-Break-
Counting down his fingers, Orb says, "Four, three, two, one," and then Senán underground lets out a huge roar that gathers everyone's attention. Then, with a shattershell, Orb shouts, "COME AND GET SOME FOOD!"
The people who have been working tirelessly all start to head out one by one towards a series of stalls guarded by the Red branch knights, and together with other soldiers, Orb hands out meals to everyone.
When Abbán comes to get his food, he looks down and sees a bowl with rice, a random meal, and some sauce.
Then he says, "Where did you get all of this?"
"From the food stores within Anucroí."
"Aren't those used for emergencies?"
"Yep. But since we won't be having any food emergencies after today, I thought it was a good idea. Besides, you're all working so hard, so you should all be rewarded."
"Well, I will enjoy."
Taking his bowl, Abbán moves to eat with some of the other Fanalis along with Avaram, Elliot and their respective people.
In front of him, Dillion, his brother, surrounded by the kids of Skydust, tries to use his hand to pick up some rice, but Princess Peppa says, "You're supposed to use your spoon for rice."
Trying to hide his lack of knowledge, Dillion says, "I knew that I was just checking if you did?"
"It isn't good to life, Dillion."
"Shut up, Abbán."
Avram, looking at Abbán, says, "This is when you tie the brat off a fishing rod and teach them a lesson."
Elliot, wiping tears in his eyes, says, "We often had to do the same to Krik when he was a young boy. It brings back so many wonderful bonding moments."
"You humans really are insane."
Dillion, using a spoon, starts to pick up his food and stares at it for a moment. Abbán, taking this moment to look around, sees many of the other Fanalis all staring at their food.
And looking down at his bowl, Abbán says, "I guess this is the first time in a while we got to eat anything nice like this."
Taking his soon Abbán digs up the rice and then swallows it down his throat, moving from one bite to the next, eating it all up as quickly as he can, and as the flavour.
"Delicious!" He says with childish wonder in his voice.
Taking the bowl, he moves it to his feet and tries to absorb as much of the taste as he can, and Elliot says, "Abbán, is that really something a man of your station should be doing?"
Avram says, "Dragonflies like him have stronger taste receptors in their feet."
Abbán, trying his best to get as much flavour as he can, says, "Eat up, you guys or I will take all of your food for myself!"
Soon, the other Fanalis, egged on by the actions of Abbán, start to eat like wild animals themselves, enjoying as much as they can.
And looking around at everyone eating, Orb smiles to himself, and says, "It was worth it. Now just six more days."
Little by little, those days passed. The battles, the games, the talks, the food, the memoirs, the laughter, and the happiness that was infused into everyone propagated day after day as Senán grew the plants more and more.
Those who didn't care for one another were joined, and those who already had gained more, and for those who simply weren't able to gain anyone willingly or not, they were joined by their small king, who stayed with them.
Little by little, the people who a year ago had nothing to do with each other grew more and more connected and at the end of each day, they had gathered around as Orb told them stories of what he had experienced with Setanta.
Then on the sixth day, Orb said. "HELLO EVERYONE! Soon our little contest will come to an end, and I thank you for all working hard.
So look around to your fellow citizens, and hold no harsh feelings because tomorrow half of you will be LOSER!"
Orb is quickly smacked in the face by Avram, and then Avram says, "Half of you will be winners tomorrow, but just remember, even if you lose, you will get the best consolation prize of striking Orb in the face whenever you want that day!"
The crowd of people explodes with cheers, and Orb climbs on Avram's back and says, "WHAT THE HELL!"
"Be a good king and take your beating like a man."
"IT HURTS!"
"Captivant had a rather high pain tolerance, so stop complaining."
"I didn't mess around with a bunch of women, so I don't deserve to get hit!"
"TOO BAD!" Avram says as he puts the boy in a headlock.
Soon, a fight ensues between the two of them, and Maple, walking away with the rest of Aplos, says, "What are we going to do with him?"
"Maybe get him a pet?"
"He already has Suzuk-, I mean, he already has Cyrus."
"You're ok with calling Cyrus a pet but not Suzuka."
Elbowing Willow in the side, she says, "Of course I am, dummy!"
Hugging her from up top, Willow says, "You're even more adorable when you're violent."
Smiling to herself, Maple looks at all the people walking beside her and says, "You're all the cute ones."
"What?"
"NOTHING!"
-Break-
-The following night-
Looking up, Maple continuously taps her feet as she waits for the pixies to wake everyone up and start to new day, and beside her, Willow says, "You know you can just get up if you want to."
Shocked Maple says, "You're awake?"
"Of course I am, do you think I would be able to sleep when my team's victory is a few hours away?"
"Your team? I think we all know whose group worked harder."
"You're cuter when you're delusional, but we both know who one this!"
"Then let's go check."
"You're on!"
Buloke says, "YOU HEARD THEM!"
Soon, everyone else jumps awake, and Maple says, "You are all awake as well?"
