Happy Easter pt. 2:
"Alright, big kids, pick out your teams!" Laxus called.
"Us!" Koree cheered as she put an arm around both Persephone and Nashi's shoulder. "Gotta play with my sister and best friend!"
"Hey, Nashi's my best friend!" Storm argued, grabbing Nashi's arm.
"No, she's mine!" Koree insisted, holding Nashi tight as Storm tried to tug her away.
"Ergh, guys, please stop," Nashi wheezed from Koree's tight grip.
"She's not a toy, let her go," Persephone scolded as she smacked both Koree and Storm on the back of the head.
"Ouch!" they both groaned.
"Don't you wanna be on a team with your sister anyways, Storm?" Persephone asked.
"Well, yeah, Bianca's gonna be our third person," Storm answered.
"Really? Because looks like Roman's your third," Persephone said as she jabbed a thumb at where Roman and Bianca were standing in a blue hula-hoop that had been placed on the ground.
"...Oh," Storm commented after an awkward pause.
"Go on, and get on the blue team," Persephone shoved Storm towards his sister.
"Heh," Farrah giggled as she set and hand on Cato and Benedict's shoulders. "Guess that means we're the yellow team," she said as she led the two boys to the yellow hula hoop.
"Alright, here's how this goes," Laxus explained as he paced in front of the three teams. "Each team has 20 eggs hidden about that are the same color as the hoop you're standing in. So 20 red, 20 blue, and 20 yellow. One member of your team is going to run and find one egg, and only one!"
He pointed a warning finger at the older children who all giggled. They all knew the rules (except for Bianca who was listening intently to make sure she didn't do anything wrong.)
"You will then bring it back, put the egg in the basket, and then tag another person to go hunting. The team to find all 20 of their eggs first wins! The winning team will be able to pick out their basket first."
Mirajane walked to her husband's side with a giant basket filled with smaller baskets wrapped in colorful tissue paper.
"Each of you will get to get a basket. But the winning team picks first, second place team picks second, and the last place...well, you just get the leftover. But no one will be able to open theirs and know what was inside until the game is over. So even if you win...you might not get what you want."
Wow. The stakes are a lot higher in this hunt that the little kid ones. Is it bad that I want to go back? Bianca asked.
"So even if you win you might still lose?" she whispered to Storm.
"Yeah, that's what makes it fun."
"Just makes me confused and stressed…"
"Any questions?" Laxus asked.
No one asked anything, but Bianca did nervously dig her toe into the grass. This sounded like it was going to be hard.
"You alright, Bi?" Storm asked, noticing his sister's change in mood.
"Erm, yeah, I'm fine," Bianca answered.
"Hey," Strom smiled comfortingly as he put a hand on his sister's shoulder. "It's not that bad. Look, Roman and I will go first to show you how to do it, alright?"
Bianca smiled and nodded. "Yeah, okay."
"Three, two, one, go!" Laxus called.
Storm, Nashi, and Farrah all took off running. Bianca watched them curiously as they disappeared into the woods. Bianca watched them go in wonder. They were really fast! How was she supposed to not only run faster than them but also find a blue egg before they found their colors?
"You alright?" Roman asked, noticing the nervous look in her eyes.
"How am I supposed to beat them?" Bianca asked.
"Uh...use your angels…" Roman said in a bit of a confused voice.
"Wait-we can use our magic!?" Bianca asked.
"Um...yeah…" Roman answered, frowning in confusion as Storm came running back with a blue egg in his hand. He dropped it into the basket and then high-fived Roman who took off running.
Bianca sighed. Alright, being able to use magic made her feel a bit better. She could fly ahead of the rest of the kids.
Roman quickly reappeared at the edge of the forest.
Wow. He was fast!
Roman dropped his egg in the basket and then patted Bianca on the head.
"Alright, your turn!"
Bianca crossed her arms in front of her face, her body disappearing in a white glow. She reappeared decked in a golden robe, a matching blindfold covering her eyes. Golden wings sprouted from her shoulders. Her hair had also changed to gold. She smiled as she spread her wings and took off into the air.
"Whoa! What was that?" Roman asked as he watched her disappear into the air.
"Her golden Barakiel form," Storm answered plainly.
"Huh?"
"When Bianca first got her magic she got four angel forms: Raguel, the one with the horns-"
"Like the music kind, or the kind growing from your head?" Roman asked.
"Both."
"Oh! I don't remember seeing that one…"
"It's her strongest one. She can't hold it for very long so that's why she doesn't use it very often," Storm explained.
"Oh. What are her other three?"
"Barakiel, the one you just saw with the blindfold. Shamsiel...she just kinda looks like a normal angel with that one. And then Messenger where her hair, dress, and such look all spikey."
"Spikey?" Roman arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah...I don't know how else to explain it. Her hair gets short and stands up on all ends. She's got long sleeves that are cut into points, and a short skirt that's cut the same way."
"So kinda like the dresses Aunt Sorano wears?"
"Kinda. Anyways, all of her forms were white when she got them, but as she's been training and getting stronger she's been able to unlock a stronger 'stage' I guess you could say. They're all golden."
"Really? How many golden angels has she unlocked?" Roman asked.
"Just two," Storm answered. "Barakiel and Shamsiel."
"Shamsiel is the one she used to save Minette, right?" Roman mused, thinking back on how Bianca had saved his little sister from being crushed by a tree branch.
"I'm not sure," Storm said. "I wasn't there. Sounds right, though."
"Hm," Roman hummed as he looked up at the spot in the sky where Bianca had disappeared.
I've always been grateful to her for saving Minette when I couldn't. But I guess I never really stopped to think about just how powerful she is.
