Anniversary Event: Defying Fate

[eternitymods]

Who: Everyone
When: April 8th-11th
Where: Vaikuntha
What: The Heroes of Light relive the three days leading to the Apocalypse, again and again. With this come the chance for them to save the world, but also to explore opportunities otherwise out of reach. Will they find a way to save the world and prevent this terrible fate from coming true?
Warnings/Notes: Depends on the threads.

Comments

[pishirogane]

Watching the Queen emerge, Naoto had seen her somewhere before... the Crystal Temple she if she recalled. Perhaps having Titania for the loop would help correct several of the ongoing incidents... but looking over at Kanji, she nodded.

Right, one task first.

"Titania, we've come to this place in search of two children. They sought you for aid in this Calamity and if you could help us, we would be grateful."

[doodlebuginette]

Well that was easier than she would've expected it to be. Hmm.

She understood what the Queen was saying, though, and she glanced over at Kanji. He was right of course. The children had to be their first priority.

"That's right! Have you seen any children come through this way?" Was that even how it worked? It seemed more likely that one or more of the smaller fairies would've seen them. But it also seemed pretty likely that the smaller ones weren't going to be terribly helpful.

[masqueraid]

It was her. Titania... the fairy depicted in the charm that Ren gripped unconsciously in his hand now. The others had already asked the appropriate questions, so he stood beside them, a resolved look in his eyes— hoping that she would be able to give them the answers they sought... and the reason they had come out here in the first place.

[eternitymods]

The fairy Titania floats above the water and turns her head downward to look at each of the teenagers before her with gently closed eyes.

"Young ones...please, rest yourselves at this fountain. I see that you have had a hard journey."

She gestures at them, waiting in case they need to sit down. After a minute, she smiles. "You are asking of the two children who wandered into our woods? Do not worry. I have taken them in for now. They were quite frightened, the poor things."

[topgun_textiles]

Well, he was the one who didn't understand the language, but he settled in the grass with a sigh as the summoners would talk things out. He memorized the path they took for a moment, which would help out in future loops should this one be another failure.

"For the record, if the kids're pooped, I can carry 'em back no problem." But he couldn't help relaxing all the same. This spring was... nice. It oddly made him feel homesick, of days when he was a kid where he'd look for faeries and fox spirits and stuff.

[pishirogane]

Looking back towards Kanji, Naoto relayed what the Fairy Queen had said, about her taking in the children and how they were frightened. Which was completely understandable. The same woods which would've trapped them and which had trapped the others before, they could've died... again.

"If we can, we're here to take them home. While their parents haven't noticed yet, they will, but their efforts to find them, even with help, will be in vain."

[doodlebuginette]

"Thank you."

Marinette doesn't have to be told twice, and she wastes no time in taking a seat near the fountain. Even still, her attention is focused almost entirely on Titania and what she's saying now.

It seems like Naoto has it handled, though, so she's content to sit quietly and wait to see how this plays out. She's worried about the missing children, but there's no reason to think that the fairy queen would be lying about them being safe for now.

[eternitymods]

Titania moves her head just a slight angle to acknowledge Naoto, and her hair shimmers in the light of the forest. "I see. They might still be sleeping at this moment, so please take care not to disturb them. How far have you come for their sakes?"

[pishirogane]

"We'll do our best."

She doesn't think anyone wanted to risk dealing with cranky children. "If we're speaking in a literal sense, we came here with the primary intention of finding them. However, due to the Eidolon script found and others having trouble traversing the forest, I cannot deny we were curious as to what that might entail due to their difficulties."

[topgun_textiles]

Kanji squinted. There was an exchange not happening here.

"Somethin' don't add up." He got up and headed for the group, and lowered his voice.

"The kids never go home before Bahamut fucks everything. She would've guided them out or called off the faeries or the weird forest voodoo."

He paused. They needed the help of the eidolons, but they'd gotten an eyeful and an afternoon of faeries messing with them. What would make Titania any different?

[doodlebuginette]

Having dealt with cranky children in the past, Marinette really had no desire to repeat the experience here. Especially not under these circumstances. So she just nodded at Titania's words.

Naoto seemed to be handling Titania well enough, and the latter seemed content enough to listen so there was no point in worrying.

At least until Kanji came over and spoke up. He was right, of course.

"That's why we're here, isn't it? We need to bring them home before things happen."

Obviously it wasn't going to be that simple, but she was willing to try as many times as it took to make it work.

[eternitymods]

Titania sighs. She begins to glow as she speaks again.

A child’s pure heart I count as most dear,
Of this ye should be without doubt.
Is it any wonder I kept them near,
When The Dragon lurks without?
Yet I shall not deny thee thine request,
If my bower’s refuge thou doth spurn.
Though they leave ‘gainst the fairies’ behest,
Who from mortals came, to mortals needs return.
With thee goes my aid, Titania’s Gift,
With hopes the coming tides shall shift.

With that, Titania and the band of fairies disappear in a flash of shimmering light. The tree branches surrounding the fountain sway and part, revealing the children slumbering on beds of soft moss. They awaken, and appear entirely unharmed. The party can now exit the forest with the lost children. A small fairy will appear again to guide them down the quickest path.

[pishirogane]

Naoto listened and bowed her thanks shortly after Titania and the other fairies disappeared. It made sense what her intentions were from the poems - she thinks she recalls hearing that it tended to work that way in fairytales after all. With the children awake, she would help them up and turn to the others.

"Well then, are we ready to head back?"

[topgun_textiles]

He nodded. "Yeah. I think I pissed her off, but their parents are gonna find out they went missing and families need to be together even more now than ever."

If needed, he'll be a mule to carry the kiddos. But first he would see if they needed the help. If not, he'll oversee the group's path back home overall.

[masqueraid]

There's a moment or two of blinking from Ren. It seemed the fairies in this forest weren't the best at being direct, but her tune got the point across. Satisfied that the mission seemed to be a success at least, he approached the sleeping children, ready to offer one a piggy back to the closest one should they so desire.

"I wouldn't worry about it," there's a smile for you, Kanji. Even if she wasn't pleased at the end, sometimes you had to rustle a few feathers to get the results you wanted, right?

"Nice work, everyone." At least they wouldn't have to worry about their flesh being munched on on the way back. Probably.

[doodlebuginette]

With Titania and her fairies gone and the children awake, it seemed like their little adventure was a success. So with a smile, she made her way over to where the children were waiting to make sure they were alright.

"Yea, we did what we came here to do." And they're all in one piece, so that was definitely enough to consider it a win. "I'm ready if everyone else is."