The Spring Festival Celebration
By: Vilya
I think this should really be "The Spring Festival that Vale Never Forgot" but that title sounds better.
Disclaimer: Hm…well, I own the story idea. And any new Djinn mentioned come straight from the Nintendo Power list, which, aside from listing a second (or the same) Corona, appears alright. Picard was, is and will always be Picard—I don't care what they changed his name too. So…enjoy!
A/N: Small world, I know. This chapter is partly a leading-up but also stand-alone thing, and partly a birthday present for Avaria, resident Jupiter Adept. Happy Birthday, Ava! So, read on, make your comments…and wait for the mayhem to ensue.
Part One: A Day of Relaxation…Right?
Eight Adepts happily rose to greet the spring sunlight one beautiful morning in Vale. Each woke at different times, of course, with Sheba as the first and Garet as the last. Isaac, Felix, Mia, Jenna, Picard, and Ivan were sandwiched somewhere in between. By some coincidence and a little planning ahead, they arrived at precisely the same time at Isaac's house for lunch.
"This place has grown since I was last here," Mia commented.
"Not to mention Dora has improved the food!" Garet happily added. There was a collective groan, and Jenna playfully slapped Garet on the back of the head. "Ow! What was that for?"
"For being predictable…on purpose," she said, bringing forth a laugh from even Felix.
"We should do something fun on such a nice day," Mia suggested, glancing out the window at the sunlight glinting off the river. "The weather's been so unpredictable lately."
"To you, maybe," Ivan and Sheba said simultaneously, sharing a nearly identical mischievous grin.
"Somehow," Picard said, "every conversation we have ends up being a discussion about which element does what better than which other element."
"Not that day we spent at the beach," said Jenna.
"Oh, no, that was worse," Picard agreed, shaking his head at the memory.
"It can't have been," Mia argued. "We agreed not to talk about the elements that day. It was supposed to be a day of…well, fun. Celebration."
"What were we celebrating, anyway?" Garet asked. This earned him another swat on the head. "Jenna!"
"It was Sheba's birthday!" she yelled back. Garet's expression changed then, from one of outrage to one of perplexity. "If you feel as stupid as you look, you're feeling right."
"You're right. It was my birthday. The second most eventful one I've ever had, considering that the first was really the day I…arrived…in Lalivero." Sheba grew quiet then, which was no surprise. She had said a pretty lengthy sentence, for one who was usually quiet and kept her thoughts to herself. "Though I would definitely rate it as the most fun. I mean…who could not laugh at the sight of Ivan…" at this Sheba broke into laughter herself, unable to finish the sentence.
"Felix didn't laugh," Isaac pointed out. "Then again, neither did Ivan. As I recall," he continued, a smile on his face as well, "Ivan was screaming about…the sand?"
"You would too," Ivan said, "if you'd had that happen to you."
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"Alright! A beautiful windy day!" Ivan said, practically sprinting along the path.
"I thought we were going to ditch the elemental talk," Felix said, though he was grinning even as he spoke.
"Nothing wrong with commenting on the weather," Jenna said. Everyone was in high spirits that day, and even Felix, the most subdued and private of all the Adepts, couldn't lose the smile that had broken onto his face about an hour ago.
"I still say bringing the Lemurian wasn't a good idea. He might get the sudden urge to do that…singing thing again," Isaac joked. Picard, the Lemurian question, easily presented a comeback.
"At least we didn't bring along that old man. What's his name? Kept pestering me with questions about Lemuria. I was tempted to throw him there, with some sort of Ice Missile ride maybe, but I wouldn't want to bring that on the people living there. I think I'd rather fight a…Kraden, that was his name. Where is he, Isaac?"
"I didn't invite him," Isaac said with a smirk. Mia turned and looked at him, disapproval written on her features. "Indeed, it seems he had a previous engagement."
"Oh really?" Mia asked frostily, cocking an eyebrow. The sight of her glaring so while walking backwards forced Jenna, Sheba and Picard to cover their laughter.
"Yes. He was in Kalay, actually, having, it would seem, a rather spirited debate about…something. Who knows what?"
"How do you know?"
"Ivan helped me find out that one. But come on. We're almost there, and I'm looking forward to a day of relaxation!" Laughing, Isaac charged ahead, Jenna crying out and chasing after him, Mia a split second behind. Picard and Sheba looked at one another and shrugged.
"I see no reason to be rushing along and not enjoy this beautiful scenery with a good friend," Sheba said, grinning up at Picard. "Even if he is so tall my neck gets stiff looking up at him."
"My friend is just too short," Picard said with a grin. He reached out and pulled a lavender blossom from a nearby tree, handing it to Sheba. "Happy birthday."
"Thanks," she said, putting the flower in her hair. Then, "Race you!" she called, already several feet ahead of the startled Picard.
"Not fair!" he yelled. "You have instinctive speed!"
"It's a known fact that smaller people are more agile," Garet said. "It's why the two of us always end up walking at the back of the line."
