Chapter Text
~Two Weeks Later~
When everyone returned to the Silver Drop Kingdom...
Fae sat at the meeting table alone, she looked around, seeing nobody nearby, she collapsed into her chair. “By the divine…” She groaned out. A meeting with everyone in ten minutes, Tarty was still in repairs, Techo had gone radio silent after the situation with Lico. To be honest, she was freaking out. She sat upright again, and looked at the old photoframe, she held it. Lico when he wasn’t trapped… Tarty before they lost their limbs… Rare before tried to kill Gummy… Gummy before she killed Rare the 1st time…Techo before he tried to kill everyone… and herself before all this chaos. She hugged the frame close, and curled up on the chair, crying… how could all this happen? Was it her fault, somehow? Why would-
Walking in the meeting room with Rare being loud and talkative, while Lico back from the Dark Cacao Kingdom all bandaged, they saw Fae falling apart. By now they may have thought it’s a bad time before- Lico pushed Rare further inside, backing away from the scene.
“WAIT- SIR-” Rare exclaimed.
Fae perked up, she put the photo frame back in place, She tried to smooth herself down. “A-ah! Rare! How can I help you…?” She said “You… didn’t see anything, did you?”
Rare standing in guard position, visibly sweating. “L-Lady Silver! A-At your command!”
“You’re avoiding my question.” She sighed.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“Doesn’t matter… Can I help you?” Fae sighed.
“You said to meet at the appropriate time at 6:30am. Right Sir-” He turned to the door and Lico was gone, throwing Rare under the bus.
“It’s 6:20… You’re ten minutes early. Literally nobody will be here till… 6:25. at… the earliest.” Fae sighed.
“... Clocks may be broken?...”
“Did you even look at one before coming?” Fae sighed.
“Yes!... Maybe…. Probably…?”
“So no.”
“I NEVER SAID NO! Just confused…”
“You implied it. Just… take a seat. At least you're not late.”
“I did arrive with Lico, assuming he’s here… Somewhere…”
“He’ll be here eventually, probably got distracted by a bird or something… I swear, he's more catlike than actual cats…” She scoffed, sitting down, she seemed more tired than usual, but played through it “How has your time been, Rare? It's been too long…”
“Oh… Um… I’ve been… Wandering? Alot…. Alone…..”
“I hope you’ve been safe, my dear friend.” Fae responded, with a soft smile on her face.
“Um… So… We’ve been avoiding the point so… Why are you crying.. You don’t have to answer-! This whole thing… Stardew, Gummy. Tarty’s repairs… It’s just… Too much?” Rare asked.
“...Yes, I'll be frank…” She sighed “I miss how it was before, I love Tarty, I do… but… I miss how Power used to be… I miss how WE used to be…” She spoke, leaving out some details she missed as well.
“Yeah… You guys were freakishly close….” He said with hesitation. “I still can’t forget that one time, maybe twice…” Rare murmured.
“...I… am sorry you walked in on that… twice…” Fae said, face a tad flushed.
“Oh wow. Thanks for reminding me. Maybe get a sign that warns others about it?” He said, sarcastically.
“Err- sorry…” She murmured.
In the middle of the conversation, Silver Bark walked in before laying his eyes on Fae. “My Silver Lady. We have word from both Pure Vanilla, Golden Cheese, White Lily, Silent Salt, Burning Spice, and Shadow Milk. Mostly the pair of yellow and mostly blue? I think. Unfortunately from Gummy cookie and I quote ‘we will come as we please. No amount of force she has will change our minds.’ Therefore…” Silver Bark shakes his head…
Fae sighed “They might not come… Thank you, Silver Bark. How’s Tarty?”
“Well they are-!”
At lightning speed Tarty crashed into the wall before falling onto the floor, glitching as metal clanged on the marble floor non stop. Lico crawled inside, a forming bruise on his forehead.
“By zeye deeveenye-” Lico scowled, before yelling “TARTY!”
Rare ran over to Lico’s side helping him up. “SIR! Are you okay?”
Lico sighed “Yyes. Ee’m feenye. Ee zeeenk…” He murmured a soft ow.
Fae got up from her chair, watching Tarty speak 10 times fast with random gibberish she could barely understand. “Tarty- Slow down, What's going on?” She said, tone stern.
Silver Bark pushed away Fae as he opened the back panel of Tarty’s head, yanking out the power cord causing Tarty to faint. “They’ll be fine… For now…”
“Good…” She sighed “That… freaked me out… a little…” She sat back down.
“Until then I can get them repaired before the party they requested.”
“Okay… I’m… going to take a quick walk in the garden…” She sighed, standing up.
“I will accompany!” Rare yelled, dragging Lico with him.
“Not… today Rare.” She held up a hand “I need alone time for a minute”
“Faye-” Lico called out, trying to stop her.
“Please, Lico…” She said, looking him in the eyes, causing him to back down.
“Don’t stay gonye too long.” Lico said, softly.
Rare held Lico back as both of them watched Fae walk out of the room. “Sir, maybe let's take a break at the Silver Lake. Maybe it’ll clear both our minds.”
“Zeat… Soahnds good. Lyets go, Rarye.”