Chapter Text
“Welcome... to The AMAZING Digital Circus! My name is Caine! I'm your ringmaster, and I'm here to show you the most jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, MIND-BENDING paraphernalia you've ever laid your eyes upon! Isn't that right, Bubble?”
“That's right, Caine! I can't wait to see what you've got cooking up for today!”
“Well, let's not waste any time! Let's get right into the show!”
Gangle, and Zooble and Kinger too!
Ragatha, Jax and there's Kaufmo! Woohoo!
Day after day after day after day after day we fly,
Past the sun and the moon and we don’t know whyyyyy!
Just then, the newest member of The Amazing Digital Circus would appear. It would be a baby humanoid in blue and red jester clothing. As it begins to waddle around, it topples everything and everyone in its path.
“Whoa-ho, there, little mini carousel ballerina!” Caine exclaimed, his never-ending enthusiasm seemingly dying down. “This circus is not your playpen!” The AI snapped his fingers, and the baby found itself inside a child’s crib. “In you go, now!”.
Jax was incredibly unhappy with the new arrival, but then he had a devilish thought: “Oh great, a baby… That’s just what this circus needed… This kid is going to make everyone in here insane… that includes me. Hang on… if I torment the kid, the others can take care of it instead, then I can go back to my usual fun. All right now, Jaxy, we’re gonna drive this kid nuts!”
As the baby squirmed inside the crib, everyone came over to examine it. Ragatha was the first to look inside, and the baby was quite cute to her. She then instantly went over to pick it up and give it a hug, as were her instincts around youth.
“Hello, there, little one! Aren’t you so sweet?” Ragatha said as the others began to look at it.
“How’d a baby end up here?” Zooble asked.
Jax replied, “Meh, its parents were probably one of those freaks who shower their kids with everything and never say no.”
Kinger was simply just thinking of his insect collection, unconcerned with the new arrival. After all, the pillow fort, or The Impenetrable Fortress, as he called it, was where he had the most memories of Queenie.
“Well, whatever the reason, we need to take care of it.” Ragatha said, patting the baby on the back.
“Do whatever the f[%$(◇)!#] you want with the kid. Just keep Jax away from it,” Zooble muttered.
Caine instantly transported over to the grouchy Tinkertoy, appalled by the fact his censorship program didn’t work as well as he had hoped. “Now, now, Zooble, we wouldn’t want to use that kind of language around children, would we? Especially around our new friend.”
“Why do you care?” Zooble replied. “Your stupid censoring already stops us from our interests, anyway.”
“Zooble, a baby has entered the Digital Circus.” Caine said. “Would you use that kind of language around YOUR child?”
“Yes.”
“Need I remind you that the Digital Circus is meant to be enjoyed by all ages? Not just Zoobles?” Caine asked.
“Nobody could ever enjoy being held here unless they’re you,” Zooble said, already having plenty of arguments for the ringmaster.
“As ringmaster, it is my duty to make this circus enjoyable for all of you, and that includes the baby! Now, will you try and tone down your language?”
“Whatever. If anyone wants me, I’ll be as far away from the baby as possible.” Zooble said, walking to their room as everyone gathered around the baby.
“What should we name it?” Ragatha asked.
“Leave that decision to the Name-O-Matic, my dear!” Caine said as he summoned it, as it began to pick a name. “How does everyone feel about XDDCC?”
Nobody answered back.
“You’re right, let’s try again!” Caine replied, triggering the Name-O-Matic again. “How about Pomni?”
“That works!” Ragatha said, giving her a soft thumbs up.
“Aww, you’re so cute!” Gangle said with her comedy mask still on, though it was only a matter of time before she expected it to break again.
“So, Caine? Are we having an adventure for the little kid or what?” Jax asked.
“Don’t you worry, everyone! I have a MAGNIFICENT, marvelous and fantastical adventure planned for you all today! And I’ve made sure that it’ll be nice and safe enough for our little Pomni. But I think I’ll give her a tour of the Circus Grounds first. Could you hand her over, Ragatha?”
