Flynn offers his suggestions as Navi makes a few experimental sprinkles with the dust. It only takes a few moments, but the fairy is confident about how the Pixie Dust works, although as a novelty item its duration is quite limited.

Faelan and Zeg ask their questions of Red in quick succession. The squirrel squints suspiciously, looking from the owlin to the harengon with rapid eye movements, before replying again in the fast, high-pitched voice, stabbing at them both with one tiny finger. She's-just-she's-just-well-never-you-mind-it's-carnival-business-that's-what-it-is-not-your-business-now-you-just-go-and-enjoy-the-carnival-and-leave-that-business-to-the-owners-come-on-Northwind-we-have-work-to-do-goodbye!

And with a wistful wave of one leafy limb, Northwind turns and lumbers toward the lily pond to oversee the dragonfly rides.

Besides the dragonfly rides, the party also notice that some fair-goers are floating in large bubbles, originating from the south side of the carnival. In contrast to the dragonflies, who are buzzing lazy circuits around the carnival grounds, the bubbles simply rise up and float high above the carnival grounds. When the bubble pops, the occupant floats slowly back to the ground. Faelan is aware that the source of the bubbles is the Bubble-Pot Teapot, run by Treaclewise and a few other goblins.

“Oh. Okay.” Navi says softly in response to Faelin’s words to her. “Just wanted to help.” A little deflated, the little fairy just wanted to feel useful instead of feeling so incredibly lost. 

With a gentle nod, Flynn would be gifted with both bags, if he wanted them.

Navi fades back into the background. She hugs the gifted acorn to herself for comfort and floats along, gently bobbing as she lets the natural air current guide her, carrying her aloft. Blue hues look out longingly over the rides.

Flynn accepts the bags with a bow.  "In a bit you can teach my to fly.  I promise"

Faelan realizes that the little Fairy is very sensitive, and that he should choose his words more carefully. "Heyyyy. Cheer up little one!!" He does a quick feet shuffle, and he finishes with a "TaDa!!" He then looks for her approval. "Yes... No... Maybe??"

"Thanks!! Zeg calls to Red and Northwind as they leave.

Turning around he sees that Navi is a bit dejected.  He stretches and flaps his own wings.  "Navi, they have no idea what they are missing.  Their loss I suppose."  He then ponders again for a moment.

"So where to now?  Do we keep walking around in the direction we are going?  Maybe pig mask is someone not to worry about.  But I'm keeping an eye out anyways.  And Kenku person is certainly trouble.  I think that's who spooked the poor dragonfly.  I'm really looking out for them."

Wherever they do decide to go next, Zeg will fly up in the air and follow along but also get a better look around from up higher.

Recognizing everyone’s efforts to lift her spirits, Navi felt her cheeks grow warm with a bit of embarrassment. However, it was her smile which grew even warmer, given away by her dimple digging into her cheek. “Thank you…” She sways as she says.

”Welp.” The little fairy perks up, acorn in arms. “Hey, listen!” She chimes. “Cottontail, you know people ‘round here. And you did suggest going counter clockwise.” She pats her nose trying to figure out what way that was. Her eyes look up as if trying to look into her mind as she thinks. “A clock goes…” Navi spins clockwise. Stops. “So we go…” Then she spins counter clockwise. And stops. “This ah…” Then she figures out her lefts and rights, and points. “That uh way!” And goes to zip ahead. Someone may want to check the map to make sure she’s going the right way.

Counter-clockwise from the Dragonfly Rides brings the group to the next two locations on the northern circle of the Carnival.
(Zeg notes with some academic interest that the Carnival is laid out in a figure-of-eight pattern)

To the left is the Carousel where children (and some adults) are riding the lifelike wooden unicorns. This is the first ride of a mechanical sort that the group has encountered, and from this closer proximity it is easy to see that it is a bit dated; the paint is worn and fading, and some of the lights flicker on and off uncertainly. The centaur operating the controls also doesn't have quite the same vim and vigor as the other carnival workers encountered so far, but is attired just as garishly.

