"Guys! Guys!" A voice yelled. Esme ran through the Guild over to her group of friends sat at the bar. "What's got you so excited Esme?" Lucy asked.
Levy quickly turned to her to. "Is it the baby?"
"I'm not THAT pregnant yet!" Esme scolded before hopping around happily. "There's a festival tonight!"
"That sounds like fun! I should ask Hayden if we can go." Mira said as she cleaned a glass cup.
"Laxus left on a mission to get more money for baby stuff. So I was planning on going with someone else!"
"Who?" Lucy question. Esme giggled and turned to look around the Guild. She spotted the boy she was looking for and called him over. "Yah?" Romeo asked as he walked up to her. "Romeo! You're gonna be my date to the festival!"
"I-I am?" He stuttered out with a blush. Esme squeal and suddenly hugged him. "You're so cute!" The other girls giggled.
The street was lined with booths and lanterns and lights hung from the trees. "It's so pretty!" Esme eclaimed and she looked around. She wore a long light pink kimono with a fur collar. "Why am I here again?" Sighed Kage who wore a short light blue kimono that frilled out at the end. "You're here because Esme invited the entire Guild." Hayden told him. He wore the usual boy's yukata.
"I hate large crowds." Kage sneered in distaste. "I want my Lily."
"I don't think Gajeel and Pantherlily are here yet." Romeo informed them making Esme pout. "Well they better show up soon. I was hoping to see them be all cute with Kage." She muttered.
"Hayden!"
Hayden turned and saw Mira run up to him in pretty red kimono. "You look beautiful." He told her with a loving smile making her giggle. Kage made a gagging sound. "That's it. I'm gone." He then turned and walked down the street, deeper into the festival.
"Come on Romeo! Let's go have fun!" Esme shouted and practically dragged the embarrassed boy with her.
Kage wondered around, looking at all the booths as he passed them. He stopped when he saw a food booth and quickly turned and walked towards it.
"Who is that?"
"I don't know but they're pretty."
"Then go talk to 'em!"
Kage ordered some Takoyaki and turned to leave but came face to face with boy who looked nervous.
"Sloppy." Kage thought while looking at how messy the boy's yukata was put on.
"U-um." The boy stuttered out. "My name is Kyo Hayato, and you are-?"
"Bored." Kage stated and walked right passed him. "W-wait!" He stopped and turned back to the boy who jogged back up to him. "I was wondering if...you'd want to hang out with me? A-and, maybe we could enjoy this festival together."
"No." Kage said without missing a beat in his usual bored tone and continued on walking down the street. "No fair Kage." Levy whined as her and Lucy walked up to him. "Why do all the boys fall for you? Why can't we get a little romance?"
Kage looked at her confused. "What are talking about?"
"Of course he's oblivious." Both girls thought as they sigh.
"Oh!" Lucy spoke up. "Esme was looking for you! Apparently there's a fashion show going on and she wanted you, her and Hayden to participate."
"Not interested."
"She also said to tell you that she knows where the cotton candy stand is." Levy added.
"Where do I sign up?"
Esme stood at the entrence with Hayden as they waited for their baby brother to show up. "Bubba!" She shouted when she spotted him. "So a fashion show huh." He said with a sigh. "Oh hush. Esme thought it would be something fun we can all enjoy together." Hayden told him.
"Yah. Fun." He muttered.
"Who the heck are you?" Some girl asked with a sneer as the Valdis siblings entered backstage. "The winners bitch." Esme shot back and walked passed her making Hayden chuckle.
They got ready and made their plans as an announcer started calling people out onto the stage. After a couple of people (mostly girls) had their turn, it was then Esme who was up next.
Kage turned into his beautiful leopard owlgriffin and wore some golden jewelry. While Esme rode sidesaddle on his back. Kage walked onto the stage and down the runway. He stopped at the end so Esme could wave at them and give them her bright smile before continuing back onto the stage and behind the curtain.
"Thanks for the help Bubba!" Esme said as she hugged her brother. Kage just hummed and brushed dust off his kimono. Hayden, unlike Esme who wore her kimono for the talent show, changed up how we wore his yukata. He took of the top half but left it tied so it hung around his waist. A sword was then strapped to his hip.
"You look like a samurai." Kage muttered out. Hayden shot him a smirk. "That's what I'm going for."
Esme silently walked up to him and placed a hand on his now exposed chest. Gently tracing the scar that went from his right should to the opposite hip. "Are you sure?" She quietly asked. "It doesn't hurt does it?"
Hayden grabbed her wrist and gave her a soft smile. "I'm fine Esme." He reassured her.
He then dissappeared behind the curtain and Kage and Esme could here some girls' gasping.
Some members of the Guild looked sadly at him as they saw the scar and remember him on his death bed. But Mira just smiled at him with a blush.
Hayden made his way back stage and took his place back with his siblings. "Hey, isn't that the girl who was rude to us when we first showed up?" He asked as he saw the familiar girl walk out onto the stage. "Yes. She is." Kage said in a dark tone.
Just then they heard a loud bang followed gasping and whispers coming from the crowd. "What happened?" Asked Esme when they saw the girl run backstage in tears. Hayden turned to Kage when he spoke up. "I sabotaged her shoes so the heels would break when she got on stage."
He then giggled a bit and smiled wickedly. "Those who act like brats need to be taught a lesson." Hayden shivered a little.
Next up was Kage's turn. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, the crowd had gone silent. "Of course they wouldn't like me." He thought to himself.
But that wasn't why they were quiet. Unknown to him, his pale skin had glowed slightly under the light of the moon and with his small feminine figure, he looked adorable in his short blue kimono. Once Kage got to the end of the runway, he twirled and little golden butterflies escaped from his kimono and fluttered all around him and into the air. Electricity shooting between them from one to another.
"What is that?" Hayden asked as him and Esme watched from behind the curtain.
"Since Kage help me out, I decided to help him out! Not that he needed it." Esme muttered that last part.
"Is it a spell?"
"Yup! It's call Lightning Bug. It makes these cute little electric butterflies that explode on comand."
Just as she said that, a loud CRACK echoed through the air as the butterflies exploded, creating golden fireworks.
"That was boring." Kage muttered as the three walked back out onto the street. "Oh come on, there had to be something you found fun about all this!" Esme said.
Kage then smirked. "Well, humiliating that girl in front of everyone was pretty fun."
"Of course it was." Hayden sighed out sarcastically.
