Let's not let this die, guys! 

Winona~

Snow is falling from the sky. It rests on my shoulders and blankets the ground in a layer of white. The white is everywhere, extending out as far as the eye can see.

 Buildings appear, as well as people. I move through the crowd noiselessly, watching as they go about their daily lives. The snow rests on the houses and makes them look like iced cakes waiting to be eaten.

 Then the snow turns gray. Ash falls from the sky, small bits glowing red and still burning. The hum of aeroplanes fills the air, and the building next to me explodes. People run and scream, trying to dodge the bombs that are falling quickly from the sky. 

 I see Hugo in an open square, playing with his toys. I run to him, but as soon as I reach out he crumbles into ash. The ash swirls and solidifies and Orion appears. He's calmly sewing up a purple shirt, putting in the stitches one by one. 

 The shirt comes to life and wraps around him, covering his face and strangling him. He collapses and crumbles into ash.

 The screams of the people turn into the sobs of my mother, and I can hear the sound of someone laughing at her pain.

The laughs turn into the chime of my alarm clock and I wake up with a start. I groan and press my hands to my eyes, trying to clear my head. I reach over and turn off the alarm clock, then sit up and stretch. 

I shake my head slightly and blink a couple of times. What a weird dream.

Getting up, I quickly get ready. I can hear the noise of breakfast being made downstairs, and the smell of pumpkin pancakes wafts up to mine and Eloise's room. She is already up, her bed neatly made and her pillows fluffed. She always was a perfectionist.

I go downstairs and say good morning to my mom. Her eyes are still puffy, but she smiles at me and tells me that Dad is already at the shop.

I eat my breakfast and help with the dishes. Hugo isn't up yet, so my mom will stay at home until he does and come to the shop later. 

I leave with Eloise and we walk in silence. My older cousin, Mae, was Eloise's closest friend, and I could tell that she was devastated. I reach out and link my arm with hers, and she squeezes mine in return. We walk like that in silence until we reach the shop. 

Orion~

After splitting ways with Sera, I find every means I can to slow down my steady progress to my arrival at the estate. I’ll face Father’s wrath, which I couldn’t care less about, and Mother’s coldness, which I also couldn’t care less about. As long as Sera will be okay. But what I do care about it what I’ll do. The astronomy deck as has been officially taken over by Catastrophe’s forces, so I can’t work there anymore. I’ll help Sera repair the bakery, but after that, I’ll be forced to help with Father’s business. Unless...I might just ask Rowan if I can help at the farm. Without their father, they’ll need extra hands. 

My mind sets on this plan as the familiar gravel crunches under my feet, and I look dead ahead to the black gate with the initial Q engraved. 

I swiftly type in the key code and quickly walk inside the front part of the estate as it closes behind me. 

After a bit more walking, I finally reach the front door. I look up to the two windows to the right, one of them being Sera’s and the other mine. We use them to sneak out, but I wonder if I can sneak back in-

My thoughts are interrupted when the door opens. 

“Orion. You’re home.”

Mother’s cold face greets me as I sigh inwardly and nod, walking inside. 

“Dinner is being served.”

“I’m not hungry,” I lie. I’ll get food later. I’m definitely not going to bear an awkward dinner. 

“Suit yourself.”

I’m slightly surprised at the abruptness of Mother’s tone, before I remind myself she’s mad at me. 

“Orion,” Father’s voice rings through the hall. 

I elect to ignore him and rush upstairs to my room, before opening the door, closing it, and locking it. 

I sigh against the door and catch my breath. That was close. Way too close. 

I walk around my room, before flumping down on my bed, and surprisingly falling fast asleep. 

~

I wake up to the new dawn and groan as I sit up, still sore from the shoving and falling of the crowds from the bomb raid. I silently ruffle my hair and peer out the window, the sun beautifully peaking over the green hills as if shy about saying hello. I stretch before realising I’m still in the same clothes as yesterday. I glance down at my alarm clock to see that it’s still 6:30. What time did I even get home last night? 7:00? 

I shrug to myself and hop up, choosing to take a shower and finish the chores I was supposed to do yesterday. 

~

I practically run out the door, not wanting to be caught by either Mother and Father, although the servants are most likely the only ones awake. 

First stop: the butcher’s shop. Then, Winona’s for some mending of torn shirts. 

Afterwards...well...wandering I suppose. Probably Rowan’s farm. 

I head off to the butcher’s shop and am about to open the door when a costumer bursts out with an unpleasant scowl. 

“I needed it today! Tonight is the town’s Festival! You can’t just close shop today out of all days!”

The costumer pushes past me, and I almost don’t dodge the butcher, Mr. Mardo, as he chases after his costumer. “I’m sorry, ma’am! You’ll just have to go to the next town over.”

The costumer huffs and storms off while Mr. Mardo looks wearily after her, before he turns back and faces me. 

