FateWhite Star

by codecaster

For many masters, the moment Morgan was betrayed was the moment they gave up on saving the faeries. For others it was learning of Aesc's exploits, others still held out until Manchester burned. This question lies before each master that makes it to the light of the world's end. Should the faeries be saved?

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time

I stood in a field of pink flowers. A land of hopes and dreams. A fragment of the planet's inner sea, a place where no human would normally be able to reach. I spoke to the guest I had abruptly invited here.

Hello there, you with the still wretched fate. Or perhaps "nice to meet you, dreamer" would be more appropriate. You're finally hearing me now, so at the very least I can worry a little less. It would be a shame to end a dream before it's begun, so, would please hear me out?

This isn't just a song I've heard on the wind; It is a special story I made just for you. Still though, that does not make it any less true. Hey, you're frowning! None of that!

I shall speak now of a future, of the end of the isle of Mystics, which came to be known as Faerieland. Let the sinners be forgiven. Here stands the king's unconquered castle. It rises. It rises. Like steam. Like dust. It vanishes. It vanishes. Like snow. Like dreams. Our desires languish, admonished. Even now, we dance to the king's tune.

We require now only a little more patience. After two thousand years, the dawn shall bring the child who will realize our salvation. She shall be the child who saves the world, who helps bind both peoples together. Even if her light begins as but an ember, even should no one see it, she will become the spark that lights the bonfire of hope.

A city of iron. A sea of soot. When the calamity recedes, her pilgrimage begins. Chosen by the Staff of Selection, the world's savior, guided by travelers from afar, shall reach the throne. The true king shall arrive at the throne. Accept now this long-bloodied crown.

Ring. Ring. Like laughing thunder. Like crackling flame. Let us harken to the six bells ringing. Blaze the path of the true king. Ere the red calamity burns. Ere the black calamity hungers. Indolent and derelict though we may be, we are the scions of the free fae.

Never have we wished for anything. But still, we desire a shining future.

Still frowning? Welp, everyone's a critic, I guess. You should really cheer up, it's a much better tale than I'm sure you're used to hearing. That's just how it is with prophecies, they don't really go into specifics, but once events unfold, you finally understand what they were aiming for. In that sense, they're a lot like a promise that keeps you on the right path even when all seems lost.

Welp, seems that the scary man's finally noticed me. This is all I can do for you now. The next time I see you will be after everything else is said and done… Heh, how ridiculous. I always tell the truth, one way or another, even if it seems unbelievable. All right then, I have preparations to make. Until next time…

…I really do need to get going… But if it means anything to you, I'd like a new harp too, if that's ok.

"Was that…a dream?" I groggily thought aloud. As I sat up in my bed, I saw that Fou slept quietly beside me. If Merlin was contacting me again, then that meant that we would have to finally go to the sixth lostbelt, didn't we? Confirming my suspicions, ear-piercing alarms rang out. "Uhh, testing, testing. Good morning, everyone. This is Sion." I didn't look forward to the coming month and a half. Britain was about to go to hell in a handbasket and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Still…

"The time is now 7:00 a.m. I am very sorry to disturb you all during your precious quiet early morning hours… but I have an urgent message to relay to all Novum Chaldea staff. There has been a change in the Sixth Lostbelt. The emergency situation we predicted is now in progress. Please remain calm, and come to the Command Room as soon as you are able." Early? That had to have been for the children servant's benefit at best. Most servants got up before the "crack of dawn" to get as much personal work and or training and or writing and or gaming done before we went about our daily "farming."

"Please remain calm, and come to the Command Room as soon as you are able." I got out of my bed and opened the door to the hallway. "Come on fou, it's finally time to put the faeries to rest." Rather than follow me, Fou turned and went in the opposite direction of the Command Room. "He really just turned and left, I guess adding ANOTHER beast to Britain wouldn't really help the situation, would it?" I chuckled to myself. Hard times were ahead, or rather, there were always hard times ahead, but Clairvoyance EX at the very least helped make it manageable.

I walked into the Command Room. Ophelia, Mash, and Wodime were already reporting in. Oh, are there some faces you weren't expecting? I myself didn't think I could manage it but I really did it. Funnily enough, a knife that reverts all contracts and just a couple of inches to the right can really make all the difference in the world for some people. I walked to the group. "Ah, Fujimaru, do you happen to know what's going on?" Wodime asked. Ophelia looked ready to smack him. "Are you serious Kirschtaria? I don't even need to use my eye to tell you what's happening."

Suddnely, a wild Goredolf (our beloved director) appeared! "Hmph, you better listen up, and listen up good! Just because you came back to our side doesn't mean you can act all chummy with our valued field member, Kirschtaria!" Ophelia scoffed. "That's what you said when I joined you guys for China, right before sending me straight to the frontlines to help Mash and Ritsuka with, and I quote "Save our collective bacons" after eating that poisoned cake. Admit it, you're happy to have our help."

