==================================================================== The Wondrous and Suspicious Banango Danish ==================================================================== ~~~ Part 1 ~~~ Serene: Lalalala~ Lina: What's up, Serene? You seem really happy! Serene: Hm? Hehe, well... Fia just picked a whole bunch of my favorite veggies, and we have plenty of fruit for Cierra to make that fruit sauce. And... Lina: And? Serene: Elendia's just so nice and peaceful, and all the Sprites that live here are, too, y'know? It just makes me so happy! Lina: Lina's glad you like it here! Hey, we should fly kites together some time! Serene: Kites? I'll pass. I'm not a little kid like you. Lina: Lina's not a kid! Didn't I just tell you I'm older than Fia? Serene: Yeah, whatever. Hm? Something smells good. Lina: Wow, it sure does! It smells delicious, almost like... a stew? Serene: Now that you mention it, it IS almost supper time. Ahaha. My stomach knows its time to eat. Lina: Lina's starving tooo~. Serene: Well, I guess we should head to Cierra's new place now. The uh... what did she call it? The Scarlet... Lina: The Scarlet Mansion. We all helped build it in a small tree for her. Serene: Yeah, that. I heard you guys managed to finish it in just three days. Must've been tough~. Lina: Yeah, but Lina saw! Cierra was cheating and using her magic to help! ~~~ Cierra: Achoo! Fia: Are you alright, Cierra? Cierra: Hmm... I feel like someone's talking about me behind my back... Fia: Really? Hehe, I'm sure you were just using too many spices. Cierra: Hm... Maybe you're right. Fia: Speaking of, how is everything coming? Cierra: Great! The pudding is all ready, and the waffles are just waiting on the fruit sauce. I'll get the herb tea ready once Lina and Serene get here. Then all I have to do is finish the banango danishes. Fia: Banango danishes, huh? They smell marvelous. Lina will love them. Cierra: Hehe. How is your food coming, Fia? Fia: It just needs to simmer a little while longer, and then I need to add a few things for flavor~. Cierra: Hm? You suddenly look very cheerful, Fia. Did you think up a nice surprise for your stew? Fia: Whenever I cook this stew, it brings back memories. Cierra: Memories of what? Fia: Something that happened two years ago. It was the day of our sacred holiday. Snow had painted the trees white, and the twinkling Mana Wisps were gathered atop them. ~~~ Lina: I'm so hungry I can barely walk. No matter how far I go, snow keeps falling and everything looks the same. The Fairies in the forest said there was a town called Elendia to the north, but... I can't even tell if I'm going north anymore... Lina's going to freeze to death at this rate. *yawn* I'm so sleepy. I feel like... the snow's going to... swallow me up... Just a little... a little nap should be fine. Right here on this snowy pillow... a short snooze... then I should be rested enough to keep walking... Yeah, just a quick nap... Nighty night... ~~~ Ladie: Elder, are you hurt? Graham: No. Don't worry yourself, Ladie. But it seems the demons' influence has finally reached this land. Ladie: This blizzard is getting worse. We must hurry to Elendia. Ah, that's... Graham: What's wrong, Ladie? Ladie: That... Look, Elder! A collapsed Sprite! Graham: What? ... How is she? Ladie: She lost consciousness from the cold, but it appears she's still alive. Graham: We can't leave her in this blizzard. We have to hurry and get her out of here. Ladie! Fly this Sprite back to Elendia. Bring her to Fia at once. Ladie: Understood. Graham: I mustn't dawdle, either. Take care, Ladie. Ladie: Yes! ~~~ CoCo: Look, Fia! The Mana Wisps are gathering in the trees! There's way more