Big Top Balancing Act Chapter 5

Sorry for not posting in a while. I just couldn’t motivate myself to, and I wanted to make sure the chapter was perfect. And to those that make requests for characters (Which I am happy to do), I have a few more chapters already written, so it might be a while before I get them in. Just so you know in advance. I’m about to, chapter ten on my own I believe.

I really hope you all like this story. I’ve worked pretty hard on it, after all. But apart from that, I write for my readers, not just because I want to write… Okay, that’s part of the reason, but mostly for all of you.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I’m glad I don’t. Because I don’t think I could get it anywhere near as fun to watch as it already is. The most I could do is say ‘stay the course’ and maybe add in a certain circus and its performers’.
…

I inhaled quietly as I opened the door to the library. Twilight Sparkle, one of the six heroes and bearer of the Element of Magic, and now, the village’s librarian. Hopefully I wouldn’t make a total idiot out of myself, but I really wanted to get my books. Sky wouldn’t understand why I wanted the books I was after, and Specs would probably read the books before I ever got my hooves on them, around a few weeks later. This was something I had to do for myself. Besides, Sky would get too flustered around a ‘living legend’ to be able to ask for the books I wanted in a timely manner.

“Um, hello?” I asked.

“Just a second.” A young male voice said. I looked around. “Come on in. I’ll be done soon.” I walked in and looked around, and immediately I felt the familiar sensation of joy from seeing so many books. It was like a dream to be surrounded by so much knowledge. Walls of information that asked only that you turn a page to be able to learn something you never knew before, sometimes things you never knew were possible. Some Unicorns loved books so much, they’d have libraries in their homes, no matter the size of the home in question, even if they had to build the shelves from scratch. “Hey, can you pass me that book?” I looked over my shoulder and up, and saw a small purple dragon with green spikes on his back. “By your right front hoof?” I looked down and saw a book, so I leaned down and gently bit it and walked over to the ladder, climbing partly up it, leaning to reach his outstretched hand. He took it and put it on the shelf as I backed down and stepped away from the ladder. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” I said quietly. “Um, is, Twilight Sparkle here?”

“She’s writing a letter to Princess Celestia.” He said. “She’ll be down in a few minutes.” He climbed down the ladder and looked at me. “Maybe I can help. I’m her assistant, Spike.” He held out his hand, so I slowly moved my hoof to it.

“Ace.” I said. “I, was looking for a few, particular books.” I turned slightly and pulled out a list, and he took it to look over.

“Okay, I know where these are.” He said. “I guess your friend was busy?”

“They’re, for me.” I said. “I’ve got a decent collection already… I, need these to finish the advanced section… And the beginner’s.” He stared at me before shrugging.

“Well, no one said Earth Ponies couldn’t study magic.” He said.

“Pegasus…” I said quietly.

“Really?” He asked. I moved my wing slightly, but just so he’d see the cloak move. “Cool. I’ll go find these. If you see any others you want, let me know. Or let Twilight know if she comes down.” He started walking toward another room. “Oh, and if she does while I’m in here, let her know I’ll be back in a minute or two.”

“Okay.” I said. I looked at a nearby wall and spotted an interesting book sitting against several others. I walked up to it and looked at it for a few seconds. “Supernaturals…” I opened it and looked through the contents for a moment. “It’s a book on botany and basic alchemy, and afflictions and cures, too. Cool.” I looked through a few pages when I heard hooves on wood, so I looked to the stairs to see a purple coated Unicorn with a dark blue, nearly sapphire mane walking down with a rolled up note floating in front of her. Her tail, and her mane, had a streak of violet and a streak of bright rose. She looked over as I closed the book. “H-hello.”

“Hi.” She said. “Are you looking to check anything out, or are you buying?” I nodded.

“Y-yes.” I said. “Spike is looking for the ones I came for… If, you have most of them.”

“Well, while he’s doing that, I’ll get you a card.” She said.

“I don’t know if I’ll need one.” I said. “I’m, here with the circus. We’ll only be around for a few months.”

“If you come back around, you might be able to use it.” She said. “If you just want to check a few out, it’ll be easier.”

“Well, if it’s no trouble.” I said.

“It’s fine.” She said. “Just wait by this table and I’ll get a card for you.” I nodded as she walked over to a desk as I grabbed the book and walked over to the table, setting it down. “So, are you just checking them out?”

