A Circus At Cliffside

by Ardent Wing

Stand up straight!

Cloudy Night was still asleep… but she was also waking up. How she could exist in both states was a mystery to her, though it seemed to open her mind to reflection. She could clearly think, while still remaining in her close-eyed state… how strange.

Would that she could, Cloudy would remain in this state for much longer; allowing herself time to consider and analyze the many new puzzles that had entered her thoughts since the previous night. However, Cloudy was not destined for this, and the introduction of a new sensation to her physical body began Cloudy in the process of waking up.

She could feel… a pressure on the side of her face.

She also detected a slight wobble in her head, like the feeling of sitting on a cloud during a breezy night. Cloudy had initially gotten a unique form of dizziness from the swaying of her clouds, but she had eventually gotten used to it. She had even begun to learn how to hold the cloud steady with her magic, though the task was still far too tiring to perform for any great amount of time.

The wobble increased, along with the pressure, and Cloudy Night felt the pull of the waking world.

It began with sound from outside of her head returning, though there was relatively no sound to be heard at the moment. This moved to a greater sense of feeling, which allowed Cloudy to perceive the hoof shoving itself into the side of her face. It ended with sight, with Cloudy opening her eyes to see who else but Cloud Charmer wobbling her head with her hoof. She appeared to be staring down at Cloudy with a half worried, half annoyed look on her face.

Well, it had been a good sleep while it had lasted.

“Good, you’re awake. Do you ponies around here sleep in forever?” Cloud asked, revealing yet more of her annoyance in her voice.
Cloudy Night pushed her friend’s hoof from her face and rose from her covers with a mighty stretch and yawn. She must really have slept in if Cloud Charmer was waking her up; the pony slept like the dead! Yet when Cloudy looked around, she found that it was still very dark in the room.

In fact, peering through the small gaps in the branches that made up the ceiling showed a sky that was only just receiving light from the sun; all light blue with tinge of darker seemingly contained within. Why in the wide realm of Equestria would Cloud Charmer awaken her so early, not to mention why Cloud Charmer herself was up at this time?

“Wha!” Before Cloudy Night could go any further, Cloud Charmer silenced her by placing a hoof over her mouth. Her Blue mane looked almost purple in the extremely dim light, along with her coat seeming a far darker shade of grey than it truly was. It looked slightly odd… like Cloud Charmer was a different pony altogether from the Pegasus she had seen sleeping last night.

“Don’t make so much noise! My dad will be up in a few minutes, but my mom won’t. We need to be quiet until he comes up here.” Cloud whispered.

“So, I assume we can whisper.” She said.

“Of course we can, what would make you think differently? By the way, how does your mane stay so straight while you sleep? Mine gets so messy I have to spend forever brushing it when I wake up?”

Apart from the amusement that came from the image she got of Cloud Charmer brushing her unruly mane, Cloudy really had no answer for her friend. Her mane, tail, and coat always stayed relatively strait and unchanging. She brushed her hair anyways, but there never seemed to be a real need for it.

“It just does. Cloud Charmer, why are we waking up so early?”

“Ha! I absolutely just said that ponies around here sleep too late, and I was right! This is when I always wake up.” Cloud answered.

“Really?”

“Yep!”

“Why in the world would you do that?” Cloudy asked, not even attempting to hide the incredulity in her voice.

“So that I can make my bed, brush my mane, and clean my room. I even woke up extra early today to help you make your bed.” Cloud Charmer responded, suddenly seeming to take notice of the rumpled blankets surrounding Cloudy. She immediately pulled one off from under Cloudy’s hooves, almost tripping her, and began to spread it flat on the floor of her room.

“Really?” Cloudy asked again. She looked around her friend’s room, and did in fact notice that it looked cleaner. Not only was Cloud’s bed made to the same perfect flatness it had been the night before, but the oddly stacked books had been straightened, the various objects on the shelves had been rearranged, and the drawers of Cloud’s desk were re-closed. It looked as if Cloud Charmer had rearranged the room completely! Even now she was folding Cloudy’s blanket into a neat rectangle of bedding.

Cloud Charmer looked up from her folding to stare at her friend for a moment. “Are you always this repetitive in the morning?” She asked. It really was beginning to get on Cloud’s nerves.

Here she was, folding her friend’s blankets, her dad mere moments away from coming up the stairs to her room, and all Cloudy could do was ask the same question multiple times. There must be some way to get Cloudy’s mind stirring, she just had to figure out what!