By the time Garet, Picard and Felix caught up to the others, Mia, Sheba and Ivan were already swimming. Picard soon joined them, as did Felix. Jenna was content to sit on the sand in the warmth of the sun, and Garet joined Isaac in the building of a sandcastle.
"Something I never got to do when I was young," Isaac commented. "Of course, back then, I'd never even heard of the ocean!"
"Remember when Kraden told us it was a thing of endless water at the end of the world, and we called him crazy?" Garet asked with a laugh.
"Kraden is crazy."
"Crazier than ever, with his ideas about all that water. Who'd have thought he was telling the truth?"
"It's a lot to think about. I mean…there could be a thousand thousand places out there that no one's ever seen before except the people who live there. And we may never see them, because the ocean is large enough that they're hidden forever."
"I never knew you were so philosophical, Isaac."
"I just never saw the need to sound like I was. Come on—let's go for a swim!" Reluctantly, Garet followed Isaac into the water. Jenna, with an exasperated sigh and having no desire to sit alone on the beach, ran into the waves after them.
"I can't think of a time when the water's been any warmer than—YEEARGH!" Picard yelped and spun around, his eyes narrowing on Mia, Sheba and Jenna, clustered together and giggling behind their hands. Picard slowly reached up and pulled the clump of seaweed from his hair.
"You three have crossed a dangerous line," Ivan remarked. "You made Picard angry. Have you ever seen him when he's angry? Like a water cyclone during a hurricane. With some hot sauce on the side."
"Hot sauce?" Felix asked. Ivan shrugged.
"I had to add something."
The water fight had officially begun, and while it started as a match between the girls and the guys, it quickly shifted to 'Every Adept for themselves' as Garet called it, because his original 'for himself' had earned him a very prominent splashing from Jenna.
There was much screeching, laughing, and throwing of both water and things found in that water. A chorus of voices calling out random, somewhat element-associated words brought forth the entire horde of seventy-two Djinn.
"Mars help us all!" yelped Torch. "We're in the ocean!"
"Aw, lighten up, fire-head," said Fever. "You try living in an ice cave most of your recent existence. This is fun!" Following that comment, every Mars Djinn aside from Fever high-tailed it for the sand.
"Hard to believe they hate the water," chirped Cascade.
"Mars Djinn," Dew said with an exasperated sigh. "They will never learn."
"Race you to the trees!" cried several Jupiter voices at once, and the owners of those voices, even the rough-tempered Luff among them, did exactly that, though any watching would have sworn they took a more scenic route up into the sky and around in a few circles first.
The Venus Djinn, by far the most in-control of all (usually), had chosen to inhabit the sand castle. Bane, in a repeat performance of his wintertime antics, wore a seashell on his head and sat on a larger shell.
"I can't believe I used to think this was fun," Flint muttered.
"All bow to King Bane!" Bane snapped.
"Bow," repeated Ivan, hearing Bane's yell. "How, exactly, does a Djinni bow?"
"Don't even bother," Isaac said. "Bane's always been a bit…odd."
"I didn't mean the Djinn bow!" Bane yelled. "I meant, the Adepts shall bow!"
"Oh we shall, shall we?" Felix asked innocently. "Who says that?" In sharp contrast with his usual thoughtful gaze was today's perpetual grin. It made Jenna happy to see him smile, even as he joked with Isaac's Djinni.
"We most certainly will not bow to a king shorter than my left shoe," Ivan called, and Isaac chuckled. Everyone came out of the water then, as it was about an hour after noon and everyone was hungry. Garet and Mia were headed for the basket of food they'd left up near the trees when a sudden yelp and a thud made them both spin back around.
Ivan was on the ground, being sandblasted by all but three Venus Djinn. Those three were watching with half-interest, half-disgust.
"Leave the poor boy alone, Bane!" called Sap. She, Vine and Iron were watching the mayhem. Ivan attempted to roll away from the sand, but was blocked by the castle itself. Rolling over that meant rolling over the Djinn inside it, so Ivan opted for something else. Grabbing a shell in his hand, he hurled it at the nearest Djinni. Said Djinni, Quartz, jumped out of the way, and instead the shell slammed into the forehead of the Venus Adept who had finally stopped smiling.
Felix took a step back, catching the shell in his hand and giving a glare more potent than even Mia's worst to all nine of his Djinn. He and Isaac simultaneously called their names, though Isaac left off Bane, and one by one the Djinn disappeared. All except Bane, who vanished of his own accord seconds later.
"Felix!" Sheba gasped, and he turned to look at her. She lifted a hand to her own forehead and rubbed it. Felix did likewise and winced. The shell had a sharp edge, and had sliced into his head, but it was easily fixable.
By this time, Ivan had rinsed himself of the sand, and the majority of the Djinn had vanished, except for Fever, still swimming crazily, and Squall, who seemed to be enjoying herself in her circular flight.
Mia and Jenna spread out a blanket, and Isaac the food, though he was constantly distracted by Garet's attempts to steal a taste. All eight Adepts sat and enjoyed their lunch, talking of their adventures without, for once, arguing about the advantages of one element over another, though the conversations were occasionally punctuated by Ivan's complaints about the sand in his hair.
