MHA Fantasy Quest for the SOL

Part 23: Fay Forest 1/3

Hitoshi seemed to know everything about the Dark Land they were in. He warned them not to walk through a patch that was full of demon cockroaches---which would just about have killed the girls, and most of the guys to see. And he told them to avoid poisonous briers, the only thing that grew in this area... and that was in one hour. He also described some more monsters they might expect to meet closer to the mountain.                                                                                                         "How do you know all this?" Shoto asked suspiciously. "Where do you think I've lived?" Hitoshi said. "I can navigate this area, I'm one of the few who can pass through undetected. Mei and I are mostly safe around here, safer than we are around people..."

"I know the sound of each rock and stone, and I embrace what others fear. You are not to roam in this forgotten place, just the likes of me are welcome here.

Everything breaths, and I know each breath, to me it means life, to others it's death. It's perfectly balanced, perfectly planned, more than enough for this man." [Comment if you know what this song is from]  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omkugIz7k9A) 

"People fear fairies," Kyoka agreed stoically. "But why tell them you are one then?" "I feel it's beneath me to hide what I am," Hitoshi said. "Though I don't often broach the subject myself. Most people see fairies as something fearful, devious, even malevolent, they assume any offspring of theirs will be the same way, but, I'm not, and I know that. There's no need to hide, when you know what you are." Ei looked at him oddly. "How did you and Hitoshi meet?" Camie asked Mei, as she could talk about this subject no matter what circumstances were going on around her. "Eh?.. I don't really remember," Mei was concentrating on her winding. "You really don't, huh?" Mina said skeptically. "What was this, an arranged marriage?" "What's wrong with that?" Camie said. "My marriage is technically arranged." "Uh, you're not married..." Mina began. Camie raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't arranged," Mei said, nonchalantly. "He asked me, I said yes." Hitoshi looked over. "I needed a partner for the job, Mei needed money, I asked if she'd be interested in bounty hunting, and she agreed, but I couldn't just go around with her, so I suggested we get married. I thought I explained this already. Is there some reason you find this hard to understand?" They can't exactly say it sounds more like a business transaction than a relationship, Kyoka thought.          But she underestimated the other girls. "It sounds more like you want a worker than a wife," Mina said, as if Hitoshi were the only weird one in this conversation. "Mina!" Momo was mortified on her behalf. "It's all right," Hitoshi waved Momo off. "I'm used to sprites speaking their mind."                                                                                                                 He frowned at Mina, "whether they should or not." Mina felt a little unnerved and dropped the subject, but what all the girls were wondering was if love was involved in this partnership at all.

The landscape changed yet again, it went from dark and blackish grays and ugly browns, to a dark green. A new smell filled the air, some unrecognizable flower, they thought. The strange thing was no one noticed the change until it had already happened, before they had noticed the dark giving away to the lighter green of grass, but now they were already in it before anyone saw it. Eijiro noticed first when he looked up and sniffed. Once they looked, it was a little frightening. "It's beautiful," Momo said, "but why do I feel so uneasy?"                                                                                   "Mark of the fay, Paladin," Hitoshi said. "You should keep a clear head, this place gets into your blood. I haven't been here in 3 years, I'm not anxious to run into the in-laws, myself." "Oh those fairies are Cr-a-zy," Mei agreed, adjusting yet another contraption, she never seemed to run out. "The forest will begin soon," Hitoshi added. "I advise you to all stay together, enchantments usually work better on people who are alone, stay away from circles, and don't follow any music if you hear it." "Is this where we part ways?" Deku asked him. "What else would you have? Your party does not trust us," Hitoshi replied, then he bowed. "Good luck." Mei barely nodded at them. The Party exchanged looks, "thank you," Momo said. Then they went on. "Tell them someone from the Shinzo Grove, the heart of the forest, sent you." Hitoshi called after them. They waved in acknowledgement.