“Oh, sure! Just promise you won’t scare her too bad?” Ragatha requested.
“How could one POSSIBLY be scared by the Circus, Ragatha? She’ll enjoy it as much as Zooble enjoys disobedience to participation!” Caine promised, somewhat hoping that his most uncooperative human had heard.
Ragatha gently handed the infant jester over to Caine, who began to look at Caine.
“Well, HI therrrrre!” Caine said, getting close in Pomni’s face. The child immediately started screaming with tears in her eyes, terrified by the ringmaster’s jaws-face.
“Don’t worry, my friend! You’ll get used to it eventually…”
“Caine, maybe I can talk about the circus?” Ragatha said as she began to get Pomni from Caine’s hands and started calming her down.
“Well, then, Pomni.” Ragatha said. “This is the Tent, where me and my friends live. Caine mostly sends us on adventures to any place he can think of, but he sometimes does in-house adventures. Outside is the Grounds, where we have a lake and a carnival. We don’t need to eat… or sleep… but you have your crib!”
“WONDERFUL!” Caine exclaimed. “Now then, I’m starting off with an in-house adventure so the little one can get a feel for this place. I’ve also made sure this adventure will be 1000% perfect for a baby. Today’s adventure is… RAISING A CHILD! In this adventure, I’m leaving you to raise cute widdle Pomni and make sure she doesn’t get hurt!”
Jax groaned. “I have better things to DO, Caine!” the rabbit exclaimed in frustration.
“Like what?” Caine asked.
The rabbit looked around, hoping to find an excuse. “I… have to…” he stammered. Then it hit him. “I have to check on Kaufmo! The guy hasn’t been out of his room in days!”
Gangle held on her comedy mask firmly, knowing Jax would break it again, as he did most every day.
“Well, then,” Caine said. “If you’re that concerned about Kaufmo, you and Ragatha can go into his room.”
“Why Ragatha?” Jax grumbled.
“You two know Kaufmo better than anyone! I bet he’ll feel great knowing you came to check on him.”
“Are you sure I can’t stay here and watch Pomni?” Ragatha asked.
“Good point! I’m sure she’ll like Kaufmo! After all, he’s a clown and she’s a jester! It's a familial match made in heaven!” Caine exclaimed.
Ragatha took Pomni out of her crib, swaddled her inside a warm, snug, gentle embrace, and carried her in her warm hands as the two went to visit Kaufmo.
“Hurry back, you guys!” Gangle said. “Me and Kinger can’t wait to take care of her.”
Kinger poked his head out of the pillow fort. “Take care of who? Caine?”
Gangle chuckled. “No, silly! There’s a new human inside! She’s just a baby, and she’s absolutely adorable!” she squealed.
A child, the chess piece thought. Maybe she’ll find my insect collection interesting. Or she could eat it.
Meanwhile, Jax and Ragatha were walking down the halls, looking for Kaufmo’s room.
“So, how old are you, Pomni?” Ragatha asked.
Pomni was able to slowly lift up two fingers.
“Unbelievable... it can actually count,” Jax muttered. “You know, you keep hugging her that tight, her head will pop off.”
“It’s called deep pressure stimulation, Jax!” Ragatha explained. “It’s that feeling that makes you feel all warm and safe, like nothing in the world can hurt you.”
“Yeah, like nothing can hurt you, the world is all sunshine and unicorns, blah, blah, blah. Kid needs a dose of reality.~ ‘Cause once you get out of Fantasy Land, you realize the world sucks!”
The ragdoll knew she and Jax had very different views on the world, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from raising Pomni right.
“We’re here,” Jax said as he gestured forward with a hand.
They had made it all the way to Kaufmo’s room. Ragatha tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t move. The clown had locked himself inside, secluded from the rest of the world.
“I got this,” Jax said with one of his signature smirks. He reached inside of the pocket of his overalls, and when his hand came out, he was holding a brightly colored key. Ragatha was concerned. “You have keys to everyone’s room?”