“Young Queensly! How may I help you?”

“I’m supposed to get pork for tonight, but I’m guessing you don’t have it?” I say, snickering slightly. 

He sighs. “My usual hunters have left town. They say it’s not safe anymore, but at this point, I don’t know where ‘safe’ is anymore.”

I nod in understanding, before my eyes widen, completely forgetting about the pork. “The Moon Festival! That’s tonight!”

He smiles, obviously forgetting about it too. “Yes. The fireworks are splendid this year. They’ll start decorating in thirty minutes or so. Stick around, young Queensly. You might be able to help with something.”

I nod and laugh before my expression melts into something completely different. 

As if reading my thoughts, Mr. Mardo chuckles. “Forgot to ask someone to the Folk Dance, did ya?”

“Oh shoot,” I mumble, before turning back, adjusting my knapsack. “Good bye, Mr. Mardo!” I exclaim, waving behind me as I run to the dress shoppe. 

He laughs behind me and waves, and I turn my head around, quickly dodging the early shoppers and fishermen. 

“Sorry,” I say as I nearly run into a lady’s basket of bread. 

“Watch it,” she snaps, and I shrug. 

Finally I spot Winona’s shoppe and head in, the door giving off a friendly chime. She looks up from her desk, her brown hair tied back in a loose braid, subtle golden streaks glinting from the early sunlight through the window, and smiles. 

“Hello, Orion!”

I grin, coming up to her desk, and her sister beside her smirks. 

“Here you go please, if you don’t mind,” I say, taking the shirts and pants out of my knapsack and onto her counter. 

She eyes them curiously, Eloise peering at them also, and holds several of them up, inspecting the jagged tears and holes. 

“What on earth did you do, Orion?” Winona finally laughs, her voice like bells. “Let a herd of horses run over them?”

I smile sheepishly and rub the back of my neck. “Er, Sera pushed me out of a tree, and I went down, down, down...” I whistle and make an exploding sound and she laughs again.

“She pushed you out of a tree how many times now?”

I shrug. “The other time she pushed me over the fence to a horse that hadn’t been broken yet. Then yet another time, she...um, she...ummm....” My voice trails off and my heart drops a bit, thinking of Sera. She’s not even welcome in her own house now. I’m used to waking up with her rigging my alarm to make actual alarm noises, or her dragging the covers off my bed or slamming the door open and shut several times. But today I woke up on my own. In silence. In peace. And I never thought I’d hate it more. 

Winona takes the hint and clears her throat. “Well I’ll get onto them right away.”

I smile and begin to walk out of the shoppe, not wanting to say more, when suddenly the thought strikes me. 

I turn back around, rocking on my feet, but Winons is oblivious, already humming a small tune while beginning to amend the clothes. 

“Um, Winona?” I ask, and she looks up pleasantly. 

“Yes?”

“Would you...uh...I mean, would you like to go to the Festival with me? I mean, you don’t have to. Really, I’m not forcing you, we can just go with the rest of the group, or just as friends, and you don’t have to do the Folk Dance, I’m sure someone else would do it with you...not that I’m assuming you dance of course-Er, I’m not saying you CAN’T dance, it’s just-“

“Orion,” she interrupts, and I realise her cheeks are red from trying not to laugh. But Eloise had more trouble containing it. She’s giggling and shoving Winona teasingly. 

I grimace and await Winona’s answer. 

Eloise giggles and squirms beside me. I give her a solid kick under the table and hear her gasp slightly.

"I have to, um, go check that fabric order that, um, got backed up," Eloise says, getting up and walking up the staircase. I can hear her giggling as she ascends, and I groan inwardly at the teasing that I will have to endure. 

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, then turn back to Orion.

"Sorry about that-"

I burst out laughing when I see his face. 

He is bright red as well, and he looks like he either wants to run away or crawl under the table.

At my laughter his face relaxes slightly, and he tries a smile.

"I'm sorry," I wheeze, "It's just that-this whole situation-I can't-"

"I understand," he says. "And I'm sorry. I've never been good at this whole thing." 

I remember the reason why he is here and I smile.

"Orion," I say, my heart warming. "I would love to go to the festival with you."

Orion's face immediately turns into a grin. He looks so relieved and happy that I grin as well.

"Thanks," he says, running his hands through his hair. "I was worried it was too late for you to get ready and stuff."

I laugh and gesture to the shop around me.

"My family owns a dress shoppe. I have enough stuff to get ready on hand."

He laughs again and then gestures towards the door.

"I have to go. I'm going to go visit Rowan."

He waves slightly, then walks towards the door.

"See you tonight," he says over his shoulder. 

Winona~

Who knew a person could embroider so many moons? I've done half moons, gibbous moons, full moons, crescent moons, and millions of other variations. I have decided that my outfit will not include any moons for tonight's festival.

