Magical Warriors of Silvatica

They all decloaked and went inside to watch Devi. She was surprisingly expert at it. "It is fine," she told Dae-Jung, actually taking her eyes off where they were going as the coast line came into view on the horizon. She was still in her magical outfit, and seeing as how this yacht was going a lot faster than made sense, Robin assumed the girl was using her powers to move it along, as well as using the engines.

"No, stay!" Devi said, stamping her foot a little as she guided the yacht into a landing. This marina was filled with other such yachts, each as huge and shiny as the next. "I have an idea," she added, as they came to a stop on an empty, extravagant jetty. A small flock of people were waiting there, mostly in what looked like servants uniforms, but two people dressed expensively and looking quite unimpressed. "Let's go talk to mama and baba," said Devi, hopping around in a circle and changing back into some normal clothes, which was a cute little pink sari. So those were her parents out there?

Maui was certainly the only one who liked Devi: Elvira thought she was a little turd, Padma was so confounded by her attitude, and Robin saw right through it to the fact that she was spoilt and ignorant. Not her fault, but also not easy to get along with. As they all disembarked the boat, it looked like Devi's parents were about to scold her but then she hopped over to them. "Look, look! I found these people lost at sea!" she squealed. "I rescued them, we have to get them food!" And just like that, her parents mellowed out and believed her right away. Wow. The mother fussed over them all, though Padma was merely brushed over, and the father ordered all the servants to get going as they headed back to the house.

Devi went up to her father and made him carry her on his shoulders, and as a group they were all shepherded down the jetty and into a huge park with orchids, palm trees, and beautifully coloured birds wandering around. But this wasn't a park, it was Devi's garden, leading up to a huge mansion. Padma couldn't fathom such wealth so she naively figured this was a public building.

"Hmm?" Padma hummed, looking at Maui in confusion while her eyes still sparkled in all this wonder. "She lives... She lives here?" she asked uncertainly. "It looks like it," Robin confirmed. Padma was flawed and stopped walking, being left behind as the group carried on forward. She could not comprehend all this wealth...

"Mm," Padma murmured. "Yes. It is... Unbelievable." She laughed nervously and stepped closer to Maui. "I feel humbled, being here and seeing that I come from nothing. Not that I feel any less worthy as a human being, I just... Ah!" She squeaked in surprise as a fabulous bird strutted past them with a huge plume of green and blue furthers splayed out behind it.

Padma had stepped closer to Maui as she had been taken by surprise by the bird, but then he made her smile again and she didn't step back. "I know," she told him. She hadn't been feeling down, just humbled like she'd said, but Maui had tried to comfort her anyway. He was the sweetest. "Umm... L-let's catch up with the others," she said, taking hold of his sleeve and leading him towards the house where the others were going inside. It was the closest she could get to holding hands with him.

"Why?" Devi asked as they all lay around on plush rugs and pillows, eating delicious desserts. Devi hadn't eaten any dinner, only dessert, but her parents hadn't made her eat anything she didn't want. Even though the food was delightfully exotic. Robin was bloated and content, lying next to Devi and let her plait her hair. "Because you have an amazing power like us, and we need to work together to save the world," she murmured.

Devi's eyes sparkled. "Of course I will!" "What about asking your parents first?" Robin asked, but from Devi's scoff she realised the answer. "Hmm, yeah, fair enough." "With my help, you will all be so much better!" Devi said excitably.

"Yes!" Devi answered before everyone else. "I'll leave my mother a note and say I'm at a friend's house, it will be fine."

And so it was agreed, reluctantly on most of their parts, that Devi would come with them. She was thrilled and insisted they stay over at hers that night, not that they needed rest, just so they could sleep in luxury for once. It was sort of disturbing that Devi's parents were totally fine with a bunch of teenage strangers sleeping together in their kid daughter's room... Everyone was trying not to think too much about it as they snuggled down into some comfy futons and Devi read them stories. Padma was sitting on the balcony that overlooked the huge garden and the ocean beyond, in a spare nighty with a fluffy scarf covering her hair loosely. The air smelled of greenery and spices, and the cawing of birds and distant wombing of the ocean was so relaxing. To live by the sea like this. It must have been wonderful...

"Hmm," Padma agreed, reaching out to pick up an ornate mug filled with the sweetest tea she'd ever drank. "I never knew a place like this could exist. Or any of the places I have been." Maui's land of endless blue water, Elvira's icy realm, Dae-Jung's city of towering glass and metal, and Robin's world of mist and greenery. Now this, a life of unimaginable wealth. "I have to thank you for showing all of this to me," said Padma to Foo with a smile.

Padma looked behind her into the room where people were starting to fall asleep. Elvira and Dae-Jung were lying unintentionally close to one another, and the only spare bed was between Dae-Jung and Maui. Padma would be too embarrassed to sleep there, as much as she imagined slowly snuggling closer to Maui... She gathered up a soft pillow and lay on her back on the balcony, then grabbed Foo and pulled him to lie on her stomach. "Goodnight, Foo," she said as she watched the stars until she slept.