The Fault in Our Mango

The Beauty Pageant

Everyone was sleeping, except for Aika. She was at the kitchen with a knife in her hand, trying to brake the power sealing bracelet. After a while she gave up and made her way to Nicolette's room.
"Psst. Hey, Nicolette..." Aika murmured.

Nicolette answered, "Hmm?"

"Can you help me with this bracelet?" Aika asked. "I've been trying all morning to take it off."

"Maybe you should-" Nicolette murmured between yawns

"NO TAKE IT OFF NOW! PLEASE!" Aika screamed impatiently, making Nicolette jump off the bed.

"Okay, relax!" Nicoltte shrieked.
They both went downstairs to the living room to try to take off the bracelet. After hours of trying everything, they sat on the couch in surrender.
"God, I'm about to cute my hand off!" Aika said exasperated.

"Let's wait until dawn to go ask those guards to take it off. They have to do it anyways, it's part of the pact," Nicolette scoffed a little at the last part.

"So, no we go to bed? Yeah, let's do that, because I'm TIRED!" Aika settled down on the couch and immediately fell asleep. Nicolette made her way upstairs.
---
"Ah... Aika?" Kimiko poked Aika's face,

"Hmm..." Aika mumbled.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch?''

"Dunno..." she answered, sitting up straight. "I was sleeping."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Kimiko rolled her eyes. "But why on the couch?"

"Well, I was trying to take that damn bracelet off, and I couldn't so I went to Nicolette for help. We tried taking it off, but failed miserably, so I fell asleep here," Aika explained, stretching.

"Ah," Kimiko sighed.

Nicolette was walking downstairs. "Aika let's go to the guards," she said.

"Coming," Aika answered, following Nicolette outside, leaving Kimiko in the living room, staring after them.

Nicolette's POV
We were walking near the town square, trying to find some guards to take off Aika's bracelet. We walked around for a long time, but finally our fate seemed to change when we saw a military wagon, so we went over to it, getting closer to some guards. I wondered how they'd react, if they would keep their end of the bargain. We stopped in front of the wagon, and the men who were there stared at us. One walked over, and I prepared to use my powers in case he attacked.

Aika stepped up with a nerve wrecking calm. "Hi. I came to have this bracelet removed, could you please take it off?" she said, hatred hinting in her voice, her eyes burning.

I stepped up and smiled warily at them. They stared at me, and I just shrugged. One of the guards walked over to use, holding something that looked like a key. He freed Aika, and she felt relieved and joyful.

"Now, let's go," I suggested, and she nodded. I told the guards a curt 'thank you' and we left. On our way home, walking by the mango tree, we saw a group of people around a sign.
"What's that?" Aika asked.

"Dunno," I answered. "Let's go check." We made our way through the crowd until we stood in front of the sign. "Oh my..." I gasped.

The sign read:
BEAUTY CONTEST
Grand prize: 3,000 M.Y.'s
Free entry, three rounds.

"Ouh~" I squealed. "Let's enter!"

"Sure," Aika said.
(Aika's fantasy: Oh god! So much money! I'll use it to buy all the food I want. Meat, bread, sweets, pasta...)

(Nicolette's fantasy: I'll be standing in the middle of the stage, they'll hand me flowers and crown me winner. "Oh my gosh," I'll exclaim. "I can't believe I won! In your face losers!")