//------------------------------// // A Change in Behavior // Story: Cinematic Adventures: The Greatest Showman // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// The next day, following the amazing performances by Jenny Lind and Rara, needless to say things were not going smoothly for Barnum and Bailey Circus. Phineas was so engaged with setting up Miss Lind’s next performance he was completely ignoring his duties as co-owner of the circus. Whenever matters came up regarding future shows, he’d always shove them on Erik and Philip while he kept his focus on climbing the social ladder in New York. And then it only got even worse from there… Phineas had announced he was going on tour around the country to manage Jenny as she performed. To say both Philip and Erik were none too pleased to hear the news would’ve been a major understatement. Hence why they found themselves trying to talk to Barnum about it, as the next show was being set up and Barnum unfurled a large promotional poster for Jenny Lind on his desk. “Why can’t you just put more shows in New York?” Philip asked him. “Why do you need to tour the country?” “Why did Napoleon march on Russia?” Phineas retorted. “I’d like to point out that Napoleon was ‘defeated’ in that invasion,” Erik reminded his partner. “Napoleon didn’t have a 60-piece orchestra.” “A 60-piece orchestra?” “Just get the cheapest musicians you can and watch that.” “We’ll still have to board them,” Erik reminded Phineas. “It’s not as simple as you make it out to be.” “We’ll get married ones,” Phineas suggested. “They can share a bunk.” Just before leaving the office, Phineas turned back and noticed O’Malley messing with his daughter’s piggy bank. “O’Malley, that’s Caroline’s piggy bank,” He reminded, as they left. Out in the main performance ring, many of the troupe were rehearsing for their acts that night. Fluttershy’s main job was working with the animals of the show. Currently, she was trying to calm an upset elephant who refused to eat. She tried to gently encourage him to eat, but the gentle giant simply refused. “Aw, come on now Titan,” She encouraged kindly. “We got you some nice quality hay and grass. I promise you’ll love it.” Titan the elephant just waved his trunk around and knocked the cart of hay and grass off to the side much to the Pegasus’s surprise. “What’s wrong big guy?” Fluttershy asked. “You’ve been like this for days; it’s not healthy for you. Just tell me how to make it better for you and I will. I promise.” Titan just moved his giant head toward the direction of the upper walkway. It was then Fluttershy noticed Barnum, Erik, and Philip continuing on with their conversation. “Custom sets?” Philip questioned. “Yeah,” Phineas nodded. “Fireworks?” Erik continued. “Uh-huh.” “Inside theaters?” “That’s genius!” Barnum smiled. “No. Hey, P.T.!” Philip called after Phineas. “These are the most famous theaters in the country. They make you buy the seats in advance just to book them—” “Yeah, I took out a loan,” Phineas interrupted. “Not to mention we’d have to pay Miss Lind in advance,” Erik added. “She’s certainly not cheap to book—” “It was a large loan, okay?” Phineas interrupted again. “My point is you won’t see a penny of profit until your 40th show…” “41st, actually.” “Do you ever listen to yourself?” Erik argued. “You’re risking everything we’ve built here!” “How do you think we built it?” Phineas asked. “We took risks and it paid off. We’ll have plenty of profits to go around after this.” Philip finally had enough with all this nonsense. He grasped Barnum by his shoulder, and forced him to face him. “P.T.?” “What?” “Your attention has been divided long enough.” “He’s absolutely right,” Erik agreed. “Our gate is down, and we have more protestors every day. Yet all you seem to care about anymore is how high you can rise on the social ladder instead of how you got there to begin with.” “You just need to get people to come back,” Phineas shrugged. “If you haven’t been to the Barnum Museum lately, you haven’t been at the Barnum Museum.” “In case you forgot, it is as much my museum as it is your!” Erik shot back. “Barnum and Bailey, just as we agreed! I put up my own business in order to help you and your family out of financial disaster! I’m the one putting all of my plans aside to cover for you.” “They come to see you,” Philip reminded Barnum. “Your crazy ideas… your new acts, the unusual.” “Well, then how about you show them a smile?” Phineas shot back. “That’d be unusual. Keep rehearsing. Just make it very clear I expect them to afford you all the deference you deserve and that they should be nice to you anyway.” And just like that, Phineas made his way through the backstage area and out