Chapter 3: A New Thing
" Lord Oberon! "
" Lord Oberon! "
" Come here, Lord Oberon! "
" Lord! "
" We prepared a gathering for you Lord Oberon! "
" Please have this Acorns! "
" Lord Oberon, please accept these flowers from the Black Tupelo Trees! "
" We prepared a flower crown for you, please accept it! "
" Lord Oberon! "
" Lord Oberon! "
Smiling at the insects and fairies clamoring around him, the silver-haired and blue-eyed prince replied with gratitude and kindness in his tone.
" Ah, thank you for your benevolence and consideration, everyone. It was truly kind of everyone to prepare a gathering for me. Could I perhaps do anything to repay everyone's kindness? "
How about repaying everyone by crushing you all disgusting leeches?
The insects and weak fairies intrude more on the Prince of Light's space. Nonetheless, he didn't appear bothered by it and remained smiling.
" No. You have done enough, Lord Oberon! "
" Protecting us and giving us home! "
" The only thing that you could do was accept our offerings and gratitude towards you! "
" Your happiness is our happiness! "
Staring at the smiling fairies and insects, the Prince of Light, The Ancient Fairy King Oberon was touched by his friend's loyalty and kindness.
Happiness huh..... I don't know the meaning of happiness. If you consider my happiness your happiness does that you all disgusting weak and pathetic creatures don't have traces of happiness on your selves?
"You're all empty like me. "
The Prince of Light mockingly smiled. The fairies and insects gaze at Oberon with confusion on their faces.
" Huh? Lord Oberon? "
" Lord? "
" ....Hahahahahahaha...You're all pathetic! "
Oberon shouted to his friends. The insects and fairies gasped when the Prince of Light disappeared replaced by the Prince of Darkness. Oberon is being replaced by Vortigern.
With a snap of his claws, the fairies and insects were covered by disgusting oozing black algae instantly. They lost their sense of sight, hearing, voice, and purpose.
The Prince of Darkness's sunken blue eyes glared at the former fairies and insects with anger before ripping them with his dark dragon-like claws. The black algae substance splattered on himself, however, he paid it no attention.
Looking at the disgusting things lying on the ground, Vortigern clicked his tongue. Whether it was out of disgust, irritation, or whatever emotion. No one would know even himself.
Happiness? Basing your happiness upon me? You are truly weak and disgusting, aren't you?
" Even if this isn't a dream, those insects and weak fairies would depend on me. It's a good thing that I destroyed Fairy Britain, no more insects around clamoring for my attention. "
Oberon Vortigern close his eyes.
If he was rejoicing about the absence of those creatures, why did he make a dream based on those creatures? The weak creatures that depend on their King. The ostracized creatures of fairy Britain seeking asylum on the Autumn Forest?
Opening his eyes once more, the dream of the beautiful autumn forest ended. It was replaced by the dream of himself falling into an endless abyss.
If this was a reality or a dream, Oberon-Vortigern has forgotten.
Is he still falling into the endless abyss? Or is this merely a dream? It could be both. Oberon-Vortigern couldn't decipher the reality anymore. The truth of his current situation.
It was ironic. The Great Pretender not being able to decipher what was a dream and what was a reality. His fairy eyes not being able to decipher the truth from lies.
Is he even still alive? Is his fate to remain falling into an endless abyss of his own doing?
While seeing nothing but the darkness and feeling the sensation of falling, Oberon-Vortigern heard the voice of someone.
< Take your time hatching, I will wait to hatch yourself to become a Legendary Insect! Just like in Pokemon! It must be the reason why you are taking your time to hatch from your Chrysalis, right? You are a Legendary! Grandpa says that it was the first time that he had seen a Chrysalis of your kind >
Once again, the dream of Oberon-Vortigern falling into the endless abyss ended. Replace by the dream of the Autumn Forest of the Fairy Lostbelt.
Looking at the sky of the autumn forest in his dream, Oberon mockingly asked.
" .. Have I gone mad? "
For his mind to conjure the illusion of hearing the voice of someone.
" This is the worst..."
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" Lord Oberon, Lord Oberon! "
" We held a gathering for you! "
" We have prepared so many offerings! "
" We hope that you will like it! "
< When you hatch, I wonder what would you be like? I guess like your Chrysalis, you would be colorful. Someone beautiful. Take your time and grow healthy okay? >
To conjure himself hearing the voice of a young boy. If he can conjure himself hearing the voice of a Changeling, why can't he conjure his Titania?