than last year! Fia: Yes. The way they all glow together is so beautiful. It's almost as if they're celebrating, too. Ladie: Fia? Fia! Fia: Oh, Ladie! What are you doing out so late? Hm? Who is... Oh no! This girl is freezing! Ladie: Fia, prepare the necessary remedies! Hurry, there isn't much time! Fia: Of course! CoCo, bring me some hot water and the medicinal herbs! CoCo: O-okay! ~~~ Fia: Ladie carried that girl out of the blizzard and all the way to my home. And... Cierra: That girl was Lina? Fia: Yes. All night long, CoCo and I tended to Lina as best as we could. And then... ~~~ Lina: Mmm... Banangos or applecots? They're both so delicious, I can't decide... CoCo: Oh! Fia, look! I think she's waking up! Fia: Really? Lina: Hehehe. I'm so full, I couldn't eat another bite~... CoCo: It looks like she's starting to regain consciousness. Fia: Thank goodness. Those herbal compounds must have worked. CoCo: I bet she's having a nice dream right now. Fia: It looks that way. We're right here for you, so rest well. Lina: So... warm... Hm? Uh... Huh? What? Where am I? Lina was... lost in the snow... Fia: Are you awake? My name is Fia. This is my house, so you're safe now. Lina: Fia's... house? Then... is this Elendia? Fia: That's right. Welcome to Elendia, the Forest of Sprites. CoCo: I'm CoCo, the Fairy! I help out with the chores around the house! Lina: Fia... and CoCo? My name is Lina. Fia: Lina, is it? What a cute name! Lina: Ehehe. Oh, are you two the ones who saved Lina? Thanks. Fia: Hehe. If you want to thank someone, thank Grandfather and Ladie. Ladie was the one who carried you out of that terrible blizzard. CoCo: Fia's Grandfather is Elendia's Elder, Graham. And Ladie is his Valkyrie guard! Lina: What?! Everyone from Elendia... saved Lina? I'm feeling dizzy again... CoCo: Don't push yourself! You were out cold all night, so you need to rest a little longer! Lina: 'kay. Fia: You need to stay warm, too, so make sure you drink all this medicine. Lina: Thanks. Blech... it's bitter. CoCo: That's because it's really strong medicine. You have to drink it all! Lina: B-but... Fia: You can have some food after you drink all of it. I'm making a very delicious stew. Lina: Huh? A stew? Whoa... It smells so good! Fia: Yes. It warms the body up, too, so it should perk you right up. But first... Lina: Right. I'll do my best! Here goes! Blech... it's so gross! But... I gotta do it for the stew. ~~~ Cierra: I see, so that's how you met. Fia: That's why, whenever I make this stew, I think back to Lina and how determined she was to taste it. Cierra: Has Lina been living with you ever since then? Fia: Yes. She didn't have anywhere else to go. Thankfully, I happened to have an empty room. Hehehe, and ever since she came here, we've been like sisters. Cierra: Aw, I wish I had a little sister. Maybe if I'm lucky, a certain someone will come and live with me here in Elendia, too. Fia: Elendia certainly is a nice place. Wait... A certain someone? Who did you have in mind? Cierra: Huh? I, um... Oh my, look at the time! I need to decorate the pudding! Fia: O-oh, that's right. Then I'll set out the plates and silverware. Fia & Cierra: Phew... ~~~ Ein: A... a... achoo! Chappi: What's wrong? Got a cold? Ein: No... I don't know why, but I suddenly got the chills. Anyway, how's the frying pan coming, Chappi? Chappi: I'm almost done! Yaaaayayayaya! Chappi: All done. Ein: Thanks. Whoa, it looks brand new! Fia and CoCo are going to be thrilled! Chappi: Fixing frying pans is a piece of cake! But I want WEAPONS! Bring me some cold hard steel! Ein: Ahahaha... I'll make sure we bring something after our next trip, alright? Chappi: Don't you forget! Chappi's