunching his face in disgust before politely pushing the carny’s paw away. “Amber, listen. I’m sorry I had that outburst, okay? It’s just been a lot and Horizon’s—”

 “Eugh, Horizon, Horizon, worry, stress, bleh, bleh, blah, blah.” At the final ‘blah’, she grabbed a stick of cotton candy from the carny and flicked it at him before taking a large bite. It melted in her mouth, a squealish “Mhm!” humming from her with a wide grin. “He’s not even here, so why are you trying to bring him up with all that negative talk?” The giddy nebulruff spun around, stopping Yippers in his tracks by setting a paw on his shoulder. “Okay, I may as well do this now before our whole night is ruined.” Rolling her eyes, she continued more solemnly. “You’re right. With me coming home, our friends leaving, these sudden guests-... it’s been a lot on everyone— you especially.” 

 Yippers simply sat there and blinked for a moment, slack-jawed in utter disbelief until he managed a quick splutter. “S-So you’re not mad?”

 “I was.” She shrugged, taking another nibble of her treat. “But after talking with Lyla and Quintsy… I can see where you’re coming from. I just assumed we could go back to normal and forget ‘bout all that, but it was wrong for me to not think about how it might’ve affected you.” Another bite. “But— maybe this can be our little break before uh… talking about it or whatever you want to do. Some fun before the serious business, huh? The sisters do mean well, so I think instead of worrying about me and how mysterious and mystical this all is in a world full of magic, you should give ‘em a chance.”

 For once, ever since she’d returned, Amber finally looked like herself. A cotton candy-filled, toothy grin spread across her face, head tilted to the side and ear flopping over her cheek with that soft glimmer in her eyes. “I gave you one, didn’t I? C’mon, return the favor, Yips?”

 He couldn’t believe it. All these days, all this stress, all this fretting, and doubt and thinking it was all over— all that sickness that palpitated his heart and took the appetite from his stomach dissipated immediately. She’s not upset— We’re alright. So it was a good thing he’d come here, Amber had been looking forward to spending time with him again. “Y-yeah… yeah, why not.” Well… if all I had to do was wait a few days and talks for her to calm down, then it’s not so bad. Everyone needs it once in a while, I should’ve just slowed down— Yippers was torn from his thoughts as Amber pulled him forward with her tail.

 “Ooo! Ooo! Look!” A small circus tent was tucked between two large jungle gym areas, almost impossible to see with all the sugar-high puppies running about. They leaped through hoops, and swung on ropes, a collection of phoeline kittens soaring high into the air in a mad chase for an enormous ball of colorful yarn. Looked a little dangerous, but a line of carnys was waiting to assist at the very edges of the park.

 Have we always had this many kids? The sound of squealing made his ears pin, the taller nebulruff maneuvering them underneath climbing sets and dodging zooming children until they finally reached their destination. Amber had to lower her head, the ropes holding the cloth entrance up brushing the top of Yippers’s head as they entered the tent.

 He didn’t know what to expect, but it was not mile-high bleachers encircling a gaudy theater stage with dozens of eyes shining dimly in the light. A mask not far from Quintsy’s own appearance was carved into the wooden beams on either side of the stage. In the left beam, she was grinning, a small and polite curve. Birds, clouds, sunshine, and a multitude of roses etched onto the surrounding surface. The right was much to be expected, mouth open in a silent sob with broken hearts and wilted flowers littering the space around her.

 Amber continued to pull him along, following the curve of the tent’s wall until she spotted the sisters waiting for her beside a red curtain. Trudy reached out, pulling it aside for the pair before swiftly shutting it behind them. Yippers jumped as the heavy fabric knocked into his side, glaring at the curtain behind him before following Amber up a small flight of stairs. No use in making a fuss, we’re here to have a good time and it was probably just an accident anyway.

 Settling down in cushioned seats, Amber hung her paws off the edge of the booth and leaned forward. Her eyes were alight with wonder, her tail smacking into the seat behind her. There she is… It felt like it’s almost been months since he’d seen a genuine grin from her, Yippers unable to fight back as his shoulders relaxed to a slump. After a few minutes, the lights would dim, Yippers barely able to make out actors moving around in the dark as they pushed the sets into place. The lights soon grew to illuminate the stage, a fitting room with rows and rows of dresses and shelves full of masquerade masks surrounding a group of well-dressed, chattering nebulruffs.