“Could you please help fold your own blanket; my dad will be up here in a minute!” Cloud Charmer said, really trying to emphasize the need to fold the blankets.

“Of course… but, why is your dad coming up here?” Cloudy asked as she took some of the bedding in her hooves to spread and fold. She could have easily done it with her magic, but doing it with her hooves allowed her to extend the conversation a little bit.

“He’s coming for wake up call.” She said quickly, mostly focused on her task of folding. Her lack of explanation was actually annoying Cloudy a bit.

“And what is wakeup call?” Cloudy asked, not understanding the context of her friend’s current situation.

“My dad is training me. I wake up at this time. I’m sorry that I had to wake you up so early, but I must stick to schedule like I promised.” Cloud sounded clipped, and a teeny bit grumpy… but her apology looked sincere in her stormy eyes.

“Okay then, what happens next?” Cloudy was still a bit confused as to exactly what this ‘training’ was.

“When he comes up here, stand straight, and don’t say anything unless he talks to you first. It’ll only take a couple of minutes, so don’t worry about it.” Cloud was about to continue, when she heard a much muffled sound of a door closing downstairs. In an instant her demeanour changed from grumpy and annoyed to stiff and proper. She immediately stiffened where she stood, staring directly at the wall in front of her. Her little wings also stood up straight on her; unmoving and sound. She actually seemed taller in this position, standing frozen like a leaf in frozen water. She became completely removed from the situation, and the strange-ness of her behaviour actually put Cloudy Night on edge.

Not knowing what to do, Cloudy tried to imitate her friend’s pose as exactly as she could. She stared straight at the wall which surrounded the stairway into the room and waited for Cloud’s father to enter.

After several seconds of complete silence, Cloudy hear hoofsteps on the floor below. She tried to stand just a bit stiffer as she heard somepony reach the stairs the lead into Cloud’s room. It was honestly one of the strangest things that Cloudy had ever done, and part of her wanted to laugh at the hilarity of the two fillies staring mindlessly at the wall, completely in silence; as if they were trying to become some of the furniture in the room.

Finally, Stormflight trotted slowly into the room, staring straight faced and almost as statuesque as she and her friend. When he entered the room, Cloudy noticed that his eyes immediately scanned the entire room, though for what she couldn’t tell. His eyes only stopped when they rested on her, and even then the stare lasted only for a moment. His quick analysis of the room ended, and he stared straight once again; staring at nothing.

“Cloudy Night, while I appreciate the gesture that my daughter has implied for you to follow, rest assured that you do not need to follow the example of me or my daughter. You may stand at ease, or leave the room if you wish.” Stormflight said, though now his deep voice sounded flat and impassionate. Despite this, he seemed to command even more of her attention than when she first met him, sounding even more like everything he said mattered so much more than before.

“If it’s okay… I’d like to stay up here.” Cloudy Night said, she looked at her friend to see how she would feel about this, but Cloud Charmer only continued to stare directly at the wall, and did not acknowledge the existence of anypony other than herself.

“That is fine.” Stormflight said. And as Cloudy let her muscles relax, he turned to his daughter to speak, still staring above her head as he did so.

“Child, your room is clean?” he asked, the statement itself seemed so rhetorical.

“Yes sir.” Cloud answered in the same flat tone as her father.

“Your bedding is made?”

“Yes sir.”

“And your mane is brushed, hooves washed, and coat clean?”

“Yes sir.”

“Very well. As you know your mother and I are going out tonight, and we may be home late. You however are expected to return home before your curfew, as always. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir, I understand.”

“I am also reprieving you of your chores owed to me or your mother today, as I am allowing you to go to town with your friends. I will allow this for the next several days until the circus leaves.”

Cloud Charmer actually broke from her concentration when her father relieved her of her apparent chores. She looked up at him incredulously. “Really?” she said, sounding excited.

However, after a moment of her father staring blankly at the wall Cloud Charmer realized what she had done, and returned to her stiffened state. “I mean, Really sir?”

“Yes. I suggest you make good use of your time, as your chores will resume when the circus has gone. I trust you will be careful at the fair?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good, do you have any issues to report this morning?”

“No, sir.”

“Then you and Cloudy Night may come down for breakfast whenever you’re ready. At ease.” And with that, Cloud’s father spun around on his hooves, and silently marched out of the room.

