A/N: OK so, this is the second part of the festival. I tried to keep it interesting and hopefully I succeeded. It's a bit shorter then I'd hoped but I'm also hoping you will like it all the same.

Disclaimer: I own my OCs. I do not own anything else.


"So, what do you guys want to do first?"

Kage looked around as she considered Mariah's question. She felt so overwhelmed as she looked around at the multitude of booths and colorful areas, listened to the beautiful music and sounds, and smelled the mouth-watering, belly rumbling scents that wafted through the air.

Not really answering Mariah, Kage spotted a booth nearby and made her way towards it. The others followed, Kevin and Gary both munching on a bowl of pork potstickers as they walked. The booth was overflowing with small animal figurines, origami and small animal plush toys. Kage thought back to one of the books she'd bought earlier that day, remembering the section on Chinese animal symbolism she'd been studying while Mariah dressed her up. With a wide smile she turned back to her friends.

"Are you buying anything here?"

After translating, Mariah replied.

"I don't think so. Why?"

Kage's smile widened before she lifted her hands to shoo her friends away. Mariah laughed as her and the others turned to walk away.

"Alright, alright. We won't be far when you're ready to find us again."

Her friends left the booth but Lee paused in concern.

"Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself? It's pretty hectic here tonight."

Kage gave the ravenette a smile and a nod.

"Alright…" The Lion tamer replied uncertainly. "I'll be just over there if you need me."

Kage nodded again, her smile still in place, and Lee finally turned and left. The silent blader then turned and approached the booth. The tender spoke to her in rapid Chinese and Kage shook her head to convey she didn't understand.

"Ah. You are English." The woman said with a smile. "OK. How can I help you? You are looking for a nice souvenir for a friend or family member? A little symbol of your feelings perhaps?"

Kage nodded with a smile and the woman smiled back.

"Good, good! You have come to the right place!"

The woman helped Kage pick out things that matched her wants and needs, and the silent blader was amazed by how easy it was to convey her thoughts to the woman, even though she couldn't understand Kage's language. Obviously the woman was very intelligent.

Finally, when the silent blader had finished at the booth she thanked the woman as best she could and left to go find her friends.


"There you are!"

Kage turned and smiled to see Mariah and Ray approaching her from the side. She'd spotted Kevin and Gary by a treats booth and had been making her way towards them. When the three were together, they all approached the other two.

"So, what did you buy?"

Kage winked at the pinkette.

"Top secret." She said playfully. "I want to wait until everyone is here."

Mariah looked positively giddy with excitement but before she could reply, a familiar voice was heard from behind them.

"Hey! Guys!"

The group turned to see Lee approaching them, Gary and Kevin turning back to eating when they saw him.

"Hey man, there you are." Ray greeted his best friend with a smile. "Where were you?"

Lee shifted a paper bag by his side, moving it slightly behind his back so no one could see the contents.

"Just looking around." He said casually. "So, what do you guys wanna do now?"

Kage grinned and held up the big bag she was holding.

"Before we go anywhere else I have something for you guys!"

Mariah grinned excitedly.

"For us?"

Kage nodded and moved to sit on a nearby bench, placing the bag in her lap as she peered and reached inside with a happy smile. The first thing she pulled out was a bag with a big magnolia painted on it; this she handed to Mariah.

"Wow! Thank you Kage!" The pinkette said excitedly, hurrying to open the bag.

Next, Kage pulled out two bags with bamboo painted on them. These she handed to Kevin and Gary.

"Awesome! Thanks, Kage!" Kevin cheered as he accepted his bag.

"Thank you, Kage." Gary rumbled with a big smile.

Kage smiled brightly and nodded before going back into her bag again. This time she pulled out a bag with a jujube painted on it, which she handed to Ray.

"You really didn't have to, Kage." Ray said with a kind smile as he accepted his gift. "But thank you, very much."

Lastly, Kage reached into her bag one more time and this time pulled out a bag with a pine tree painted on it. When she handed it to Lee with a big smile, the ravenette gave her an awkward look.

"Oh…. Um…." Lee looked down at the bag in his hands for a moment, debating on what to do with it, until he finally crouched to reverently and gently place it on the ground beside his feet. When he straightened again, he accepted his gift with a tender smile.

"Thank you, Kage. "

Kage's smile widened and she nodded with pride as she watched her friends open their gifts.