 A short, beaked phoeline adorned in a long, flowing white dress littered with white roses and golden petals dragged behind her. The crowd echoed an “Ooh” as she joined an awaiting encirclement of bridesmaids giggling and whispering to each other. The closest spotted her first, starting a long chain of tapping shoulders, and hushed “She's here!” “Just look at her!” “How beautiful!” before all broke out into excited squeals. They rushed the beaked actress, dresses flaring and swiveling behind them as they hopped around and over her. 

 “Such a wonderful day, such a beautiful day, such a glorious day for you!” They purred in unison, tails brushing over her shoulders. They plucked a single red rose from their pelts, settling them in the bride’s hair to form a crown over her head. A veil dropped, more yelps and shouts of delight echoing around the room until the crash of cymbals caught their attention.

 “Oh, hide, hide, hide!” A tall, delicately groomed nebulruff stood on the other side of the door to the room, a black bowtie just barely visible in the thick layers of fur that cascaded down his throat and chest. The bridesmaids began to shove the bride out the other side, tossing her out a window with such jankiness Yippers couldn’t help but give at least a snort of amusement among the giggling crowd.

 The groom soon entered after, and another unison of “Hi!” greeted him as he entered. He looked around expectantly, peering behind chairs and a vanity. The bridesmaids followed him around as ducklings would, periodically glancing at the window to ensure their wonderful bride wouldn’t be seen by her groom. She was still lost in her dress, flailing around with more and more lace swallowing up her pale fur. That has to be part of the act, right?

  “-and where would be my betrothed?” His attention was turned back to the nebulruff, his voice unsurprisingly the classic Prince Charming. Not too deep with the warmth of a hearth, pitching high at the end of his question. “I simply cannot wait at the altar, I must see her now—!”

 “Oh no, no, no, no!” One of the bridesmaids stepped up, the others shaking their heads behind her. “You know the rules, you mustn’t see the bride before the wedding, it brings bad luck!”

 “But you must understand, I love her!” Eugh-... Yippers cringed back, glancing at Amber only to see her watching the play with just as much enthusiasm as before. It’s… cheesier than I expected. Well, if he were to be forthcoming, Quintsy didn’t seem to be the sort to enjoy anything nuanced.

 “-and that’s it!” The bridesmaids had managed to shove him out of the room, Yippers so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t even been paying any mind to the classic romance drama unfolding before them. They dusted their dresses off, fixing their hair and soon enough one had gone over to the window they’d dropped their friend in. 

 A long pause, the nebulruff shifting around until she came back with a slacked jaw. “She’s gone!”

 “She’s gone? What do you mean she’s gone?” All of them gathered in the window, looking on at nothing but floorboards as the soon-to-be had disappeared. Immediately they began to scatter through the room, chickens missing their heads as they peeked under furniture and opened every cabinet and dresser they could. They soon trickled out of the room, running around the stage as the set was pushed away and a new one was wheeled in.

 The cut-out of a running fountain rolled to the middle of the stage on its wheels, more cut-outs of bushes and lamposts framing it before being settled into position. The bride peeked out, looking around anxiously before finally sneaking out. Her neck outstretched, looking over the bushes and walking to the other side of the fountain—

 Only for the groom to peek out just from where she had come from. He followed behind her, ducking whenever she glanced over her shoulder while she circled back around behind the fountain. They continued their chase, the groom always disappearing just before she came around the corner, trotting faster and faster until the crowd's laughter started to build up. At the final bend, he’d turn around at the last second with a loud “Raah!”, standing on his hind legs as the bride fell back with a shrill squeak.

 Ow. Yippers scratched at his ears, listening to Amber’s chortle beside him while the groom helped the bride onto her paws.

 “What are you doing out here?” She’d try to shield her face, the nebulruff using just a paw to pull her arms down. “You shouldn’t be here— Why aren’t you waiting at the altar for me? What about the guests—!”

 “I couldn’t wait, my love.” He cooed, using his nose to flip the veil behind her head. A small gasp left him, brows flying up as his eyes scanned over his face. “You look absolutely gorgeous.” The phoeline shied away, the groom quickly running to her other side in an attempt to see her once more. “Oh, do not hide from me, love. Who cares about a couple of guests? It’s just you and I, as it should be.”

 “Not right now!” The bride yelped out, turning her back to him. “You know what they say, you mustn’t see me before—!”

 “The wedding, I know.” He lowered onto his stomach, crawling forward until he was in her vision again. Rolling onto his back, the groom continued with a chuckle. “It’s all just formalities, dear. If it were up to me, our ‘wedding’ would be a night in the open moonflower field! Singing and dancing to our heart's content, counting stars and catching glitterbugs— planning all the things we’d do together, all the places we’ll see!” Even at this distance, Yippers could see the smile growing on the bride's face, poking out from behind her paws.