Cloud Charmer immediately relaxed from her straight pose, and the look she gave to Cloudy night was ecstatic. She had honestly not expected the relief her father had given her.

“Did you hear that Cloudy? I don’t have to do any chores until the circus is gone! Ha!” she said, to Cloudy it appeared as if her friend had instantly switched from the obedient and stoic pony that she had seen moments ago back to her friend. What exactly had just happened? Cloudy was still utterly confounded as to what she had seen transpire just moments ago, and the sudden change in her friend’s mood only added to that confusion.

“What… just… happened?” Cloudy asked.

“What do you mean? My dad just did wake up call, that’s all. He comes into the room to inspect that it’s clean, and then he asks if I have any troubles or incidents to report to him. He also usually tells me my chores for the morning, but not today!” She said with a hoofpump of victory.

Cloudy Night merely stared down at her little grey friend, still astonished at the change in events. “He does this every morning?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” Cloud answered.

“Then why do you do it?”

“He’s my dad, I have to listen to him. Plus it’s not like it does any harm, It gives me plenty of time to hang out with you even more.”

“And you have chores. How can that even be possible when we spend a lot of time out for most of the night? I hang out with you every morning! How do you find time to do chores?” It was perplexing to say the least. Cloudy’s own parents were at home most of the day, so they usually did the chores, but it seemed like Cloud’s family spent a lot of time out of the house. How could her friend follow a regimented schedule and also find time to play with her?

“Well, why do you think I get up so early? I have plenty of time to do the chores and hang out with you every day. My dad doesn’t force me to always be home, or to always do chores. He expects me to be up and ready for his morning routine, and he expects me to do my chores, nothing more.” She answered; it was so simple that she couldn’t understand why Cloudy was so confused with all of this.

“I… still don’t get it.” Cloudy said.

Cloud Charmer sighed. This was getting on her nerves, and she was getting restless. The circus awaited them! “I don’t see how I can explain it to you right now. Let’s just go eat breakfast, because we still have to meet Thunderstruck at the circus, remember?”

“Fine, but I still don’t get it.”

“Well, I hope you get food, because that’s what I’m going to get right now!” Cloud said. Seconds later she was galloping down the stairs to eat breakfast, leaving Cloudy trailing behind her.

“She sure is grumpy in the mornings…” Cloudy Night said. This night, and now this morning, had taught her a lot about her friend, though exactly what she had learned was as confusing as anything else she had seen that night.

One thing was for sure: Cloud Charmer’s family was really weird.

With a small sigh, Cloudy followed her friend downstairs, for breakfast.

***

Breakfast was, of course, delicious!

Once again Oak Leaf had managed to make the simplest ingredients, which took the form of some oats, taste amazing. It boggled Cloudy’s mind how Cloud’s mother did this; it had to be her special talent. Even her own mother couldn’t cook this good, though you’d never say that to her face unless you wanted a cuff on the head, as Cloudy Night’s father had learned on multiple occasions. Perhaps Cloudy should see if she had any talent with cooking, though she doubted it, she had never even considered food as a possible talent of hers.

Cloudy Night didn’t have the slightest idea what her cutie mark would be, and… unlike many other ponies… she was relatively unbothered by it. Even before she had met Cloud Charmer, most of her time had been consumed with trying to master the spells in her mother’s spell books. She loved doing magic, and the more magic she used, the easier it got to use it again. Cloudy was sure that with some time she could learn every spell in that book, though mastering them would be another matter entirely. She still felt worn from casting the come to life spell on that book yesterday.

Realizing that her mind was veering away from the present, Cloudy Night refocused her attention on the breakfast scene before her. It was surprisingly quiet, presenting a much different tone than the night before. None of the candles on the walls were lit, leaving the lighting to pour in from outside; though even that light was grim, grey, and dull. Today was not looking to be as fun as Cloud Charmer had believed it would be. Perhaps it would be better to remain home, even if it meant that Cloudy had to go another night with the suspicion of that circus looming over her head.

Oak Leaf herself was in the kitchen, and she was humming loudly, based solely on the fact that Cloudy could hear her humming. Her voice still held that deep, foreign tone that had filled Cloudy with a mysterious curiosity towards her origins. She probably wouldn’t ask about it, as many ponies could take that offensively, but that would not stop her from wanting to ask about it.