Mariah's bag contained a peacock plush toy, a butterfly hair clip and a beautiful bracelet with a heron charm. In Gary's bag there was a Kingfisher ornament, a quail pin and a heron keychain. Kevin pulled out a cricket inside a round stone of clear, smooth glass, a leopard keychain and a heron magnet. Ray's gift was a keychain on which dangled five tiny bats, a badger ornament and a material heron patch you could sew on something. Last but not least, Lee peered into his bag, starring for a moment, before withdrawing a necklace with a tiger pendant, an ornament of an eagle standing on a rock and a heron pin.

"Oh wow! They're so pretty!" Mariah exclaimed, jumping forward to give Kage a big hug. "Thank you so much!"

Kage smiled brightly and hugged the girl back.

"Let's see; fighting spirit. Bravery and martial ferocity." Kevin held up the thing in the order he pulled them out. "And a heron; a wish for positive future and success in what you do. Yep! An excellent choice for yours truly! You've got good taste, Kage."

Kage laughed at the greenette's antics and gave him a small, playful nod.

"Bats mean long life, richness, health, love of virtue and a natural death when the time comes. And badgers symbolize great happiness." Ray said with a smile, giving Kage a small, grateful bow. "Thank you again, Kage. They're beautiful."

"Kingfisher means peace and prosperity." Gary said as he sized up the ornament fondly. "And quail means courage. Birds are my favorite. Thank you Kage."

Kage gave the tall teen a happy smile and a small bow. She'd been fairly sure she'd known what the animals all symbolized when she'd picked them out, but it was nice to hear her friends confirm it and let her know that she'd been right. Mariah's peacock stood for dignity, beauty, luck, fame and was considered 'the heavenly phoenix on earth'. Butterflies had a number of meanings, depending on how many and what they were paired with but a single one usually meant long life, beauty and elegance. Kage turned to Lee and watched him starring at his items. It was a long time before he spoke but when he finally did, his voice was soft.

"Eagle…" The ravenette said softly.

Kage tipped her head to one side. She'd picked a tiger for him because she believed he was brave, courageous and strong; which was what it stood for. She'd also given him the heron, like she had everyone else. But why was he so hung up on the eagle? She thought back to her book. What had it said again?

In Chinese culture; the eagle usually symbolizes strength. It is very common among individuals to pass the eagle on to someone they respect and admire.

The others were all silent as they starred at the item Lee was holding. After a very long time, all of which Kage spent nervously looking back and forth between the group, Lee finally looked up at the silent blader and spoke.

"Do…. You know what this stands for?"

Kage blinked at Lee for a moment before looking at the others and back to him again. She hesitated for a moment before getting to her feet and standing among the group.

"I… thought I did." She said with a slightly nervous smile. "It means….. strength… doesn't it?"

Mariah translated and a collective sigh passed around the small group as they all released breaths they hadn't known they'd been holding.

"Usually." Mariah said with a smile. "But this eagle is standing on a rock. That usually means hero."

Kage's eyes widened and her face flushed brightly.

"So. You think I'm a hero?" Lee teased lightly, though there was a strange emotion hiding behind his eyes.

Kage vigorously shook her head, so hard she felt the clip holding back her hair slip.

"I mean yes… I mean…." Kage turned away from everyone and placed her hands on her hips as she closed her eyes and sighed heavily, trying to will away the heat in her face.

Mariah chuckled and stepped up to her friend, reaching out to fix the clip on the back of her head. When she was finished, Kage turned back around and Mariah gave her a playful smile.

"It's OK, you're still learning." She said encouragingly. "Besides, it's not like that's an insult or anything. I'm sure Lee is honored."

Mariah glanced at Lee for confirmation and Kage glanced at him shyly, still a little embarrassed. Lee gave her a half-amused, half-tender smile and a small, respectful bow.

"Extremely." He replied teasingly. "Thank you, Kage. You're gifts are wonderful."

Kage closed her eyes and sighed before opening them again and smiling at her friends.

"OK, enough of this mushy stuff." Kevin grumbled. "Let's have some fun!"

The greenette leaped forward and snatched Kage's hand.

"C'mon, Kage! I wanna show ya somethin'!"

Kage laughed and followed as she allowed the small teen to lead her forward.

