The light from the stone didn't lead them in a linear path. They turned a good number of times. Nobody had any idea which direction they were facing anymore. They felt like they were walking through a maze. A maze that kept changing its layout.
After almost three hours of walking, they finally saw something different the next time the bamboos gave way.
They came out to a clearing filled with beautiful flowers. Nearby, they saw a small stream. When their gazes traced the stream to the distance, they saw a hut surrounded by lovely-looking trees.
"Let's go," Jack said as he walked toward the hut. It didn't take a genius to know where they should go.
"My God-eye monocle didn't work here. Are yours the same?" Paytowin asked Jack, John, and Wilted.
"The same," Jack answered. John and Wilted also confirmed.
"Hey! Isn't this place…," Carnelia said after looking around.
Peniel had the same expression as her. She was looking around as if to make sure. The two fairies then looked at one another before exclaiming, "We are home!"
The two then flew toward the hut with the lovely trees.
"Home? Hm… I always wonder where they came from," John said.
As they got near the hut, they saw the beautiful trees in their surroundings had many holes in them. Small terraces made of wood branches decorated the trees. They saw small wooden furniture like chairs and tables on those terraces.
While they were fascinated by the miniature stuff all around the trees, Spring Crown said, "There is something inside that hole."
Everyone turned to where he was pointing, but all they saw was an empty hole.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Come on. Don't need to be shy. You can come out," Spring Crown said as he approached the tree.
When he saw no response from the hole, he said, "Don't be afraid. We are the good guys." He stopped, turned around, looked at the others before looking back at the hole, and said, "Well, I am the good guy, that's for sure. I don't know about the others."
"Good guy, my ass! Weren't you helping the big bad not long ago?" Paytowin protested.
"Good and bad is only a matter of perspective, my friend. You, people, think you are the good guys by preventing Master from becoming a God because you think he will take everyone's freedom away. He thinks of himself as a savior who brings about order and peace by uniting everyone under his rule. So, both sides think of themselves as the good guys."
"Are you for real? He massacred millions of natives!"
"He thought of them as mere computer codes. Hey, don't crucify me. I left him because of that, remember? I'm simply telling you his perspective. He never sees himself as the bad guy."
"All the tyrants in history see themselves as the good guys. Now, move away! You are scaring the little one," Grace pushed Paytowin and Spring Crown away.
"Little one? Did you see something inside that hole?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Grace answered. She laid her hand just before the hole. "We won't hurt you."
Something peeked out of the hole. It was a tiny person. A mini little girl. Jack then saw the transparent dragonfly wings on the tiny girl's back. She was a fairy! A high fairy, like Peniel, except she looked much younger.
The young fairy came out hesitantly. She slowly extended her hands to touch Grace's finger but stopped before she could. Grace's hand remained still. The young fairy looked at Grace. Grace gave the young fairy a warm and encouraging smile. Finally, the young fairy touched Grace's finger. She then smiled. Her dragonfly wings flapped, and she flew around Grace.
"She likes you," They heard Peniel's voice.
They looked up and saw Peniel, but not only her. Flying down from the leaves above were hundreds of fairies. There were varieties of them. Young and old. Male and female. Many had different colors of wings. They flew around the group. They were giggling and laughing. Their voices were melodious. They were like a colorful parade with a pleasant choir.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"You are from this place?" Jack asked Peniel.
"Yeah. Carnelia and me both. This is the Fairy Village," Peniel answered.
"You didn't recognize the entrance to your own village?" Paytowin asked in disbelief. Only after they went through the bamboo groove that Peniel and Carnelia recognize this place.
"We never went out," Peniel replied.
"That's right. This place is shut off from the outside world."
Jack turned to the source of the voice and saw a grandma fairy with silvery butterfly wings hovering nearby.
"Is this the outworlder the Goddess attached you to?" The grandma fairy asked Peniel.
"Yes, his real name is Jack," Peniel answered.
"Nice to meet you, Grandma," Jack greeted.
"What grandma? Address her properly!" Peniel slapped Jack's head. "She is the chief of the village. She is an elder fairy. The oldest and wisest of our race. We all call her Old Mother Hada."
"I can't see how old mother is more proper than grandma…," Jack grumbled.
When Peniel was about to slap him again, he yelled, "Fine, fine! Old Mother Hada, then! You happy?"
"Haha. I can see you are quite close to him, Peniel," Hada laughed. "Now, may I know what business do you outworlders have for coming to our village?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"My apology for coming here unannounced," Wilted said to Hada. "But we were invited to come here."
"Invited? By who?" Hada asked.
"By the person who gave me this stone," Wilted showed Hada the Chris' Memory Stone. It had stopped shining after they went past the bamboo groove. It now looked just like a normal stone. However, Hada's eyes lit up once she saw the stone.
"I see. So, it was finally time. Come! I will take you to meet him."
Hada gestured for Wilted to follow her. She flew away. The other fairies followed her. They were flying toward the wooden hut. Wilted and the others also went after her.
When they arrived at the hut, they saw the fairies dancing while flying around the hut. They were singing too. Hada knocked on the door before flying in through the opened window.
"Your people sure are an active bunch," Jack remarked. "I never hear you sing."
"Singing is not my thing. Don't expect me to do it anytime soon," Peniel replied.
"Who lives inside that hut?" Jack asked.
"I… Uh, I can't remember," Peniel answered.
"That's strange. Me too," Carnelia said.
A voice was heard from inside the hut. "Don't worry about that. I set it so you forget about me when you are partnered with outworlders."
"This voice…," Wilted muttered.
The door to the hut opened and Old Mother Hada flew out. Accompanying her was a man in a simple robe. Jack recognized the man from the hologram projected by Chris' Memory Stone.
"Chris…!" Wilted exclaimed.
"Welcome to my secret garden," Chris greeted back.
