Chapter 39:Fireworks 2
The village square buzzed with excitement, brighter than it had been in months. Strings of lanterns stretched from rooftop to rooftop, glowing like captured stars. Their light painted the cobblestone streets in soft golds and oranges, giving the whole place a warm, dreamlike atmosphere.
Vendors shouted over one another, luring passersby with roasted chestnuts, skewers dripping with spicy glaze, candied fruits sparkling like gemstones, and pastries so fluffy they looked like little clouds stacked on wooden trays. The air smelled of smoke, sugar, and fried dough, all mixed with the crispness of night.
Children ran through the crowd with sparklers in hand, laughing like tiny warriors preparing for battle. Every few seconds, one would jab the air with a blazing stick, shouting, "For honor!" before being tackled by another giggling "enemy."
Maya was right at home. She skipped happily, her ribbon bouncing like it had its own rhythm. She twirled once, twice, her laughter joining the music of fiddles and drums that echoed through the square.
Behind her trailed Ank grim, brooding, and trudging along like a prisoner being led to his own execution. His every step seemed to scream defeat.
"Cheer up, Ank," Maya teased, spinning to face him while walking backward. "You look like you're heading to your own funeral."
"That's because I am," Ank muttered darkly. "My precious training hours… gone. Buried under lanterns and cotton fluff."
Maya rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, hush. Tonight is about fun! Look cotton candy!"
Before Ank could even react, she darted to a vendor and returned with a stick of pink fluff larger than her head. She shoved it at him like she'd discovered the meaning of life.
"Here, eat."
Ank squinted at it, poking the sugary cloud like it was some kind of dangerous poison "…What is this?"
"Cotton candy."
"Why would I eat something like this? It's useless."
POW! Maya smacked the whole thing right into his face, leaving sticky strands stuck to his cheeks and nose.
The crowd around them laughed, a few children cheering, "Do it again, big sis!"
Ank sighed with the weariness of a man thrice his age, peeling the sugar candy off from his face by eating.
Maya burst out laughing so hard she nearly dropped the cotton candy.
The night carried on, and soon the fireworks began.
The first rocket shot into the sky with a hiss, exploding into a brilliant red-and-gold flower. The crowd gasped in unison, clapping and cheering. Children squealed, couples held hands, and the air felt alive with wonder.
"Wow!" Maya's eyes widened like a child's. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Ank crossed his arms. "It's just fire and noise."
But then came the second one a giant dragon of sparks curling across the night sky, scales of gold raining down as if blessing the festival. The crowd erupted in awe.
For half a second, Ank's jaw dropped. Then he quickly snapped it shut and scowled. "Hmph. Still useless."
Maya smirked. "Your eyes betrayed you."
"No, they didn't."
"Yes, they did."
"They did not."
"Yes, they did."
In all his life, Ank had only fought for dominance—clashing, training, striving to be stronger. Rarely had he been allowed to simply… be human. Except, perhaps, in the quiet moments he barely remembered with his parents.
Arthur, standing a few paces behind them, leaned on his stick and grinned despite his swollen eyes. "They did."
Ank groaned. "Why is everyone against me tonight?!"
The third firework shot up, bursting into a giant pink heart that lit up the square. The crowd whistled, clapped, and laughed.
Maya clasped her hands dramatically, her voice rising above the cheers. "Awww, look, it's fate! The Skys themselves are shipping us together!"
Ank nearly choked. "What kind of logic is that?!"
Arthur nodded sagely. "She's right. The Skys have spoken."
"Grandpa!" Ank snapped, his face burning red.
Maya giggled and leaned closer, her shoulder brushing his. "Don't worry, Ank. Even if you reject me, Grandpa will make sure you accept me."
Ank groaned louder, burying his face in his hands. "This is the most unfair thing I've ever been forced into…"
---
But the fireworks weren't the only chaos that night.
Maya dragged Ank through every stall, sampling everything with childlike energy. She forced skewers into his hand, daring him to try spicy meats until his eyes watered. She handed him candied apples that stuck to his teeth. She even convinced him to try a carnival game—throwing rings over bottles—where Ank missed all three attempts and swore the bottles were enchanted.
"They're rigged," he grumbled.
"Or maybe," Maya teased, "your aim is bad without a sword in your hand."
Arthur wheezed with laughter, holding his stomach. "Finally, someone who can beat him without lifting a blade!"
At another stall, Maya tried her hand at a dart game, managing to win a tiny stuffed rabbit. She turned with a triumphant grin and shoved it into Ank's arms.
"For you," she said.
"…Why do I need this?" Ank asked flatly, holding the rabbit at arm's length like it was radioactive.
"Because it's cute. And you need more cute things in your life."
Arthur chuckled. "She's right again."
"old man!" Ank barked.
As the night went on, the square only grew livelier. Drummers beat out wild rhythms while dancers spun in circles, their skirts flaring like flames. Someone handed Maya a sparkler, and she immediately waved it around, pretending to duel Ank.
"Face me, warrior of gloom!" she shouted, brandishing her tiny glowing stick.
Ank raised an eyebrow. "That's not even a real weapon."
Maya jabbed at him. "It's super effective against grumps."
Arthur cheered from the sidelines. "Go, Maya! Slay the beast!"
Ank sighed and let her poke him, sparks scattering against his shirt. "Congratulations. You win."
Maya pouted. "You're supposed to fight back, you dummy."
"…I don't fight with toys."
"Correction," Arthur said between laughs, "he loses to toys."
The grand finale of the fireworks finally arrived.
A thunderous crack split the sky, and then it blossomed into a radiant star so bright the whole square glowed as if it were daytime. The crowd erupted in applause, clapping and cheering until their hands stung.
Maya clapped along, eyes shining. "Best show ever!"
Ank crossed his arms, his face unreadable… but he didn't disagree this time. "…It was acceptable."
Maya beamed, poking his cheek. "That's Ank language for amazing."
Arthur smirked knowingly.
And so, under the glowing remnants of the fireworks, the three of them stood together one cheerful, one grumpy, and one proudly bruised yet somehow, perfectly balanced.
For a fleeting moment, Ank almost smiled. Not fully. Not yet. But his lips twitched dangerously close whenever Maya laughed beside him.
Arthur, of course, noticed.
"Good," the old man whispered to himself, his heart light. "That bastard finally looks like a human being instead of a training dummy."
Maya narrowed her eyes at Ank, mischief sparkling. Who even turned this guy into such a training maniac?
Arthur coughed, leaning on his stick as the last sparks faded. "Now then," he said, voice warm. "Who's ready for dessert?"
Maya squealed. "Me!"
Ank groaned. "Please… no more sugar."
But of course, Maya dragged him toward the dessert stalls anyway. And Arthur followed, chuckling, thinking that maybe, just maybe, tonight was the start of something Ank desperately needed even if he'd never admit it.