Rei-
They didn't know what had happened to Sarah. For weeks after the attack on the Dead Moon Circus, they'd searched the city for her. The newspapers and news reported a seventeen year old girl and her three year old brother had gone missing from the family's apartment and that the parents were looking for them. Shortly after the first report, accusations of child abuse were leveled against Mr. and Mrs. Williams and it was thought that the children had run away. The police and volunteer groups joined in the search, but the two were never found. People thought that the girl had kidnapped her brother to get him away from an abusive home or that someone with a grudge against the wealthy business man had taken them. Some people even whispered that they thought the parents might have killed the children and hidden the bodies.
Rei, like the rest of the senshi, knew what had happened, but she kept quiet. She'd seen what Sarah's parents had done to her and thought that it was best Sarah and Toby did not return. Not that there was anything any of them could do. The Circus had vanished, taking Sarah with it and Jareth had come to reclaim Toby as soon as they'd set foot outside the Circus.
"Hey, you've got some mail." Yamato smiled at Rei when he saw her raking the leaves. "Bills 'n such. Want 'em here or just leave 'em on the table?"
"I'll take them." Rei liked Yamato, but it wasn't the way he wanted her to like him. It didn't take a genius to see that he had a crush on her. In fact, Usagi took every opportunity to tease Rei about it. Unfortunately for Yamato, Rei just didn't feel the same way about him. He was a lovely guy. Though he was a bit unkept and often frantic to impress, he was one of the best men that Rei knew. If she hadn't fixated on Usagi, she was sure she'd have fallen in love with him.
"Are you feeling alright, Rei?" Yamato asked when he handed her the small pile of letters. "You've been kinda down lately. Anything I can do?"
And that was why Rei thought Yamato would be a prize catch for anyone. He was always willing to help and put himself out for someone else. "No. It's alright. I'm a bit worried about a friend, but there's nothing anyone can do. I'm sure she's fine."
"This that girl you brought home a bit ago? She looked kinda like you?"
Rei stared. "When did you see Sarah?"
"Grampa and I saw her when you brought her back, of course. Figured if you wanted us to know, you would have told us." He shrugged absently, thinking it wasn't a big deal. "We kept outta the way for you."
So, what else had they seen? Enough had happened that day. Jareth and Toby's appearances and transformation from owls into people. Sarah's strange friends showing up. The arrival of the Amazon Trio and, later, the Quartet. The painfully bright flash of light and Toby's kidnapping. Rei's collapse and everyone transforming into their senshi uniforms. The battle plans and Labyrinth making its appearance. Rei looked closely at Yamato and thought that he hadn't seen any of it. Surely, someone with such an open face wouldn't be able to hide so much.
Yamato couldn't lie, not to Rei.
"Yes, it's Sarah I'm worried about. She was hurt pretty badly, but I haven't been able to contact her. I hope she's alright." The Circus had vanished after they'd left it and Rei had the terrible feeling that it was gone forever, Sarah with it.
Yamato smiled brightly. "Look at your mail. I think you'll cheer up." He turned and walked casually away with his hands clasped behind his head, whistling.
With a puzzled frown, Rei did as Yamato said and rifled through the mail. In the middle of the pile she found what Yamato had been talking about. Shocked, Rei dropped the rest of the letters, reading the elegant script of the card in her hand.
WELCOME!
LET ALL BE WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS OF DREAMS.
ONE AND ALL, PLEASE ATTEND AND SEE SUCH WONDERS AS HAS NOT BEEN SEEN ON EARTH IN HUNDREDS OF YEARS. WE OPEN OUR HOME TO YOU AND WISH FOR YOUR PRESENCE AT OUR OPENING SHOW. TONIGHT, GRACE US WITH YOURSELVES AND LET US ENTERTAIN YOU. JUGGLES, FIRE-EATERS, ANIMAL TRAINERS, ACROBATS, SWORD SWALLOWERS, CLOWNS, AND ARTISTS OF ALL KINDS ARE DESPERATELY WAITING TO SHOW OFF THEIR CRAFT.
WE AWAIT YOU AT OUR HOME UNDER THE TENT IN THE CITY'S PARK, YOU CAN'T MISS US.
SARAH, RINGMASTER
In a more casual writing at the very bottom of the card was written,
REI, PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS. FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR ME AND TOBY, THIS IS THE LEAST I CAN DO. I HAVE FRONT ROW SEATS WAITING FOR YOU.
They did attend that night, amid a crowd that was bigger than anything Rei had ever seen before. It was completely changed from the dark, terrible circus they'd descended upon for battle. The Remless' were performers and harmless looking clowns. Inside was well lit and they were led to their seats by a smiling, pleasant Tiger's Eye.
"How are you feeling?" Ami asked him.
Tiger's Eye had laughed. "Better. Much better." He pointed up to where Fish Eye was balancing on a tightrope and then to Hawk's Eye, helping someone calm a startled animal that looked something like a horse and something like a lizard. "We're all good, now. Enjoy the show!" Then he bent over backwards and did back flips up the aisle until he disappeared behind some curtains.
"Look, there's that Jareth guy!" Haruka pointed and there he was, sitting directly across from them with Toby sitting on his lap and, strangely enough, the Amazon Quartet on either side of him. They were dressed very different from the last time Rei had seen them. Gone were the skin-tight revealing outfits. Now two of them wore jeans and t-shirts, one was in a skirt, and the blue haired girl, Pallapalla, was very pretty in a pink dress. The red haired girl was eating a mass of cotton candy while the green haired girl gulped a soda then let out a belch for which Jareth gave her a disapproving frown. They looked normal…happy.
When everyone was seated, the lights went down to silence the audience. In the center of the ring where they did battle just a short time ago, a spotlight focused on the Ringmaster, Sarah. She was dressed in a black tuxedo with her long hair tied back in a sensible ponytail and a top hat on her head. Her smile was radiant when she looked out over the crowd and, for a moment, her eyes lingered on Rei. Then her eyes went to Jareth and Toby and she turned fully around so the whole audience would think that she'd seen them all.
Sarah took the top hat from her head and bowed, elegantly. When she rose from the bow, Sarah raised the top hat over her head and shouted, "Welcome all, to the Circus of Dreams!"
The end
Dear readers, thank you so much for your reviews. They are always a great encouragement to me. I hope you've enjoyed the last parts of this story.