Bread and Circuses

by Monsieur Bleu

Days Long Spent

So we wept, looked out at the cold, and no longer pondered past death.

Here we lie our mortal wants, eager for days long spent.

Lo! For now is the force, the reckoning, for past lives well lived.

Down the path of thistle, and past the Brook Styx.

"Your Grace," she looked up, "ole’friends’ere."

"Be out, brisk."

She tossed aside her livre and trotted up to her mirror, with her aura she drew a brush and a silver plate of eau, at once she straitened her mane and lathered her face. She splashed and dried. Disregarding her ornaments, she made out her chamber, down the hall and to the lobby.

"Into its own," she beamed, "what do I owe it?"

"Ah, spare’ye’quip," the earthpony grinned, "we’off t’tha’Brews’all t’ge’drunk!"

"Subtly never’y’art, Jackie."

"Ah," the jasmine pegasus whispered, "Jackie’s been off for-a-time, busy speculating about events before she’s seen’em."

"Worth nothing’nt be done about it, come’on let’s join’er’en tha blotto!"

"Trying to mimic subtleties Dash?" asked Twilight.

"Always!"

~*~

Carefree, the rose bushes with dew lingered; a happy grey mist spread all across Filsburry Circus. With her good eye, the right honourable mare surveyed morning press. Can’t be worse than when the Premier made a damn fool of’erself en-front-of the Zebriens. Just a bit of spirit, worse seen walking the purse home! A butterfly caught her other eye. My, aren’t you lovely! She gave thought to chasing it, but declined, flipping to the satiricals. Celeste knows what they have about me.

It was long obvious now that the success of their initial zealotry had yielded results that were hardly peripheral. But the starkest depths of the politic eluded them. Their minds left twisted on the winds as to how to at last attain the final heavenly embrace. Alas, no one was offered this apotheosis; they were now compelled, until the end of time, to keep moving keep inching forward—always on the edge, always on the margin and deeper into the bone. That was the end in the beginning; hoping for a better future, striving towards perfection, even if one knows it is folly.

The Circus was in the heart of Olde Towne Canterlot, encircled by lavish apartments and galleries; it was the only green field left there. Its paths and follows were kept manicured, but parts of it were left to grow wild with fescue and turf. In this oval: respite; as about it vortexed the sounds and bright of the city. Wrap around the city run, run wind—take along with you the trinkets of the day, whirl about, God speed!

~*~

She felt cold—always cold. A long day had turned to a long night; she shivered despite herself. Four years and no hope, as she laid alone. A crate upturned for a roof and tattered rags for clothing. Woe and fear companions in a dark and dreary world.

He plotted clumsily in the snow, drunk. It had been a rousing night with his ole mates. He matched the taupe-fur drape that cowled him, stumbling. Her eyes followed him; she took time for courage to build.

"Sir…sir…" she said, barely a whisper – spare a bit for a hungry mare."

She stayed downcast, never meeting his eyes when he turned. His reddened eyes peered her for a moment. Without a word he took out a silver coin from his bootpurse and tossed it to her.

She looked at him as best she could, "blessed… sir..." she feigned a smile.

He stepped towards the grey pegasus, who retreated into her cubby.

"Fear not, lass, I’mn’ot’ere to hurt you."

With one unshod hoof she inched closer to him.

"You’re a sweet little thing," he said nuzzling her, "what’cha doin’ out’ere?"

"I‘m not much for wanting, "she whispered in a dull voice."

"Ah… ye’speak too wrenched, lass," he patted her blonde mane, "com’on, let’s get you a drink."

~*~

"If I would have told you that this is not a-bit concerning, what sort of aimé would I be?"

"If I’d’a told ye that ye’weren’t a willowin’ twit—aye, don’t worry ‘bout it Rare, I’m sure she’s-a fine lass."

"Aye! The kind that keep you staring at their ramparts"

The earthpony blushed. "You be keepin’ that to yerself! ‘Sides only a bit of experimentin’ ain’t done n’one any’arm."

"Egh!" She rolled her eyes, "is Die joining us?"

"No, ‘er sis is due anytime now, she’s back a’the quarry t’play midwife."

"O! I do not see what could possibly go wrong there."

"Ah, she’s better than ye giv’er credit."

The unicorn smirked "O, I'm sure she is," she glanced around, "hmm... where’s Dash been off to?"

"Oh, she went a-head wit' Flutters te check up’on the Duchess.

"I though you said she is-a fine lass?"

"Precautions, precautions. 'Sides, ‘tis more to spy on'er accompaniment."

"O, very comforting."

~*~

It never seemed to make much of a difference;

we spent too much time regretting someone else’s errs.

I was there, red burning dusk, and all I could hope,

hope

for was… was…

If I were as irrelevant to this as it seemed my own had made me seem,

I would have opted out of this… this damn…

I grow flippant of this gaudy show—impatient with this parade of fools!

It is no longer moving to ponder my own damnation so long as this whole cohort of existence treads along mindlessly towards it!

Woe! For now is the movement of time and space! Load upon my weary back so far as to pry these insoluble troughs! Worthless! Worthless… worthless… I spite your name.

Author's Note:

Hopefully some themes are coming together and some of the characters are beginning to emerge. Comments and critiques welcome.