the back door. This left Erik and Philip looking after him in disappointment and the rest of his troupe looking hurt and angry. “Ain’t that a sight for sore eyes?” Lettie commented. “Couldn’t even say ‘hello’,” Charlies added, shaking his head. “Or ‘goodbye’,” Philip sighed. “He’s going on tour. Sorry, guys.” “Oh, pull yourself together, Carlyle,” Lettie rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Philip grabbed his pocket watch from his pocket and looked down at the time. He realized he was running very late. Erik placed a hand upon his shoulder and the young man looked up toward the smirking gaze of the Phantom himself. “Best not keep young Miss Wheeler waiting,” He chuckled. “Go on and have a good time. I’ll take care of things for tonight.” “Are you sure?” Philip asked. “I was pulling the strings of the theatre arts long before you were born,” Erik replied. “I can handle the show. Now go… give her the best night of her life. And make every moment count.” Philip nodded with a smile and raced off to meet with Anne. Erik knew that a thing was going on between Philip and Anne Wheeler, especially from what his pony friends mentioned (Mostly Rarity). There was a spark between those two, yet they barely seemed to push it any further due to whatever reluctance weighed upon the boy. Erik could only hope this night would turn out well for them and lead to something more. Everyone else watched after him, while Charles chuckled over his departure. “That boy has got the love disease for Anne bad,” He chuckled. “That he does,” Erik nodded in agreement. “But we cannot focus on his business. His affairs are his own after all. Let’s focus on tonight’s show.” “What’s the point, Mr. Bailey?” Lettie sighed. “Without Mr. Barnum, there isn’t a point in any of this.” “Surely you can’t believe that.” “It’s the truth,” Charles added. “None of us would even be here if it wasn’t for him. We’d still be going about life being kicked around and laughed at. We’re all just a bunch of freaks and monsters.” At that moment, Fluttershy made her way backstage toward the others. She overhead them talking in between comforting Titan and hearing them say such talk hurt her heart. “That isn’t true,” Fluttershy told them. “You are all wonderful human beings just like everyone else. Sure you may not look like other people, but that doesn’t mean you should feel less than others.” Despite her kind words, Lettie and Charles just looked down sadly. “It’s nice of you to say Fluttershy,” Lettie thanked her. “Sadly, the rest of the world doesn’t think the way you and your friends do. There will always be people reminding us of who we really are. A bunch of abominations with no place in this world.” Seeing her friends so dejected and somber made Fluttershy want to cry. Instead, she retained her composure and was determined to prove to these poor people how much they should be treated the same way as she wanted to be… an equal. “You know… in the land I come from, ponies used to treat ‘me’ like an outcast,” Fluttershy admitted. “And for the longest time, I didn’t feel like I belong anywhere.” “You?” Lettie questioned. “When I was a filly, back when I lived in Cloudsdale, I attended flight school like my fellow Pegasi,” Fluttershy explained. “They bullied me often, poking fun at me just because I couldn’t fly as good as all the other ponies my age. Sometimes… I wonder ‘why’ I was even born a Pegasus, that maybe I should’ve been born an Earth pony. Had it not been for Rainbow Dash sticking up for me, being my only friend, I wouldn’t know where to be. She may be hard on me at times, but she was the one friend who treated me as ‘no’ different compared to any other Pegasus… or any pony for that matter.” “What’s your point, kid?” Charles retorted. “My point is… you only believe what you are because for the longest time, you haven’t had anyone tell you any different,” Fluttershy replied. “I believe all you really needed is what I needed all those years ago. What all us outcasts need.” “And what would that be?” Charles asked somberly. “A friend,” Fluttershy smiled. Both Charles and Lettie looked up toward the timid yellow Pegasus, who just smiled brightly and offered a hoof to each of them. They both looked at her for a moment of confusion before slowly reaching out and taking a hoof each. Fluttershy helped them stand before she broke out into song, one she hoped would inspire the troupe. Soon as she finished, both Lettie and Charles gazed upon her with big smiles on their faces and held back tears threatening to emerge. Never before had they ever had anyone in their lives so willing to be their friend, a friend willing to help them through their problems. They embraced the young