To the right is the Feasting Orchard. Music and mirth continue to radiate from this small park, along with the scents of flowers, mead, and berry pie. Stilt-walkers can be seen plucking fruit from trees; musicians drum, pipe, and strum; and everywhere there is singing, dancing, and an inordinate amount of custard. Navi hears someone announce something about eating 'fairy cakes'. Flynn looks curiously at the musicians and happens to notice a gnome sitting on a tree swing, strumming a lute apart from the other musicians --- and did the gnome just wave at him?

More confused than ever "do I even know any gnomes" he wonders while absent-mindedly heading up to the gnome.

"Good evening..do I know you?"

Breaking away from the group to sate his curiosity, Flynn enters the Feasting Orchard and approaches the lone gnome lute-strummer, making his greeting and asking his question...

Do you know me? she replies. Well... I'm Ellywick Trumblestrum. So... now you do! And this is Groak!

There is a pale frog sitting on her lap, who promptly croaks: "Groooak!"

Are you enjoying the Carnival? continues Ellywick.

"So far I am. How about yourself? I have just the one major curiosity .  Wait. Ellywick TRumblestrum....ET  did you buy my ticket?"he asks confusedly.

Zeg continued to fly a lazy circle around the feasting area with the idea of hopefully seeing the Kenku.  

Perception 21

Navi flutters over to the centaur. “Hi! I’m Navi.” With a snap, flick of her wrist and a gentle flourish, she presents the carnival worker with a flower. “What’s your name?” Her head tilts a bit. “Why so glum, chum?” She blinks in gentle concern, wondering if she could help lift their spirits like her friends did her.

Zeg:

Zeg still sees no sign of any kenku, but as he turns back in frustration, something else catches his sharp eye. A movement out of place - a vague movement yet wrong enough to be noticeable. A shadow... amongst all the other shadows of people and structures cast by moon and lights... but a shadow not cast by anything. Zeg tries to follow it, but it quickly becomes lost among the other shapes and shadows of the Carnival.

-----------------------------------------

Flynn:

Oh! Bravo! Ellywick cries with delight, and applauds. I couldn't quite bring myself to post your ticket anonymously... a performer's vice, I suppose. Hee Hee!

Ellywick smothers a laugh with one hand, but when she drops it her expression turns much more serious, and perhaps with a touch of reprimand: It wouldn't do to have you enter without a ticket again, would it, Flynn?

-------------------------------------------

Navi:

The flower brings a brief smile to the centaur's face, who replies: Hello Navi. I'm Diana. But when Navi asks after Diana's wellbeing, the smile fades again. Oh it's... It's nothing, I'm sorry. The centaur looks abashed to have been caught out of composure, and she puts the superficial smile back in place like a mask. Welcome to the Witchlight Carnival. Would you like to ride the Carousel.

It isn't difficult for Navi to see the poor creature is struggling to put on a brave emotional front, but more difficult to tell whether further inquiry will cause her to open up or to break down altogether...

[If you'd like to attempt a deeper inquiry, please do so with a Persuasion check, or anything else you feel appropriate.]

----------------------

Faelan:

[You can jump in to any of these interactions as though you were there at the start. I will make any necessary adjustments.]

"No. No ot definitely  would not.  The last time is still affecting me in some strange way.   But I have to ask why? And how do you know me?.  Flynn sits to bring himself more eye level with the gnome

Faelan arrives at the Carousel right after Navi. He takes a deep breath, and walks towards the Centaur. He promised himself that one day he would try to cheer her up, but for some reason, he never go to it. Truth of the matter is that he couldn't find the right things to say, but now that he's got some new friends, he knows better how to handle the situation. "Hey Big D!! Are the "kids" (he nods at the adults) gettin's on ya nerves today?" He gently pats her human back. "Hey, whatdayaknow. Looks like you already met mah new friend Navi." After Faelan mentions that Luz flies around his head. "Hey Luz, cut it out whilya?" A very miffed Luz flies away. "Don't go too far OK?" Faelan yells at Luz. "Where was I? Oh yeah. Hey Bid D, mah friend here loves to see people happy, ya know. So, say. Why donchya tells us what's bothering ya? You can trust good ol' Cottontail here." (Help Navi with Persuasion?)

Faelan nods to Navi to get closer to the Centaur. "Alrigh', whatabout ah operate the Carousel for just a minute, while you talk with mah new friend." He doesn't usually operate this attraction, but he had done once or twice before.

