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Fall had come to the kingdom and Sarai was extremely excited. Two of her favorite celebrations happened in the fall. One was the Harvest Festival which happened at the end of fall. The other was All Spirit's Night. All Spirit's Night, which her mother called the Blood Moon, was the most fun. It was the one night of the year where she got to stay up all night long and have a ton of sweets. There would be bone fires, ghost stories, and costumes. And this year was going to be fun.
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Sarai and Ember played happily in back of the house that Sarai's dad had built for her mom and the cave where Ember lived with her parents. Despite the chill in the air, the two often played outside, especially when Sarai's baby sister Tiadrin was napping. The servants were busy getting everything ready.
"Ember, can you believe that it's my sister's first All Spirits' Night?"
The little dragon roared. They both loved All Spirits' Night. There was always treats, bonfires, ghost stories, and a big masquerade ball at the palace. Sarai loved going to the ball. It was one of her favorite parts of All Spirits' Night. As princess, she was invited to every ball.
Normally her mom would choose her costume but this year Sarai got to decide what she would be. She wanted to be a mermaid this year and her mother had helped her make the costume. She was also very excided that her to see her three best friends Artamis, Diana, and Little Amaya. While Little Amaya lived in Katolis with her parents, Artamis and Diana lived in the Silvergrove with their dads. The sisters and their dads would be staying with Sarai and her parents. They always stayed with Sarai and her parents when they visited. All four girls loved to play together and had plans to get as many sweets as they could and stay up as they could (or their parents would let them). They were going to spend the night at Sarai's house and she couldn't wait to see their costumes. They were being very secretive about them. All she knew was that Artemis and Diana were having costumes that went together. Sarai smiled when she saw her dad ride up on his shadowpaw Sombra.
"Hi, Dad," she said.
"Hi, princess," Callum said getting off Sombra and scooping his daughter up in a hug.
"Where were you?"
"I went up to the palace to help your uncle get things ready for tonight."
"There's candy, right? And jelly tarts? And Moonberry Surprise? And bone fires?"
"Everything you love, princess. You know your uncle would never disappoint you."
Ever since the day she was born, Ezran had loved his niece. Even with the birth of their own daughter Khessa, Sarai and Tiadrin still held a special place in Ezran's heart and his wife Apolla's. Apolla had come to live in Katolis after Sarai's parents were married three years before Sarai was born. She and Ezran had become fast friends and eventually fell in love. While Apolla's older brother Ra hadn't bothered to respond to Ezran's request for his sister's hand in marriage, their Aunt Janai had agreed. Last autumn, Ezran and Apolla were married and had welcomed their daughter almost a year later.
"When can I see it?" Sarai asked excitedly.
"Tonight when we go to the palace for the ball."
"I can't wait that long. I want to see them now."
"You're going to have to. We won't be heading up to the palace until after dinner and after visiting the monuments for your grandparents."
Sarai knew better than to argue with her dad. She also knew that, as a big sister, she had to set a good example for Little Tradrin. True Tradrin wasn't even a year old yet but that didn't mean that Sarai couldn't start now. She wanted to be the best big sister to Little Tradrin just like their dad was the best big brother to their Uncle Ezran.
But she had been an only child for five years. Sometimes it was hard for her to remember that she wasn't the center of her parents' world anymore. For five years it was just the three of them. But now things were different. Now they were a family of four. And it wasn't just their family. Luna and Moon Lily had each had a new litter of shadowpaw kits and moonstrider pups respectfully. One of each had been picked out for Tradrin. The others were going up for adoption. Sarai wished they didn't have to go but her parents told her that they couldn't keep all of them. It had been the same when Dusk and Moon Rose were born.
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Sarai was extremely excited when dinner was served. Once dinner was done, she and her parents would get ready for the monuments for her grandparents and then go to the festival.
"Sarai," Rayal said, slow down. Otherwise, you'll choke."