Goredolf Growled. "I was talking about Kirschtaria! You proved your loyalty to humanity back then in spades! But Kirschtaria was the biggest threat to humanity! Who knows, he may still be plotting behind our backs!" I laughed. "Oh, and what is it that's so funny Ritsuka?" I looked at Wodime. He may have been able to curb-stomp Zeke back in Olympus, but he was all but a cripple then, and he was even worse now. I spoke up. "Wodime has the heart of a pure maiden, there's no way he'd betray us." Goredolf, Mash, and Ophelia seemed taken aback by that comment. Ophelia especially looked like she wanted to strangle me. Wodime simply closed his eyes and sighed. "It is no wonder someone who is able to see through me so easily defeated me so thoroughly. Again, Director Goredolf, I only ever wanted to aid humanity, will continue to aid it alongside Chaldea, in whatever way I can, even if I can't do much of anything with magecraft now."

Holmes walked into the Command Room. "Good morning, my distinguished colleagues. I see by your healthy complexion that you slept marvelously last night. Wonderful. I would say this fulfills the first condition, wouldn't you say, Ms. Sion?" Sion nodded her head.

"Yes, I think so. It is very lucky that you are all in such good health right now." Only Wodime was really on the side of "unhealthy" and even if he had been on deaths door little less than a month ago, he was much better all things considered. Why was it lucky? Sometimes Sion didn't make sense to me, and surprisingly it wasn't just when she talked about crazy magitech stuff you needed to be a twelfth level intellect to understand. "Let's see, we have Fujimaru, Mash, Ophelia, and Wodime, the field op team." Sion looked around. "Meunière, the pilot. Tomlin and Kawata, the operators." Poor Mr. Mustard, only Sion got his name right these days.

"Octavia, Da Vinci's assistant. Chin, the vehicle mechanic. Cayenne, the munitions and design engineer. Elron, the record keeper. Marcus, the Spiritron engineer. And Goredolf, who was just enjoying a heaping plate of pancakes with a rather generous drizziling of honey." Sion winked to us. "I see not one of you is so much as batting an eye at this dire situation. Truly, you are all seasoned veterans!" A small chuckle escaped from the crowd. "This will make it so much easier to tell you what is going on!" Yeah, the world was going to end in twenty-four hours. I couldn't blame Sion for trying to be chipper. Denying a 'regular' lostbelt was taxing enough, let alone one that would take out the entire planet in a day. "What did you say, you Egyptian knee-sock wearer!?"

Goredolf clearly wasn't having any of it. "Hmm. It seems very rude to me to boil people down to their nationality, appearance, and or choice of apparel." Did I rub off on them too much? I usually tried to keep in high spirits like Sion, but I knew how 'the story went' so to speak, even when I did change up the script from time to time, I could usually still see how it would work out. It really was something, to be able to sweat such small stuff in the face of certain disaster showed how strong they all were.

Mash raised her voice in solidarity. "I agree with that, but please, let's not get sidetracked right now." Sion straightened her glasses and resumed her briefing. "I am sorry, you are right. We do not have a lot of time to spare, so I will be as forthright as I can. It has been three weeks since our shockingly soon operation to eliminate Limbo. In that time Novum Chaldea has been tuning up the Storm Border and devising plans to deal with the remaining Lostbelts. I had been focusing on the Seventh belt, but…" Wodime spoke up. "Britain finally showed its true colors now, hasn't it."

All eyes were on Wodime. Goredolf's eyes bulged and hastily pointed at Wodime. "See, I knew it, he's still plotting something! Your servant made you seem like a hero but you're still a scheming thief!" Wodime shook his head. "No, director, I had surmised early on that anything that came of Britain could only end poorly for humanity. I had instructed Beryl to destroy it, but given his recent attempt on my life, you can tell how that worked out."

I laughed. "Even without its Tree of Emptiness, Britain's seriously dangerous. Isn't that right, Wodime?" He nodded. "Indeed, it is. It should have disappeared on its own without its tree, yet it still stands and now threatens the world." Sion pulled up a red, holographic map. "We were still keeping it under observation but did not consider it a threat. Not until this very moment, anyway." She tapped at Britain on the map. "This is the Paper Moon's planetary observation grid, and these are Sheba's predictions."

Her face turned grim. "According to this, the British Lostbelt will vanish in about twenty-four hours, and when it does, it will also engulf the rest of the planet like an enormous tsunami. Earth will then crumble under the weight of it own gravity, utterly annihilating the planet." Ophelia clutched her eye in response. "Are… are you sure about that?" Sion blinked in confusion. I blinked in confusion. In unison we both contradicted her. "Of course, the Earth will be crushed like a black hole / tin can." I pumped my fist into the air. "Jinx! You owe me a soda!" Mash hit me upside my head. "Gah!" She shook her head. What do you mean, Ophelia?"

