Chapter Text
Pierrot looked outside his tent to make sure the coast was clear before grabbing his bag. He had made extra sure nobody outside the circus would recognize him, avoiding his colorful circus outfit and instead wearing a long dark coat and a black rimmed hat. Dressing in dark colors specifically avoiding red, his hair tied down and hidden within his coat and wearing a black face mask that covered half of his face instead of his regular one. It was extremly important to not be recognized, that nothing would make him stray away from his path.
He thought it over for a moment, a moment too long. He had talked with Jester about this. Had talked about how he knew Columbina was still alive, out there somewhere. Jester had told him that that was impossbile. That they had watched her die. That Pierrot had seen it with his own eyes, and his brain was just playing tricks on him now.
He had refused to hear him out. Refused to listen, to "entertain this delusion any more". He had asked him to not do anything rash, to try and think rationally.
The next day, he had seen the glances. The way Harlequin didn't seem to mess with him as much as usual, the way the Doctor seemed a little too interested in his well being, the way they had been hesitent to let him give out flyers on his own. He knew Jester had told the others, of course he had. And now everybody thought he was insane. Great.
He knew he wasn't. He knew that Columbina was still out there, even if nobody else believed him. If they just tried...
He knew he could still save her, if they just started looking now... It wasn't too late yet, he just knew it!
...
But they wouldn't. They refused to listen, it's like they wanted her to stay dead. But he couldn't let that happen. He needed to go out and find her, even if he would be alone. His friends couldn't stop him. Well, technically they probably could. They were all really strong, and he would stand no chance to the four of them, but...
That's why he had to go now. At night, just as everybody went to bed. He knew the others would notice his dissapearence, try to look for him. And if they found him, if they were faster than he was, there was no shot they'd ever let him out of their eyesight again. This was his only chance. He had to find her, and he knew he could.
He had a plan, of course he had. He didn't exactly have much money, but he had enough to get away. That was the first thing. He needed to get as far away as possible, to ensure he couldn't be tracked and followed. He knew Jester and Ticket Taker had a way with words, they had it easy to charm and convince people when they so needed, so he couldn't trust that anyone would keep their mouth shut if they were asked if they knew about his whereabouts. That's why he needed to look unrecognizable, to fit in with the crowd.
Once he was far enough and didn't have to worry about being followed, he had to find a place to stay. He had already mapped out the cheapest places, where he would be able to get a job and live, stay under the radar while he searched. As long as they wouldn't find him, he would be fine. He could figure the rest out after.
It wasn't like he disliked them, no he cared about them a lot. He loved his friends. But he knew he needed to find his beloved. And nobody could stand in his way. He knew that they would be fine without him, they had eachother. But Columbina didn't have anyone. She was all alone, he needed to rescue her.
He knew there was no going back after this. He was okay with that. He would either find Columbina or die trying.
With one last glance in the mirror, he tilted down his hat to cover his eyes before quietly making his way out the tent.