Cloudy Looked across the table to Stormflight; who was staring at the dreary sky through the open front window of the house. His head was leaning on his hoof, and he looked quite bored, which greatly contrasted with his daughter. Cloud Charmer was downright jovial as she ate, all signs of the morning’s grumpiness gone from her body. She kept looking up and smiling at Cloudy, but never actually said anything, which was kind of annoying. For minutes the silence of the room stood unbroken, and Cloudy started to feel overwhelmed by the awkwardness taking place before her.

This may have continued for some time, but Stormflight’s boredom was apparently too much to bear, and he decided to end the quiet.

“So, you two youngsters, what exactly are you going to do today?” He asked, the flat tone and commanding looks completely replaced by the pony Cloudy had spoken to the night before. How strange that ponies like Stormflight, and even Cloud Charmer, can seem to have multiple personalities. Maybe it was just something Cloudy had never learned about ponies, as she hadn’t really spent much time around them.

When her father addressed her, Cloud Charmer’s muzzle shot out of her bowl, nearly tipping it over, so that she could respond. “I don’t really know. Me and Cloudy were just going to go to the circus and see what happens, no real plan.”

“Well, surely there is somepony you want to see more than anyone else?” He said.

“I guess… I want to see The All Seeing Eye. He’s a unicorn that can read minds! I wanna see if I can trick him.” Cloud said excitedly.

“If he can read minds, then I doubt it will work.” Cloudy stated.

Cloud Shot a glance at her, “ But what if I trick him by making him think I’m trying to trick him. Then he’ll search for a trick where there is none, and be wrong.”

“But if he can read minds, then he’ll also know if you try to trick him by not tricking him. Regardless, what you said is still a trick, and doesn’t count as a ‘not trick.’”

“Now you’re just playing with meanings, the point is that I want to try to trick him.” Cloud retorted.

“Even if it won’t work?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Cloudy asked.

“Well I have to give it a try. Even if it doesn’t work I still have to see if I can make an attempt.” Cloud Charmer answered.

“Well then, I admire your tenacity, child. What act is it that you wanted to see, Cloudy?” Stormflight asked, putting an end to the argument before it began.

Cloudy Night paused to think about his question for a moment. What did she want to see the most? To be honest, she had spent more time worrying about why the circus was here to think about what she wanted to see there. The only pony she had seen before had been Master Mirage, and his weird magic tricks had certainly impressed, if not frightened, her. “I want to see Master Mirage’s magic show.” She answered.

“That sounds lovely! Even when I first met him, I could never understand how he performed his tricks.” Oak Leaf said, walking in from the kitchen.

“Really? You don’t know how they work?”

“No, none of the ponies in my group could understand his ability. Not even our own mage could decipher his tricks, saying that only real magic could do such a thing.”

“But that’s not possible. Only unicorns can use magic.” Cloudy stated in her matter-of-fact tone.

“Not true.” Oak Leaf said.

“What do you mean? earth ponies and pegasi can’t use magic.”

“There are many types of magic in this world, Cloudy. Not all of them need a horn to cast.”

“I… still don’t get it.” Cloudy responded.

That made Oak Leaf giggle a bit. ‘Then you will one day. I have seen much of what ponies can do, and I know only one thing for certain.”

“what’s that?” Cloud Charmer asked her mother, wide eyed and curious.

“That you can always expect a pony to surprise you. Ponies seem to have a talent for being so much greater than we think of when we see them.” Oak Leaf spoke, her deep voice sending soothing waves around the table.

“But some ponies must be ordinary?” Cloudy was still greatly confused by the conversation she was having.

“That depends on what you call ordinary. For me, ordinary is strange and unexpected, and it is ponies like you little ones, that are far more amazing than even you expect to be.” Finished Oak Leaf.

“Wow.” Cloud whispered, staring admiringly at her mother. Why did she never ask her mom more questions? She was full of awesome advice! Cloud resolved to talk more with her mom later.

Cloudy did not speak again, she was spending her time regarding what Oak Leaf had just said. She could take a really long time doing that, and Cloud Charmer knew that for a fact. Sometimes the pony just sat there and didn’t speak for almost an hour. It could get really boring, and Cloud was not about to let that happen right now, when they had a circus to get to!

“So! I’m full! Let’s get going to the circus now!” Cloud Charmer chimed as she slid backwards from the table, fully intending to try and make a break for the door.

But before she could take another hoofstep, she was halted by her father. “Cloud, it’s barely morning, you can’t leave here yet.”

“Circus’s open early.” Cloud stated, once again trying to make a move.