Diana smiles again, sincerely but still weakly, as Faelan offers his greetings and encouragement. The offer to help with the Carousel is met at first with reticence at imposing on Cottontail on his 'day off', but soon she relents and allows the harengon to take the console for a little while, leaving her free with Navi.

Faelan: Just for fun, please make an INT ability check to see if you can recall how to operate the Carousel
Navi: With the Help from Faelan, you may make a Persuasion check with advantage while talking to Diana.

-------------------------------------------------

Ellywick simply winks at Flynn in response to his final question and says: Ah, now that would be like telling the end of the story before the beginning. However, there is something you should know.

The cheeky-faced gnome sits back and strums a few chords on her lute before beginning to speak. Flynn can tell she isn't singing a song, or even telling a tale in the traditional sense, but the music has a magical quality to it, and as Ellywick speaks, the musical notes seem to help Flynn understand what she is saying. Reflecting on it at later times, Flynn believes more was spoken than he has the power to recall, but without the aiding power of the music, he can't grasp the thoughts in his mind like he could at the initial telling. As the music fades and the gnome stops speaking, Flynn pauses for a few moments, the weight of the information momentarily overwhelming him. When he looks up again, Ellywick and her companion Groak are gone, but her voice echoes still in his mind.

It is often said by the so-called wise that there is nothing new under the sun - no original thought - for in an infinite multitude of universes, anything that can be created has been created, that any theme or melody we devise is but a reflection of something that already exists in another time or place. For example, that cute song about 'going to the tree' - it is but an image of another song from another universe. Part of your talent, like any of the great balladeers, is the ability to subconsciously hear these themes and melodies as they waft through the fabric of time and space, and to adapt them to your purposes. Gaston can do this too... but there is something that he cannot do. For despite what the very wise say, their theory is not entirely true. After all, where do the themes come from? Someone, somewhere, at some time must have created them. These are the Muses, the true Composers. From them come the true melodies, the songs of creation, which permeate through time and space to inspire the rest of us.

More is said here, but without the mystical music, Flynn cannot recall the words that were spoken, although he feels they will come back to him one day. But Elllywick's final words remain with him:

That is why your first visit to the Carnival was such a tragedy, for even the hag who took it from you didn't realise how important it was, not only to you but to the entirety of existence. And so you must travel there yourself and reclaim that which was taken from you. Good luck, Flynn!

Flynn stands motionless as if struck dumb staring at the spot where the gnome was. Anyone who gets close can hear.him saying over and over

Travel back back to where? The beginning I don't think  that's what he meant and I had such high high hopes for the living. But the beginning is all black. Back in Black? Like the bard in black?  But he fell into that burning ring of fire they say. The thin white Duke? He hasn't been seen since the fall of myth drannor  they say he was a hero, if only for one day. So not them. Argh mama Mia momma Mia let me go. I'm sure beealzebub already has a devil put aside for me. But I was young wild and free. I felt the power of the music in me. But need to return, to the boys from the back street NO focus  need to return to get back where I once belonged. To re find the song. It has to be where I dueled that windbag Gaston. That must be it. It's closest anyway. If only I can remember where it was

Zeg was frustrated.   He seemed to miss everything. It was as if he was just coming up short in whatever he did and it was becoming a theme in his life.   He would catch sight of something but lose it, he would start something but then lose the way.  Always coming up short, never quit good enough,  never going all the way.

And it all started when he snuck into this Carnival 8 years ago. 

He landed near Flynn and caught the look in his face as if he was deep in thought.   He gave him a moment to compose himself (pun intended) and spoke.

"You look like some one who has learned something important and you are trying to process it all.   Everything OK?"

As.if.shaken out of a reverie  "oh hi Zeg. You didn't happen to see a gnome in front of me did you?   She said I have to find my muse? And something about traveling somewhere. To the muse thing, or a hag. Or where I duelled that lard head Gaston.  Which was on the fair grounds I'm just having trouble remembering where"  the words come out in a rush to Zeg

Faelan gets behind the Carousel's console. "Errrr... Ah know did this once, how does it works again?" He thinks to himself.

Intelligence: 3