Ray and Mariah laughed as well, Gary smiled as he munched on one of the treats he'd bought and Lee sweat dropped before the group made to follow the other two.


"Look! All ya gotta do is grab one of these dip nets…. scoop it through the water…. And there! That's it!"

Kage laughed as Kevin showed her how to play the game they were at. They were all standing around a massive man-made koi pond teeming with huge koi fish, each one with a ribbon tied to it's tail. The idea was to catch one, remove the ribbon and put it back. The bigger fish were slower and had blue ribbons. These were easier to catch and were mostly caught by the children. Smaller fish had red ribbons and were a little harder to catch while the smallest had yellow ribbons. Apparently, for each ribbon you brought to the nearby booth, you got a prize; blue being small, red being medium and yellow being the best prize of all.

"Hey! You're pretty good at this!" Kevin exclaimed with a grin.

Kage laughed again and shook her head with a shrug.

"Awe, it's OK if you don't catch anything. The point is that you tried. Plus, you were really close that time! You almost caught a red one!"

Nearby, normally golden eyes were over-shadowed by a little green monster fighting its way to be seen. Lee watched the scene just a few feet to the side of him with a frown, his fingers forming red fingerprint shapes on his arms due to his tight grip. He didn't like the feeling it was causing and he didn't understand it, but watching Kevin's hand on Kage's as he guided it and the net in the water was making something unpleasant stir inside him. He had hoped he'd be able to show Kage the wonders of the festival, that he'd be the one to provoke tiny gasps of awe and wonder and big, excited smiles from her. But so far, things weren't going as planned. So far, the only ones who had managed to accomplish this was Mariah with her explanations and shopping and Kevin with his silly little game.

"That's it! Yea, yea, yea- Oh! So close!"

Lee's frown deepened as he listened to his friends all laughing and clapping for the silent blader, making her giggle and grin even more as she once more dipped the net into the water. For a second time she nearly managed to snag a fish only to have it flop out of the net at the last minute. She turned to the others and received playful encouragement, then to Lee's surprise, she turned to him. Lee starred at her, a little caught off-guard as he took in her expression. She looked so innocent, so naïve. It was such a different expression compared to the one he remembered seeing on her face in the dish. Hell, it was even a different one compared to the serious and calm expression normally occupying her face. It was so beautiful an expression that the ravenette immediately felt the tension and negativity ebb away, a gentle and calm feeling replacing it as his own face unconsciously creased into a tender smile.

Receiving a smile in return, Kage turned back to the pond. Eventually she managed to snag a blue ribbon fish and pulled it free from the tail before gently dipping the fish back into the pond.

"Yea!" Kevin cheered. " You did it!"

Kage gave the ribbon to Kevin and the little teen darted off to the booth to claim the prize. When he came back he handed Kage a voucher for one of the food booths. She accepted with a smile and at that point, the others all paid the small fee for a dip net and decided to join in the fun.

After a few moments, the White Tigers were all consumed in their fun enough to momentarily lose track of their new friend. Lee watched as Kage smiled and stood up. She waited a moment as if to see if they would notice her, but seeing as they didn't, her smile widened a little in amusement before turning to walk around the side of the pond. Golden eyes followed the blader until she stopped somewhere along the middle where there were barely any people. They watched as Kage sat down on the ground, her legs curled up beside her as she starred into the water. She seemed to be thinking about something and in her deep thought, she didn't notice the tiny fish that had come to swim just in front of her. But Lee did.

"Those are yellow ribbon fish." He thought to himself. "I wonder if she'll notice. I can't just yell out to her or everyone will come running, not to mention the fact that it would probably scare the fish away."

He watched the silent teen for a while longer before finally deciding to approach her. He'd nearly reached her when Kage finally seemed to realize the little fish were there. With a small smile, she reached forward and experimentally put a finger in the water. For a moment, the little fish darted away from her but apparently realizing she wouldn't harm them, they came back. The two teens watched the little fish swim around her finger for a bit, some sometimes nudging it and sucking at it, appearing to kiss her, which made the silent teen smile and Lee mimic her.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Lee watched Kage's free hand slowly pick up the dip net. She could have easily scooped up four or five but rather than being greedy, she merely scooped up one. Kage didn't even lift the fish out of the water; instead she reached into the water to the fish inside her dip net and pulled the yellow ribbon free. That done she removed the dip net and watched the little creature swim away with the others.

