#fenixtj

Ahpuch says "No, we will carry this burden in our hearts, joy shall be snnuffed and so... we let the gray woman win"

Ellie is quiet.

Ariel glares at the sluagh

Adler turns to the sigh girl "I think my kith brother, mi hermono, is tryingg to say that we must take the joy from this. I am grateful, contessa, and yes, I am happy. Am I monster that I am happy we are free?"

"What? No!"

"You are a monster because you are sluagh." She reassures. "Very spooky."

Adler smiles at that, a chuff sound "And you are a hero because you are great lady who saved us. And your friends, heroes too. Gracious. I cannot make you happy, but I hope you cann find some happinness that we are free"

She nods. "I am glad, yes. I thought you were mortals, I am extra glad you are away from her now. Banality hurts fae more."

"You went to safe us even when you thought we were mortals?" Eternia gasps "You're the nicest person alive!"

Ariel says "She is!"

Ellie shrugs. "Nobody should be hurt like that."

"Yes, but right of rescue is just changelings, so some would say" Adler says

Holger lifts his chin "The Contessa is muy bien, with a big heart"

"Princesca is the best liege AND amiga." Salma chimes in, then adds, "or worst, you can never tell." But her fond smile belies the lie.

"Good liege" Onyx muters

Salma lifts one long ear at that. "Si, Onyx?"

"Well, in my dreams you just looked like regular kids."

"Good liege" Onyx says again, and just that. The box has takenn it's toll on him

Ellie dims again.

Onyx tturns and gazes at the Beaumaynn "Good liege"

Salma nods firmly. "Good, better, best. Princesca knows that even mortals are dreamers, and we are nothing without dreams. You being fae is just the cinnamon sugar on the churro."

"Shoulda gone sooner."

"You would have gotten lost," Ariel says "Cause we didn't know the way then"

"Ellie." Salma says firmly, patting her on her arm. "You must look at what we did, and not what we didn't. For me, por favor? See... Selkie, Nocker, Sidhe, and a new friend for Ahpuch. We have new friends, and would have none if you didn't have the courage to bring us."

"Si?"

Fidget.

Salma sets her chin.

"We did good. And we are probably grounded." She sounds unconcerned at that last.

"Oh, probably very grounded."

"That means we can read together! Oh, I wonder if Eternia has read any of our favorites. What do you think? Ramona? Or... mm..." She ponders what to read.

"Romana? Who is she?" The girl says confused

"Ramona! She is a little girl who has adventures..."

"And gets in trouble, but she's my favorite."

"will we met her?" the selkie girl asks

"well, there's book Ramona, but there's also kitten Ramona..."

"Si, yes." Salma nods, insistently. "You can meet Ramona, right now." And pats the couch next to her for Eternia.

Then starts from memory...

"Chapter Uno - the First day of School. Ramona Quimby hoped her parents would forget to give her a little talking-to. She did not want anything to spoil this exciting day. "Ha-ha, I get to ride the bus to school all by myself," Ramona bragged to her big sister, Beatrice, at breakfast...."

The children grow wrapped up in the story. Why Itzel stops fussing with Tex. They are confused, mesemerized

annd it soon becomes aparent that they were allowed to learn FACTS, but they were never allowed stories

Ellie helps, excited about parts she remembers!

Soon the kids are caught up in the trials and triumphs of Ramona

Eternia has sat down right next to the pooka

Salma wraps an arm around the selkie, though she holds Ellie's hand if offered. The new friends need a bit of comfort, and Salma is friend-shaped.

Salma IS!

Ellie may not remember the chapter where Ramona tried to make churros and ended up with a face full of cinnamon, but it does SOUND like something that she would do...

Surely! And Salma is the knower of stories...

Ellie brings up the sink full of toothpaste - it was a different book, but...

And then... Itzel..snickers.. and then.. laughs

more of the gray breaks from her as she does

Even Adler snickers