"This is the helper you found, Opal? Looks like he ain't the nanny but needs one instead." Past the murky whirlpool, I came out on the other end, an endless hall.
"Thee doust not commence int'rnecine agitation." Here the ceiling was so distant I could barely make out the end above.
Oversized french windows extended all the way down on both sides, each glass tile reflecting a different landscape. "Argh, you senile fossil. No need berating me!"
In between, some giant candelabras floated freely, shining sombre light upon the great hall. "Why do you ignore me, Opal?!"
Furniture befitting true immortal nobility on par with the dynasties of old decorated the place, lining up neatly.
Carefully selected art pieces corrected the atmosphere, turning the sombre hall into a sobering representation of transcendental taste.
"Opal Woodpuff, I'm talking to you!!" I simply failed to imagine anybody having the audacity to disturb that serene atmosphere in the face of ancient splendour. "...cease thine disturbance."
Slender pillars guaranteed the whole structure's integrity, spiralling into each other much like the eternal stream, everchanging and unpredictable.
"Opal!!" And yet, here we were, serenity disturbed and ears ringing worse than in the youth's company. "Will it hurt you to shut up, elder fairy? Curb your fiery temper."
I couldn't contain my tongue any longer, for these halls roused ancient memories too meaningful to tarnish. This was the splendid interior of Aethernum I'd longed for.
My very home built with my own two claws. This was the place all the security out there was supposed to protect. Yet here we stood, no alarm ringing. "You! Wanna burn?!"
No countermeasure springing into our faces, no curse befalling us. Nothing. I wasn't pleased with this gargantuan display of failure.
Just where did my design go wrong, which enchantments failed to do their duty? My claws traced gently along the carved walls, trying to uncover what had my heart riled up.
"You puny creature, I'm—" The raging ceased with that burning silhouette touching me. Maybe to shut up the annoying elder fairy was less the work of my fireproof scales and more my glare?
That very sweet, very meaningful glare understood across the aeons, no matter against whom it saw use. No race would misunderstand. No need for words!
"Silence." A bit of past glory returned, tainting my words with a presence worthy of ancient old me. Maybe not the most diplomatic feat, but at least I got my serenity back.
"Pardon Nova Twinkleflame." "You don't have to explain anything to me. Fire fairies, no?" Damn, the elder fairy even chuckled, meaning I was right on the money.
"W-what's this supposed to mean." Much to the chagrin of the helper it'd found. "Where is the unruly child? This creation of mine suffering from undue arrogance."
I for once didn't deem it proper to waste even more time with useless banter, having already spent my fair and possibly also excessive share analysing the place.
"Ah! Now you're talking. The shiny cans, eh? They're this way." The elder fairy gestured at an unassuming door I'd have dismissed if not for it pointing the door out.
"However," the ancient fairy became all touchy with my scales, wandering up and down my exposed back, "are you sure?
Death has no remedy." Crackling laughter rang out especially loud in the otherwise silent hall. "W-what's this for, Opal!!??"
"Resistentialism." "Oh, nono. It was you. You—" "Resis. Tentia. Lism." I couldn't stop myself from grinning along, finding the older ancient fairy particularly willful.
"S-suit yourself!" The fiery creature was fuming. "Warnings spoken and insults gained, don't cry when you die!" This elder fairy didn't know me well.
But that was how it was supposed to be. Her colleague... well, that one was clearly abnormal. As they lined up beside each other, it became even more evident.
Their presence simply didn't match. And not only because of the clashing elements. Anywhere out there, the two would undoubtedly end up as mortal enemies.
In here? There was much respect one had for the other, running counter to that iron rule... In any case, the moment it opened the door, the whole place warped again.
I had always hated to wait unnecessarily. Therefore, any door in my house was... special. A gate, so to say.
What came to my peepers afterwards was a sword zooming in on my face, cutting along the narrow tiled walls.
Sparks flew everywhere and sweat trickled down my chin, dropping to the floor below. Rapidly following my instincts made me evade getting skewered from orichalcum spikes below.
Just which deranged soul put them just behind a door? No warning signs attached and all... this sure was still someone's home was it not?
"Move!!" In all honesty, the request wasn't necessary at all. The heatwave building up and coming rolling from behind me wasn't something I could nor should miss.
I immediately dropped to the ground, limbs sprawled out like a slouch. Orangish flames with purple freckles in them tore away at the sword gunning for my head.
Rather, liquified droplets came raining down my skull, producing this terrible itch I instinctively associated with bathing in boiling magma.
Never liked the sensation, unlike many of my acquaintances... "Thine zest exacts unwelcome convocation." Indeed, the blunder was substantial. "Whoopsie..."
"Oh my dear..." The walls around us came to life in a certain sense, crumbling down due to the sudden difference in heat, triggering every security measure there was.
I hadn't even had the time lamenting over the partial destruction Aethernum was forced to endure before the nightmare began.
"Thou shalt incur an earful, Nova Twinkleflame!" Pitch black darkness flooded the ruined place the next moment, the handiwork of this truly prehistoric ancient fairy.
Yet if my belief was strong that her intervention would bring ruin upon whatever came to the Central Node's rescue, reality didn't deign to comply.
The veil of darkness parted eventually, revealing the contours of a living armour blazing in resplendent light.
As if that countering element in the fray wasn't trouble enough, behind the marching piece of danger came even more of its kind.
"The so-called shiny metal cans... couldn't you warn us? They are fucking living armour modelled after a certain role model I'd been left very impressed with.
"Damn me for never putting absolute safety measures in place for fear of enemy manipulation." There was no damn flip to switch and down they were!
"Cover me," I cursed aloud, "fucking cover me. Gonna blast this hellhole to the beyond!" Aethernum, please forgive me...!!!
Only one believed my words, but that was just the personage they were meant for. Here, I, the creator, joined the fight!