TW// Violence.

 “There ya go buddy.” Amber brushed his pelt down with a paw, giving Yippers a firm pat on the back. “That ride was sick, wasn’t it?” She giggled, stepping back while he shook out his pelt.

 “Sick? Well… you could call it that I guess.” A pop sounded as he stretched out his hind leg, instantly retracting it with a growl between his teeth. Ache radiated through his hip, a low thrum sparking with pain. “Pretty uh… hazardous too, dontcha think?”

 “Oh these things are always hazardous.” She giggled, standing beside him. A faint glow emanated from her horns. A set of paws broke away from the spacedust, cold against his skin as they picked him up by his sides.

 Precariously plopped onto the taller nebulruffs back, Yippers quickly wrapped his arms around her neck, paws crossing over the other. The ache was still clawing over his leg, but at least it wasn’t as powerful as before. “Thanks Ambs.” He peeked over her shoulder at the still dazzling circus, hundreds of nebulruffs still milling from tent to tent, attraction to attraction. Did we always have so many paws on the island? He squinted, trying to catch any of the faces passing them. A tall merruff turned his head away to talk to someone else, a kitten leaping into a barrel filled with sweets, another merruff trotting past them too quickly for Yippers to identify any important features. 

 Before all hope died out, Veronica’s halo peeked over the crowd. She stood on her hindlegs, wings flapping in an attempt to hold her balance. The nebulruff twisted her head this way and that, scanning the area before they finally locked eyes. A wide smile cracked over her face, jumping through the swarms before finally stopping in front of them.

 Cotton candy stuck around her maw, a ring of foam that her tongue lapped at eagerly. “Finally— I’ve been looking everywhere for you guys. The sisters are setting up for the main event!” She squealed, dancing on the tips of her feet. “And they’re wanting Amber to be the leading star!” Yippers wrenched his head back as she shoved her face forward, eyes wide and dilated. “Don’t you think she’d just be a perfect fit, Yips? I think so, I do!”

 Amber’s tail wagged behind them, Yippers feeling her start to dance along with the hyper nebulruff as his claws started to dig into her shoulders. “They do? Aww that's so amazing just— oh, they asked for me by name? What am I gonna do— is it like trapeze or beast-taming? That would be awesome to finally see any of them up close and personal, I can’t even— Just-... Where? Where are we going for this? Is everyone going to be there? Ooh, I’m feelin’ all jittery—!”

 Yippers let his mind trail off, looking back at his sore leg as a stab of pain traveled through the nerves with each hop of an overexcited Amber. Well, she has a good reason- The center of attention for such a fantastical event. Though… Do they do this often? Just pick a random stranger to be in their big finale? Especially the last second? What is she going to even do? Did the sisters mention it before they came here? Like moth to a flame, groups of nebulruffs began to wander to the very heart of the circus. Children hopped down from their swings and playgrounds, and rides started to shut down with long lines turning tail to begrudgingly follow everyone else. His brows knitted together, a sharp pair of light ears disappearing in the sea of fur.

 “Hey, Veronica?” The two were still chatting and squealing, Yippers clearing his throat before speaking louder. “Veronica!”

 Amber quickly ducked her head, ears pinning. Sorry… “Do you know where Maddie is? She didn’t come over here with you, did she?”

 “Oh, Maddie…?” Veronica’s eyes glazed over, staring off in thought. Her mouth formed a small ‘o’, looking at him perplexed before her eyes widened. “Maddie! Maddie okay… uh, no, no clue.” His jaw dropped as she shrugged, glancing toward the moving crowd. “She ran off to play with some little ones, haven’t seen her since. I’ll catch up with her at the sister’s tent, there's no way she could’ve gotten in any trouble with all the security around here.”

 “You… just let her go?” Amber’s smile faltered, lifting a brow. “I suppose everyone else did, but that's a lot coming from you, V. Don’t you think Cherry—?”

 “Ah-hahaha!” Veronica’s laughter was practically a shout, taking a deep breath before she continued with an even wider smile. “Don’t be so silly! Kids need to explore and-... uh…” She tapped her chin, looking up at the moon before shaking her head. “We’re gonna be late, come on!” Her halo levitated towards them and squeezed over Amber’s head, the nebulruff quickly abandoning it as she made a speedy dash deeper into the circus.