Ophelia mouthed to make words, but remained silent. She raised her hand to her head, mouth agape, occasionally closing her lips and blinking her Mystic Eye as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. After a few second, she stopped looking like a fish out of water and glared at me with dead eyes. "Screw this, I'm going back to bed. I'm not going to join WHATEVER I just saw." Ok, I knew that Ophelia sometimes saw the same stuff I did, but I wouldn't think she would just bail like that. Did see the fluffball? "You can't just abandon your duty like that! The world's at stake!" Goredolf was awfully pale.

Holmes puffed his pipe. "Indeed Ms. Phamrsolone, denying a Lostbelt is no easy task, and we have been fortunate to gain your own and Mr. Wodime's assistance. That aside, do you really think you can afford to just sit idly by while the planet is at risk?" Ophelia rolled her eyes. "As far as I can see, Kirschtaria and I would only get in the way." Ophelia thought the world of Wodime, what had gotten into her? "I… I must agree with Ophelia. I am in no state to use magecraft, and if she does not believe either of our assistance is needed, then I trust her judgement. Still, perhaps you could explain to the good detective just exactly what you saw?"

Ophelia crossed her arms and huffed. "I would tell you, but a certain SOMEONE doesn't want me to. I won't say anymore or the world might actually be destroyed for all I can tell." Was it Merlin? I guess it just another quirk of changing history. Or would it be more accurate to say changing fantasy, since the changes I made were in realities that didn't actually exist? Eh, questions for later. As Goredolf and Sion argued with Ophelia, I gazed around at the other members of Chaldea. Aside from Meunière, I wasn't too terribly familiar with the others. Was I a bad coworker? We all but saved the world and I hardly knew their names.

I guess I could chalk it up to having to memorize the names, abilities, and histories of over a hundred servants, and deal with the constant shenanigans, whether they be banal or disastrous, but still. Maybe I could say hi to one of the operators? Whether those two go or not shouldn't change much, if anything it would likely be easier really, but it also wouldn't hurt to stick to the script this time. Faerie Britain needed to go, and if I was going to go through the absolute dump truck of a boss rush that was the end, being able to go through the motions would be preferred to having to actually account for whatever deviations the two could cause.

I walked towards the operator Tomlin. Soon enough we would board the Storm Border and make our way to the Lostbelt, so what was the harm in finally chatting with one of my fellow staff members? I blinked and rubbed my eyes. A bout of vertigo hit me. "Fujimaru! Stop staring into space!" Goredolf called me. Ah well, there goes that idea. "What is it, Director?" He gestured to Ophelia, Wodime and… Morgan? "Huh? When did she get here?" I had summoned Morgan while dealing with Limbo. She made things surprisingly easier after a few field enhancements.

"According to your servant, the conditions of Britain for this Lostbelt are likely too dangerous for Wodime's health, and Ophelia's eye may cause issues with keeping a low profile. Due to Ophelia's obstinance and your servant's advice, I am begrudgingly willing to let them stay on the Border as extra muscle, but that will mean you and Mash will have to bear the main weight of this mission yourselves for field operations. Are you alright with that?" I shrugged nonchalantly. Goredolf was always a ball of stress when it came to the idea of the Border being unprotected during our journeys through the Lostbelts. If they stay back, maybe he'll be able to relax despite the power inevitably being cut.

"I don't really get it, but Sure! With Mash we can handle anything. Twenty-four hours is more than enough time to save the world and get back in time for Dinner!" I shot a thumbs up at them. We'd have way more than a day to fix things, but always saying things I shouldn't know tended to give them a headache." Sion finished her briefing and soon we cleared out to load up the Storm Border. As I went to my room to change into my mystic code, Morgan followed me. "Hello, apprentice. I have prepared a special mystic code for you to wear while in Britain." Weirdly, Morgan never called me husband.

Ok, maybe that needed an explanation. Based on my communications with other masters, the servant Morgan Le Fay always called her summoner, her master, husband or wife. How did I communicate with other masters? Fourth-Dimensional Warp Kaleidoscopery, that's how. Along with Clairvoyance EX, masters like myself had access to a website that we could access. Supposedly it was connected to the Throne of Heroes or The Root or something and that was how we could all talk to each other. The servants also had something similar that let them communicate with other servants, but I was pretty sure it was limited to each master's 'timeline.'

Once I reached the room, Morgan handed me the mystic code and I went in to change. With a special mystic code that Da Vinci made, I could change outfits at a moment's notice. In my grogginess, I had failed to put it on before I went to debriefing. "Let's see…" The mystic code was dubbed "Royal Blue" and was surprisingly a mostly black outfit similar to Gawain's outfit he wore under his armor. The big difference being that the gold on it was replaced with an electric blue. Stylish? Sure. Skills? I tried to view the skills embedded in the code. Instead of seeming them as I usually did, a pop-up notification sounded. Written in white text on a blue background, it said as follows:

Warning, this mystic code's skills cannot be unlocked until after clearing Lost Belt 6 prologue but can still gain experience points after battles.

