[OOC] Feien Fairy Tales, Closed!! Congrats Sajhiri!!

[Sajhiri]

Arae sat before the hearth in the tower and looked over at Averno, scowling into the flames. "You seem to have lost your Christmas spirit, sister. Have you no joy for the holidays?"

Averno continued her frowning as she muttered "Its never brought me any joy, why should I care? The lights hurt my eyes and the music is horrible."

Arae chuckled, and she leaned forward from her perch on the coffee table. "Let me tell you a story of what happened one Christmas, many many years ago." The ancient's tone warmed as she began her story.

For Whom the Jingle Bell Tolls

Before the Feien became dependent on human bonds to survive, the ancients had no such needs. But they did need time to replenish themselves, and would do so by falling into a mystic slumber for months at a time. Some had decided to gather every autumn in a meadow just outside of a small town, where they would rest in the earth. An abandoned rabbit warren made a cozy warm refuge from the oncoming winter, and they planned to wait for the magic of the spring thaw to wake them.

They all settled down into their mystic rest, but what none knew was that the meadow had been bought by humans who planned to tear it up and build more houses on it, houses that would have basements, basements that would require the rabbit warrens to be bulldozed, and with them, the slumbering ancients.

The snow had begun to fall and the meadow was coated with the fluffy wintersign. All was still there, with nothing to herald the convoy of bulldozers making their way down the roads towards the resting place of the Feien. Within an hour they would arrive, and that would mean the destruction of all those who slumbered there.

But one of the feien began to rouse from her sleep. The most hauntingly lovely and joyful sound had reached her through the layers of snow and earth, a song which soared to the heavens on the wings of many voices, pure and clear. The musical cascade of tinkling bells shivered through the ground to the sleeping fairy, accompanied by the carolers who strode near the edge of the field, singing to their neighbors of peace and good will. The jubilant strains of "Joy to the World ", "Let it Snow", and "Winter Wonderland" reached her ears, and brought her to consciousness.

Curious about the music, she climbed from her earthen refuge and launched herself into the sky, perching in a gaily decorated pine tree to watch the carollers in fascination. The lights of the town were enchanting, and she launched herself from the bough to flit through the streets, peering into windows to see the families dining together, hear the warm laughter, and see the presents and decorations. She felt her heart warm, then suddenly turn cold.

She spotted the bulldozers moving towards the meadow and her companions. With all due speed she hastened back to the field and rushed through the warrens, waking every feien and ushering them out to saftey. Had she slept even an hour longer, they'd have all died in the tearing of the earth.

She could only credit their salvation to the spirit of the holiday which had inspired the carollers and woke her from her slumber.

"So you see, sister. The spirit of the holiday brings about good, even inadvertantly. You should embrace it, rather than shun it. Who knows what joy it can bring you. It might even spare your life." Arae murmured softly.

Averno, sadly, didn't respond, as she'd fallen asleep amid a plate of half eaten Christmas cookies.