A small smile spread on his face.
Not sure why I'm surprised, though. She can turn into angels, she has to be powerful. Still...golden angels. I've never even heard of them until now.
Bianca promptly returned, still in her angel form. She quickly changed back as she touched down to the ground, dropped her egg in the basket, and tagged Storm on the shoulder. He took off running and Bianca stepped back into the circle, panting heavily. Roman frowned in concern.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah...just wore myself out I guess…" she answered.
"Well, that's not good, the hunt's just started," Roman said as he patted her on the back. "Maybe just stick to your white forms from now on, okay?"
"Hmph," Bianca scoffed as she straightened herself out. "I'm fine."
She did not need to wimp out her first time playing with the big kids.
"Just saying, you don't need to wear yourself out," Roman repeated as Storm came back and tagged him for his turn to hunt.
Roman rushed off and then returned with quickening speed again.
How is he finding them so quick!? Bianca wondered as he tagged her into the race. She took on her golden Barakiel form again and took off to the sky. If she were being honest she did feel quite tired, but she was determined to do her best to win…
...until she passed out.
"Ergh," Bianca grumbled as she opened her eyes and looked about her. Well, that was just great! She was lying on her back in the woods. Well, she couldn't just stay there, she had too get up and kept-
"Bianca!"
Bianca turned to find both Storm and Roman running towards her.
"Guys, what are-" a horrid feeling hit her stomach. "Oh, no, did we lose?"
"Who cares! What happened to you?" Storm asked.
"I...uh...guess I overdid it…" Bianca grumbled.
"I told you!" Roman shouted.
"Shut it Grape-Head!"
"Do you still feel bad?" Storm asked, looking his younger sister over.
"Nah, just a bit dizzy, it's fine," Bianca grumbled as she began trudging back to the guild hall.
Storm was not convinced as he held his hand out and said: "Cleanse."
A wave of warm water poured over Bianca. She wanted to chastise Storm for being overprotective...again! But the spell really was helping.
"C'mon, get on my back," Roman offered as he bent down in front of her.
"I'm fine!"
"I know. I'm just trying to cheer you up," Roman said. "Figured a piggy back ride would help."
Oh. Well, that did make a difference.
"Won't I be too heavy for you?" Bianca asked.
"Nah. I can carry all the triplet at once, so you'll be fine," Roman assured her.
"Really?" Bianca looked Roman over again. Was he really that strong? Curious to find out she climbed onto Roman's back.
"Hang on," Roman warned with a big grin before taking off at top speed. Bianca screamed as she held on for dear life.
"Fernandez, you better not drop my little sister!" Storm warned as he chased after them, a worried glare on his face. Bianca and Roman ignored him as they rushed towards the guild hall, smiling all the way. By the time they got back out of the woods and into the yard the other kids had already picked their baskets. Roman carried Bianca all the way to where the remaining three baskets were left.
"Here, you pick first," he said as he set her down.
"Really?" Bianca asked softly. "I mean...I'm kinda the reason we lost…"
"Just pick out a basket," Roman said.
"But…"
"I'm not picking mine until you pick yours out," Roman insisted, crossing his arms.
Bianca crossed her arms and stared back at hi, the two locked in a strange staring contest.
"Oh, for Mavis' sake, would one of you just pick a basket!" Storm shouted. Bianca and Roman jumped, neither of them realizing he'd caught up to them until now.
"Oh, for good grief!" Storm grumbled as he stomped over and scooped up the remaining three baskets and dropped two at Roman and Bianca's feet. "Here, it doesn't really matter which you'd pick anyways!"
Roman and Bianca blushed as they bent down to pick their baskets up…
...at the same time, colliding skulls.
"Ouch!" they both shouted as they tumbled to the ground. Laughs erupted from the other kids who were watching. The two embarrassed kids with headaches grumbled as they stood up with their baskets.
"Alright, one, two, three, open!" Mirajane called.
The older kids all tore the paper off of their baskets. Bianca carefully opened hers and smiled softly. Inside it was a pink, wired basket filled with a pack of hair ties, chapstick, a chocolate bunny, a purple dream catcher, a set of nail polish, a glittery coin purse, and a headband.
"Not bad," she said as she looked through her new loot. Good thing none of the boys got this one.
"Erm…" Roman grumbled as he looked into his newly opened basket.
"What did you get?" Bianca asked as she looked to see what he'd gotten.
In Roman's basket was a yellow beach towel, a sand castle kit, a bunch of tropical juice boxes, yellow flip-flops, a jump rope, and frisbee, some fruit candies...and…
Bianca couldn't help but snicker slightly as Roman picked up a pair of sunglasses with golden lens and glittery frames and put them on.
"Hm...not really my look, eh?" he asked.
"Not exactly," Bianca agreed.
"Here," Roman took the shade off and set them over Bianca's eyes. "Yeah. They look a lot better on you."
"Oh," Bianca gasped slightly. "Um...thanks...uh…" Bianca looked back into her basket. "Uh...here…"
She held out the dream catcher towards Roman.
"Huh?" he asked, looking genuinely surprised by the gesture.
"I I...I don't...it...erm..matches your hair."
Roman smiled as he took the dreamcatcher and tied it to his belt.
"Thanks," he said before skipping back inside.
Bianca pushed the sunglasses back up onto her nose as she washed him run off.
"It matches your hair?" Storm asked once Roman was gone. "What the heck was that?"
"I panicked, okay!?" Bianca shouted back.
"Over what? You're just trading gifts! What is there to panic about!?"
"I don't know...sometimes I panic for no reason, okay!?"