"But the sooner dinner's done the sooner we can go to the festival," Sarai said.
"Sarai," her father said, "you can't go to the festival if you make yourself sick."
Sarai listened to her dad and slowed down and took smaller bites. She knew her dad was right. That didn't mean that she didn't want to speed things up. She wanted to put on her costume and go to the festival. Every kid in the five human kingdoms and Xadia did. The festival was always fun, especially for the children. They waited all year for this night. Most of the adults did as well. There were quite a few events for them as well. Once dinner was done, Sarai was excused to get ready for the ball.
"I'll be there to help you as soon as I get your sister ready for the ball," Rayla told her oldest daughter.
But Sarai didn't hear her. She was already in her room getting her costume on. Once Rayla had finished getting Little Tiradin dressed in her fairy costume, she went to check on Sarai only to find that her eldest had put her costume on backwards.
"I think I need help," Sarai said looking at her mother.
Shaking her head and smiling, Rayal helped her daughter put her costume on right.
"You look so pretty," Rayal said once she was finished.
"Can we go now?" Sarai asked excitedly.
"Not yet. Your dad and I still have to get into our costumes."
Sarai hated the idea of waiting but knew that she didn't have a choice. They always went to the monuments together as a family.
"Can I show Ember my costume?" Sarai asked.
"Just don't get dirty and be ready to leave when your father and I call you," Rayla said.
Sarai ran off to find her friend. She knew that she would see Ember at the festival but didn't know if she would be able to recognize the little dragon.
"Ember," Sarai called out as she approached the cave where the dragon family lived.
The little dragon's head popped out of the cave.
"How do you like my costume?"
The little dragon watched as Sarai turned in a circle showing off her costume. Then she nodded her head approvingly.
"Sarai," Callum called, "we're leaving."
"Coming," Sarai called back. She turned to Ember. "I'll see you at the festival."
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The fairgrounds just outside the palace were almost filled. Elves, humans, and dragons were everywhere in costume. Sarai wanted to run ahead but knew that, in a crowd like this, she had to stay close to her parents. There were just too many people around.
"Sarai. Callum. Rayla," someone called.
Even in costume as Avizandum, Zuiba, and Zym, the family recognized Ezran, his wife Apolla, and their baby daughter Khessa. The family made their way towards them and were also greeted by Ophlie, Corvus, and their seven-month-old son Harrow, also in costume.
"The Moon Goddess and her human love," Ophlie said seeing Rayla and Callum's costumes. "I like it."
"Are Artimis and Diana here?" Sarai asked.
"I think I saw them with their dads over by the candy table," Corvus said.
Sarai ran off to find her friends. There were lots of Crown Guard around and Sarai knew the palace grounds as well as her own house.
"Sarai," someone called.
Sarai turned and recognized her two friends immediately.
"Artimis! Diana!" she called running over to them.
The sisters were dressed in almost matching outfits.
"The Moon Twins," Sarai said recounting the children's story her mother would tell her about the two sisters who lived on the moon and caused it to go from full to dark and back to full.
"It was Diana's idea," Artimis said. "Papa 'Thari helped us make them."
"I like your mermaid costume," Diana said.
"Thanks. Mommy made it for me," Sarai said.
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The girls had fallen asleep on the carriage ride home. The festival and ball had been fun and girls had eaten tons of sweets. Their parents were surprised that the girls had fallen asleep with the amount of sweets they had consumed but ultimately blamed it on a sugar crash. When the carriage stopped behind the house, Callum, Ethari, and Runaan picked up their daughters and carried them into the house. Not far away Pyrrah and Sun Fire were entering their cave with Ember asleep on her dad's back.
All Spirits' Night had been a big success and the girls would sleep late the next day. But that was alright. There never was school the day after All Spirits' Night and, even if there was, Artimis was the only one in school. The girls could sleep in tomorrow and spend the day playing before Artimis and Diana returned to the Silvergrove with their dads.