 “H-hey— Wait!” Ambers head popped back up, Yippers yelping as he nearly fell backwards. Amber chased her, shouldering her way through the crowd. “You forgot your thing!”

 Lights began powering down behind them, the pair at the very tail-end of the crowd that trickled between two high-standing curtains of an enormous circus tent. He craned his neck to look up at the Big Top, fabric glowing a warm hue from the light inside. Behind them, stars were blotting out from the sky— What? Yippers squinted, losing focus of the darkness swallowing the area surrounding them. The powdery edges of smog trailed through every nook and cranny of rusted machines, a towering wave of the inky abyss rushing up to drown them out completely. He whipped his head back, just a few feet from the tent. A beacon that rose high over the trees, the shadows of nebulruffs moving inside faint. She’s… She’s gonna make it. There was no reason to cause her distress now, plus— Who said this oncoming… hungry maw of darkness was a dangerous thing? No one else in front of them seemed to react despite how close it licked at their paws. Maybe it was just to goad stragglers towards the main event? A guide? 

 Yippers tried to shake off the unnerving chill that rolled down his spine, warmth billowing over them as she reached the light that spilled over the ground. He made it just a few paces inside before claws wrapped around his tail, yanking him from Amber’s back. His stomach dropped, losing breath in his lungs from the stab of pain through his leg. Writhing, another clawed hand grabbed him by his collar, the wicked grin of Lassy meeting him face to face.

 “You’re a clingy little thing, aren’t you, runt?” She snickered, the other two sisters hanging limp at her sides. 

 Trudy’s hat slipped off, floating down to a confused Amber’s feet. She turned her head up, brows lifting high in shock. “Lassy!” She called, sitting on her hind legs. “Don’t drop him— What are you doing?” 

 Lassy laughed, the vines surrounding her stem falling over her face. “Don’t worry, I’m making sure your buddy here gets a front row seat to your grand show!”

 All guests had found their seats on hills of bleachers, the deafening thrum of chatter filling the empty air. Veronica paced down one of the stairs, bouncing over to Amber. Her halo wiggled back over the nebulruff’s head, returning to its rightful place. Her words were indecipherable, Yippers only able to watch her mouth move. She tugged at Amber’s paw, the dappled nebulruff giving him a final glance before dropping back onto her feet. 

 “I better here you cheering for me in the crowd, Yippers!” She walked backwards, still glancing between him and the sisters before finally turning around to follow Veronica.

 “Oh, don’t worry. He’s going to absolutely love what we have planned for you.” Lassy chuckled, claws maneuvering the nebulruff to tuck him in her mane. She dropped from the banister her tail clung around, a loud thud that caught not a single ounce of attention. They moved underneath the bleachers, a nibble of popcorn dropping under to bounce off Yippers’s nose. A ray of light stopped the sisters in their tracks, turning to walk between the rows to a velvety throne.

 “Look at you, so special.” Lassy growled, her voice dripping with nothing but sarcasm. “I know it must be sp painful, knowing you weren’t invited to join your little friend. You both make the most fantastic duo. It almost reminds me of ourselves…” 

 Yippers kept his jaw locked tight, trying his best to let the scathing words roll off his shoulders. A wriggling worm of agitation scratched at his brain, his lip twitching.

 The centaur chuckled, carelessly dropping him down onto the seat. She ignored his gasp of pain, brushing her claws off on their mane. “Perhaps next time. Perhaps by then you’ll finally be relevant to our lives. Anyway…” Lassy’s tail flicked as she turned around, the hair smacking him across the face. “Enjoy the show, it’s one to die for.” Disappearing behind the bleachers, her shadow moved further away until disappearing completely.

 Yippers rubbed his side, finally letting his teeth bare in a spiteful growl. That was just unnecessary. He could brush off a lot of things, all of Amber’s ‘people’ didn’t have to be his own, but this case was a special one. Suspicion weighed on his mind, dropping his features into an unamused scowl. They don’t even deserve her, Amber is much greater than some cheap little showpony. There was a small flicker of doubt, Yippers chewing on the inside of his cheek. She can ace anything they throw at her… There wasn’t any chance she’d fail, no matter how cruel or unfair Lassy could try to be. His mind wandered to the possibilities, jumping from a high place into a small pool, taming some wild beast, leaping and dancing through the air, juggling fire in her paws. She could do it all, he was positive of that. She’d always find a way, and especially find a way to make it her own.