I put the last dress down with a sigh. We've been working hard since early morning, trying to finish up the last-minute clothes orders.

Eloise looks across the table at me and smiles.

"Is that the last one?" she asks.

I nod. 

"Are you almost done with the suit coats?"

Now it's her turn to sigh.

"No." She points to the large pile of dress coats on the table by her. "Can you help me?"

I look at the clock and groan. It's ten am. We have to deliver the clothing to the nobles by noon so that they can begin preparing for the festival main events.

"I'll help," I say, then pull my chair next to hers and pick up a coat to begin embroidering more moons. 

Rowan~

I wake up early, forcing my eyes open and tearing off the sheets. I blink as my eyes adjust to the light, and yawn. I'm so tired. I guess I didn't sleep much last night, if at all. There was too much to think about. Too much to figure out. Too much to worry about.

I shove those thoughts away now. I'm afraid I'll have another breakdown if I think too hard about anything, and I don't have time for that. There'll be triple the work to do now. 

I walk past the mirror, not bothering to do anything about my tousled hair, and head downstairs. My mother is already awake, starting on breakfast. Her mouse brown hair is in a hastily put together bun, and shorts strands that have escaped hang around her slender face. She turns toward me and smiles, though her eyes are red and puffy and I can tell she didn't get much sleep either. 

"Good morning, Row." 

"Morning," I return, trying my best to look cheerful. 

She turns back to the eggs she was making. "You're up early."

I sit down at the big round table on one of the yellow cushioned chairs and begin to pick at the dirt under my fingernails. "Couldn't sleep."

"Rough night?" She raises her eyebrows sympathetically. 

I nod. 

"Me too," she says. "How's Sera? Is she getting along okay?"

I shrug. "I haven't seen her this morning. She didn't seem okay last night. She basically got kicked out of her family." I realize my voice is a little defensive. Mother doesn't seem to notice. She sighs deeply and doesn't say anything for awhile. 

Then she clears her throat. "You know, tonight's the Moon Festival."

I look up at her.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten?" She asks.

"I guess with everything else going on, it slipped my mind this year," I say. 

She turns around and grins. "Did you ask anyone to the folk dance?"

I look down sheepishly. "Er, no, not yet."

She doesn't look surprised. "Are you going to ask Sera?"

I feel my face start to burn, and I'm suddenly very thankful she turned back around to stir the eggs. "I-I don't know, maybe I will, I mean, w-why do you ask?"

She looks to be suppressing a smile. "Oh, well, you two are obviously--" she cuts herself off. "Good friends." She finishes, although I know that wasn't what she was going to say. 

In a hurry to get out of the kitchen before she can say anything else along those lines, I stand to leave. 

"Where are you going? You haven't eaten," says Mother, scooping some eggs onto a plate and handing it to me. 

I sit down and eat as quickly as I can, and then I escape through the back door. 

I can't believe I forgot about the Moon Festival! I hurry and start on my chores, mucking out stalls, feeding the horses, and grooming a few, although luckily the farmhands have already done more than their share of the work. The excitement of the festival gives me motivation, and I move quickly. 

After awhile, I take a break and sit down on one of the shiny wrought iron benches outside the barn. And I see a figure crest the hill above me. Orion if I had to bet. A few steps closer, and I see that I'm right. 

"Ey! Rowan!" He calls.

I smile and race toward the hill.  

We meet somewhere between the bottom of the hill and where it starts to slope up.  

"Thought you might need some help with the chores today," he says. 

I chuckle. "Sure do. I have most of 'em done, but you're welcome to muck out the last five stalls with me." I grin. 

I hand him an extra shovel and we go into the barn. 

"I completely forgot that tonight was the Festival!" Orion says. 

"So did I," I reply. "Ask anyone to the folk dance?" 

He grins. "Winona." 

"Ha, I knew it. How'd that go?"

"She accepted. You ask anybody?"

"No, not yet. My mother thinks I should ask Sera."

He laughs. "Oh, you should!"

I roll my eyes. "I would never get my nerve up."

Winona~

The the bell of the shop door chimes, signaling someone had entered.

"I'll get it," I say, getting up from the work table and walking towards the staircase.

I quickly descend towards the first floor and look around for the person who entered.

"Hello, welcome to Philli-"

I stop when I see it's Sera. Smiling widely, I walk towards her with my arms extended.

We hug and I squeeze her tightly.

"I'm sorry to hear about your dad," I say.

"It's fine," she replies.

We pull apart and I look at her. Her eyes are flaming and she looks as if she's about to explode.

 "What's wrong--"

 "You will not believe what just happened." She says. "Rowan is going to ask Malory Pitts to the festival.

 I step back in astonishment.

 "What??! I thought you two were, you know, almost a thing!"

