Like we aren't scared? Kidnapping princesses, our queen... can we even TRUST that Kaori is allied to US? Or that the real Kaori would have been? What kind of future leader are we going to HAVE?
If they can steal the princess... who else could they kidnap? What about my children...?
That isn’t fair! The princess grew up as one of you! She cares a great deal about everyone and doing her best to become a leader everyone can rely on!
She loves the queen more than anyone, and if you loved the queen at all, wouldn’t you trust her judgement?
Do you love your families any less, knowing it could be that they were accidentally switched? Do you really think love is so small?
[ Nia stands very straight, confident and, well, almost regal. ] I think you have never seen the conditions they live in while your kingdom prospers, and I think it’s a shame that you don’t trust the queen you say you love. The north welcomed many of your people fleeing from war, and if the actions of a few will color your view of them all, perhaps Sefiro is not as beautiful as I thought it was.
It doesn't matter how good or perfect you are if you're inherently wrong. The fae didn't want me, the kingdom doesn't want me... The common factor is me.
[...Unless there's another reason Pops won't tell me the truth about what's going on with Mom and Adora, she thinks. That there's something about me he hates.]
...Like I said. Words don't change much of anything, no matter how nice they sound.
[She'll force a smile around adults when they ask, but she's on edge. Nia's not safe like this, and her whole life is a mess... She can't think of anything smart to do. She can think of a lot of stupid but not a lot of smart.]
[Fuu is trying to make good on her promise. She slips out past her guards and is searching for Adora in the fortress.
There are more close calls than she's comfortable with, and every time she's in the clear, it's her instinct to touch her wedding band. She needs to stay safe.
The search is almost agonizingly long. Every time Fuu thinks she's getting somewhere, she's hit a dead end, or a path too guarded for her to go down. But she's rising in the fortress, finally ending up in a tower with just a single room. And it's there she finds Adora, looking much worse for wear. There are markings of magic all over her, dozens of failed spells, burned sigils traced with still-hot charcoal, smudged markings of ink, all over her hands and arms and a prominent one in a deep red of dried blood on her forehead.
She stares at the queen wide eyed and confused.]
What are you doing here?
Thank goodness, I've been looking everywhere. We have to get you out of here.
What? No! You can't, they're going to do something awful if you do--
I'm not leaving you again. I made Ranma a promise--I'm bringing you home no matter what it takes.
It will take a lot more than this, your majesty.
[When Fuu turns, she realizes she's been made. She's not sure how long they've been tailing her, but it only makes sense. They're made of magic. Something like invisibility or cloaking would be easy for a fae. Or a crowd of them, as there's guards with the Chancellor this time.
They toss a couple of things at Fuu's feet. It takes her a long moment to realize what they are.
She only kept two guards with her. And these are their heads.
The shriek of horror that comes out of Fuu is something Ranma has never heard before.]
[Catra's dream is a little... dimmer. She doesn't have the same desperation that Ranma tends to have when it comes to prayer, but--
The King's room in the fae's fortress is dark, dreary, the kind of thing one might picture when they think of the things his governance has done. He's pacing in pure frustration.
The chancellor doesn't look pleased, either.]
I would have thought he would have complied already, sent back the body in exchange for his family. We may have to push him further.
They're stubborn in the south, they think we're soft like they are. I'm sure he's shocked by the request.
... The princess may be able to be persuaded...
Do you think so? Send a package to her, then. To them both. Send them each... a gift.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
If they can steal the princess... who else could they kidnap? What about my children...?
no subject
She loves the queen more than anyone, and if you loved the queen at all, wouldn’t you trust her judgement?
no subject
Why are you so defensive, anyway? Are YOU a fae lover?
no subject
[ Nia stands very straight, confident and, well, almost regal. ] I think you have never seen the conditions they live in while your kingdom prospers, and I think it’s a shame that you don’t trust the queen you say you love. The north welcomed many of your people fleeing from war, and if the actions of a few will color your view of them all, perhaps Sefiro is not as beautiful as I thought it was.
no subject
Kaori immediately moves to pick Nia up and draaaag her from the crowd.]
no subject
no subject
Geezus... what were you thinking...?
no subject
no subject
And the stuff they said about me was basically true anyway.
no subject
Being angry isn’t making anyone less scared.
And you love your kingdom! And your mother! What they said isn’t true at all!
no subject
It doesn't matter. I'm still a freak who doesn't belong here.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
...Like I said. Words don't change much of anything, no matter how nice they sound.
no subject
no subject
[She angy. She angst. She sad.]
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Ranma trusts dreams.]
no subject
There are more close calls than she's comfortable with, and every time she's in the clear, it's her instinct to touch her wedding band. She needs to stay safe.
The search is almost agonizingly long. Every time Fuu thinks she's getting somewhere, she's hit a dead end, or a path too guarded for her to go down. But she's rising in the fortress, finally ending up in a tower with just a single room. And it's there she finds Adora, looking much worse for wear. There are markings of magic all over her, dozens of failed spells, burned sigils traced with still-hot charcoal, smudged markings of ink, all over her hands and arms and a prominent one in a deep red of dried blood on her forehead.
She stares at the queen wide eyed and confused.]
What are you doing here?
Thank goodness, I've been looking everywhere. We have to get you out of here.
What? No! You can't, they're going to do something awful if you do--
I'm not leaving you again. I made Ranma a promise--I'm bringing you home no matter what it takes.
It will take a lot more than this, your majesty.
[When Fuu turns, she realizes she's been made. She's not sure how long they've been tailing her, but it only makes sense. They're made of magic. Something like invisibility or cloaking would be easy for a fae. Or a crowd of them, as there's guards with the Chancellor this time.
They toss a couple of things at Fuu's feet. It takes her a long moment to realize what they are.
She only kept two guards with her. And these are their heads.
The shriek of horror that comes out of Fuu is something Ranma has never heard before.]
no subject
He groans and wails in their sleep, but there's nothing to be done.]
no subject
The King's room in the fae's fortress is dark, dreary, the kind of thing one might picture when they think of the things his governance has done. He's pacing in pure frustration.
The chancellor doesn't look pleased, either.]
I would have thought he would have complied already, sent back the body in exchange for his family. We may have to push him further.
They're stubborn in the south, they think we're soft like they are. I'm sure he's shocked by the request.
... The princess may be able to be persuaded...
Do you think so? Send a package to her, then. To them both. Send them each... a gift.
no subject
Catra doesn't understand but. She doesn't like this feeling one bit. She's sweating a lot too.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...