I rejoined Morgan outside. "Thanks for the Mystic Code, I can't seem to use it yet, but I'll be sure to put it to good use!" I had actually seen this mystic code before. It wasn't actually on the listed compendium of Mystic Codes that other masters had either made or been given, but it resembled one that some masters claimed Morgan to have given them, so it tracked. Lucky score, I guess!

And thus, the Border was boarded and we stormed along our way to the British Lostbelt. In two hours' time we made it to Britain. Snuggly sat in one of the border's chairs, I thought of the coming trials. The tragedy at Manchester, Albion's rampage, Vortigern's betrayal. Not to mention, I would have to pull a couple close calls in terms of mana depletion. Most of the other masters managed though, so I'd just have to pull through! For as horrible as the fairies were, relying on them and Vortigern were the best bet we had at defeating Morgan.

I felt the jerk of the Storm Border as we pierced the wall of light surrounding Britain. "Hold onto your butts everyone, we're gonna have a rocky landing."

So far so good. Mash, Da Vinci, and I made our way onto the beach. Tristan would be showing up soon. Gordeolf's voice rang through my head. "Remember Ritsuka, this won't be like any of the other Lostbelts we've faced so far! Negotiation requires a careful, thoughtful approach, so try to keep your reckless risk-taking to no more than thirty percent of your usual antics!" I felt bad, I really did. No matter how things shook out, every master always had to do at least fourty-two percent of our usual antics at minimum. As Mash and Da Vinci went over our ration situation, her shield silently shined with a pure white light. "We can't summon Heroic Spirits here, but you were still summoned anyway. Got it?"

This was it, this was the start of it all. Once we encountered the mors, I just had to trust my memory-less self and Calzone, er, Caltria, for the next few days. So long as I relied on my clairvoyance like all the other masters, I should be able to get through it with minimal injury, relatively speaking.

All I had to do was grit my teeth, and I'd reach it.

The moment all the faeries had been waiting for.

The moment a planet will be born.

The faeries cherished freedom. The faeries guarded their love.

In recompense, the children lost their world.

Though it is destroyed over and over again...

Your Britain will ever prosper.

Spring's surprise, summer's quarrel, autumn's joy, and winter's battle.

Death piled upon death to stand eternal.

Be wary and never forget:

No matter how study the walls, a castle's foundation never changes.

As the world took new form, the roots aged.

And now, unseen and unfelt…

The gnawing of the tiniest of insects shall bring all to ruin.

Bah, what hack wrote that poem?

Songs about fairies should be filled with laughter and danger, close-calls and absurd wonders!

Never should the tithe to hell be paid by a hero, that's what I think!

A figure draped in fog, observing our lost heroes. "Uh-oh. And here I thought I might arrive early." The fogbound man spoke to a white creature resting on his hand, a princess attentively listening to her prince. "Huh? It's because I took my sweet time? Well, you can't blame me for that. These are my very first guests. It's only right to look your best for guests." The princess buzzed at him, though it was hard to tell if she was annoyed or amused. "Besides, I'd say this boy and his companions made a pretty big mistake, too."

The fogbound man gestured to a woods impossible to see. "I mean, no one in their right mind would ever think to go into the Nameless Woods without any protection." The man smiled. "I guess this just goes to show how brave this Master of Chaldea really is. Don't you think, Blanca?" Blanca shook her head. "Hm? Am I really going to trust these outsiders? Yes, I will. I'll trust them with all my soul. Sure, I still had my suspicions up until I saw them in person…but now, I can tell." The fogbound head nodded. "They're the real deal. As crazy as it sounds, they're dead serious about saving the world. Oh yes, I'm definitely glad I waited for them now."

Blanca stared at the man and buzzed. "that's right, Blanca. It's finally time for me to get serious, too." The man walked towards the fallen group. "Hmm, seems we've got a few local faeries here. One, two, three, four… That's a couple too many for me. Fortunately, it looks like they're good-natured sorts. I'm sure they'll rescue the Chaldeans." The man turned to leave. "In the meantime, I think I'll make my way back for now, and save our fateful encounter for another time. Good luck, Chaldean lad. I suggest you start by getting familiar with Britain's…ambience."

The man stopped. "Oh, and one more very important thing. Whatever you do…don't let anyone know you're human." He finally left.

In another time, Ritsuka Fujimaru would have had a horrible nightmare. A nightmare where he watched his precious friend Mash be engulfed by fog. He would then wake to a shack where he mistook a friendly fae for his forgotten friend. This time, Ritsuka Fujimaru knew that he would lose his memories. He had no worry, and the utmost confidence in what he and countless others referred to as Clairvoyance EX. A mix of intuition, recordings, and anecdotes from other masters detailing the events of the Grand Order and the Ordeals they went through.

Some masters had already seen the end of their journey, and others were only just beginning. Thanks to a means only those masters were pertinent to in Chaldea, they could bear through these trials thanks to the aid of those who had already walked the same path they tread. Some followed it verbatim, content with predefined losses and victories. Others sought change and documented their own failures and victories. Others still simply gave up and never were heard from again.