 A carny had dropped off a carton of popcorn beside him, Yippers giving it a grimace before pushing it away. The tent had yet to go silent, the buzz of hundreds of voices constant in his ears. His fur prickled in growing irritation, looking on to the bare expanse of ground before them. A single, stout podium was at its center, striped pink, blue, and orange. That sickening sensation had bloomed in his stomach, growing with vines of fear pulling his muscles taut. Minutes had dragged by but it felt like eons, growing sick of the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

 And then, with a ker-chunk of metal moving into place, A sheer light flashed down onto the podium. The sisters had appeared, the rest of the tent blending into the background. Some nebulruffs, especially merrs, shone unnatural colors. Blacklight. Yippers saw the glow of his flower in the corner of his vision, sending a hue of blue throughout his hair. Lassy held a microphone, strings tied between her and her sisters to hold their slack bodies upright. Their arms swung uselessly, jaws agape in soundless screams.

 “Welcome, one and all! To the Travesty Sister’s Careless Carnival!” Her voice echoed around the room, pausing to let a roar of cheers praise her before continuing. “You have all been so lovely, so fun, so generous, and so absolutely brimming with excitement. We will have to leave in quite a short time, so it is our pleasure to make our great escape with the ultimate send-off.” Chains clicked together, the crowd silent before gasps joined Yippers own.

 Amber hung above a metal box filled to the brim in water, chains tightly wrapped around her form with a comically large padlock just below her chin. She swayed upside down, eyes fluttering around the room. Yippers shot up to his feet, a set of paws sitting him back down as the generous carny from before pulled him into the chair. His fur stood on end, shivering in a stomach-churning cocktail of ire and paranoia.

 “Tonight your delectable little Amber will face one of our greatest challenges. One that has taken many lives and more hearts than we can count. Bound with no hope of escape and her magic pulled from her soul, she will be forced to escape from this chamber of water.” Lassy turned to face him, holding the microphone close to the hollow expanse of her jaws. “Or… face the ultimate price.”

  The crowd’s snarls and cheers thundered in his head like war drums, holding up their paws and stomping on the bleachers. Lassy hollered along with them, Yippers twisting his head to find any faces of horror or disgust. Vegas’s wing flapped against his side, flipping his head back to hoot with laughter. On the other side of the clearing, Veronica held Maddie on her shoulders, the small pup holding a flag with Lassy’s face printed on the front. She waved it in the air, not a single care in the world.

 No matter how much he searched, he could not find Horizon. He was the only one to know this was a horrible idea. On one paw, he was grateful the phoeline had kept to himself on the outskirts of the village, but… now Yippers was alone. He couldn’t just sit back and let his best friend die, now could he? This had to be some cruel trick to test his faith. Amber had been their loudest defender, the sisters— Lassy wouldn’t just let her drown.

 Lassy twisted the valves with her claws, the metal screech splitting through the air until she heaved the lid open. The rope holding Amber up snapped, dropping the nebulruff inside. Lassy quickly shut it behind her, pulling the valve shut until it squealed with strain.

 Yippers shot up again, the carny shoving him back down with more force than before. In the dark waves of the shadowed water, he could see her horns glowing faintly as she thrashed around. Her tail lashed about, its flame end having simmered into a dull point. Its outline reached up toward the padlock, just a mere hair from being able to slide between the grooves. The drum of his blood pumping grew louder in his ears, watching the chains curl in as she tried vainly to unlock the chains that wrapped around her body.

 The glow of her spacedust began to fade, flickering in and out of the water. The soft illumination against the cold, steel chains dying out with each passing second. Yippers could feel claws digging into his tense shoulder, the carny leaning over his throne with his cold breath sending icey chills down his back.