It would be a betrayal to herself and himself. The titania that he wanted doesn't exist. She was merely a fiction. Willing his Titania into a dream doesn't erase the fact that she isn't real
" I'm a Coward. "
" Lord Oberon? "
" Lord? "
Willing a creature that doesn't exist and willing a creature that does exist.
Blanca and the foolish child of prophecy Artoria, are real, and someone existed. However, Oberon doesn't have the guts to will themselves into his endless dream.
How pathetic of him...
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" Lord Oberon! Lord Oberon! "
< You must be wondering why I am talking to you right? I heard that plants would grow healthy if you talked to them. Is it the same for insects? >
How elaborate is his madness?
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< I have promised myself that as long as I have Grandpa, I wouldn't mind the opinions and malicious rumors of other people, but I can't do it. Why did they do it? Why are they so mean? It hurts, you know. Grandpa told me that if someone is being mean to me, I need to tell him. But I don't want to bother Grandpa. I just want him to be happy. >
Why would the changeling that he conjured into his dream needs a Grandpa?
The concept of family doesn't exist in fairies
Grandfather and Grandmother don't exist
Mother and Father, Sister and Brother.
To fairies, it would always be the previous generation, current generation, and future generation.
Why would a changeling have a family?
" Are you perhaps my Titania's Changeling? "
Another fictional thing that doesn't exist like her. The changeling that they fought over according to that story. The changeling– a human little boy that she acquired from India. The changeling that Oberon disposed of while he made his Titania fall in love with a donkey temporarily
He may not be able to will himself dream of his Titania, Blanca whom Oberon-Vortigern has coldly repaid all of her affections with cruelty, and Artoria, the child of prophecy that the fake Merlin raised and taken care of for a time.
But it won't be a problem for Oberon to conjure the changeling that doesn't even show himself in the story.
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< A disaster happened this year. All of the other kids are saying it was my fault. They only wanted to blame me. Saying things like the Sendai Tabanata Festival not happening this year is my fault because of my bad luck in causing the disaster. I know that it wasn't my fault. But they are still mean! Ah, you must be wondering what is Tabanata right? It's a celebration! We put streamers on the downtown road of Sendai City! >
< The streamers are made of washi and bamboo. Other than streamers, we also put other paper decorations. Kimonos to ward off bad health and accidents, nets for good harvest, cranes for long life, health and safety, purses for good business, trash bags for cleanliness, and paper strips for good handwriting. We also write our paper strips and hang them on a bamboo branch. Last of all was the fireworks display! >
< Next year, I would wear yukata! I would make folded cranes for Grandpa! I would put my wish in the paper strips and watch fireworks with my Grandpa! For me, Sendai City's Tabanata Festival is the best festival celebration in Japan! >
A detailed description of the human culture... Oberon, the Fairy King would never know of it. Vortigern is a British King, how could he ever possibly know the culture of another country?
Even if he heard Ritsuka and Muramasa about the tales of their country, not even once did they mention a Tabanata Festival
< Next year would be 2012... Soon it would be the arrival of Winter, when would you hatch Mister Bug? >
Oberon listening to the Changeling realizes something.
" The Changeling isn't a dream. "
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While the Changeling child was sleeping, Oberon pulled the Changeling into his dream.
Spiky pink hair, amber eyes, and strange clothes made of cotton, the Changeling child of spring was looking at him with awe and confusion, Oberon smiled at the child.
" Welcome to the Autumn Forest, Spring Changeling. "
" Woah! "
The human child was looking with a mesmerized expression. Not just at him but at the Autumn Forest. Keeping a smile on his face, Oberon asked.
" Your name? "
The human child's attention drifted back to Oberon. With amber eyes continuing to gaze at the Fairy King with awe and wonder, the human child replied.
" Yuji. Yuji Itadori... What's yours Mr. Lord of the Autumn Forest? "
With an enigmatic smile directed at the child, Oberon replied.
" My name? You can call me Robin. Robin Goodfellow. "
How nauseatingly naive and trusting.
" Nice to meet you, Mr. Robin! "
Don't you know that you shouldn't give fairies your true name?
" Likewise, Spring Changeling child. Welcome to my Autumn Forest! Let's all have fun with my friends! "
Once you wake up, you won't have any recollection of this dream, Naive changeling.