“Of course, and you've all been fine.” Jax replied. “By the way, I may have left something in your room today, so let me know if you find it. You're not afraid of centipedes, are you~?”
“JAX! THAT’S LITERALLY MY BIGGEST FEAR! WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?!”
“Whaaat~?” Jax replied. “It could be a completely unrelated question. You'll never know until it's too late!”
He opened the door to Kaufmo’s room, which had manic writing among the walls. EXIT, repeated endlessly all across the room. Inside of the low light, a shapeless, dark figure covered in pink, yellow, and blue eyes stood. There was no denying it. Kaufmo had abstracted.
“Oh, hello there, Kaufmo!” Jax said, seemingly undeterred after his brief moment of shock. “Did you know we have a baby joining us? This is widdle Pomni! I’ll leave you two alone so you can introduce her.” He nonchalantly walked back down the hallway.
Ragatha took a couple of steps back, before running off, making sure not to drop Pomni. Covering her eyes with one hand, she ran out the hallway with Kaufmo giving chase.
“CAINE!! WE MAY HAVE A SITUATION HERE!” Ragatha called out. Just before Kaufmo could catch up to the two, Caine appeared and stopped Kaufmo in his tracks.
“Kaufmo…” Caine said. “You abstracted? Why didn't anybody here tell me?!”
“Yes!” Ragatha confirmed in exclamation. “H-he was gonna hurt Pomni!”
“For SHAME, Kaufmo!” Caine said, looking back at the abstracted clown. “Let’s get you into the Cellar so you won’t hurt our dear mini munchkin drummer!”
With a snap of his finger, the former clown was sent into the Cellar. “You may now resume your adventure!” Caine said with a goofy expression before disappearing.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ragatha took Pomni back to her crib where Gangle and Kinger were waiting.
“What happened?” Gangle asked.
“Oh… Kaufmo abstracted.” Ragatha said, feeling a bit down. A loss of one friend, but a gain of another. The day had been a true rollercoaster for her.
“That’s too bad,” Gangle said with a sigh. “I think he would have liked Pomni…”
“I think I would have liked her too.” Kinger nodded in agreement before tilting his head in confusion “Who's Pomni?”
Ragatha sighed before she placed Pomni back in her crib, where she uncovered her eyes. “It’s a shame Zooble didn’t want to get to know Pomni. They haven’t gotten along with Caine the best.”
“Well, now that Pomni’s safe, what should we do with her?” Gangle asked.
“How about we test out some of the toys in here and see which one she likes the most?” Ragatha said.
Pomni looked up at the ragdoll, sucking on a stuffed bear’s ear. Ragatha laughed gently. The infant heard a distinct difference in this sound. It wasn’t harsh like Jax’s, but warm and nurturing.
“You like that bear, huh? I remember I used to have one that looked a lot like that back at my home… same bowtie, same floppy legs. Only, he was a pony. His name was Mr. Cuddles. Would you like to have him, Pomni?”
The young jester gave a small nod, and Ragatha stroked her hat. “Okay, then. He’s all yours now, Pomni.” She pulled a nearby blanket over the girl, and Pomni slowly closed her eyes.
“Jax can be mean sometimes, but I like to think that deep down, he just doesn’t know what to do in some situations,” she whispered. “I hope you have good dreams, Pomni.”
The baby put a hand on Ragatha’s face as she slipped off to sleep. Ragatha responded with a small kiss to the forehead before she tucked her in. As she slept, Ragatha invited Gangle and Kinger to look at her.
“Isn’t she cute?” Gangle whispered.
“Huh? Oh yeah! She's an adorable little potato.” Kinger replied.
Gangle quietly shushed Kinger before she turned to look back at Pomni and softly smiled. Meanwhile in the background, Jax was seen walking by. He checked from his distance if Pomni was there, and when he saw it was true, he rolled his eyes and kept walking. Clearly today wasn't the day to be tormenting the cast… yet.
Amongst the quiet, Pomni stirred with a small whimper, to which Ragatha immediately went to gently soothe her. She let out a sigh of relief before sitting down and turning towards the others.