Pegasus in a hug to which she happily returned. From the sidelines, Erik looked on with a happy look on his face. Barnum may have given up on the circus game, but not Erik and he never would. And without question, his friends clearly won’t give up on these people… not ever. <> Later that evening, Anne Wheeler, dressed in her finest ensemble, walked into the New York Opera House to see the latest show. All her life she wanted to go to the theatre and now here she was finally in a position she was able to do so. Mr. Barnum apparently left a ticket just for her and so she approached the ticket booth to collect it. “Mr. Barnum said he left a ticket for me,” She spoke to the attendant. The attendant reached down and pulled it out. To her surprise, the man proceeded to hand her not one, but two tickets. This most certainly confused Anne greatly. “I’m—I’m sorry,” She spoke confused. “I—I believe there’s only supposed to be one.” “No, there’s meant to be two.” The sudden voice beside her made her turn her head and see Philip Carlyle standing right next to her dressed in a fancy suit. The two stood there for a moment as they gazed at each other. They had not seen much of one another since the night of Jenny Lind’s performance, and they remembered that moment very well. In the midst of Lind’s song, Philip reached over and intertwined his hand with hers. In that one moment, Anne felt happier than she had ever felt in her entire life. Sadly, the moment was spoiled when they both noticed Philip’s parents in the audience looking at them funny. Philip quickly released his grip on her hand, which made Anne feel so foolish, so upset that she walked out of the hall. And now here they stood, face-to-face once more as if by chance… or destiny. “I wasn’t sure you’d come if I asked,” Philip said awkwardly. “Five minutes to curtain,” A man announced. Philip offered his arm to Anne, who accepted after a moment’s hesitation. He proceeded to lead her towards the entrance to the theatre where a wonderful show waited for them. “I’ve always wanted to go to the theater,” Anne told him. They both smiled at each other as they made their way up the steps. Then suddenly, they found their path blocked by none other than Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle, Philip’s parents. Both Anne and Philip looked toward them awkwardly. “Philip, is that you?” Mr. Carlyle asked. “Mother… father…” Philip nodded to them. “This is Anne Wheeler.” “Philip… have you no shame?” Mr. Carlyle asked appalled. “Associating myself with that Barnum business is one thing… but parading around with the help?” Hearing him say such a remark made Anne suddenly feel very out of place. She quickly turned heel and started making her way out of the building. “Anne!” Philip called after her. “Anne! Anne!” She gave no reply nor even looked back. She just walked out the front door as Philip looked on. The moment he turned to look at his father, anger drew upon the young man’s face. “How dare you speak to her like that?” He asked lowly. Philip started to follow her, only for his mother to hold out her arm to stop him. “You forget your place, Philip,” She said. “My place?” Philip asked. “Mother, if this is my place then I don’t want any part of it.” And that said, Philip pushed past his parents not once looking back. All he did was kept going and followed Anne out the front door determined to find her again. <> As it turned out, Anne hadn’t gone as far as Philip thought. She had made her way back to the circus building, where Philip followed her the entire way. The moment he entered the building, he found Anne in her costume sitting on the bleachers and he walked toward her. “Anne,” He spoke gently. “They’re small-minded people. Why do you care what they think?” “It’s not just them,” Anne responded, trying not to cry. “You’ve never had somebody look at you the way your parents looked at me. The way everyone would look at us.” Anne made to walk away, but Philip quickly turned on heel to face her once again as his true feelings for her came out in song form. Soon as the singing was over, Anne placed a single hand upon Philip’s cheek before she walked off. Philip found himself standing there, feeling hurt for two reasons. The fact that despite being willing to give up ‘everything’ for her, Anne seemingly didn’t want to be with him. But worse than that… he was angry at the world and its people for not accepting the idea of them being together. Circus business was not all smiles and laughs as he originally thought it was. And from the shadows, hidden in the dark, Erik had been watching the pair the entire time. He too was angry… only he was more sympathetic for the young man. In a way, Philip