Following lunch was a quiet afternoon. Jenna and Mia fell asleep on their towels, and Felix, Garet and Isaac were laughing at childhood memories of Vale. Picard sat on a large stone and played a soft song on his Lemurian flute. Ivan and Sheba listened for a while (wind instruments were their favorites), then stood and began walking along the beach looking for shells.
"Picard is going to have that odd smile on his face that means he thinks we like one another," Ivan remarked, and Sheba nodded, grinning. She bent to pick up a shell, a spiraling pinkish-white one that wasn't much bigger than a coin.
"You and he are the only ones who know what today is, Ivan," she said, seeming fixated on the whorl pattern of the shell. "I didn't tell any of the others. It's…it's never been quite a good day for me."
"Why not? A birthday should be a great thing."
"Well…it's not my real birthday. It's the day I…showed up in Lalivero. No one ever tried to make a guess at my real birthday, because they thought I was a child of the gods."
"There may be some truth in that, you know."
"Oh, don't get all deep on me, Ivan. My point was…well, this has been the best birthday yet, even without any sort of celebration. Though…thank Jupiter it isn't your birthday. It hasn't been a good day for you."
"I should say not. I get the distinct feeling that Felix now holds more against me than he ever did." Ivan pondered this for a moment, then added, "If that were even possible."
"Felix doesn't have anything more against you than he does against me. I think you just grate on his nerves—purposely—a bit more than I do."
"Well, yes, there's that…"
"Garet! I am going to kill you!" Jenna's voice carried far, and Ivan and Sheba found themselves running back to where the others were. Picard was indeed grinning, but not at them. He was grinning at the spectacle of a sand-covered Jenna chasing Garet with a piece of driftwood. "How dare you bury me while I was asleep!"
"Nearly time," Mia mused, and Isaac, standing next to her, nodded. The sun was nearly touching the horizon, and the sky was becoming violet, crimson and orange.
"Red sky at night…" Isaac said quietly. "It won't rain tomorrow."
"I should hope not. Do you know how many places I've got to go outdoors tomorrow?"
"Mia, you like the rain. On occasion, you control the rain."
"Yes, but when one is busy with other things on her mind, rain, wonderful as it is, only gets in the way." The sun had reached the horizon, but only just, and a shrill whistle could be heard in the trees. "It's time."
"That it is. Everyone!" Isaac called. "Come here!" Slowly, the others all joined Isaac and Mia, Garet rubbing the spot on his head where Jenna had whacked him. Isaac had the strangest grin on his face. As the whistle grew louder, the leaves on the trees began to rustle, as though in anticipation.
"What's going on?" Sheba asked. Ivan just shrugged, glad that the dim light hid the smile that had spread on his face. The shrubbery in front of where they stood parted, and through it walked a number of familiar people. Dora, Garet's parents, Megan and Justin, Feizhi, Hama and Hsu, Iodem, and behind them all, Faran carrying a cake.
"What? What is this?" Sheba asked incredulously.
Instead of replying, everyone except Picard began to sing. Picard played out the song on his flute, though he knew it might be hopeless, trying to keep everyone in tune.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Sheba! Happy birthday to you!"
"I don't know whether to be ecstatic or angry," Sheba said as everyone took a piece of the cake and began to eat it.
"Be ecstatic," Isaac suggested. "Anger isn't good on your birthday."
"YARRGH!" Ivan yelped. A horde of Venus Djinn was again chasing him, by the secret orders of Felix, but this time there was more fun and a little less anger involved.
About an hour later, the sun had fully set, and only the eight Adepts remained sitting on the beach. Together they looked at the stars, bright twinkling lights in the evening sky, and couldn't imagine a happier day.
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"Those were some good times," Felix said, the grin returned to his face. "We should have another day like that."
"We will, soon enough. Have you forgotten already why we're here?" Ivan asked.
"Because we basically live here now?" speculated Picard.
"Well, there's that. But also because of the Spring Festival."
"Oh goody. More decorating," Jenna sighed. "I'd almost forgotten."
"Oh, it won't be that bad. We have the rest of today to enjoy ourselves—then the real preparation starts." Isaac finished this with an evil-looking grin.
"You spent too much time around Saturos," Mia said playfully.
"Perhaps I did."
"Here's an idea," said Sheba. "Let's have a race."
"You and Ivan will tie, like you always do," Garet complained.
"Nope. No elements allowed. Pure muscle power."
"You're on!" The eight Adepts raced out of the house and began to head for the giant Psynergy Stone in the plaza. "Last one there is the last to taste the food tomorrow!" Jenna called. This statement made Garet pick up considerable speed.
And that day, all was well with the Adepts, and with Vale.
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Ok, so did you like it? Anyone who's read the most recent chapter of Sunlight and Shade, I forgot a magic arrow in there, and also review replies—oops! Anyway…this will become the Easter Fic, but instead of Easter they have Spring Festival in Vale. So…on with the mayhem!
Review if you want more!!
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