Despite knowing that following the predestined path meant temporarily losing his greatest asset, Ritsuka Fujimura did not hesitate to follow it. He was a very courageous master indeed. Truly, once he woke up, he would be all the gladder he did not doubt himself.

"Oh good, you're finally awake." I snickered. "Huh? Did you hit your head or something?" A blonde hair girl with emerald eyes stared down at me. "Hm, you don't seem to be injured, and I don't think your life's in any danger…" A gentle smile graced her lips. "But if you're hurting anywhere, please let me know. I still have a lot to learn, but I can at least perform basic first aid."

I met her smile with one of my own. "You're…" I thought back to the time back then, when I almost took that cursed fruit. "Apple." Her face lit up beet red. "Bwah!?" Her eyes quivered like the rippling waves of a pond. "I… I mean that does sound like it's my name…heehhhhhh…." I smirked. "I'm glad you're not rejecting it. Not everyone likes having a nickname after all."

Lost in her own world, she continued unaware of my quip and quickly spewed out her speech. "Phew!.. thankgoodnessIwashavingtroublerememberingwhoIwas… So my name's Apple, huh?... I… I like it… It's short, sweet, and… unique….." Embarrassment gave way to determination as she began glaring at me. "Hey, if you know my name, that must mean we really are friends! I knew it!" Her smile was ecstatic and her eyes sharp, but from the quiver in her eyes I could tell she was moments from tears.

"Anyway, good morning, Lysander. Do you know where you are right now?" I nodded my head. "Yes, we're inside the nameless forest. This is a place where most lose their memories and become lost. I am glad to see you made through to here unscathed." Again, shock filled her eyes and she blushed. "YeAh…! We all collapsed in the Nameless Woods, that's right. You seem to remember better than I do though…. I mean really, what were we all doing in one of the most dangerous domains in all of Britain?" I rested my head on my hand and lazily looked up to her. "L-Lysander? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like I'm some silly lost fae (read: child)?"

"I can't say I remember better than you, but I am sure my name's not Lysander."

Before I could say a word more, she leapt to the floor and prostrated herself. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I put the name tag that said Lysander on you! I'm a bad fae who lied! Please forgive me!" I chuckled. "Stand up, who do you think you are? A brownie that dirtied a house and now still wants her milk?" At my order, she shot up, another feverish blush on her face. "You should worry more about your own name and health than getting someone else's wrong. It's not like you knew what it was, you gave me a name you liked when you thought I would have nothing to cling to. What's the harm in that?"

The sound of a harp being pluck gently wept through the tent, and Tristrem rose from his bed. "I would think that being given a name not your own while you yourself had forgotten it was the work of an enemy hoping for you to never recover. Or am I wrong, Apple?" Apple turned to face him. "Ehhh? Tristram, you're up too!?" I got up and move to beside Apple. "Indeed he is. You were right on the money with Tristram, Apple, but just because you're correct doesn't mean you're right. His name is Tristrem." Her face shot towards me. Her mouth was agape. "It, it is!?" I nodded. "Yep, I'd never forget it, no matter what happened to me." Tristrem smiled. "That's right, I cannot remember much, but I do know I serve him loyally, and even if you can't get our names right, now that I've looked at the two of you standing beside each other, I am certain of one thing."

Apple squirmed in place. "We three are trusted companions who wound up stranded together! (Super, super duper proud.) I nodded. "Yeah Apple, your intuition's great, but if you ever want to give Tristrem a fake name, you ought to make it Tramtrist." Tristrem pouted. "I can't help but feel you're making fun of me…" I laughed. "I am, but you can't blame me when you chose to call yourself that!" Apple seemed to have finally calmed down. "Ehh, so his name is Tristrem, and I was close with Tristram, but Tristrem called himself Tramtrist at somepoint, is that right?"

I gave her a thumbs up. "Tristan, Tristram, Tristrem, those are all names this guy's been called, but I know him by Tristrem. Tramtrist was from when he tried making a fake name for himself." Apple tilted her head. "So you can even remember that much?" I nodded. "Yes, that all sounds right." Tristrem spoke up. "I am a peerless genius, a masterful poet and a peerless archer. Maybe you could tell me more about myself… you." I pointed to myself and winked. "Me? I'm me but I'm not all me, you get me?" Tristrem plucked his harp. "Hmmm, you're confusing, my friend, but you seem to know much, maybe though you don't remember everything yourself?"

I shook my head. "That's not the case, but you are right when you say you and I are close, even if you don't quite understand why. You and Apple should take it easy for now. Memories of the past are bound to come back, and the memories we make now shouldn't be taken for granted. These fairies were kind enough to provide this room for all of us, so why don't we say hello and give our thanks?"

