Finally, finally, f i n a l l y life on Etheria can become something like 'normal'. No more wars to fight, bad guys to change or defeat, and no. more. drama.
Except... no.
There's a new threat coming, and it's much smarter and stealthier than Pr...
A/N: We're time skipping to the day of the ball, because I'll lose my mind if I have to write another chapter that's before the excitement begins.
Chaos. Complete and total.
The halls of Bright Moon were, in the best areas, overwhelming, and in the worst, a scene straight out of Hell. Everyone was running around getting ready, and the universe seemed determined to get as many laughs as it could out of the poor people inside. Entrapta had vanished into the vents when the noise and excitement became too much, and Busgirl, being one of the only ones who could also comfortably go into the vents, checked up on her every now and then to see how she was coping, and deliver tiny snacks if needed. Though she'd been on the verge of a meltdown earlier, the pigtailed princess was now faring well, sequestered away in a secluded section and tinkering with a small bot.
Busgirl was happy to provide Scorpia and Hordak with updates on how Entrapta was coping- though she was unable to banish a squeak from her voice when she spoke with the latter. Eventually Entrapta told her that she could stop checking on her so frequently, and in a bout of good humor, told her to "Tell the worrywarts I'm now more likely to react negatively to the constant attention than any crowds, and they can focus on getting ready. I'm fine."
Indeed, she was mostly back to her normal self, and if she remained in the vents until things calmed down a bit she'd likely be fine. It usually took quite a bit of noise and chaos to overwhelm Entrapta, and she planned to just wait out the worst of the panicking people.
-x-
Netossa gazed at the scene in front of her, shaking her head in disapproval. The kitchen and dining room, which had been designated as the main rooms for cooking, cleaning, and planning, were in complete disarray. Soda Pop and Scorpia were chasing Emily, who was chasing Baker, who was chasing Imp, who had stolen a tray of tiny scones and was running for his life. A purple elf with violet and orange eyes wearing a maid uniform was shouting orders at another maid who was purple and navy blue, and a very confused guard was standing in the middle of the room screaming his head off. A black-and-white cat person was shaking him, also screaming at the top of his lungs. Frosta ran about the room with some friends she'd made- three triplets with midnight-black skin and bright red hair, and they were on a collision course with Emily.
Netossa stuck her fingers in her mouth and let loose a loud whistle. Most everyone stopped what they were doing, and Emily tripped and went rolling into a wall. A kitchen worker carrying a tray full of water glasses jumped out of the way, and the water spilled on the ground. Soda Pop and Scorpia slid in the water and went tumbling, knocking down Busgirl. She'd just climbed out of the vents, only to wind up in a tangle of limbs. They slid to a halt when they hit the corner and all three lay there for a minute, heads spinning.
The guard that the cat person had been shaking straight-up fainted, and Imp tripped over him. The cat-person caught the tray, and handed it to Baker. She nodded her thanks and balanced it on one arm, handing Imp two scones with the other. He chittered his thanks and flew off to perch on a high windowsill, and everyone turned to Netossa.
After a second, Soda Pop, Scorpia, and Busgirl's heads cleared and they realized what had happened. They were in a pile, with Scorpia on the bottom and the other two tangled up atop her. Scorpia stood, holding on to both of them so they wouldn't fall, and set them on their feet to free themselves. They did so, slightly flushed and laughing, and also looked towards Netossa. Soda Pop's arm remained around Busgirl's shoulders, and Scorpia, while keeping an ear open for what Netossa would say, ran to get Emily under control.
"Okay, we've got to get it together!" Netossa said, climbing up to stand on a chair. "People in charge of making the food please stand on that side," she pointed to the half of the room where Emily, Scorpia, Soda Pop, and Busgirl had all crashed. "People assigned to cleaning and decorating stand on the other, and people making the plans gather in the middle. If you fit in none of those categories," here she gave a pointed look at Frosta and her friends, "please go help somewhere else, begin to prepare yourself, or do pretty much anything that doesn't get in the way. The ball is tonight, people. Let's do this!"
Spinnerella, who was standing on the ground behind her wife, was beaming. The people gathered began to comply, forming their various groups and splitting the work. Netossa jumped down, and Spinnerella hugged her. "That was wonderful, darling."
-x-
Mia stood with the maids, watching Aaro escort the dazed guard out. Frosta and her miniature gang of hooligans left too, along with Scorpia, Emily, Imp, and an alarming amount of people. It was a bit concerning that the majority of the people in the room were actually not supposed to be in there.
Mia smiled and smoothed her skirt. Of course, she wasn't supposed to be in there either. She turned to her sister, watching the way she took control of the group, doling out assignments and calming the more frazzled workers. All of the more experienced workers were helping oversee the entire castle, so they'd delegated the task of organizing to Erina. She'd gladly accepted, and contacted Mia as soon as she could. They'd been searching for a convenient way to get her in, and had laughed at the irony when one was practically dropped into their laps.
Erina dismissed the maids to their various jobs, and led Mia to the gardens where the party would be held. The sisters, though not biologically related, were much closer than many siblings who are. They walked among the plants, tidying up here and there as Erina told Mia of her encounter with Adora and Catra yesterday. She showed her the faint line on her palm, and for a minute they were normal people, and could pretend that this was their life, and there wasn't something more coming.
Of course, it was only a dream. A beautiful, but unrealistic, dream.
I finished the drawing of Erina! (Out of her maid uniform)
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Yes, I used a base. Linkity link: https://www.pinterest.com/loistanner1951/art-poses-1/
