Fire-Flower Festival [ Open to All ]

[wishmadeinfire]

Who: Ashura & The Castle Residents
What: A mini, last minute festival
When: Saturday Night
Where: Castle Gardens
Rating: PG/PG-13 (for possible language)

Two days might not have been long, but with Cheese's help the little festival had turned into something quite lovely in the Castle gardens. It made Ashura think of home, which for a moment made his heart ache, for even having spent so many years away from his people he still worried for them and their fate. It felt good to bring a touch of it to this place, to let people see some of it, if not all. Cheese had done a marvelous job helping him capture it, and he reminded himself he would need to thank the pony profoundly when all was said and done.

They had placed out food and drink a plenty for any who wished to attend. There was some common faire for the less adventurous, but there was also offering from Ashura's own kingdom. Meats and vegetables cooked with spices that turned the items bright, their aroma a lovely blend - such things as saffron and chile. There were freshly cut fruit offerings, and some that had been sugared and even some that had been spiced themselves, though hardly so much as the meat. Water came readily available and sweet breads for those in need of cool mouths. Several wines were offered as well, ranging from thick and sweet to dark and as spiced as the meats.

Sitting areas were adorned with plush pillows and bright silks wound through the area to provide covering and color, the lanterns taking on the glow of the cloth. A small area nearby had been made to look like a performance area, and indeed a lute-like instrument of white and gold with purple and green flowers stood upon a stand to the side, as if waiting to be played. A sign invited anyone who wished to show off a talent or provide their own entertainment.

The center piece were the fire-flowers, though. Bright red buds with centers that glowed a soothing, enchanting yellow. When a breeze fluttered through, the centers waved and looked like tiny candle flames inside each blossom. Hence their name, and legend said they had formed from the tears of the guardian phoenix of Ashura's people. Later they would sever greater purpose than mere decoration, but for now the blossoms provided a center of beauty for the party.

It was no May Day, but it would do.

Food & Drink | Sitting Area | Stage | The Fire-Flowers

( ooc: Use one of the areas already set up or make your own thread! Enjoy! )

Comments

The Fire-Flowers

[wishmadeinfire]

Revelers have been drinking and merry-making all night, and for just a moment Ashura calls their attention, picking up a flower bud, the center shifting like a flickering candle.

"At this time of the time, I wish to invite everyone to take a flower and take a small bowl of water," he motioned to said bowels set out - small, plain things, with a bit of water in each. "This is a ritual of my people, where on the last night of this festival, one plucks a fire-flower from the branch and makes a wish or a promise upon it. It is meant to signify that you have hope for the future, that you will continue to walk a path true to your own heart. None need know of your hope, your wish, your dream, but you. When you have made the wish, turn your flower upside down and put the center into the water, as if to extinguish a candle. But you are not extinguishing it, for the heart of it, that bright little flame, burns on in your heart and it is not your duty to keep it burning bright, even when the natural flame of the flower is gone."

That said, he closed his eyes, cupping his bright little flower, and then gently lay it upside down in the water, the water now reflecting gold as the center continue to glow, the flower the bright, glowing red heart in the center.

[preformthisneigh]

It's a strange custom, to Cheese. After all, ponies learn their true path in life very young, and have it emblazoned on their flanks forever. Straying from their true path is unheard of, and is almost certainly something nopony ever worries about. Still, this is an important festival in Ashura's world, so he does as is asked, carefully carrying out the actions required of him. After he turns the flower over with his mouth (morning a little for the loss of what tasted like it could be a delicious snack), he sits and watches it turn and drift in the bowl.

[wishmadeinfire]

Ashura left his bowl near the main tower of flowers and came over to Cheese, his silks trailing behind him, his feet bare on the gravel. He smiled at Cheese and knelt on a pillow beside him, making himself comfortable.

"I must thank you for all your hard efforts, Cheese," he said softly as other people turned their flowers up. "Normally we set the flowers into the river and they float away, lighting it up gold. But the bowls of water serve well."

[preformthisneigh]

Cheese smiled up at him, giving a wave of his hoof to dismiss the thanks.

"Hey, any time, it's what I was born to do," literally. "I'm glad everypony here enjoyed it, and got to see a celebration from somepony else's world. I gotta admit, I'm loving learning about them, too."

[wishmadeinfire]

The king beamed in the red-yellow glow of the lanterns, reaching out and finding a flower that had escaped the mass and stroked the soft petals, watched the center shift and flicker.

"Well, I am happy to have taught you," he nodded his head. "I am like you in that - I enjoy learning of other people's cultures, their worlds. And I am very happy to share. It means a great deal to me that people came and participated."

[preformthisneigh]

"Me too."

He's honest about that, if nopony showed up, it wouldn't be a proper celebration, after all.

"I just wish we could have more things like this. It seems to lift everypony's spirits."

[wishmadeinfire]

"I am sure we could. Perhaps you could encourage the people to do so?" he smiled at the yellow and brown pony. "You are a party planner, after all, and a very good one. I am sure it would not be minded at all if you hosted little parties every now and then."

[preformthisneigh]

"That's not a half bad idea. I mean, if everypony wants to be happy here, then parties sure are a great way to go about it. It'll bring us all closer together, too."