Behind me I heard the sound of the tent flap having been lifted. The fairy that had been waiting attentively for us had finally appeared. "Hello, are you all awake now?" A small, sickly looking girl with pale skin and amber eyes. Her hair was a mess and the shade of blue coral. The color of her wings matched her hair, or at the very least it did where it wasn't torn or hadn't faded to a sickly brown. "A-anyway, um, the others said I should come and fetch you all. I mean, it is going to be night soon, so…" She looked towards Apple as she stood by the door. "You know."

I moved next to Tristrem, and he whispered to me. "Do you know this person, friend?" I nodded and whispered back "I do. She's one of the nicest people you can find, the best person you could hope for in your time of need." The blue fairy spoke up again, only just barely having the confidence to interrupt our whispers. "C-c-can you still not move well? I-in that case, we can talk later…" She had seen me move away from her, but out of a mix of fear and consideration, she still asked that. "Oh… But, if I go back without you, everyone will scold me for being useless again…"

Apple understood what it meant to be treated poorly by a village, so she tried relieving the fairy of her worries. "Are you talking about the other faeries from this village? Don't worry. You can go back ahead of us. We'll be right there as soon as we're done talking. We'll be sure to tell the others that you were the one who fetched us."

"…!"

A genuine smile crossed the blue fairy's lips, and her eyes closed in contentment, revealing a vertical scar given years ago by a wild wolf. "Th-then, I really was useful this time! Oh, I'm so glad! Th-th-thank you so much! Please come to the town square when you're ready! Everyone else is there! S-see you there!" The blue fairy left the tent with a growing glow on her wings.

Apple, having seen that the fairy was gone, turned back to Tristrem and I. "Alright, now that she's gone, I have to ask, Lysander, what's your real name?" It was a reasonable question. It wouldn't do to have Tristrem call me 'friend' all the time. Before I could answer though, Tristrem asked me a question of his own. "Why did she not recognize you?" Another good question. Apple began fuming. "Hey, I asked first, if he's going to be the only one of to remember anything, I want know his name!" It seemed the blue fairy helped calm down her earlier nerves.

"All those who enter these woods lose parts of their memories. In time they may remember bits and pieces. For that fairy, though, I know her, but she does not know me. Even if she had kept her memories, she still would not have recognized me." Understanding lit up in Tristrem's eyes. "So, it's like that, then!" A sorrowful note leaked out from his harp. "A pining, distant love that was never recognized. She may not remember, no, she may have never even noticed you, but still you pursued her affections! Oh, how sad." I chuckled.

No, to say I chuckled was an understatement. Instead, it would be more correct to say I violently shuddered in place, trying to keep from roaring with laughter as Tristrem made the most Tristrem conclusion I could have ever thought of. "Ah, Tristrem, I think you're right! He's shaking from sorrow!" Apple stood aghast at my condition. "W-was she a high-class fae and you a country bumpkin!? No, your and Tristrem's clothes are too fancy! *Gasp* Are YOU nobility!? Did you have secret crush on a country bumpkin too busy doing farm work to ever think that she'd catch the eye of a noble fae!?" The crimson fever was back, and this time it looked ready to make Apple collapse entirely.

"I do love her-" Apple shrieked and her eyes glassed over. "-but not like that. I guess it would be easier to say I love all faeries, do you understand?" My words never reached her ears however, as Apple fell to the ground unconscious, steam pouring from her ears the whole way down. Tristrem hurried over and moved her to a bed. "I don't know why, but I feel incredibly guilty for allowing her to fall. Maybe I'm just that good of a knight? No, if I was that good I would have been able to catch her in the first place."

I moved to the exit. "Come along, Tristrem. Apple will be fine here while she sleeps. Tuck her in and give her a goodnight kiss on the head, that will help her sleep well while we're greeting the rest of the village." Tristrem did as I asked, though he refused the latter half. "Hahhh, Tristrem, deep down you're as chivalrous as ever. You'd ought to look after her less like a damsel and more like your own daughter, alright?" Tristrem seemed confused by this. "You don't remember everything, but you cared much for a woman that looked just like her. I'm sure your own body would risk itself for her without knowing why, but often times faeries want to steal a child, not gold." I bent down to her ear and whispered into it. "Sweet dreams."

I smiled to Tristrem. "My way is more direct, but someone like yourself could've done just as well. Faeries love to be inspired, and a kiss from a skilled poet, amnesia riddled or not, would have done wonders. Now come, there's no reason to give our attendant reason to worry. Apple will be fine here without us, trust me on that."

Tristrem and I walked to the village's center, where the faeries had gathered. An animalistic faerie that resembled a brown werewolf spoke up. "These the ones that almost died in the woods!?" He was gruff. Not a single thing in his voice betrayed his true intentions. "Goddamn, I've never seen humanoids without wings before! I swear, what's the Wind clan coming to these days? Heeheehee!" I couldn't help but wonder how a faeries such as himself could curse God, seeing as to how they all had no concept of religion, let alone God.