“Ah ah ah! Remember who set up this breakfast for you?” Stormflight asked.

“Yes… it was mom.” Cloud answered.

“Then before you go, why not show your mother a kindness by clearing the table for her?” He chided.

“But Dad!”

“No buts, clean the table, you can leave after that.”

“Ugh… fine! Thanks for breakfast mom!” Cloud Charmer said grumpily.

Her mother was smiling fondly at Cloud when she responded. “Of course, anything for my daughter and her friend.”

“I’ll help clear the table too!” Cloudy volunteered, actually surprising Cloud Charmer for a moment.

“Why, thank you dear.” Oak Leaf said, and her husband quickly followed suit. “That’s good, you’ll clear the table in one go.”

Cloud picked up a bowl in her mouth, taking her father’s in one hoof as she slowly walked into the kitchen. She saw Cloudy behind her, who was practically carrying the entire table with her magic! Sometimes Cloudy Night made Cloud Charmer jealous that she hadn’t been born a unicorn. She made magic look so easy!

Cloud placed the bowls on the counter by the wash basin, and ran ahead of her friend into the next room, where her dad was waiting to give them their bits to get into the circus.

“Don’t take anything you might lose, and remember that you need this money to get in, not for anything else.” Stormflight advised.

“Yes sir, I won’t forget.” Cloud answered, filling with excitement already.

“That being said, I put an extra two bits in, in case you two get hungry.”

“Thanks dad!”

Cloudy Night came up beside Cloud Charmer just as her dad placed a neck purse over her head. Inside the small cloth bag there were the several bits they would need for the fair.

“Okay, Bye mom and dad! Have fun going out! See you later!” Cloud Charmer said, taking a last glance at Cloudy before she galloped out the door of her tree house.

“Be safe.” Her parents said together.

Cloudy stayed back a moment to thank Cloud’s parents before she left, closing the open door behind her as she exited the gigantic tree.

Oak Leaf immediately elbowed her husband when they exited. He practically cackled at her after she did so. “What was that for?”

“You didn’t have to be like that in front of Cloudy. Even this morning, with your wake up call!” She chastised, only half angry.

“What?” He answered, trying to feign ignorance.

“Can’t you see it embarrasses the girl?”

“Which one?” Stormflight asked with a sly grin.

“Come now! Don’t be so immature! Or I’ll be grumpy with you all day.”

“No need for that. They’re fine; they’ll have great fun at the circus.” Stormflight drew close to his wife, brushing an insanely long lock of hair from in front of her eye. He gave her a little kiss on the cheek, no easy feat for his stature. “Honey, are you mad at me.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you aren’t.” Oak Leaf said, pouting.

He leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. She immediately broke into a fit of giggles, “Not in your dreams!” she said.

“Oh, but they’re so lovely, my dear.” He answered, making her smile more. She could never stay mad at him when he started being charming. “So, where are WE going then?”

“Well, I heard about this little tavern in town-“

“A tavern! I never thought that you would take your romances to such frivolous places, husband.” Oak Leaf said.

“Oh, it’ll be fun! Plus it’s a great place to meet new ponies.” Stormflight insisted.

Oak Leaf sighed, “Fine. But I hope that it doesn’t kill the mood.” She said. She really had to stop letting Stormflight drag her around to all of these places.

If only he didn’t always make it so much fun to be dragged.

***

Cloud Charmer took a deep breath of the cool morning air at the bottom of the path from her house. She could not see the town or the circus for the trees, but it was doubtful that she’d need to. She could already feel the adventurous pulse and beat giving off from what had to be the circus, and every moment more she felt its beat gave her more excitement.

“C’mon Cloudy! Are you ready?” Cloud said, jumping up and down on her hooves, which caused the bits in her neck purse to jangle their own tune with her motions.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Cloudy said, sounding unsure.

Cloud smiled at her friend, trying to comfort her. “It’s going to be fine. I promise that there’s nothing at the circus to worry about.”

“I… I believe you.” Cloudy Night said after a long pause. She still seemed unsure.

“Well then, let’s go! I bet we can even beat Thunderstruck there!” She said, suddenly taking off down the path towards town.

“Probably, I doubt he’s even awake right now.” Cloudy mumbled, stifling a small yawn before trotting after her friend.

She could still feel the beat from the circus, and she still didn’t trust it.

But the only way to find out what it meant was to go, not hide.

So Cloudy went, saving her regrets in her mind…for later.