Magical Warriors of Silvatica

[Skippiddy skip!]

Devi's parents had in fact been told that she was staying with friends for a while, so that she could study or whatever. They really didn't mind that much. At any rate, they all took off into the air and flew through another portal. They appeared high above a place similar to Dae-Jung's city of glass and concrete, only this place was slightly dirtier and there was clear poverty around its edges, like mould growing from the edges of rotting food. "This looks like Rio," Robin commented, pointing to a giant statue of a man with his arms outstretched, atop the tallest mountain. "That's in Brazil!" Devi said excitably, jumping about on Foo's back and nearly falling off.

"I didn't know it was called that," Robin said to Maui, helping him hold onto Devi as they landed. The girl really wanted to just run around and see all the new things. "Careful! This place isn't entirely safe," Robin warned them all, including Davi who calmed down a bit then. "Let's start looking around," Padma said as they set off down an alley. But when they came out the other end, the quiet was shattered by loud music, colours, glitter, food and drink, and lots of nearly naked women. They were all swept up in a crowd of big-breasted colourful ladies.

Elvira was getting annoyed by all the jostling, and Padma was actually frightened. So many naked-ish gyrating people pressing against her. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced... One woman shimmied past her in essentially a set of strings and a huge plume of colourful feathers behind her. Padma's eyes followed her in shock and intrigue. Then someone out some colourful beads around her neck and she... Smiled. This was fun!

Robin made sure to keep Devi on her shoulders, though she was a bit heavy, as they followed the flow as best they could. Elvira was having to back away from a group of women who were twerking backwards into her, and she accidentally stood on Dae-Jung's toe. "Sorry," she grumbled. Someone threw glitter on her and she huffed angrily. Padma only hesitated for a moment before nodding and letting Maui show her how it was done. This was so exciting! She saw someone else with a headscarf on too! Except she had it tied tight around her head with a knot on top. It looked really stylish. Padma hastily fumbled with her own, changing it from the plain shape into the knot-on-top style that made her look much more stylish, and even cuter.

"That's because every human is different," Robin explained to Foo. "When groups of similar but different people get together, they create different group activities. Some people fear difference and diversity, but I think that's what makes us so great." Devi cooed happily at that thought. Her parents always taught her that there were people beneath them, but she liked Robin's ideology better. Elvira grunted a half-assed protest but let Dae-Jung lead her away anyway. There was some free space next to a food stall so they went to stand there. Elvira looked red and uncomfortable in this heat, which made sense with her heritage. Padma could barely distinguish any music above all the shouting and ambience, but she heard a general-ish beat and went with it, copying what other women were doing. Her movement wasn't natural, of course, and she looked out of place with her long abaya, but she was having so much fun.

Elvira just grunted, thinking that this was Dae-Jung's very limp attempt at joking around. They couldn't just summon their powers like that, especially not without changing into their outfits which would cause a stir. Padma was starting to get caught up in the dancing too, and she hardly noticed Maui pulling her to the side. And then he asked her about clothes, making her glance at the other women around them. They were at most in sundresses or vests and shorts, but many of them were in these very revealing bikinis. Maui wanted her to dress like that...? "Th-this is fine," she said to him, pulling at the end of her sleeve nervously. "Is it not?"

He could do that without transforming?! Dae-Jung had always been much more powerful than her and they both knew it, that was why he was here showing off. Except he didn't seem like he was showing off... Elvira huffed slightly and pushed his hand back away from her. "You're making me even hotter," she grumbled. "But... That's pretty cool," she admitted begrudgingly. "I'm fine," Padma said shortly. Covering herself in sensible clothes was part of her, it was all she had known and was the teaching of her faith. Even so, she reached down and boldly rolled her sleeves up to her elbows. "Can we dance more now?" she asked.

Elvira frowned slightly but... Stepped closer to Dae-Jung. "H-how to I do that?" she asked him with curiosity. Padma had no idea where he got money from, and she didn't even realise that different money had different currencies so why would Maui have foreign money?! She found it incredibly extravagant, having come from a life of poverty, and also a bit too much considering he was half naked now. She was trying to look anywhere but at Maui's chest, and saw something sparkling brighter than all the other sparkles. "A shard!" she said, pointing over Maui's shoulder. "Which way?" Robin asked, wanting Foo to guide her. Devi had gotten off of her shoulders at least and was holding her hand as they walked around in some of the less busy bits.

"Hmph," Elvira murmured, thinking about it. She got the idea but then... It looked like she was about to transform. "I-I can't," she grunted, standing down. "Not without changing fully." Padma squeaked and went in after the shard. But then it bounced slightly off the ground and managed to pinged up onto a float. As Padma was about to reach for it, one of the dancers saw a cute little Muslim girl gesturing up at her, and squealed with delight. "Cutie pie!" she trilled, reaching down and pulling Padma up onto the float with her. Oh no! As Robin and Devi were making their way through the crowd towards the shard, Devi noticed someone unusual up on one of the floats. "Look, it's Hijabi!" she pointed towards Padma.

Elvira's sharp features softened dramatically at that thought. Wow, what beautiful imagery, and also something she understood. She remembered powdery snow, how it felt like feathers against the skin, and danced on a breath. At first she didn't realise it, but suddenly she was cooling down and felt perfectly comfortable again. Padma went bright red and tried to get away, but the dancers were on her now, twirling her around and shaking their rumps. She saw the shard on the floor and swooped down to get it, but she missed and it kept getting twirled around amongst their feet. The dancers all thought she was dancing and whooped, moving all around her. Padma get scrabbling around, managed to grab the shard and was about to hold it up, but she got bumped and spun around. The shard got flicked against her forehead and... They combined. It must have been a rain shard, like hers, because she glowed and as she span, her outfit changed into her magical outfit. The dancers and part of the crowd gasped... But then cheered even more loudly! "Love the outfit!" one of the dancers praised Padma, twirling her around some more. Padma couldn't protest, it was too loud. And too much fun! She laughed out loud and let the dancers and music take her, swishing the skirt of her outfit around. She was blending in now!

Elvira shivered slightly, and that's when she realised she was cooled down. The vest top and jeans she was in now weren't enough to keep her warm. She looked at Dae-Jung and... Well, she didn't smile but she didn't frown either. "Thanks," she mumbled. Padma grinned down at Maui, then reached down and together with the dancers, pulled him up onto the stage. He already fit in with his garish outfit. "This is amazing!" Padma yelped as she twirled around him. Robin watched the pair of them dancing as they got as close as they could to the float. Aww that was so cute.