Lee stood there blinking and staring at Kage for a long time. The girl never ceased to amaze him; talented, sweet, patient. Was there anything bad about the girl at all – well besides potentially fatal bad dreams but no one was perfect right?

Swallowing the lump in his throat and cursing the sudden increase in his heartbeat, Lee pushed his weird new bodily functions aside and finally approached the girl.

"You really are something, you know that?"

Kage looked up at Lee with big eyes, obviously having been caught off-guard by him, and the neko-jin felt his heart do some sort of weird skip or jolt. She was adorable.

Gah! What was he thinking? What a weird thing to think about friends.

Mentally shaking his head, Lee smiled down at the girl.

"Looks like the fish like you just as much as the rest of the world does."

Kage blinked at him for a minute before glancing down at the ribbon in her hand and looking back up at him with a grin, the expression resembling a kid proudly showing off their first attempt at spelling their name.

"It's getting a little late. How about you go claim your prize and we move on? There's still lots to see."

Kage smiled and nodded and Lee returned the gesture before reaching his hands down to her. She stared at the extended hands for a moment before accepting and allowing Lee to pull her to her feet. To her surprise however, Lee didn't let them go once she was standing.

"I didn't really elaborate much on it before, but…." Lee released one of her hands to reach up to her face. He hesitated a moment but eventually reached out to brush her hair back so he could look her over. "You really are beautiful, Kage. Not just tonight, but…."

Kage blinked when Lee paused, unable to tear her gaze from his eyes. It didn't seem like an affectionate comment or flirting to her, merely a stated fact. But then, what did she know about flirting? Most boys gave that up as soon as they realized she couldn't talk back.

Finally, after a long silence, Lee blinked as if coming out of a trance and pulled away from her.

"Anyway." He said simply, giving her a small smile. "We should get going. Like I said, lots more to see."

Kage stared as he turned and walked away. She watched him for a few minutes until he finally looked back at her.

"Coming?" He asked kindly.

Kage blinked a moment before finally nodding and jogging up to him.


"No way! You caught a yellow one! Man, you rock!"

Kage laughed at Kevin's excitement and shrugged. Turns out her prize for catching the yellow fish was a pair of day passes to a local theme park. These she gave to Gary and Kevin, the latter who was simply beside himself with joy, thanking her again and again until she was sure her head would explode from all the gratitude.

"Hey Lee, you never said what was in the bag." Mariah said suddenly as they made their way to another attraction.

"And I'm not going to." Lee said casually as they walked. Switching the bag to his other hand.

"Oh come on!" The pinkette begged. "What's the big deal? Is it a surprise."

"You could say that."

Mariah looked excited.

"Ooooo! For who?"

Lee chuckled.

"None of your business." He replied teasingly. Mariah pouted but before she could open her mouth again, the movement of Kage pointing to something nearby shifted everyone's attention in that direction.

"What's that?" Kage asked curiously.

Mariah blinked at the crowd of people and cheerful music nearby.

"I don't know." She said thoughtfully. "I've never seen anything there before. Wanna check it out?"

Everyone agreed and the small group approached the crowd.

As it turned out the crowd were circled around a small platform about a foot off the ground. Kage was a little surprised that the people seemed to part a way and make room for them and she smiled at everyone who met her eyes before focusing on the center of the circle.

"Gather 'round, gather 'round!" A cheerful looking young man said with a grin. "Tonight we re-enact, for your entertainment, a second showing of the tale of Jiao and Mengyao!"

Kage smiled happily as she remembered the skit from earlier that morning. She had really enjoyed it and it would be interesting to see how they would do it again in such a small area and so close among the people.

The man continued.

"However! This time things will be a little different. This time, we will have a new cast!" He lifted a finger and swept it all around the circle. "This time, one of YOU will be our main attraction!"

There was a collection of cheers and clapping around the circle as the young man spun around and around, his finger still lifted as he did. Kage and the White Tigers laughed at the man as he appeared to be drunk, stumbling around the circle and seemingly looking for someone. When he finally stopped and pointed, all sobered up again, his grin widened from ear-to-ear while.

"You." He said simply.

Kage blinked at the young man pointing at her with a dumbfounded expression. She looked around her for a minute before looking back at him and pointing to herself questioningly.