“I’m buying.” I said. “Mostly just to, bolster my collection.” She looked through the desk as I looked at the book for a moment.

“Found the books you wanted.” Spike said. “And a few that you might consider. You’re buying these?”

“Yes.” I said, looking over. He walked up to the table and set them down.

“Spike, could you send that letter to Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked. She walked over as Spike picked it up and inhaled as he turned away. He blew a green flame out and it incinerated the letter into sparkling smoke that flew out of an open window. “Thank you.”

“Sure.” He said. “By the way, this is Ace. He’s got a familiar taste in books.” She walked over with the card and set it, and a quill, on the table next to an inkwell.

“Really?” She asked. She made a book float and opened it, and they both looked in it as I wrote my name fairly quickly before putting the quill down, before they could see. “I remember this one. Picking these up for a friend?”

“He has a collection of spell books.” Spike said. “Apparently, these should finish his beginner and advanced level sets. I picked up a few from higher up. Some really good ones.” She looked at the spines of them as she set the other book down. “So, are you gonna sign the card?”

“I already did.” I said. Twilight looked at it and made it float.

“Ace, Stormrider…” She said. “Why does that name seem familiar?” I shrugged.

“Coincidence, most likely.” I said. She moved the card back to me and I put it in my bag.

“Well, this comes to thirty seven bits.” She said. I pulled out a bag and counted out the bits while Spike walked around.

“Thirty, seven.” I said quietly. He pulled the coins into a box. “I have a friend that might come by sooner or later. I would have asked her to get these, but she’d probably get them mixed up with her own collection, if you get my meaning.” They laughed as I put the books into my other bag. “She’ll definitely want a card.”

“Wait, I just remembered where I know your name.” She said. I looked at her, somewhat worried. She was from Canterlot, so maybe… “Alexander Brushstroke painted a picture of you. I was thinking that your mane was familiar.” I blushed and laughed quietly. “I should have recognized you from your cloak.”

“Well, I wear it everywhere.” I said. “But, I try not to draw attention.” I laughed quietly. “Sometimes, I feel like I’ve got some kind of magic that makes me hard to notice, or recognize… Not that I mind too much.” I added the last part more to myself than to them.

“I’m glad to meet you.” She said. She bowed, and I returned it before I could stop myself. Most ponies not from Canterlot wouldn’t understand, but it was something I didn’t mean to do.

“I’m honored to meet you.” I said. As I stood, she looked at me oddly. “Um, do I have something in my teeth?”

“Oh, sorry.” She said, shaking her head. “I just haven’t seen anypony who wasn’t from Canterlot bow like that… Or at all.”

“Old habit.” I said quietly. “I, lived in Canterlot, for a few years, a, a long time ago. You pick things up as you live, right?” She laughed and nodded.

“Yeah.” She said. “Well, I hope we see you soon.”

“You will.” I said. “I’m with the circus, after all.”

“So…” She said. “What do you do?”

“Ooh, I know.” Spike said. We looked at him. “I saw a poster. He’s the tightrope walker. No net either.”

“That doesn’t sound very safe.” Twilight said.

“Well, he’s a Pegasus.” He said. “He can fly if he falls. I heard from a Pegasus named Sky Cloudrunner that he fell off a few days ago, and just avoided hitting the ground, and he got back on the highest post before anypony could see his wings!” I smiled, but blushed deeper. “She said he flies better than any of the aerobatic ponies.” I looked down.

“Spike, you’re embarrassing him.” She said somewhat sternly.

“Oh, sorry…” He said.

“No, I’m not embarrassed…” I said. “It’s just, I’m hardly that good.” I laughed as I looked up. “Doesn’t stop a good friend from trying to say I’m better than I really am though.” Spike laughed.

“Sure sounds like a good friend.” He said. Twilight nudged him as I picked the ‘Supernaturals’ book up, but set it down.

“Um, you got this one in the total?” I asked. She nodded.

“Yes.” She said. “I don’t think I’ve read that one, but I know I’ve got at least two of nearly every book here.” I put it away as she smiled. “So, I’ll see you, in a few days. Maybe we’ll pick your name.”

“I, kind of hope, not.” I said. “I, I don’t do well with crowds, unless I’m on the wire or, flying where they, can’t see me… I would have gone into Sugarcube Corner, but… It, it was pretty packed.” She sighed.