 She’s not going to make it. Lassy was just standing there, her sisters groggily starting to awake with each weak thrash of Amber. Trudy patted her head, glancing around the room before shouldering a cackling Lassy. Quintsy shook out their pain, only giving Amber a passing glance before turning away, paws covering her eyes telling him everything he needed to know. She’s not going to make it, and they’re just going to watch her die. The crowd did nothing, only watching in suspense with mindless chatter about what they’d do once the circus left town. What happened to everyone? For as little as they may think about himself, the nebulruff knew well enough not a single townsperson would simply watch one of their own— especially not if it was their beloved Amber. Something was wrong… but he wasn’t going to let it stop him.

 Yippers grabbed the carton of popcorn, slowly bringing it before him. The carny’s grip slackened, turning his head to watch the show until he whipped around and slammed the box over his head. Shoving him back, he leapt over the small fence and immediately beelined towards the water chamber. 

 A pair of claws slammed down on the earth in front of him, making lines in the dirt as Quintsy’s paws stopped him in his tracks. “Don’t! You’re going to ruin the show!” Her voice was thick with emotion, having pulled out a handkerchief to blow her nose. “Roger would just hate that— he’d hate to see our wonderful show fail—”

 “Shut it!” Lassy smacked her over the head, the cuts in her gourd head having twisted to shape a wide, gnarling smile. Her vines curled and grew, forming a mane of their own that drowned out the other sisters who complained and snapped. “Go back to your seat, you little sniveling worm.” She hissed, the vines continuing to reach out as they fixed around the other sisters and pulled them together.

 “Lassy, stop it. You’re being overkill—!” A vine wrapped around Trudy’s snout, snapping her jaws shut.

 “Get out of my way.” Despite the towering figure, Yippers stood strong. He tried to jump around her but a paw swatted him back. His back hit the dirt, quickly scrambling back onto all fours. “She’s going to die! Let her out now.” 

 The centaur only laughed in response, the mane of flora flaring out. Their heads were mushed together, an unholy chimera with Lassy’s gnashing teeth in the forefront. “Or what? You heard this cowardly waste of air.” She glared at Quintsy, the beaked phoeline bowing her head with a whimper. “It’ll ruin our grand finale… it’ll ruin everything!”

 “I don’t care!” Yippers bared his gums, challenging the other with a yippy bark. “You’ve stayed far past your welcome— now move!” There was no other way but to go forward.

 His paws barely touched the ground, forcing his bruised leg to march along. Green talons lurched out, Lassy snarling in annoyance. “Don’t you even think about it, runt!” They narrowly missed his tail, the nebulruff running underneath her body. “Trudy— do something!” A vine squeezed her neck, the merruff acting in kind as her hooves stamped and kicked at the ground around him. They bucked, stomping and snarling in circles while Yippers had his stomach pressed into the ground. He leapt onto the podium, looking up at the tall chamber before quickly searching for some way to climb up to its top. His nose pressed against the glass, Amber’s eyes clouded over as her tail flicked periodically.

 I have to hurry— Claws wrapped around his hind legs, slamming his jaw into the concrete as Lassy ripped him from the podium and flung him to the ground. 

 “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?” She spat the jab out quickly, grabbing him by the loose skin on his back and flinging him into the air.

 His vision spun, weightless for just a few seconds until the centaur raised on their hindlegs and began to juggle him in the air. His stomach bounced around, dizziness weighing on his brain with every moment of freedom quickly snapped up by claws digging into his pelt. “Get a load of this, ladies, gentlemen, and everything outside and in-between!” Lassy’s cackle rang in his ears, sharp even against the crowd's laughter. “We got ourselves a little cloud, trying to rain alllll over our parade!” 

 His head smacked against the ground, vision going white. The tent had gone upside down, rows of bared teeth cackling at him as every onlooker screamed and hollered with laughter. Yippers hung limp, holding his head in a vain attempt to squeeze the throbbing pain from dinging around in his skull. 

 “Why don’t we show what happens to little sourpusses that try to ruin it all for everyone else?” Gripping him by his tail, Lassy heaved him into the air. The moon shone bright over his face, the only thing Yippers could make out between the ache numbing his body and the stars in his eyes. It perfectly fit the hole at the top of the tent, the light that had been shining down on Amber. He’d get to have a more up-close and personal look, A set of hooves on his back for a split-second before sending him off toward that very same celestial sight. The pain mixed in with everything else, the cold sensation of claws having raked over his skin, the hot bruises that quickly grew dark underneath his fur. Yippers squeezed his eyes shut, feeling suspended in the air as time froze around him.