“How about we sit here until she wakes up, yeah?” Ragatha said quietly.
Gangle nodded in agreement, Kinger as well, even if he didn't really understand what was going on at the moment. Gangle sat down, and was looked over by Kinger. He stared in silence before a realization suddenly hit him.
“Oh, a baby! I could show her my insect collection when she wakes up!” Kinger said.
Ragatha and Gangle flinched at his sudden exclamation and looked over to Pomni. Luckily, she was still fast asleep even with the noisy chess piece.
Kinger hopped off of the stage, landing on his face for a bit, before getting up after laying still. Once up, he walked off to go to his pillow fort, leaving Ragatha and Gangle alone with the baby.
“Now what?” Gangle whispered.
“Uh, Caine?” Ragatha called quietly. “Could you think we could give Pomni a room?”
Caine appeared the moment his name was called, arms in the air with glee. He let out a humm, top dentures arched in the way of mimicking a raised brow before nodding enthusiastically.
“Of course! Now, stand back ladies and gentlemen, you will be astonishedly AMAZED by the room I have for her!” He exclaimed theatrically before snapping his fingers. And in an instant, they were teleported into a room perfectly fit for little Pomni. Matching baby decor, proper safety and loads of toys. Caine seemed proud of himself before he gave a salute.
“Welp, my job here is done! Have fun with her room my maiden mother pals!” He disappeared once more, which left them to look around in her brand new room.
Ragatha looked at Pomni’s new room with a sense of true warmth in her heart. She slowly stepped out and turned the light off before closing the door… and coming face to face with Jax.
“Aww, how wholesome.” Jax said sarcastically. “Like she’s gonna be safe here.”
Ragatha was not happy with Jax’s words. “Jax, can you at least show some respect for Pomni?”
The rabbit shrugged. “It’s a baby,” he said. “It won’t care.”
“Well, I do!” Ragatha replied. “And it’s our duty to keep her safe!”
Jax started walking back to his own room. “Maybe it’s your duty. But I, for one, could not care even in the deepest corner of my heart if something were to happen to her.”
Ragatha struggled to think of a comeback, then walked back to look at Pomni.
Seeing she was still fast asleep, Ragatha decided to watch over her as a warm smile slowly grew in her face.
Later on, Caine decided to invite everyone to dinner for their work in the adventure. Pomni was about to join the other members at the big table when Caine stopped her.
“No, no, no, my little jiggling jester!” Caine grinned. “Your friends are all eating big kid food, so Chef Bubble made some mashed carrots, just for you!”
“Made with all the love I’m legally allowed to give!” said the toothy creature, staring at the motley-wearing girl.
As Ragatha and Gangle set up a high chair for the baby, Pomni climbed the table leg up to the top of the table and leapt for the chair, with Ragatha and Gangle checking to make sure she was comfy. Pomni let out a quiet sigh to let her new friends know she was enjoying her seat.
"Do you like carrots, Pomni?" Ragatha asked.
"Yeah, Dolly!" Pomni said, to the shock of Ragatha and Gangle.
"You can talk?" Gangle said.
"Yeah!" Pomni replied.
"Well, that's great! If you ever want to know anything about the circus, I'll be your guide!" Ragatha said.
"Okay, mama." Pomni said.
Ragatha beamed with joy when she heard Pomni say that. "I'm your mama?"
"Yes, Dolly. Mama!" Pomni said with a smile.
Ragatha did everything she could to hold back tears of joy. She and Pomni had become so close, they were practically like mother and daughter. The only thing Ragatha could think of doing was hugging Pomni, to which Pomni hugged back while Gangle set up the plate of mashed carrots.
And as everyone ate dinner, with Pomni eating her mashed carrots, Ragatha couldn’t help but give Pomni a big smile. She knew that although what Jax said earlier may have been true, that didn’t mean she was going to give up on her. She was going to give little Pomni the best life she ever could have at the circus, and she would make sure nothing would ever harm her.
THE END