"We couldn't just sleep since tomorrow is the big day, now let's head out!"
Soon, all of Aplos and the people around them start to slowly head towards the elevator, but as they arrive, they see a bunch of other groups, and Maple says, "YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASLEEP!"
"SO SHOULD YOU!" They say back.
Together they all head towards the elevator, and group by group they head to the surface, and when they all reach the top as one big group, they decide to head out, and soon they reach their destination.
Standing beside each other, united in a big crowd, all those who fall under the banner of Niflheim look into the distance with looks of fear, sadness, confusion, and anger.
In front of them lies all of the flies they were looking after with dead plants throughout them, with the bright and glowing moon shining down upon them all.
Not a single one of the lively, lush plants that had been there mere hours before stood anymore, and all of them lay dead and decaying.
As everyone gazes at this speculation and accusation rampage, like crazy.
"Who did this?"
"It's impossible for such an event to happen in so little time."
"Senán was messing with their growth. Couldn't that be the explanation?"
"The grand druid who has lived for over two thousand years wouldn't make a mistake like this."
"Then what happened? This isn't natural."
"Maybe someone did this?"
"Why?"
"I don't know how to ruin everything for everyone."
"But it couldn't be one person, but a group of people who did this?"
"What kind of group would do this?"
"It would be impossible for humans to do this so quickly?"
"So you're saying it was the beastkin, do you know what kind of accusation that is?"
"It couldn't be the Fanalis; the only people who could do this are the Druids."
"It wasn't us. Don't those legacy users have the ability to inflict massive destruction in mere moments?"
The fighting rages on, and soon some of it becomes physical, which causes Maple to rush into the crowds and shout, "STOP!!!"
But she is ignored as under the moonlight, everyone's darkness spreads so far that it hushes all noise and sound, so she struggles trying to slow people down with her legacy, stopping the violence.
Though soon bodies start to crush her as people start toppling over one another, and as Maple is mere moments away from being suffocated, a storm of snow hits them all, breaking them apart,t then Orb shouts, "ENOUGH!"
Using his snow, he forcefully pushes them all apart into two groups, and gets in front of everyone, then bows down, and says, "I am sorry."
The people all stop and look at him sobered up by the freezing snow that surrounds them, and Orb continues, "I must have screwed up when I was extracting the snow and ice from deep within the soil, and I promise I will look into this, but please don't fight amongst yourselves.
Tomorrow we will all return to the jobs we were doing before I started this whole project. I am sorry for wasting all your time."
As Orb rolls onto the ground, Maple stares at him, and sees that as Orb's hair slowly changes colour, he bites his tongue off to keep it from changing, and overriding his body with pain.
But amid all that pain, Maple sees Orb with a look so angry that she doesn't know what to do but gaze at him in sadness.
Standing up, Orb claps his hands, and with animosity in the air, everyone, one by one, slowly moves back, each with an invisible wall surrounding all of them.
Except one person who glares determinedly into the night.
-Break-
Walking in the field filled with dead flowers in the middle of the night, Maple says, "Now, where do I begin?"
Reinforcing her hands with spirit energy, she starts to dig up the land, but soon she says, "This is really going to take a while, if I keep going at it like this. If only I had brought a tool with me."
Suddenly, a spade appears at her side, and picking it up, Maple says, "How strange."
Maple quickly turns her head all around, but sees nothing, and then she gets back to digging and says, "It would be great if I had some water."
And as a noise sounds through the area, Maple quickly moves her head over their quickly, but sees nothing but a cup of water. Quickly drinking it, she turns her head from side to side again, and again.
Then get's back to digging and says, "It would be amazing if I had a fluffy fox girl to hug right now!"
Feeling softness behind her, she quickly turns around and grabs Suzuka, saying, "GOTCHA!"
As she is held down, Suzuka screams, "LET GO OF ME, I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN, WILLOW!"
"Willow? Is he here?"
"No, he is asleep. Yesterday, I had lost my final match to him, and he made it so that I had to go up and strike up a conversation with you."
Hugging her tightly and rubbing her cheek against Suzuka's, Maple says, "I missed you, I thought you'd been avoiding me."
"I thought I had been spending too much time around you, and was getting annoying, so I decided to back off."
"You're never annoying, and of course I would love to stay with a little cutie like you."
"Die," Suzuka says while quickly putting on her mask.
"Huh? Why?"
"Those words are a lie to get me to lower my guard. If I do not brutally reject them, I will become your dog. So DIE BASTARD!"
Quickly hugging her and scratching under her chin, Maple quickly pulls off her mask and says, "You're cute no matter what."
"Cuter than Willow?"
"No."
Suzuka pouts a bit, but then Maple says, "But right now I don't need a cute boy like my husband, I need a big, strong Suzuka to help me get my work done."
Flexing her muscles, Suzuka says, "I will help!"
"Then let's get this done with!"