MC: My head...why are you guys huddled around me?
Benten: You made us worry, pushing us out of the way like that!
Kuniyoshi: MC, are you okay? Oh good, I got flashbacks of that time with Cu Sith.
Zhurong: WAAAH! MC, I thought you went to hell!
Arc: ...I'm glad your okay. My stomach fell when I saw you down.
MC: Arc you were here? I'm glad you're okay! Harlot asked me to look for you.
Arc: Oh...so Mom told you to do that. So you know I fought with her and said something terrible...actually that can wait. You come first. How are you feeling? Are your memories hazy? Like more than they already were?
MC: Uhh...there was a loud noise and the wall broke all of a sudden
Cait Sith: Right. We were suddenly under attack by giants from the scary fairy tale section. They kicked destroyed a bunch of stuff, which includes the gingerbread house you were in.
MC: What happened to the giants? And the kids and everyone else?
Benten: Everyone's fine. Balor was even freakier.
Cait Sith: He crushed all those giants when he found you on the ground. Oh wait here he comes!
Balor walks over from the distance, covered in scratches.
Balor: Hi Grandbaby. Thanks for giving me a heart attack.
MC: I'm okay. / Thanks for saving everyone. / Aww I missed out on seeing you be cool.
(A) Balor: Good. Don't push yourself too hard.
(B) Balor: Ha, this must be the first time anyone's ever thanked me for fighting. But I was just giving payback for what they did to me out there. Anyways, I'm glad you're alive. Death is the end, you know?
(C) Balor: Hahaha! What are you, stupid? If you wanna see that I can show you whenever. But anyway I'm glad you're alive. If you die, it's the end you know?
Cait Sith: Never mind that! Balor, you're all beat up! Show me so I can treat you!
Balor seems unconcerned with the damage he's taken.
Balor: I've never gotten out of a fight without a few scratches before, so I don't need that. This'll fix itself if I leave it alone and don't die.
Cait Sith: Nooo! I'm sure you're strong and tough, but this is just in case!
Cait Sith begins treating Balor anyway. Balor doesn't seem to know what to make of this.
Balor: Huh. The next King of Cats for the Land of Cats is a total weirdo to give treatment themselves. Kings are expendable.
Cait Sith: Kings have to be dignified, which is something I've thought about. I've also wondered why previous kings have retired, and I've had times where I hadn't thought about it. I've decided not to worry about it since there's more important things to me right now!
In Tir na Nog, those with the power to suppress capricious fairies become kings. That makes others objects of control and not to protect. They'd normally need overwhelming charisma (re: terrifying violence).
Balor: You're funny, but naive. For someone who's going to be a new king in Tir na Nog, you know too little about the law of terror. Horror's indispensable for the king of fairies and master of nursery tales.
Cait Sith: ...why's that a bad thing? It's better to get along with your citizens instead of scaring them!
Balor: ...
Balor: Governing is essentially inseparable from misgovernment. With a 100 people, what 51 of them votes for gets enacted while the other 49 are denounced. Some decisions have the king approved of, and other times those decisions have them criticized. That means no king is unscathed. The king carries the misgovernment by themselves, and a new king appears to reform things. Someone's gonna come to take advantage of your mistakes. Even if no one does, old age will come for you. When that happens, a king should be like the ultimate tyrant and not leave any scars on those left behind.
Arc: ...how about we go find Boogeyman and Itzamna? This can't have been planned. They might know what to do, and we can help if there's trouble. What do you guys think?
MC: Good idea. / Well I guess so. / Let's go!
Title card
Boogeyman is inside a shabby gingerbread house trying to figure out what's happening.
Boogeyman: Why? How'd the giants in the Forest of Fear get in this area? And why wouldn't they listen to me when I'm supposed to have total control of them!?
Maybe a bug or virus attacked, and if so Boogeyman would need to call Hephaestus. Boogeyman senses deep malice lurking behind the scenes.