Smithy is open all day every day! Rose: (Our job's all done, then. Let's head back to Cierra's place, Ein.) Ein: Yeah. I can't wait to find out what they're making. Rose: (Anything but scrambled eggs...) ~~~ Cierra: Lina and Serene sure are taking their time... Fia: What could be keeping them? I'm going to take a quick look outside. Cierra: I'll stay and watch the food, then. Good luck out there, Fia. Fia: I'll be back soon. Cierra: Phew... I wonder if Fia was thinking the same thing I was. She's the type who always worries about others. Ah, I have to stay focused. If I get distracted, the food might not turn out right. Hmm? This stew... It seems like it's missing something... There aren't any mushrooms in it. ! That reminds me, Reiche said he found some tasty-looking ones in the forest this morning. But I can't just leave all the food unattended... CoCo: I'm back, Cierra! Huh? Where is everyone? Cierra: They haven't come back yet. Oh, but you're just in time! Could you stay and watch the food for me? CoCo: Sure, but where are you going? Cierra: I'm going to get a mushroom from Reiche that will make this stew perfect. Oh, but keep this a secret from Fia, okay? CoCo: Roger! Leave it to me, and good luck getting that perfect mushroom! Cierra: Alright then, I'll be back soon. CoCo: She sure was in a hurry. You know, this room is totally red, from the carpets to the curtains. Cierra must really like red. But her taste in furniture is pretty out there... CoCo: Aah! The pot's boiling over! Jeez, what a hassle. Oh no, now the bread's burning! Nononono! Aahh! CoCo: (Hurry and get back here, everyone!) ~~~ Part 2 ~~~ Lina: We're heeere! Sorry we took so long! Serene: Yeah, we got a little sidetracked... Wait, huh? Where'd everyone go? Lina: Oh, CoCo. CoCo: It wasn't me, I didn't do it! I didn't do anything at all! Serene: What are you freaking out about? CoCo: Fia went to look for you guys, and Cierra went to get some mushroom, and I didn't do anything wrong! Serene: Really? We must've just missed them. Lina: Let's wait here until they come back, then. Serene: Yeah, good plan, Lina. Although... Lina: You're hungry again. Serene: Well, I can't help it. Look all that delicious stuff on the table. Lina: Rrr, don't remind me! Lina's trying her best not to think about it. Serene: Fresh eggs, a leafy salad, pickles, and a white fish marinade~! Lina: And Lina's favorite cream stew! And over there... Wow! Look, Serene! They put banangos in this bread! Serene: Those are danishes. I wonder if Cierra made them. They sure look good... Lina: There's even chocolate! Ahh, Lina can't take it anymore! Serene: W-wait! You can't! Lina: Food tiiime! Serene: Ah... Well, I guess a little taste can't hurt. So good. I don't think anyone's gonna notice just one danish missing, anyway. Lina: Yeah, exactly. They're so good~! And so sweet! Serene: Totally. Who knew Cierra was such a good cook? Serene & Lina: W... CoCo: It wasn't me, I didn't do it! I didn't do anything to the danishes! Lina: Squeak? Serene: Woof? CoCo: I don't know anything about any magic potion spilling all over the bread when I took it out of the oven! I don't know anything at all! Lina: Squeak squeak! Lina: (Hey... what's going on?) Serene: (Wait! Is there a mirror somewhere in here?!) Lina: (There's a mirror right over there, Sere--) Lina: (W... w... What's a doggie doing in here?! G... g... get awaaaay!) Serene: (What? Hang on, let me see! W-what the... Why am I a dog?!) Lina: (Stay away! Lina hates dogs!) Serene: (It's me, Serene! Get ahold of yourself! That potion must have made us transform into animals!) Lina: (Waah! Dogs are scary!) Serene: (Lina! You're gonna run into