Haine: Hey this is litteraly a life or death question can we go to the Autumn Festival????

  Ai: She found a poster for it yesterday and really wants to go lol

  Ena: It has been a while since I went. Sure.

  Triss: What's an Autumn festival?

  The rest of that week was spent between practices and thoughts on the new song they wanted to make, though outside of sporadic ideas they did not yet have a vision. Rolling around to Thursday, the girls made use of their booking. Having only one song of their own at the moment meant they did have to supplement it with some other artists which whilst it helped please the crowd was something they agreed needed to change soon.

  As the Saturday sun was only just rising the city was already in motion. Congregations around the myriad of hotels filling their lobbies with some few people now beginning to sprawl curiously into the city itself. Assemblies of yellow hardhats following a long trail through the city with navy peaked caps pairing with them. As the groups swirled through the city they seemed a sort of parade on their own terms.

  The girls had decided to meet up at Little Paradise as it was the shortest walk for them all individually. Arriving first with her thick white woollen jumper and dark joggers, Ena noticed a change. A small sense of loss, as a place that should have been full of noise was quiet. She leaned her back adjacent to the wall the door emerges from as she waited for the others.

  Ai arrived wearing a blue kimono with brilliant sakura petals seasoned across the silk accompanied by a matching pattern of flowers, joined quickly by Triss who was wearing her dark green flannel shirt and denim jeans and hair that made clear this was not on their schedule.

  "No Haine?" Triss asked looking among the group.

  Ai was slightly swaying side to side to stay warm. "Nope. But she left at the same time I did so..."

  Ena stood up now from leaning against the wall, giving her neck a short stretch.

  "Haine lives at Crescent. Stools and stuff are all over that place."

  A murmur in agreement.

  As the girls began to make way however their phones started buzzing.

  Being the first to take out their phone, the other girls looked at Ena's phone to see Haine was calling their group. Upon answering Haine's forehead was blasted unflatteringly across the screen, either unaware her camera was on or trying to do check something on her phone. It was clear she was trying to say something but her voice was drowned out by the crowds and music around her which merged into a messy chorus.

  "Haine we can't hear you." Triss tried to call out to her.

  "She probably can't hear us either..." Ena sighed as they began to continue walking.

  A short few loud tapping managed to break through that chorus and after a short buffer, her camera was showing what was in front of her. Food stools lined the usually empty streets with other vendors and entertainers seeming to fill every crevice. This was however hard to make out as Haine kept quickly moving the phone making the recording an almost endless blur. Stopping again to look at this the girls quickly latched on to a few frames of clarity.

  "Four blocks down." Ena said as she put her phone down, with the call's garbled noise still continuing.

  As they travelled past the main road cutting between the Centre of the city there was a quick shift in atmosphere as even at the fringes here balloons, posters and people seemed to be trickling in. Two buildings behind where they saw Haine, the road was being blocked off and they saw a car make a U turn at the sight. More and more people pouring from every street now - making the girls worry if they actually would be able to find their missing bandmate after all.

  "HELLO!! OH MY GOSH ISN'T THIS SO COOL??? GUYS DID YOU SEE THE GUY -"

  She had managed to catch them off guard.

  Ena calmly ended the call giving a short "Hello Haine."

  Ai and Triss jumped back at the sudden burst of energy but turning to eachother they laughed.

  Seeing Ai's kimono, Haine was drawn to it even as she began began short conversation with the others she kept taking glances at Ai, who was looking ahead making short movements with her right hand swaying her index finger slightly left then right.

  "The carnival route usually cuts through Crescent so we could go back there as it would be closest..."

  As Ai spoke she noticed Ena had tilted her head slightly. She thought more on what she had said.

  "...though Crescent is going to be busy so if we want a good spot we should probably go somewhere less touristy like... Bridgeside?"

  Ena's blank expression couldn't hide her smile.

  Bridgeside was where the high-rises of the central city began to give way to the smaller buildings. Many shops lined the streets and there was of course the bridge that carved across the water to a smaller island the city was connected to.

  Small metal barricades had been placed completely along the two-lane road. Even here there was a decent number of people gathered that every slot against the barricade had already been claimed with small huddles behind. Officers would periodically walk along these lines, asking people to move back if they crossed the barricade.

  The girls stayed close, as people appeared out of every corner. Conversation was near impossible at the moment due to the conversations of all these people intertwining into a near deafening background. Sweet aromas of sugar and fried goods whiffed along from the many food stools situated across the building sides. One of which caught Haine's eye as she ran ahead of the group and break checked them to the sudden annoyance of Ena."THAT COTTON CANDY LOOKS SO GOOOD IM GONNA GET SOME!!"

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  She then moved off into the stalls as Triss chased after her.

  Though there were small queues among the vendors they were moving quickly and as Triss caught up with Haine she was already paying and collected her cotton candy stick as Triss spoke.

  "Haine if we take too long we're gonna miss any good spo-"The vendor held out another for Triss, who took it without question.

  As they both began to enjoy the snack they moved alongside eachother moving to the other stalls.

  "What about the others?" Triss asked.

  "That's too low miss!"A call from the next stall down, the voice coming from a large man with a soft expression.

  Ena who was in conversation with the vendor had her right left thumb and index finger placed just over her lips.

  Turning them anticlockwise she spoke,

  "Well how about 550?"

  "I told you, 600 per Squid on Stick." He crossed his arms.