 Hurt. It all hurts. His labored breath dragged freezing air into his lungs, looking down at the small metal box that held Amber hostage. The centaur had turned back to the crowd, shaking her own hand as cheers from below made their way to his mind. But… Amber was hurting too. Her lungs, her eyes, her entire body could be shutting down by now… and he was here complaining. He was letting himself get pushed around by some egotistical sack of fur again. He was letting them get the best of him again. 

 Amber wasn’t around to save him this time. She needed to be saved. She needed him. What friend would he be if he didn’t even try to answer that call?

 Yippers looked back up at the full moon, its light turning his fur pale. There’s only one way I’m going to even have a chance. He’d have to be careful, his only objective was the sisters… no one else. He fell back through the tent, twisting his body midair as his paws tripled— quadrupled in size. The flower billowing in his hair wilted, gnarled vines filled with thorns wrapping around his locks of hair. Tusks longer than his forearm grew out from his muzzle, Yippers pitchy bark turning into a deep, guttural howl of rage.

 His paws made contact with the steel chamber, the thud echoing around the room. Lassy whipped around, the sisters staring in shock at their new and improved foe. Her face twitched into a frown before she inhaled, widening her stance as a cold grin cracked over her features. Quintsy opened her mouth to speak but the middle sister was way ahead, ripping at the mane and rendering the other two unconscious. No words were shared, all the nebulruff had to do was crank the valve once before she rushed ahead.

 The crowd roared as Lassy’s claws made contact with his chest, tumbling to two away from the podium. Yippers rolled on his side, hopping up on his hindlegs to meet the oncoming centaur. She snapped and screeched in his face, hooves pushing off the ground to scrap and kick at his stomach. Grunting with each kick and new wash of hurt, Yippers planted his paws on the ground and began to push underneath her. She toppled over, but not without sending a swift kick that knocked him back several feet. His hip slammed into the water chamber, yelping as that faint pain from his earlier bruising came back with a vengeance. The chamber came careening down, kicking up a cloud of dust as Amber’s body floated to its bottom. Her spacedust had a light thrum of light in tandem with her heartbeat, though her eyes had gone glassy.

 He couldn’t waste anymore time, wrapping his jaw around the valve and wrenching his head back—

 It snapped, Yippers falling back and spitting the metal out. His eyes widened, face dropping in horror. No. No. No, no, no, no, no no nonono— A weight slammed into his side, claws and hooves scratching and lobbing into his stomach and ribs as Lassy locked them together in a ball of hissing, spitting fury. He snarled as one of Quintsy’s claws came down across his face, lurching up. Teeth made contact with flesh, squeezing hard around Trudy’s abdomen. Their hindlegs out, the sharp sob of pain sending a wash of guilt through him he quickly smothered out. Focusing all his tension to his chest, Yippers shook them around before reeling back and tossing them into the water chamber. The metal lid bent in, portions of the glass shattering and exploding over the clearing. Some fell in, Yippers heart dropping as a large shard landed close to Amber's body. The crowd cheered their bloodthirst, starting to throw their treats and trash at a groaning Lassy. Others stomped their feet, claws scratching against the steel bleachers as foam built up around their mouths. 

 He rushed towards the chamber, looking down as its contents poured into the sand. It wasn’t enough, still inches above Amber’s head with the opening being too small to reach his paw into. The moon was still hanging high in the sky. I’m not going to switch back in time. He couldn’t smash the glass, that could just end up doing much, much worse. The metal lid had popped from its opening, the rest still securely shut despite the damage. I’m going to have to… carefully rip it apart… Sounded much easier said than done. 

 “Stop!” Lassy’s voice broke as she screamed at the top of her lungs, reaching a claw out. Their back legs had gone limp, having to use Quintsy’s claws to drag them through the dirt. “You don’t know what you’re doing, you filthy maggot-ridden dung-eating snake!” She whipped her head around to Trudy, the merruff still out of commission. “You.” Quintsy cried out as the vines wrapped around her sister’s body, taking control as they squeezed around her arms, neck, and torso. “Useless! All of you— useless!”  Twisting, spiral vines grew from underneath her hooves, moving over her hindlegs before forcing them to stand upright. “Why must I always do everything myself!?” Her head snapped over to Quintsy, the phoeline quickly batting away the vines that threatened to do the same.