A more human looking faerie, rather handsome and comely as some would say, retorted to him. "Please do not lump us in with the likes of them. These fae don't have so much as a hint of wing stumps." The handsome faerie rubbed his chin. "They must be criminals who had their wings torn off as part of their punishment. They probably came here while trying to escape Darlington."

A rather squat and stout faerie made his piece known. "Pathetic. Just look at their twiggy little limbs. The only thing those'd be good for is firewood. Hey, weren't there three of them?" The animalistic faerie barked out a laugh. "Then maybe we oughta chop 'em up and make a fire outta them! Then once we're done with these two, we'll check on the last one and see if they're any better! That'll brighten the night up!" The handsome faeries moved closer to Tristrem and I, acting almost as a shield between us and the animalistic faerie. "Hold on. Let's hear what they have to say first. That's our rule, after all. You there. What is your clan? Your names? Which city do you hail from? What is it you came here to Cornwall to escape?" Tristrem, despite quaking ever so slightly in his boots, spoke up.

"I do not know much of who I am, but that I am Tristrem, a peerless poet and a peerless archer. I serve the one beside me, but I do not remember much else. My friend has not yet given me his name, but of the three of us, he seems to remember the most." I nodded and added to his statement. "Our friend Apple is a fae with eyes as green as her namesake. She is still resting, which is why she is not with us now. As for my name…"

"Before I came here, I was known as ****** ******"

The handsome fae who had gotten the closest to us reeled back in shock. Grabbing his hand to his chest, he fell to the ground. All of the other fae found they could only stand still. Inside their hearts was in that moment instilled the greatest fear they could never have imagined being possible. The only thoughts going through their heads was of how quickly they would die, or how long it would take for the others to die before they did, or how long that dumb faerie on the ground would last before it was their turn.

I bent over and offered my hand to the wind faerie. "Do not fear, friend. Stormy days are still a little way off. Why be dour when the sun shines still? Weren't you all excited to see who the newcomers were? Is that not why you sent that wonderful faerie to come get us?" I lifted the wind faerie up. "Let it be known, I am a friend to all good fae, and will deny the unworthy. Remember the goodness of the truth in your hearts, and you will know no need to fear." The faeries, however, were still on edge.

I let out a roaring laughter. "Come on now, you all look like you're ready to turn into stones! Let me teach you how to party like a lord!"

Hours had passed since Tristrem and I made our introductions. "Now this is what you call a conga line!" At the head of the procession, a line of fae of different clans followed me in a jovial jaunt. In the background, Tristrem played on his harp, as well as he could, renditions of music from modern day of which I had I taught him over the course of the party.

With the sun having set for a little while already, Apple made her appearance from her tent. With her entrance she was swarmed by the mob of curious fae. Too overwhelmed to answer their questions properly, I guided the conga line towards Apple, causing the crowd to break to allow us through. "Oh, there you are!" Was all Apple could before I promptly grabbed her and threw her overtop the line. "Now this is what is called crowd surfing! Make sure you don't drop her until she gets to the end of the line!" I couldn't help but laugh as Apple floundered atop the line of fae with vastly disparate sizes.

When Apple reached the end, I broke the line and showed the fae the wonders of the irish jig. With a good two thirds of the fae inflicted with dancing fever, Apple approached me. "I can't believe the party they threw to welcome us is still going into the night!" For a moment she pouted. "I wish I was awake when it started though." She then brightened. "But at least they aren't slave traders! These faeries are so nice! You even managed to bring all the different clans together for that weird dance! Even the ones from the Wind and Earth clan!" She was genuinely impressed by my accomplishment. "Everyone in Faerie Britain knows you're supposed to pick one to side with." I shook my head. "All faeries are different, whether it be the individual or clan, not one of them is completely alike. Being able to laugh and have fun together despite that shows deep down how wonderful they all are."

Apple seemed off-put by my response. "Nnn… You really believe that don't you? I guess that's not wrong when you only know about ones like these. Ah, don't tell the others I said that though, they really do seem wonderful." Apple looked around to the happily partying fae. "Still though, you must have been a really sheltered noble if you can be this carefree. The woods shouldn't have taken any customs that you would need to know to survive. Could it be…?"

Could the woods have deemed the knowledge that faeries are dangerous to even themselves unneeded to live? Did he just not have that knowledge in the first place? Could anyone really be that dumb?

The wind fae from earlier, Halobaromia, gave a good solid clap. "All right, everyone, quiet please! It's time to end today's festivities! I know how you all feel, but there's nothing we can do about nightfall. We'll just have to resume the welcome party tomorrow. I for one am glad to know that we'll have nothing to fear while our guests are here." The stout fae, Onpham raised a mug of ale and downed it. "Hah! Guess it just goes to show how time flies when you're having fun. All right, everyone. Let's head to our homes and trust the night watch to our new friends!

The animalistic fae, Douga, gave us a nightly farewell. "Later, ya noble punk of a fae! Nice to have another warrior around! Later to you too, fae-of-few-words Tristrem! Oh, farewell to you as well, Apple! I'm glad you finally showed up near the end! That tent's yours if you ever need it!"