“No kidding there.” She said. “I could barely get from the counter to a table without having to push past half of Ponyville, and I barely had time to eat with all of the questions they were asking me. Is it like that with your act? I mean, apart from the whole ‘nearly magical’ ability to go unnoticed.”

“Sometimes, after a really close call…” I said. “Well, when I fall, anyway. I’m glad they’re concerned, but, I have to slip away half the time.” She laughed.

“Maybe you can teach me that trick.” She said. I smiled a little.

“It’s not that hard.” I said. “Just…” I lowered my head and slowly moved back. “Lower your head a little, make yourself small, back away, and they’ll stop noticing you even if they’re looking right at you. Just use the crouch and get to the shadows, and you can get home without anypony being any wiser.” She smiled as I stood up. “I should get going though.” I bowed again. “It was an honor to meet you.”
…

“You met Twilight Sparkle?” Sky and Specs asked together.

“Did you meet the others?” Sky asked quickly.

“Did you mind your manners?” Specs asked seriously. They started talking so fast I lost track of who said what, so I held my hoof up.

“Hey, I went to buy some books.” I said. “Yes, I was polite, but no, it was just Miss Sparkle and a baby dragon named Spike.” Specs squealed while Sky smiled widely.

“Wow, a baby dragon?” Specs asked.

“Y-yeah, a baby dragon.” I said. “I was just trying to get my books. Small, purple scales, green spikes, light greenish white belly scales, arrow tipped tail… And he got most of the books except for one. And Specs, I told her you’d probably be by sooner or later. She’ll probably be ready for you.” She squealed quietly as Sky nudged my shoulder.

“So, did you talk to her?” She asked.

“Yeah, a little.” I said. “It was really nice to meet her. She’s friendly, inquisitive, and, she seems really nice. She’s, got a really wide selection of books. I might go borrow a few books now and then for my time after my acts.”

“What did you talk about?” Specs asked. “The books you bought?”

“A little.” I said. “Then they recognized my name, that I have a portrait from Brushstroke, and… That I’m the high-wire Pegasus, and that Sky mentioned that I fly better than the aerobatics troupe.” They laughed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but it won’t get me in the air.”

“Well, I was just giving my opinion.” She said. “It can’t hurt to support my best friend.” I laughed quietly and held my hoof up, which she tapped with her own. “So, what books did you get?”

“Oh, just the usual stuff I get.” I said.

“The only times you leave the circus grounds, and you get books we never see.” She said. “Come on, just one book. Tell us what kinds of books you look for… Romance?”

“No.” I said. I moved over to the one book I left out and they walked over, and I pulled the small cloth off of it. “Supernaturals. Plants with nearly magical effects, recipes for alchemy. Stuff like that.”

“Wow, that’s a neat cover.” Specs said. “Can I borrow it later?”

“There are copies at the library.” I said. “I’ve barely started on it.” She laughed as Sky looked at the cover.

“It’s really neat looking.” She said. “When you’re done, maybe, I can borrow it? I don’t have much time lately, what with all of the practice I have to do.”

“Sure.” I said.

“Not fair.” Specs laughed.

“She wants it when I’ve read it through.” I said. “You want it as soon as you can get it.” They both laughed.

“Well, I’ve got to go.” Sky said.

“I need to see about a few orders.” Specs said. “See you later.”

“And Ace, flight practice, you and me?” Sky asked.

“Sounds good.” I said after a few seconds. “I need to shake off the cobwebs, in case I fall again. I had thirty feet more to work with than if I’d have been on my normal spot. That was just too close.” She nodded as Specs walked out. “See you later Sky.”

“See ya.” She said. She turned and walked out while I adjusted my glasses. I sat down and opened the book again, to where I was when I was in the library.

‘Poison Joke…’ I read. I read silently for a few minutes before grimacing. “Random afflictions? Talk about messed up…” I read on and saw an antidote to its effects. “Useful to know.”
…

I stretched my back and walked to the flap of the tent when Sky stuck her head in, stopping before we collided. She just smiled as I stepped back.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“We’re almost ready.” She said. “The opening night is two days away, and I got to meet one of the Ponies that saved Equestria…” She squealed excitedly as she walked in. “Rainbow Dash!” I was silent for a moment.

“Some, kind of, drink?” I suggested. She laughed.