"Yes, you!"

A mix of sympathy, embarrassment, and – was that disappointment? Crossed Kage's face as she looked back at the young man before her. She then pointed to herself, shook her head and lifted her hand to make a talking sound. However, to her astonishment, the young man simply grinned wider than ever and reached forward to grab her hand.

"It matters not!" He exclaimed dramatically and playfully. "Everyone, please; put your hands together for the stunningly beautiful Jiao!"

Kage blinked for a minute before laughing and allowing herself to be lead into the circle. All around the circle people cheered, clapped, and cat called as Kage was lead towards an elaborately decorated chair in the middle looking to belong to royalty. There she was sat down as the young man gave her an elaborate bow with a flourish, making Kage laugh before he turned back to look around at the crowd again.

"And now, let the story begin!"

The lights that had been previously lighting the area went out along with the music, leaving the spot momentarily in silent darkness before a single spot light lit over Kage's head. She blinked against the sudden burst for a minute and lifted her hand over her eyes. She couldn't see anything outside her circle of light but she could still hear the murmur of voices until the music started up again, this time sounding more traditional Chinese rather than the spunky and upbeat music that had been playing before.

"Long ago, there lived a young and beautiful young woman named Jiao! Her beauty was coveted and fabled all across the land. Her father, however, was quite the opposite. He was a very unattractive man; lacking as much in good looks as he was blessed with much wealth and power."

Kage laughed lightly at the narrator's voice, recognizing it as the young man from before. She then jumped slightly as a stranger stepped into her circle of light wearing a mask. Indeed the mask was unattractive but he approached her and gave a low bow, to which Kage smiled and returned with a small bow of the head herself.

"There was much love between Jiao and her father, but alas, he was an old man and would soon be moving on to another world."

For a brief moment, a person in an owl costume appeared in the field of light and the man in the mask pulled a monkey toy from behind his back to fend it off. The scene made the crowd laugh, including Kage. She remembered from her book that owls were considered the harbingers of death and monkeys were supposed to ward off evil. Of course, the owl wasn't really evil, but it was all part of the skit.

"Fearing that his time was drawing near, Jiao's father insisted she choose a partner for herself. Thus began the long and torturous task of entertaining suitors."

The father character ducked out of the light to be replaced with another character in mask. This person was tall and the mask was obviously supposed to be a handsome face.

"They came from far and wide, all bringing gifts and promises of protection, peace and pleasure. But they were not worthy."

"I guess I'm supposed to play along with the skit." Kage thought with amusement and a smile. She had to admit, she was having fun.

The masked man knelt before her and offered her a beautifully wrapped box. Kage lifted her chin and turned her head to the side, lifting her hand to dismiss the masked man with an unamused expression. This display made the crowd chuckle again as the masked man shook his fist and backed out of the light. No sooner had the first man disappeared then another took his place.

"They brought silks and accessories, imported goods and foreign treasures fit for the Emperor. But none of it impressed Jiao and she turned them away like the rich to the beggar!"

This time Kage lifted her hand to her mouth for an exaggerated yawn and the second masked man slumped his shoulders before trudging out of the circle.

"Like an endless plague they came, each one more lustful and power hungry then the last."

Now there was a steady stream of masked people and the crowd seemed to enjoy the ways Kage dismissed them all one after the other. One man even pretended to grab her and Kage feigned shock, holding her hand before her mouth with wide eyes before lifting it to mime slapping him. The man made an elaborate and cheesy scene of stumbling backwards and holding his face, making the crowd roar with laughter as he staggered out of the light.

"Would there be no end to the string of rogues? Would she be forced to remain alone forever? Would no one offer her the one thing she wanted most in the world?"

Kage lifted her hands to form a heart shape with her fingers before gesturing it breaking in half. She then put on an exaggerated and truly heartbroken expression, lifted her hand to her cheek and tilted her head to the side as she starred at the ground. This evoked a collective sympathetic coo from the crowd and Kage had to force back a playful smile. She was having so much fun!

"Finally, just when our beautiful Jiao was certain she would have to watch her father die and live on forever alone, a strange young man came before her."

Now stepping into the light was a figure wearing a very plain looking mask and an old, ragged and dull cloak. He approached Kage and knelt before her, bowing his head.