reminded Erik of himself… the way he had initially loved someone, but they could never be together. And that was long before he met ‘the one’, a very special pony, one he happily married and would soon share a child with… everything was working out for him. But for Philip and Anne… Erik knew it would take some form of magic to make their union a reality. <> Meanwhile, across town, things were truly falling apart at the Barnum mansion. Shortly after informing is family he’d be going on tour to manage Jenny, Charity made it very clear she was certainly not pleased. It wasn’t so much he would be traveling with Jenny that bothered her; rather, it was the fact he was willing to leave his wife and kids for such a long time. Charity was already content with the life she and Phineas had together with their family, but it still seemed that it wasn’t enough for him, and he always wanted ‘more’. Barnum was currently packing for the journey while his wife tried to reason with him. “First, it was buying a house on the same street as my parents,” Charity spoke upset. “Then, meeting the Queen. Then bringing Jenny Lind, then my father the other night. When will it ever be enough for you?” “I’m doing this for Caroline and Helen,” Phineas responded. “Look around you,” Charity gestured. “They have everything.” “You don’t understand.” “I do understand.” “No, you don’t understand,” Phineas responded loudly. “How could you? My father was treated like dirt. I was treated like dirt… and my children will not be.” “You don’t need everyone to love you, Phin,” Charity assured. “Just a few good people.” “I know that…” He sighed. No matter what Charity said, no matter how hard she tried, she found it impossible to make her own husband realize they didn’t need a life of luxury and wealth to be happy. All they needed was each other, that’s more than anyone ever needed. Phineas seemed to be the only one who didn’t seem to realize that. But of course, they weren’t the ‘only’ ones dealing with this problem. In another part of the mansion, Rara packed away a few essentials as ell for she too would be accompanying Phineas and Jenny on tour. After seeing her first performance on stage, the people demanded for more appearances of the magnificent pony with the voice of an angel. And soon… word of her performance reached out to nearly every country around the world begging her to perform there. It really made Rara feel good to feel wanted by the public again, to feel like that shining star she once used to be. Her friends, on the other hoof, had a different view on the matter. “What do ya mean yer leavin’?” Applejack asked, in shock. “I mean exactly what I said,” Rara responded. “Mr. Barnum wants me to open for Miss Lind every night during our tour of the country. This is an amazing opportunity for me.” “Yeah… for six months,” Rainbow emphasized. “I know it’s a lot, but it’s worth getting back to what I used to be.” “Darling, I more than any pony understand wanting your artistry to be adored by the millions,” Rarity sympathized. “But you’re talking about leaving everyone you know and love behind for Celestia knows how long.” “Now I love going on super-duper fun adventures with my friends a heap of a lot like the next pony,” Pinkie added. “But I can’t ever imagine leaving my friends, my family, or even Cheesy and Lil’ Cheese behind for so long like that.” Rara had just finished packing her stuff and released a deep sigh. She turned around to look the others straight in the eye. “Look guys, with all due respect, you don’t understand what I’m going through,” Rara told them. “You’re the Elements of Harmony, practically Equestria’s superheroes! Your legacy is literally built in stone, and even when you retire from all this for good, you’ll still be regarded as heroes for thousands of years! “Me… I don’t have that luxury. If I can’t be a singer, I’ve got nothing to live for. No pony or creature will look at me the same way ever again. I’ve strived to be the best for so long and I’m notabout to pass up an opportunity like this. I just… can’t.” Applejack squinted her eyes as her faced garnered a more upset look. “Is that Rara talkin’… or Countess Coloratura?” “What’re you talking about?” She asked, shocked and confused. “Yer actin’ just like how ya used to when Svengallop was yer manager!” Applejack responded. “Always worryin’ more ‘bout what other ponies think of ya more than what youthink of ya.” “It’s not the same!” Rara responded, greatly upset. “Back then, I made music that meant nothing more for me but glitz and glam. Here I am making music that actually ‘means’ something to me. All I want is for everyone to enjoy it. If you were truly my friend, you’d understand that.” This caused