“That’s her name.” She said. “She’s awesome! I got to see her fly… Ace, she’s as good as I am! Better! I bet she’d give you a run for your bits!” I sat down and she laughed. “If you could pluck up the courage to fly in public, at least.” She smiled widely. “But she’s really fast, and she can pull off moves almost as good as what I’ve seen you do. Even dad ‘d flip seeing her do half of what she did! She’s got this trick where she, she runs while still flying, on the ground! It’s unreal, and then, she pulls off these moves so awesome… I, I can’t even describe how awesome it was!” Her wings opened quickly. “Ace, she pulled off a move so cool, it made a flash of light!” I blinked.

“And you say I’m good.” I said. “I don’t have a move like that to my name…”

“Yeah, but I know you could do it!” She squealed quietly. If her voice got any higher, dogs a few miles away would come to see what the noise was.

“Sky, your head’s going to implode if you keep up with that voice.” I said seriously. She laughed and walked over beside me, putting her wing over my shoulder.

“Ace, you might just have to learn from her.” She said. “You’ve got to learn those moves. You, you learn faster than anypony I’ve ever known.” She walked me out of the door. “And you could teach me what you come up with based on those moves. I know you can do it. Remember the ‘Gallant Dive’? You learned that from my dad, came up with ‘Heroic Plummet’, and taught it to me not three days later. Imagine what you could do if she taught you.”

“I’m pretty sure she’d be a little annoyed at me making moves based on her stuff.” I said. “Your dad said that the Heroic Plummet was cool, better than his version, but I had his permission because I told him I had an idea on how to improve it. I’d need her permission, and, I really don’t want to chance her watching me.”

“Ace, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.” She said quickly. “She’s awesome, you’re awesome, and if you learned from her, the move you’d create would be… Wicked awesome!” I laughed quietly. “Come on, please? I know you’ll make something sweet… I’ll teach her what you come up with, and I know she’ll like it!”

“If you get her permission for, someone to make a new move based on it, maybe.” I said. “It’s not like I always come up with something better… Remember the ‘Devil’s Glider’?” She blushed. “Yeah, not only did I not improve it, my attempt landed me in a leg cast for two weeks, and it would have been three if I hadn’t hit that rabbit hutch.” She blushed deeper, but snickered. “Don’t make promises I can’t keep. That’s all I’m saying… Speaking of promises though.” She laughed as we got near the breakfast table near her tent. I looked to see the cake, and I licked my lips.

“Hey, Ace, uh, do you ever think about getting new glasses?” She asked. I had a feeling she’d ask that sooner or later. My birthday was a few months ago, but around five months after, she’d want to get a jumpstart since I was kind of hard to shop for. I knew she’d ask about something.

“No.” I said. I adjusted said glasses. “These are just fine, and I think they look good on me. Copper frames, impeccably clean lenses, and they fit perfectly. When these no longer fit, or break, then I’ll get a new pair.” She laughed quietly. “Though my cloak needs a little work… Maybe I need a sewing kit.”

“Ace, we both know what’s going on…” She said after a second.

“I can’t think of anything.” I said. “Maybe get a gift early? I’m serious about the sewing kit.”

“How about a new cloak?” She asked. “That one’s great, but, it’s getting, a little hard to maintain. The color’s fading, it’s ragged, falling apart, and the collar is pretty much ready to call it quits to holding the clasp and rope on. It’s gonna fall off sooner or later.” I sighed.

“I, I’ve had it for ten years…” I said. “I had it lengthened and widened a little to fit right… I could…”

“Ace…” She said quietly.

“Well, I guess…” I said.

“It won’t be a birthday present though.” She said. “I asked this time, not because of your birthday, but for the opening, so you can look nice… I still want an idea for your birthday though, while I’m at it.” I laughed quietly.

“Well, just, keep it simple.” I said. “Nothing, nothing fancy or dramatic. I may wear it in my act, but, we don’t have to go overboard… Maybe, have the end like my wings? Points on the end to make it look like folded wings so big they can’t totally fold back?” She smiled a little.

“Sure.” She said. “That’d work.”

“But still long enough to reach over my flank.” I said. “And I was serious about the sewing kit. I might take that up so I don’t have to send the cloak out to get it worked on… And my blanket needs a little patching, the curtains need a little mending, and goodness knows, I could stand to learn a new skill I can actually use.” She laughed as she sat by her food.

“Consider it done.” She said. “But for now, the most important meal of the day, eh?”