"His name was Mengyao. He was a plain, average man with an average life. He explained that he had little to offer her but as the son of a small business owner from the market, he had seen her many times during her trips to visit her friends in town, and over time he had fallen madly and deeply in love with her. He could not offer her gold, silk or riches. Nor could he offer her a beautiful face and background."

The man then pulled a heart-shaped pillow and a sakura blossom branch from under his cloak, presenting it to her as he looked up into her face.

"But he could promise her a life of peace, protection, happiness and love, just as her father had wanted…. Even if that meant not taking him as her husband."

Kage smiled and placed a hand to her heart. She then reached out and accepted the gifts, clutching them to her chest.

"Beautiful Jiao was so moved and touched by this sentiment that she immediately fell in love with the plain young man."

Kage held out her free hand and Mengyao took it to press his masked lips against it.

"Jiao accepted Mengyao and took him to be her husband."

Mengyao stood up, still holding Kage's hand and Kage smiled as she got to her feet as well. A spray of confetti fell over the two and Kage laughed.

"Finally, Jiao found someone to truly love her for her and Mengyao taught us that what's on the inside is truly all that really matters."

The lights came back on and Kage was able to see everyone again as they all cheered and applauded for her. She laughed again and both she and the person still holding her hand bowed playfully.

"No then! Let's see who your prince charming is, shall we Jiao?"

Kage turned to the narrator as he stepped back into the circle again with a huge grin. She smiled and looked back at her co-star just in time to see him reach up and take a hold of his mask. When it was lifted over his head, she blinked in surprise to see the familiar face starring back at her with a smile.

"Surprise." Lee said with a small laugh.

"How about a kiss for your new husband, Mengyao?" The narrator said with a grin.

The crowd began to chant and cheer in approval and Kage felt her cheeks heat. Lee, noticing the uncomfortable look on her face, gave her a small smile and lifted a finger to tap his cheek, turning it to face her. Kage starred at him for a minute before smiling nervously and leaning up to press a tender, lingering kiss to the ravenette's cheek. The crowd booed playfully and Lee laughed before turning and leading Kage back to their friends with the hand he was still holding.

"Wow! That was great you guys!" Mariah cheered. "You're an amazing actor, Kage!"

"Yea! The part where you were blowing them all off was funny!" Kevin agreed with a grin.

"Good job, Kage." Gary agreed with an approving smile.

"Especially since it was all on such short notice." Ray added. "Good job."

Kage smiled and lifted her hand for a thank you, her other one free now as well since Lee had released it once they'd reached their friends.

"Agreed." Lee said with a smile. "And it was fun, for you too I could see."

Kage laughed and nodded and Lee returned it before speaking again.

"So. Why don't we make our way over to the main event before we're too late?"

"Oh yea!" Mariah gasped. "C'mon guys, or we're gonna miss it!"

Kage gave a confused expression but followed after her friends as they all headed off again.

"Hey, hang on a minute!"

Kage stopped and turned around, Lee pausing as well as the narrator from the play approached them.

"You guys were awesome! And real sports to agree to play along, we really appreciate it and I know the crowd enjoyed it too. I just wanna thank you for your help and support. Means a lot."

Kage smiled wide and nodded.

"It was no trouble." Lee said with a smile of his own.

The young man grinned wide and lifted Kage's hand to press a kiss to the back before reaching out to shake Lee's.

Lee forced back the little unfounded growl in his throat and smiled as he shook the young man's hand.

"Well, moving on! I hope to see you both again soon!" The young man said with one last grin. "Until then, adieu!"

He then threw something on the ground and it exploded into a cloud of smoke, making the other two cough and wave their hands in an attempt to fend off the smoke. When it cleared, the man was gone.

"What a character." Lee muttered, half-amused, half-annoyed.

Kage smiled and shook her head.

"Anyway, lets catch up to the others before we miss the highlight of the night."

Kage was curious, but it was obvious that Lee would not be forthcoming with anything else. So, she simply followed after him as they moved to catch up with the others.


"Ancient Chinese secret!"

Kage laughed at Ray's rare, playful antics as he held out a basket of round, white balls, apparently a must-try treat of the lantern festival. Popping one into her mouth, the others all watched anxiously as she chewed. When finally she'd swallowed, she starred up thoughtfully for a moment before closing her eyes happily and rubbing her tummy. When she opened her eyes again she reached for another and the small group cheered.