  After finishing a mouthful of the candy Haine gave a quick "I'll pay."

  As they continued walking over Triss passed that message over to the other two,

  with Ai, who was waiting behind her, giving a final repetition for Ena to be able to hear over the crowds.

  "I'll take 3."

  The girls continued now, Ena was already enjoying one her Yakitori with two others held in her right hand. Ai had a candy apple and squid on a stick, though she had chosen not to eat yet. Triss was taking her time with their candy floss and Haine had already finished it.

  "First floats should be arriving soon!" Ai cheered.

  More people seemed to gather around like a wave, almost locking the girls to the space they had chosen with people around them. There was now not just the sounds of crowds, but music echoed from afar. Then just as suddenly, they began to arrive.

  The first cart was very simple, with a wooden aesthetic. Very little in the way of lighting or action accompanied it with the two actresses dressed in similarly intricate and beautiful kimonos, standing completely still - as if they were a lifelike painting.

  A pleasant yet crackled and quiet song played over the aged speakers of this cart, such that its music was barely heard from the crowds still mounting excitement.

  As the girls watched on Ai's eyes were the widest. No matter how many times, how many years.It was the same, a familiar comfort.

  "OH MY GOSH LOOK AT THAT ONE!!!"

  Haine had almost jumped on Ai's back pointing at the following entry, which was a behemoth of engineering. A massive truck drove it at it's front and behind was a masterful mix of engineering. Giant pieces of metal swayed together in a dance illuminating with many types of neon. The crowd roared as this one approached even though it was still much further along then the first cart. Even at this distance though, its noise had already consumed the quiet sound of it's predecessor.

  Ena and Triss had a much quieter appreciation for the show which continued to roll out one after the other. Each as magnificent, some greater, even more. This continued for hours, having began at eve it lasted far to the days end.

  The girls spoke between eachother as they began to move with the crowd, which had almost in unison following the last couple of carts began to follow along a path known within them all.

  "That was genuinely awesome!" exclaimed Haine as she went on a rant about her rankings of each cart.

  "Was?" Ena gave a small chuckle.

  "It's not over yet" Ai said as she put her index finger to the sky.

  She moved forwards in an almost dance and beckoning the others to follow. Which with the crowds still around them made it hard for them go anywhere else anyway.

  They were led across the bridge to that separate island. Outside of the small plain that the bridge led to, most of the island was taken by a large green hill with very steep cliffs. A large set of stairs welcomed them from the centre, which the band and the crowd all began to climb. There was a satirical grumbling amongst the people of the climb but they persevered despite it. These steps twisted around the hill to a further step of steps, and another.

  Near the peak where the path pushed out to a large platform atop where the crowd now seemed to gather in the number Ena beckoned Ai to her, which also took Haine and Triss whom were using Ai as beacon of where to go.

  They cut off the main path stepping onto the grass that surrounded it. Ena took a leap to hold ont a small steep incline that rose to a fairly flat hill-top with a few trees giving a canopy though providing a clear view to the sky the crowds were also looking towards. After pulling herself up she turned to her friends. As she did so a speaker with a jovial male voice began to announce a countdown.

  Ena held out her hand to help Ai climb up.

  "Ten!"

  Haine followed next and Ena pratically pulled her up with a single arm.

  "Nine!"

  Triss seeing the group gave a smile and with a small run she pulled herself up too.

  "Eight!"

  Ena now moved to lie down in one of the spaces ahead of the trees, facing the same sky as the crowd.

  "Seven!"

  Ai followed smiling, looking around this area "Guess it's typical of you to have a secret like this."

  "Six!"

  She moved to sit down, being careful to find a spot where her kimono wouldn't be damaged.

  "Five!"

  Haine and Triss followed sitting beside the other two, understanding what was to come.

  "Four!"

  "Oh we so need to take a picture!" Haine raced to open her phone trying to strech her arm out to get everyone in.

  "Three!"

  Ena offered to take it, being easily able to capture one with all the girls in which Haine accepted and passed her phone over.

  "Two!!"

  They all gave a smile, with Haine following up with a silly face which the others tried to compete with.

  "One!!!"

  Ena handed the phone back to Haine as they all let out a huge cheer.

  A Bang as glistening sparkles lit up the sky.

  Then there were more.

  The crowd was quiet.

  They looked towards the sky as the colours twirled above.

  Bang Bang Bang Bang

  Triss at the end of the group was similarly drawn to the sky, but found herself being more drawn to her friends. Their smiles - their wonder even Ena couldn't keep a serious face.

  It was beautiful.

  Bang

  "Honestly, thinking about it." she started. Triss' turned to look up at the sky too.

  Bang Bang

  "You don't always need romantic love for a love song."

  Bang

  "I mean, I love you guys and... I think that's enough."

  Bang

  Triss turned back to the group for a brief moment but looked again as she saw all the others were looking at her. Haine began to cry and whilst appearing happy Ai was fighting some too.

  "Awwwwwwwww Trissss."

  Bang Bang Bang

  Haine went to hug Triss who instinctively moved to push her away, put let her arm rest instead.

  Bang Bang

  Ena looked up to the fireworks with a smile.

  "Well said." she whispered.

  Bang

  "Sorry Ena I didn't quite catch that!!?" Triss gave a joking reply.

  "Finale's about to start." Ena chuckled.

  They looked up again to the final crescendo of colour.