every pony to gasp loudly over her choice of words. Applejack was especially shocked that her own friend would even say such a thing. From day one, she was Rara’s number one supporter of living her music dream ever since they were fillies in summer camp. She helped her realize she just needed to be herself and everywhere she’d go folks would love her for who she was. Now Rara was twisting all of that into this brand new image of wanting to please others, and for what? For false glory… Applejack stared right at Rara’s face, frowning heavily. “Yer right,” She spoke. “Ah don’t understand it. Guess that means we ain’t friends.” Applejack quickly turned back around and made her way out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Every pony else and Spike stood in silence for a few moments before they slowly followed Applejack out the door. Soon Rara was left standing alone, a single tear falling down her face which she quickly wiped away and grabbed her luggage. She made her way down to the main hall where Barnum was waiting with his own luggage. “You ready to be a star?” He asked her. “As ready as I’ll ever be, Mr. Barnum,” She responded. The two departed the mansion and made their way down the steps where the carriage was already waiting in the road. Barnum held the door open for Rara and she jumped into her seat opposite of Jenny Lind. Barnum hopped in behind her as Charity, the girls, and the Equestrians came out to watch them leave. “Ah can’t believe she’s actually goin’ through with this,” Applejack sighed sadly. “Ah guess the Rara ah knew really is gone…” “I could say the same about Phineas,” Charity added solemnly. “No, no! Daddy!” Caroline cried out. “Daddy!” Helen cried. It broke the Equestrians hearts watching the pair race down the steps toward the carriage, as Barnum shut the door and signaled the driver to go. The carriage pulled off down the street as Caroline and Helen raced after it. Charity, the ponies, and Spike did nothing to stop them, they just stared sadly after them. Soon Charity began to sing a sad song for the loss of the man used to be her husband. Days turned to weeks, weeks into months, and in all that time life slowly moved on for the Equestrians and the Barnums. Caroline, the girls, and their friends did everything they could to enjoy each other’s company, but without Phineas and Rara it just wasn’t the same. True Caroline continued to excel at ballet, but what was the point? It always saddened her whenever a show was over, and she could see everyone there supporting her… except her father. Phineas, Rara, and Jenny were busy enjoying the spotlight that they absolutely had no idea how much they were being missed back home. Every night, Rara would open the shows to a standing ovation and Jenny would close with a showstopping number. When it was all said and done, the girls and Barnum would stand on stage to a cheering crowd who threw flowers at them. At this time, the spotlight and fame were all that mattered to them. As for the circus troupe, Erik and Philip somehow kept everything together as best they could. Yet without Barnum, the circus life just wasn’t the same. More and more protestors continued showing up by the day and made life ‘miserable’ for the circus. Lord knows it was only a matter of time before everything they had built would fall apart at the seams. Dinners at the Barnum Mansion were especially lonely for the Barnums and the Equestrians. Even after they’d break their bread and enjoy a wonderful meal Charity would prepare, the atmosphere was just too gloomy for them to enjoy. All they could think about was loved ones who couldn’t be with them tonight nor any night for that mattered. Picking at her food, Rainbow Dash briefly turned to an empty chair meant for a certain ‘marefriend’ and for once she was more worried than usual. She had a rough idea where she was, as Rainbow Dash’s eyes gazed up as if she could look past the ceiling. Most nights, Applejack would be in the guest room mainly by herself and she’d been very depressed since her fight with Rara. Granted, she wasn’t really sorry for what she deemed to be the honest truth (As harsh as she may have been) but she never felt so alone even among her friends and her marefriend... not till now. Once more, one of her oldest friends was gone, out of her life again… only this time, A.J. truly wasn’t sure if she’d ever see her again. But then, after what they each had to say, Rara likely wouldn't want anything to do with Applejack anymore. Trying her best to hold back any tears, she leaned back on the bed and tipped her hat so far down her face so none could see… but that didn’t stop her from silently weeping into the cold, lonely night.