"These are called yuanxiao." Ray explained. "They're rice dumplings filled with different kinds of tasty fillings. Yuanxiao are kind of a tradition during the Lantern Festival. These ones are made with glutinous rice flour and filled with rose petals, sesame seed powder, bean paste, jujube paste, walnut meat, dried fruit, sugar and edible oil. They were made by a friend of mine. He'll be very glad to know you like them!"

Kage smiled and nodded before reaching for another dumpling and popping it into her mouth.

"Hey guys, they're about to start!" Mariah cheered excitedly.

Kage watched and blinked as her friends produced huge white lanterns half the size of them. There were three in all; Mariah and Ray were holding one, Kevin and Gary held another and Lee held one by himself. Kage felt a tiny pang of disappointment as she starred. She wished she'd known, she would have liked to have had one too. She also noted with a slight pang that the others had their names and a few other Chinese characters she didn't know written on their lanterns.

Lee turned to Kage and noted her face as him and the others lit their lanterns.

"You don't think we forgot about you do you?" He asked softly with a kind smile.

Kage blinked as he turned the lantern around so she could the other side and her heart swelled up with emotion. Written in big bold English letters was her name, purple and beautiful and hers.

"You're part of our family too!" Mariah said with a wide smile. "Don't you dare ever think we'd forget you!"

"Who knows, maybe one day you'll even get to be considered an honorary White Tiger." Ray teased.

"Yea, you're kinda stuck with us now." Kevin added with a grin.

"You're one of us now, Kage." Gary smiled.

"That's right." Lee finished off with a wide smile. "Now get over here and take a hold of this before it's too late!"

Kage felt her throat constrict with emotion and starred around at everyone for a moment, unable to move, until finally she smiled warmly, a greatly touched expression on her face, before finally approaching Lee and taking a hold of their lantern.

"People usually write a little prayer or wish or something on their lanterns before releasing them." Lee told her. "Would you like to write something?"

Kage thought for a moment before smiling and nodding. Lee smiled and produced a marker from his pocket. She accepted and lifted it to the paper, pausing a moment before quickly scribbling a quick message. From their position, Lee was the only one who could read her message but when he did it made something inside his chest swell up as as wave of emotions washed over him.

"OK! Ready?" Mariah asked excitedly.

"Ready!" Everyone confirmed. Kage smiled wide and proud and nodded.

"OK." Mariah said, a huge smile of her own adorning her face. "Then let 'em fly!"

When she said this, the group released their lanterns, the gesture mimicked by hundreds of other people as hundreds upon hundreds of large papery lights floated up into the sky.

Kage starred up in awe, her heart full and eyes unblinking, afraid to blink in case the scene would disappear. But when her burning eyes forced her to blink, she was happy to find the lights were still there and they were beautiful. In fact she couldn't remember ever seeing anything so beautiful, so majestic, so awe-inspiring in all her life.

"I truly am the luckiest person on earth…" She thought as tears of joy prickled her eyes. "A beautiful experience, new place, new wonders every day and it's just beginning. Wonderful friends…. It must be a crime for any one person to be so blessed….."

Kage glanced to her side and blinked as she felt a hand on her arm.

"Are you alright?" Lee whispered with a concerned expression, just audible over the excited voices all around them. Kage smiled happily and nodded. She'd never felt better.

Realizing she wasn't upset, Lee relaxed and smiled back at her. To her slight shock and surprise, he took her hand. Kage thought she would burst with happiness and felt herself shiver momentarily, barely able to contain herself. She gave Lee's hand a gentle squeeze before turning her face back towards the sky, certain now that she'd written the right thing on the lantern.


"Whew! I'm beat!" Mariah said, stretching wide as they made their way back home.

After the lantern releasing, the White Tigers had taken Kage to a party the town had held for the festival. There was amazing food, kind people and lots of dancing and by the time the party was over, it was late morning and everyone was tired.

"I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you all enough for today." Kage said with a smile. "I really enjoyed myself."

"No big!" Kevin said when Mariah translated, interrupted by a yawn of his own. "You were a lot of fun! I'm impressed!"

Kage grinned in amusement and turned to Ray when he spoke.