Halobaromia pointed towards the blue fairy that had greeted us earlier. "You there, show our heroic guests to their dwelling before they take up their posts." Onpham yelled to us. "Yeah, and make sure she takes you straight there! If you're gonna fight monsters in the night, you better do it all night like you promised!" I never promised to fight monsters, I only said I would keep the village safe during the night. Whether they understood the difference or not didn't matter though.

Apple wasn't there for that, so I explained to her while the blue fairy guided us. "The faeries here weren't sure if they could trust us earlier after we gave introductions, so I offered to make sure the village stayed safe during the night. They came to the conclusion that you two would help me, but I didn't promise that, so you can stay in the tent while I stay outside." While Apple was surprised by this turn of events, the blue fairy was even more so. "R-really?" I nodded. "Yep, Tristrem, you remember that right?" Tristrem looked ready to argue against it, but frowned when he realized exactly what I had said. "Hmm, you are right. I don't like the idea of you staying out alone though."

There was no reason for Tristrem to worry about me, I would be able to keep the village safe by myself. "Actually, I promised only I would keep the village safe, so you guys can stay out if you really want to, but any heavy lifting will be done by me." We arrived at the tent. The two seemed conflicted. Apple spoke up. "There's no way I could just leave you out there. That would be irresponsible!" She fumed at me. "Well, it seems we walked all the way here only to have to have you take us back, eh?" I looked to the blue fairy. "Oh, it seems so."

The voices of the faeries rose in accord. "Forgive us. Forgive us. No more prayers. Close your eyes. There's not much fun time left. The veil has fallen. Extinguish the light. Today is ending. Farewell. This day, too, will end, forever. Forgive us. Forgive us. Forgive us our sins. It's too late to do anything now but make sure everything is cleaned up!" The four of us headed back to the village's center. Tristrem had something troubling him and spoke his mind to the blue fairy. "Are you not going to your tent for the night?" The faerie had a job to do and could only shake her head. "N-no, now I need to clean up for tomorrow's feast. P-p-please don't mind me while I work."

This caught Apple's attention. "The fairies in the village make you do all the cleaning by yourself." The blue fairy sheepishly nodded. "Y-yes. I don't have a name or purpose anymore, so at the very least I can make myself useful to them." Apple straightened her back. Inside her raged the desire to say nothing, to let the fairy go on her way. If she said nothing, she may yet be able to keep the treasure she found to herself. "O-oh, well, our friend here knows who you are." She still told her anyway. She did believe herself to have the power to save anyone, but at the very least she could, no, had to do at least his much, didn't she?

The blue fairy was taken aback. "Y-you, k-know m-my n-name?" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Then, does that mean what you said to us earlier is true?" I nodded. "Of course, I'm a friend to all good fae, and there are few who could rival your heart." The blue fairy blushed. Perhaps I should stop calling her that now though? She is a blue fairy, that much is true, but not using someone's name when you know it is a little rude. Besides, Apple seemed ready and willing for me to tell her it, regardless of her own feelings. "You don't know me, but I know you, so please don't feel bad about not recognizing me." I gave the fairy a gentle hug. "You look better with a healthy glow to you, Hope."

Hope's wings, partially rotten and covered in tatters, began shining with a white light. The light went from the edge of her wings to their base, and continued on to cover her back, and then from her back to her face and before long she radiated a cocoon of white light. The wondrous light lasted only a moment before it snapped away, revealing Hope once more.

The brilliant light of Hope's wings shone against the darkness of the village. "I'm sorry about the scar though, the only thing I could do for it now is make-up." Hope finally returned my hug, though rather than the gentle embrace I gave, her twig arms turned into vice grips that could have crushed the stone bones of a spriggan. Tears freely poured down from Hopes eyes.

"Whoah!" Apple cried out; her face strained. "You must be some sort of healer of some kind! I've never heard of a faerie regaining their name doing that much!" I sighed. Rather than answer Apple, I addressed Tristrem's worry. "I'm not in any danger, Tristrem. You should be making a song of celebration, not quake in your boots. Her name's Hope, not Redrum." Tristrem, I knew, though he had yet to voice it, reservations about being in a village of fae. To him, the fae were dangerous, capricious mystics that could help as readily as they would kill you.

"I have never been called a healer, but I did gain the power to do so before I came here." I gently began struggling against Hope's grip. "Now, I would suggest the three of you go back to our tent and rest until morning. I can handle Hope's duties and my own for the night easily enough. No danger shall befall the village or myself, alright?" Hope grabbed to me tighter. "N-no way! No way I could make you do all the cleaning after you've helped me so much!"

I sighed again, a smile quickly growing after. "If you want to pay me back, teach the other fae what it means to be good however you can. Do not fret, do not worry, just do your best and I'll handle the rest." Hope finally relaxed her death grip.

With reluctance, the three returned to the tent.

I looked up to the night sky.

"One day down, thirty-nine to go."