 “Really?” Her voice was small and hopeful, sniffling as the groom jumped to his paws.

 “Really! We wouldn’t spend a moment apart… not like you’re asking me to now.” He wrapped her up in a hug, the bride hesitantly reciprocating. “Don’t worry about some silly tale, my love. Nothing could ever stop me from marrying you, I simply wouldn’t allow it.”

 “Alright, alright… I believe you.” She delicately tapped the budding tears from the corners of her eyes, turning her head up to face him. “But still, I don’t want to leave everyone waiting. It’d be rude!” The bride headbutted his shoulder, the actor doing well enough to at least make it look like it made him stumble.

 “Fine, my darling, fine! Don’t leave me hanging, alright? The longer you take, the longer it’ll be before we can explore the world together! I love you.” Pressing his snout against her cheek, the nebulruff spun around and quickly ran backstage and out of view.

 “...I love you too…” Her voice echoed in the now-silent room, the lights slowly dimming until shutting off completely.

 It had taken longer than usual for the crew to set the stage, Amber having gotten up to grab a snack. She still hadn’t returned as the crowd’s chattering died down, a single beam of harsh light shining down upon the bride. She fluffed out the fur on her cheeks, turning her head this way and that in the mirror while humming a soft tune. It was almost hypnotic, Yippers having to blink hard to keep his lids from gluing shut until the soft click of a door opening caught everyone's attention. The bride turned her head, swiveling in her stool as one of the bridesmaids slowly padded up to her. Her head was ducked low, staring a hole into the ground before she reached the phoeline and lifted to whisper into her ear. Yippers leaned forward, ears straining in an attempt to make out what was said.

 He couldn’t make a lick of sense of what she was saying, the tone too hushed for it not to blur all together into a monotone buzz. Whatever it may be, it couldn’t possibly be anything good. The phoeline’s eyes widened, mouth dropping as her face twisted in silent horror. Everything seemed to freeze, an uncomfortably long pause of silence digging under Yippers skin as the realization set in. She inhaled, doubling over and clutching at her throat in a silent sob. The bride lurched forward in dry heaves, falling from the stool in a way that was almost too— genuine. His paws itched, claws softly digging into the fabric as a piercing, ragged scream finally broke from the actress. The lights started to flash, Yippers squinting against them as the shadow of gnashing teeth and writhing tentacles engulfed the stage. The bridesmaid backed away in horror, her shout of fear cut off as she suddenly disappeared from the stage.

 He couldn’t make out what was happening, the flashing lights growing too rapid and abrasive as they were directed solely at the crowd. Nebulruffs shielded their eyes, some, along with Yippers still trying to make out what was happening below. An altar with guests awaiting in pews appeared, the groom waiting expectantly. The screams roared back up, all at once everyone twisting their heads around to find its source. One by one they’d disappear, any guest that tried to run and flee being dragged across the stage by some unforeseen force kicking and writhing. The groom was the last to survive, but the shadow of the ferocious beast was cast back over the stage and he could only stick his paws up in surrender and give a half-uttered beg before he too was gone.

 The lights cut out, a cheap music box playing somewhere to their right as a slow, groggy tune filled the empty void. Yippers rubbed his eyes, still reeling from the insanity of what just occurred before a paw on his shoulder made him jump.

 “Hey, you alright? The show is over.” Amber shook him a little, a brow raised in curiosity while she looked down at him. “Have a nice nap?”

 Before he could even ask one of the hundred questions spiraling in his head, Amber’s final question caught him off guard. Nap? Nap? What does she mean by ‘nap’? When did I even fall asleep? Sure he wasn’t impressed by the story, but that didn’t mean he’d tap out by leaning back and sleeping through all of it.

 “C’mon, Trudy gave me a ticket to one of her rides!” Grabbing his collar, she helped drag him out of the seat before running down the staircase. “We got the front seat— it’s gonna be awesome!”

 Amber pulled him along, skipping by the entire snaking line of patiently waiting carnival-goers. The music was blaring into his ears, perpetually pinning them back as he squinted against the neon signs pointing toward the entrance. Does everything here have to be so bright? He tried his best to step over the litter rolling over the ground, candy wrappers and glow sticks scattered around with even more dropping from oblivious puppies and kittens.