"We're just glad you had a good time." He added kindly. "Hopefully next year you'll be around again and you'll get to see a little more than you did this time."

Kage couldn't imagine that. More than today? She didn't think she'd be able to handle the excitement.

The group made small talk as they made their way home. When finally they reached it and entered the house, everyone bid goodnight and went their separate ways. Kage had just reached her door and Mariah had just closed hers when Lee's voice stopped her.

"I'm not planning on invading you space." He said playfully. "I'll give you time to get ready for bed before I come back. It's just…. Well, I wanted to give you something before I did."

Kage watched as Lee lifted the bag he'd been carrying around all night and reached into it. She blinked when he pulled out a large bouquet and presented her with it.

"These are for you." He said softly. "I'm sure you already know that every flower in Chinese culture symbolizes something."

He gave her a playful smile then.

"I'll leave it to you to figure out what they mean if you don't already." He then lifted her free hand to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to the back of it.

"Thank you for tonight, Kage. I thoroughly enjoyed your company and I'm very glad you enjoyed ours. Goodnight."

That said he turned and walked away. Kage starred after the ravenette until he had disappeared before finally looking down at the bouquet. She lifted the colorful assortment to smell and smiled as the beautiful scents filled her nose. Turning to bring the beauties inside her room, Kage immediately kicked off her shoes and moved to pick up the book she'd bought earlier. Flipping through the pages until she found the section on flowers, she looked from the pictures to the flowers as she discovered what each of them meant.

"Hmmm, let's see. Apple blossom, beauty. Apricot blossom, beauty, beautiful woman, spring and good fortune."

That one made her blush before continuing.

"Chrysanthemum, intellectual accomplishments, cleansing qualities, cure illnesses, longevity, considered to be the ‚'gentleman of flowers'. Also symbol of autumn. Jujube or date blossom, wealth, prosperity, fertility. Lily, innocence. Magnolia, beautiful woman. Narcissus, prosperity. Orchid, elegance. Peach blossom, luck. Plum blossom, strong personality, unafraid of difficulties. Sunflower, a wish to have a good year."

Kage tried to ignore the heat in her face but she felt it grow hotter when she noticed the large sakura blossom in the center of the bunch – she already knew what that one symbolized.

Closing the book, Kage stood up again and placed it on her dresser. Since the flowers all had little water capsules at the ends of them, she decided they would be alright until morning and placed them on her bedside table. Fingering a few petals lovingly, she turned and proceeded to get ready for her night before Lee got back.

Having removed all the foreign make-up with relief, Kage changed into her pyjamas and moved to crawl into bed. She was exhausted but she was determined to stay awake and make sure she thanked Lee when he came back. She owed him that much at least.


Lee padded as softly as he could across the floor as he made his way to Kage's room. He was sure she'd gone and looked up the flower meanings and he wasn't really in a hurry to get back there and face the awkwardness he knew would follow. So, waiting as long as he could and fiddling with this and that as he went about his nightly routine, the ravenette delayed the inevitable. Eventually however, he knew he could wait no longer for it was very late and he was exhausted.

With a wide yawn, Lee lifted his fist and gave a soft knock at the door before him.

"Kage? May I come in?"

Receiving no answer, Lee slowly opened the door and carefully poked his head inside. When his eyes landed on Kage in the bed, he starred at her for a moment before finally smiling and entering the room.

"She's asleep." He thought with an amused expression mixed with affection. "Poor girl. She's had a full and busy day and I know she was excited. No wonder she's tired, hell I'm tired."

Lee made his way over to the bed and gently peeled the covers back before carefully situating himself into the bed and turning off the light. Getting comfortable, the neko-jin turned his golden eyes on his bedmate and watched her sleeping for a few minutes.

"She really is beautiful." He thought with another smile, ignoring the slight racing of his heart and the sickening, yet not entirely unpleasant churning in his stomach.

As he starred, Lee's thoughts went back to Kage's lantern message and it made his smile widen as he placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Those words lulled him to sleep that night like a mothers lullaby, and they played through his mind all the way to daybreak.

I have everything I want, and more then I'll ever need, so my silent prayer is a prayer of thanks. I offer thanks for good health, for great memories and a beautiful life. But most importantly I offer thanks for my friends, both old and new; without whom I would be nothing. So I say it one more time; to whom it may concern; thank you.