 Yippers looked away, desperately trying to yank the metal lid off the glass chamber all at once. He grabbed either side with his paws, mustering up as much of his dying energy as he could before starting to pull. It slid against the sand, more water sloshing around inside. The cry of metal caught his attention, looking down to see water turn the pale sand to a dark brown mush. It’s working! A roar sounded, looking back up to see a vine-ridden Lassy staring right back at him. The sisters had disappeared underneath her mane, their entire body taken over by rotting patches of gourds, thorned, gnarled vines, and wilted leaves.

 With an enraged howl, she charged, claws and hooves stomping against the ground in a rhythmic beat of drums. Yippers frantically began to pull, all he needed was to drain the water— Drain the water and he could focus back on dealing with their ringmaster. They drew closer, Yippers claws peeking underneath the metal as it began to give more and more. Hope filled him with new vigor, the ground underneath him growing wet with the scent of seas filling his nostrils.

 A shadow washed over him, Lassy standing tall with her claws slicing through the air. A vibrant set of wings appeared behind her, blotting out the shining moon above. Yippers braced himself, still yanking at the water chamber as he awaited that piercing blow.

 Her shout of anger quickly turned into one of fear, the sound flying over and behind him. Yippers’s eyes snapped open, looking over his shoulder to see a white cockatrice pecking and clawing at her face.

 Horizon’s sharp caw pinned his ears back, a red flame building up in his gut before fire blazed from his beak and onto a writhing Lassy. His claws pinned her to the ground, wrapped firmly around her shoulders as her hooves kicked uselessly behind her. He hadn’t even given Yippers a second glance, tail feathers lashing in the air as his opponent fought underneath him. 

 Turning back to his task, it only took a few more yanks until he fell back with the lid between his paws. Amber rolled out with the last of the water, Yippers tossing it aside to stand over her. He carefully leaned forward, trying his best to press his ear against her chest without suffocating her completely. A light thud against his back pulled him away, turning around to see Horizon flapping his wings with a puffed out chest. He stood between them and Lassy. Her vines had been scorched, leaving nothing but a mushy pumpkin and burnt bodies beside her. Parts of her sludge-like features fell to the ground, no arms available to try and keep her face together.

 “What have you done!?” She sobbed, turning to Amber’s body limp against the ground. “Why? Why!? No— no!” Looking around rapidly, she turned tail and ran through the same set of curtains they’d entered in. Her voice split through the sky, pleading, demanding, screeching over and over. The black smog poured in the tent, taking unrecognizable nebulruffs with it as they disappeared into airy plumes of darkness. The tent withered away, its ashes joining the swirl as it formed a cloud above them. Attractions and building fell, turning into smog before they could hit the ground. Where bare land had been, trees unearthed themselves blooming with life. Only the villagers were left, the fog lifting from their forest to chase after Lassy as she escaped towards the back of the island. They raised their heads, the smog pouring from their ears to chase after the dissipating cloud. Mumbles of confusion could be heard, Veronica calling for Maddie before pulling the small nebulruff into a tight embrace. Vegas was hunched over, shaking the rest from his pelt with an assurance that his complaints were known.

 Horizon joined his side, shifting back into his phoeline form as the pair stared down at the unmoving body. Before he could jump to the obvious conclusion, darkness trickled from inside her open jaw and Amber spluttered away. She leapt to her feet, looking around dazed before finally meeting Yippers eyes. The nebulruff looked him up and down, breathing hard.

 “What… What happened?” She looked around, coughing up more of the smog. “Where— Why is everyone out here?” Amber quickly found herself leaning against his side, Horizon giving a comforting pat on the back.

 “Nothin’ necessarily needin’ nervosity ‘bout now, kay?” 

 “...” She squinted. “What?”

 Yippers laughed, more about the fact any of that had happened but… well, it lightened the mood somewhat. “Ah, just— Let's get back home, alright? I’ll explain it to you on the way.”

 Kneeling on his front paws, Horizon helped boot Amber onto his back before they made their way towards Hometown. Villagers walked beside them, some more in a rush than others. There would be… a lot to unpack when they got home.