 Once again the sisters were waiting for them, holding onto the end of a red silk that separated the V.I.P entrance from the rest of the crowd. Quintsy was rubbing her eyes with it, quietly sniffling to herself. They climbed up a rickety set of metal stairs, walking down the empty queue to the very end. The coaster was nothing special, just barely put together enough not to fall apart— and even that was questionable. Wooden boards nailed to its sides acted as ‘doors’, some of the lights punched out with crowbars and shattered bottles sticking out of its sides as ‘decoration’. 

 “Ooh, spooky!” Amber chirped, hopping inside and patting the seat next to her.

 They slipped into the harness, clipping it over their chests before an employee came over to give it a small wiggle. Finally, the guest line would open up, only to quickly close as not even a sixth of the line poured into the ride and found their own seating arrangements. The tracks immediately led into a tunnel, Yippers looking around in a failed attempt to see where the rest of it went. Tall, concrete structures reached high above their heads, broken windows with tattered drapes fitting over the building in unaligned, mismatched shapes. Tipped over trash cans and power lines covered whatever free space below and above them, precarious flowerpots and moldy pies sat on almost half of the windowsills. For being a colorful, fun-loving circus, this didn’t look all that colorful or fun-loving—

 The sudden rush of air and his body slamming into the back of the seat quickly reminded Yippers he was in fact on a coaster. Loud buzzers and shrieks of the guests behind him echoed down the tunnel, cheap decorations of ghosts and bats dropping down with bright lights illuminating their disfigured faces. Wind billowed through his fur, Yippers not even able to twist his head to glance at Amber beside him from the intense amounts of g-forces strapping him to the seat. His stomach dropped, the coaster rolling up and down sheer hills, it was enough to give him a whiplash. Yippers squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shut out the sickness churning in his stomach and the oncoming migraine from being tossed around— The ride just started!

 After what felt like forever spinning in circles and flipping upside down, the rickety coaster exploded out of the tunnels, newspapers and bits of trash falling behind them. “Hnk!” His head smacked into the railing as the coaster slammed to a stop, the pulsing ache thrumming through his entire skull. Yippers clutched his head, feeling himself lean back as the coaster started its slow ascension up an unnecessarily monumental hill. “Oww… Ow!” A can hit the back of his head, twisting around to try and catch a glance at the perpetrator just for a rolled-up newspaper to nail him again. 

 He flipped around, a periodic ache in his head with more and more pieces of trash being flung at him. “What is—?” 

 “You gotta smack it away!” Amber giggled beside him, paws raised up to bat away any flower vases and rolled-up tissues being ejected her way. 

 There wasn’t use in questioning it, the more he sat here dumbfounded the more his head would be aching in the morning. Yippers did the best with what he got, having to wait until the trash was just a foot from his face before being able to reach it and swat it away. His eyes still scanned the area below them, hoping for at least some generalized area to expect the foul-smelling projectiles.

 None stuck out to him, the little mini-game stretching out until they reached the very top of the hill and none of the trash could reach them anymore.

 “You ready?” Amber bumped his side, wiggling in her seat as the click of the coaster crawling up the hill sent ripples of pain down the smaller nebulruffs brain. 

 “Ready as I’ll ever be…” Was all he could manage through the splitting headache before that heart-stopping drop was upon them. He did his best to dig his claws into the seat, but it was hard to get a firm grip when all you had to work with was surprisingly well-polished wood. They scrambled against its surface, everyone but Yippers yelling and squealing in delight. He was much too busy having a silent panic attack as his hind legs lifted from the seat, vainly attempting to pull on the leash attached to his harness and yank himself down. The nebulruff’s paws just barely grazed the leather, cursing his nubbiness until a recorded yelp of shock caught his attention. A whiskered merruff— a wooden cut-out of Trudy appeared in the middle of the track, body twisted to look like she’d fallen over.

 The sound of fabric tearing pierced through his brain, but the sound was quickly drowned out by the rollercoaster decimating the cutout. It exploded into tiny bits of splintery shrapnel, Yippers soaring high above the coaster, past all the buildings, and out into the open sky with the harness still strapped around him.

 There was just a second of peace, turning his head to see the colorful, gleaming landscape of the circus beneath him. Hundreds of dots of nebulruffs running from attraction to attraction, cheap carnival game stands, and food trucks littered at random. His eyes slid further beyond, past the black fog that had swallowed up the forest back towards the empty village. A lonely hutch still sitting on that hill, illuminated in the moonlight—

 Yippers slammed face-first into a billboard. His body sprawled out, flattening to its smooth surface before sliding down. He peeled off, wind rushing through his fur for just a few more seconds before the smell of trash assaulted his senses. The soft cushion of rotten food and plastic cups surrounded him, blinking through his blurred vision just to see himself surrounded by the walls of a dumpster.