[wishmadeinfire]

"I think it might. It would be good of us all to try and understand the worlds we all come from," he nodded. "It might come in handy some day."

[preformthisneigh]

Cheese nods enthusiastically.

"I heard that everypony got sent to Equestria, once, while they were here. If we learn about each other's worlds, we can be ready for when Paradisa does stuff like that."

[wishmadeinfire]

"Indeed. It surely makes the Castle's options for world shifts endlessly possible," he nodded. "I can honestly say I think I would like to visit most people's worlds. Not the one's the Castle makes up - the real ones, the ones people come from and live in. I would love to show people mine. I think they would like it - minus the Castle of the Moon."

[preformthisneigh]

"That would be pretty neat. I'd love to see everypony else's world. I mean, I've seen almost all of mine now, and I got a whole lot of adventuring still in me."

That last comment, though, makes him perk up his ears, suddenly even more interested.

"The Castle of the Moon?"

[wishmadeinfire]

"Hmm, though it is not quite so fanciful as it sounds, I am afraid," he shook his head. "It is a bit of a dark tale for such a lovely night."

And Cheese seemed to sweet to burden with the reality of his world the decisions he had made. He did not hide it now, what point was there? But some he did not think should be burdened with that knowledge. If it came up, it came up, but otherwise, he kept it silent on his tongue.

[preformthisneigh]

Cheese smiles placidly and gives a little shrug of his shoulders.

"That's okay, we just have...errr had one, kind of. It's a long story, also one of those dark tale things."

Time for him to see Human!Sheena... :)

[rose_of_battle]

While it's a different custom to Sheena, it certainly has familiar overtones to it, and the ninja is pretty solemn as she follows the ritual and stands motionless for some time watching the flower float on top of the water. After a while, she turns and spots a familiar figure also watching his flower, and smiling, she approaches the pony.

"Hello!"

She hopes he recognizes her voice, otherwise, there may be problems.

Awww yis

[preformthisneigh]

He does, indeed, recognise her voice, and flashes her a friendly smile.

"Well hey, you got yourself all human again."

Re: Awww yis

[rose_of_battle]

Relieved, Sheena's smile widens to match his as she lets out a chuckle. "Well, I really didn't have anything to do with it. The Castle decided to change me back."

Is she a little wistful? Of course she is. She actually likes being a pony.

Looking around, she takes in the decorations before turning back to him with a questioning look.

"Did you plan all this?"

[preformthisneigh]

He waves a dismissive hoof.

"Aww, no. I just helped, Ashura did a lot of it, too."

[rose_of_battle]

Her eyes widen even more as she looks around again.

"Uncle Ashura did?!" After a moment of her jaw scraping the ground, she closes it and shakes her head. "I'm not sure why I'm so surprised. He's always had a way of putting things together."

After a moment, she gives him a knowing look.

"So does this count as party two-forty-seven, or is it two-forty-six-and-a-half?"

[preformthisneigh]

"He's your uncle? Well, how about that."

He sits back tapping a hoof on his chin.

"I'm gonna call it a half, because I can't take all of the credit."

[rose_of_battle]

"Well, not exactly. It's something the Castle did shortly after I arrived, and well...the name and feelings stuck."

She scratches her head sheepishly. "Does that make any sense?"

She looks around at the decorations again, smiling as she sees everyone having a good time. "Well, it looks great. Both of you did a fantastic job!"

[preformthisneigh]

Cheese tilts his head to one side, confused. He struggles with emotional ties at the best of times, so this makes little sense to him.

"Noooot exactly, but I'm sure he means a lot to you?" then, beaming at her compliment. "Hey, I know what I do, and I'm good at it. Ashura, too."

[rose_of_battle]

Hmmm. It is a bit strange, but maybe if she explains it? "Shortly after I arrived, the Castle turned us into a huge family, and we believed it."

She had even been married, and from what she understands, to the natives, she still is. But, she's not going into that right now.

"Ashura had been my Uncle then, and we had formed a bond during that time, that when it was over, it didn't seem right not to call him that."

She returns his smile with a large one of her own. "You certainly do, and you really are. Both of you." She looks over at Ashura, her smile becoming fond. "I wonder if he gets to do this a lot back home? Plan it, I mean."

[preformthisneigh]

That, quite frankly, sounds terrifying to Cheese. Enforced friendship is bad enough, but enforced familial bonds? That could mess up a pony for life. Still, she seems happy about it, so he manages to mask his discomfort with an easy smile.

"Well, that sure is different," he says, then, glad for moving the conversation on, nods. "He didn't talk much about it, but he sure could make a living for himself in the trade."

[rose_of_battle]

Sheena's happy about it for several reasons, but mainly because she had been abandoned as a baby and never knew her real family. Now, what the Castle had done could have screwed her up--and if the bond hadn't formed, it might have--but she knew people were adopted every day, so why couldn't she adopt her very own Uncle?

"Yeah, it was," she agrees, her attention wavering a bit thanks to the rest of what Cheese is saying. "He probably could... Hey, uhhh... Do you ever get the urge to work with someone in planning parties?"