Boogeyman: I can't figure out who that is on my own, but maybe if there was another guardian to this world! (turns towards a mirror)
Boogeyman: Mirror Mirror hey c'mon, tell me what the heck is going on
A face appears on the mirror. It's an observational camera for the world for tracking the children and watching for unusual situations Boogeyman had set up. It not alerting him of anything happening is strange.
Mirror: Access privileges denied.
Boogeyman: But I'm the king here!
Mirror: Not anymore. You've been replaced for that.
Boogeyman: What!? By who!? (punches wall)
The mirror does not respond.
Boogeyman: Fine, new question. Why can't the children who've made their chocolates leave?
Mirror: New king of terror has overwritten the world. No legal method of escape exists at this time. Correction: only one method of returning the children exists.
The mirror shows emotions for the first time, giving Boogeyman the terrible truth in a snarky deadpan offscreen.
Elsewhere
The rest of the party reconvenes in a public space and explanations are given.
MC: We can't go back!? / No...why?
Itzamna: Boogeyman is looking into that, but it doesn't look good. I've checked with my students and friends, but that hasn't shown anything better...
Children are still crying, and Itzamna looks stern. Licht, Arachne, and Catoblepas return from their investigations.
Licht: I checked the border of Candyland and Forest of Fear, and it's just as you thought.
Arachne: Same here. The scary fairy tale world is encroaching.
Catoblepas: Y-yeah, Candyland will disappear at this rate!
MC: Hi Licht / Arachne darling! / Catoblepas?
(A) Licht: Hello my friend. I wish we weren't meeting under circumstances like this...
(B) Arachne: Hello! I was asked to supervise the clothes to make this world more charming! And then this all happened before showtime...
(C) Catoblepas: Arachne was asked to supervise the clothes to make this world more charming, and I came to help because I was interested...though I guess we won't be showing them at this rate...
Boogeyman comes out.
Itzamna: Did you find anything out?
Boogeyman: You go first. What'd you find?
Itzamna: The world is imbalanced because of the fear the children were exposed to!
MC: What? I heard something about Candyland being grounded down.
Boogeyman: It's simple. Majority of the children in Candyland have started thinking it's not safe here. If we don't shake that idea out of them, then Candyland falls to pieces. We need a safe area now more than ever since we can't get out.
MC: Hmm...maybe we should give out candy?
Cait Sith goes to talk to Arachne and Catoblepas.
Arachne: Oh, yes I have something like that! The size should fit perfectly!
Catoblepas: Yeah!
MC: Did you think of something?
Cait Sith: Tee hee, wait a second! This should work out for us!
The three of them leave, so the party tries comforting the children in the meantime.
Chouji: Look! Chocolate! How about we have some together?
Itzamna: What if I read a story for you all?
It doesn't work.
Licht: The scary memories they are too powerful. We need more impact!
MC: I'll do something!
Licht: Interesting! What's your plan!?
MC: (tell am awesome joke) / (tell a hilarious story) / (Japanese rakugo)
Zhurong: Haha, wow!
Licht: Friend this is not something children will understand.
No other child is laughing.
Nobody else can think of anything when...
Cait Sith: Ta dahhh! How do I look?
Cait Sith and his cats are in marching band uniforms.
Kuniyoshi: I CAN DIE A HAPPY NERD! Pleasetellmethedesigndetails...
Cait Sith: L-later, we have more important things to take care of!
MC: That's your plan? / You look great! / Let me pet you later!
---
(A) Cait Sith: Yes! I'll use this to bring smiles to the children's faces!
(B) Cait Sith: Ehehe. Now I'm feeling more confident!
(C) Cait Sith: Uhh, just a little bit okay? If my fur gets messed up, you'll brush it back too, right?
---
Licht: I-is it going to be that easy? We haven't gotten anything to work.
Cait Sith: Watch me! If I can't do it myself, then I can work with others to make something happen! Ready? Showtime!
BATTLE(?) START
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