the door!) Ein: I'm back! The frying pan's fixed, Fia!) Rose: (Huh? There's nobody here...) Lina: Arf arf! Ein: Huh? What was that sound? Rose: (You heard it, too?) CoCo: I didn't do it! I didn't mess anything up! Ein: Oh, CoCo. What happened? CoCo: I don't know and I didn't do it! Lina: (Doooog!) Serene: (Ack! Ein and Rose are here!) Ein: Huh? I could have sworn I heard a dog just now... Maybe I'm imagining it. Rose: (Uh, I don't think so. Look, over there.) Serene: (Hey, Lina! What are you doing? Stop running around!) Lina: (I gotta hurry and hide or the dog's gonna eat me!) Ein: Hey, there's a dog chasing a squirrel around. Rose: (Yeah.) Lina: (Oh, maybe I can hide in that box!) Serene: (Hey! Come on, Lina, wait up!) Ein: Looks like they're having fun. Rose: (But... the color of that dog's fur looks awfully familiar...) Lina: (Waaah! The doggie's chasing me!) Serene: (Why are you running, Lina?!) Lina: (Waaah! Save me, Ein!) Ein: Whoa! Why did the squirrel jump on my head... Rose: (Guess it likes you, Ein.) Serene: (Ein! What do we do...? We can't change back... this is so embarrassing!) Ein: This dog looks pretty scared... Serene: (I-I'm not a dog! It's me, Serene!) Ein: Hey, it's okay. Come here. Serene: (Ein's so kind...) Ein: Sorry, I must have scared you when I came in all of a sudden. Are you guys Cierra's new pets? Lina & Serene: (No!) Ein: I see. My name's Ein. I'm Cierra's friend. Nice to meet you two. Heh, you're pretty cute. Serene: (... This isn't so bad, I guess.) Lina: (Yeah...) Ein: Oh, Fia! Fia: Ein? I didn't know you were already back. Serene: ?! Cierra: Ein! Ein: Huh? Fia: Cierra... Cierra: Oh, you're back, too, Fia? Fia: Yes. I only just got back now. Cierra: Oh, and you brought such cute animals with you... Fia: Yes. Well done, Ein! Ein: Huh? Er, I didn't... Where'd they come from, then? Fia: What a sweet little puppy. It has such smooth fur... The blue and white color is very beautiful. Serene: (D-don't start petting me... this is so weird.) Cierra: Hehe. This squirrel looks right at home on top of Ein's head. Lina: (Well, it is pretty comfy! Kinda spiky, though.) CoCo: I didn't do it and I didn't see anything! I didn't see Lina and Serene eat those banango danishes and turn into animals! I definitely don't know anything about that! Ein & Fia: Huh? Cierra: I see, so that's what happened. Haah! Serene: Whoa! That was scary! Fia: The puppy turned into Serene? Cierra: Now I'll fix this one. Hah! Ein: Huh?! W-what?! Lina: Eek! I'm falling! Ein: Ouch... I can't believe you two turned into animals... Lina: My butt huuurts! Oh, I'm back to normal. Rose: (I thought so...) Serene: So uh... This potion is Cierra's, right? Cierra: Hm? What's wrong, Serene? You look really upset. Serene: Don't leave your magic junk lying around in the kitchen! Jeez, do you have any idea how awful that was?! Cierra: Oh, I'm very sorry, Serene. Well, time to start making the fruit sauce. Serene: Hey! Don't think you can just weasel your way out of this! Fia: Lina... I've told you not to eat before everyone's ready. Lina: It just looked so tasty, I couldn't help myself... I'm sorry, Fia! Ein: Well, now that everyone's here, why don't we eat? Lina: Good idea! Come on, Fia, let's eat! Fia: Well, I suppose it's fine. Let's begin Cierra's housewarming party! Serene & Lina: Finally! Lina: Cierra, did you make any cream puffs? Cierra: I'm afraid not. I'll make some next time. Serene: Time to dig in! Man, this pudding is awesome! Fia: Serene, you have cream on your mouth. Lina: Hehehe! It looks like you have a moustache! Serene: I guess I do! CoCo: Whew, it looks like everyone forgot I was the one that spilled the potion on the food!