 "I thought so too!!" She says, then begins pacing up and down the aisles. "But as soon as he heard that someone else asked me first he has to go and try and be stupid and ask her of all people!"

  Seeing my confused look, see elaborates.

"I was asked a couple of days ago by Jolius Charmre, a son of one of father's friends. He's quite nice and not bad looking, and I decided to be polite. After all, nobody had asked me yet and I didn't think Rowan would."

I nod, figuring this was one of these things where the best thing to do is just listen.

"And it's Rowan's own fault, right? If he wanted to ask me he should have done it!!! He has no right to go and ask Malory just because he was too slow!!"

She turns around and faces me, and I can imagine steam coming out of her ears.

"I completely understand," I say. "It's  his own fault. Guys are just like that sometimes"

Sera scoffs.

"So let's show him his mistake by making you the prettiest girl at the festival," I say, pushing her towards the staircase. "Not that I'll need to do much as you are already flipping gorgeous."

She laughs and meekly let's me lead her up the stairs. 

Sera~

I laugh as we head upstairs to her loft area where she mends clothes and creates them. She also has a small part sectioned off for trying on clothes, and I smile at the way she’s decorated the old apartment. Colourful ribbons stream across the windows, with a couple moon themed decorations for the festival. 

“Alright!” she declares, and I turn from my observations. 

“What’s this about?” Eloise asks amusedly. 

“Operation ‘make a guy jealous’ is what this is about,” Winona replies matter-of-factly. 

Eloise rolls her eyes. “I’ve heard this one before.”

I laugh at this. “Ah yes.” I then turn to Winona. “At least you have the date you wanted, although I don’t see what you see in my brother.”

Winona blushes and shoved me playfully. “He’s nicer than you.”

Eloise snorts and Winona turns to a wardrobe, looking through the closet. 

“Ooh, that purple one would be pretty,” Eloise says. 

“What?” Winona exclaims. “But her eyes are green and her hair is red! Purple wouldn’t match at all-“

“Not on her, dumbie,” Eloise interrupts. “On you.”

“Oh,” Winona says quietly. “I guess you may be right. I don’t know. Sera?”

She holds it up to herself and I smile excitedly. “Ooh, try it on!”

Within a few moments, she has the dress on, and Eloise and I gasp. 

“Winona, you look gorgeous!” I whisper. 

“Not fair!” Eloise in turn exclaims. “I could never pull that dress off!”

(I’m leaving the description up to you Sprocket, and you can change the colour if you want, because you should write it how you envision it as it is your charrie after all :)

Winona laughs out loud and twirls in the dress. “So it’s a keeper?”

“Yes!” we both say at the same time. 

“Good,” Winona giggles. “Eloise, you’ll help me with hair later?”

“I suppose,” Eloise grumbles lightheartedly. 

“Good,” Winona repeats. Then she turns to me and clasps her hands together. “Now for my next victim!”

After sorting through different dresses, either too green, not blue enough, or downright not anything enough, Winona finally pulls one out and jumps slightly. 

“Go, try this on,” she says, shooing me into the dressing room. 

“Yes ma’am,” I reply, taking the dress delicately by the hanger and heading back. Once I’ve tried it on, I walk out and am met with wide eyed stares. 

Finally the silence breaks. 

“Sera,” Winona begins. “If you do not where that dress tonight I will stick you with a sewing needle.”

“And those hurt,” Eloise adds, grimacing as she looks down at a spot on her arm. 

“You bet,” Winona grins. 

“So, it’s fine?” I ask hesitantly. 

“Fine?!” Winona shouts. “See for yourself!”

I step to the side and look in the mirror. I gasp. The dress is beautiful. It’s emerald green, the closest shade to my eyes, and falls right at the knees. The skirt is slightly puffy but also flowy, with sliver embroidery along the hem. The top also has silver embroidery along the neck line, and the rest of it is fairy simple but elegant. 

“You guys are going to steal the show,” Eloise comments. “Good thing you’re wearing more modern clothing too. The medieval clothing from last time was awful and most vowed to never do that again.”

Winona and I laugh. We don’t talk about the last moon festival, but let’s just say it ended in flames. Literally. 

“Hair,” Winona declares, and Eloise raises an eyebrow. 

“Don’t get used to me following your commands, Winona dear.”

“Of course not, eldest sister,” Winona replies with a small laugh. 

Winona’s hair is left down with the top half braided intricately, and mine is put into a low braided bun. 

“Oh!” I remember suddenly. I turn to Winona. “Do you think that we can go get the pastries I made for the festival?”

“When did you have time to make those?” she laughs. 

“A couple days ago,” I admit. “They’re moon shaped tarts.”

“Count me in!” Winona says. “I call first pick.”

I nod and smile. “Alright.”

We thank Eloise and walk out of the shop, arm in arm, ready for the festival.