The festival of the two moons

The fog was gone.

The creature was gone.

But the fear it left behind still lingered like smoke in the corridors.

To lift the heaviness from the hearts of the people, Queen jingfei declared that the annual festival of the two moons would go on — a tradition held once every eight years. When the day moon and Night moon rose together.

For once the palace gates were opened, lanterns floated above the river. Music spilled into the air. Food carts filled the stone road. Even the coldest ministers smiled.

And the twins?

They were not allowed to attend

Naturally... they did anyway

***

"Hmph.. why won't mother allow us to attend" Yin Shu pouted.

Mo Yao was like " don't know and don't care"

An idea popped on Yin shū's mind.

"Hmm why don't we sneak out?" Yin Shu suggested.

" Are you Crazy? You want us to get caught?" Mo Yao snapped glaring at yin Shu.

" Don't worry, we won't get caught trust me, .."

" We will come back in time before mother or anybody notices" Yin Shu answered.

Mo Yao sighed, there was no way to stop her sister anymore.

" If you say so then you must promise me one thing..."

" What's that?" Yin Shu blinked.

" Keep our identity as princesses a secret. "Mo Yao replied.

"...ok fine" yin Shu sighed.

**

Yin Shu was the mastermind. She woven them both in festival cloaks and half masks.

" We've nearly died twice this week" she said. "We deserve fried sweets"

"Fine" Mo Yao grumbled adjusting her mask.

"But if we are caught I'm blaming you"

"You always do" yin Shu giggled.

Luckily they both sneaked out without anyone noticing.

**

"Whoa" yin Shu gasp in surprise as soon as they entered the village. Both of them have never been outside before.

As yin Shu's eyes beamed with delight, Mo Yao remains cold and unmoved.

"Whoa.. Mo Yao look.. let's go take a look" Yin Shu said as she pointed to a mysterious street performer.

"Hey wait!" Mo Yao followed behind as yin Shu disappeared into the crowd.

"Damn it where is she" Mo Yao gritted her teeth in frustration as she lost sight of yin Shu in the crowd

Mean while

A street acrobat was balancing bare foot on bamboo poles as she tells stories through her movements.

Yin Shu cheered as she tips her.

The woman saw yin Shu and grabs her wrist and — freezes.

"...you are not meant to stay small" she whispers, then vanishes into the crowd.

Yin Shu was taken aback by what had happened, looking around she lost sight of the woman.

"Yin Shu why did you run off like that" Mo Yao scolded

"Oh uh... Sorry" yin Shu said.

"Are you alright?" Mo Yao asked

"Yes...I'm fine .. come on let's move on" yin Shu replied.

As they moved forward. Yin Shu saw a young girl selling fried lotus buns.

Yin Shu pulled Mo Yao towards the buns seller.

Mei hua notices two girls in front of her cart and a warm smile appeared on her lips

She offered both of them fried lotus buns.

" Hello I'm Mei hua ... I believe you guys aren't from this kingdom?" Mei hua asked.

" Actually we are the princ...."

Mo Yao cut yin Shu off.

"Yes! We are..not from this kingdom.. we are just here for the festival" Mo Yao explained.

"Yao... Why would..." Yin Shu was about to speak until Mo Yao glared at her sending shivers down her spine.

"Shut.up." Her tone was low but caries a chilling aura.

Yin Shu then realized and kept her mouth shut.

"Oh.."

"Why are you selling here alone?" Mo Yao asked.

"Oh my siblings are busy with other things so I had to work alone" Mei hua replied.

"Wait you have siblings?" Yin shū's eyes widened.

"Yes I have seven" mei hua replied.

"Whoa ... that's a lot" yin Shu commented.

Mei hua chuckled.

"Nowadays the palace taxes has risen up and it's just too much so we had to do different jobs to earn more money" Mei hua explained

"Oh.."

"We will be taking our leave now" Mo Yao said.

"Yes. Thanks for the buns" yin Shu waved as both of them left.

"You are welcome" Mei hua waved back.

****

The music swelled from the center of the plaza — flutes, and drums and burst of laughter. As yin Shu and Mo Yao wandered through the merchant stalls.

They had just passed a sweets vendor when a loud crash echoed from a nearby alley.

"Careful...!"

A boy in pale scholar's robe stumbled out of a stack of crates, arms full of scrolls, he tripped forward — Yin Shu gasped - and

Mo Yao, without thinking, reached out and caught him by the collar of his robe. The scrolls flew everywhere, one landed in a bowl of noodles.

"I am sorry.... I didn't see the edge..... Why was that cart even there.... Oh no, is that ink on my.... Wait, you saved me, didn't you?" He blinked up at Mo Yao, still halfway in a bow, one scroll wedged in his armpit.

"I...uh... thank you"

Mo Yao raised a brow, deadpan.

" You are welcome, gravity's favorite victim"

Yin Shu tried to hold back her laughter.

"Are you always like this?"

"Only when I'm awake" the boy replied.

The boy stood, straightened his robes, ( they didn't help), and bowed again – formally this time.

"I'm Jin Tan, apprentice to elder wu of the imperial Archive. He sent me here to.... Observe common dialects during the festival trade.... but I think I've just observed my own clumsiness instead"

"I'm Hua " yin Shu lied using her chosen fake names for the night. "And this is my sister Lan" (not keeping a straight face cause she is not used to lying)

Jin Tan adjusted his glasses, studying them more closely now.

"You two don't really seem like regular festival- goers. Your accents are too clean and your shoes aren't muddy"

Mo Yao stepped forward "what else do you 'observe' apprentice?"

He opened his mouth, then thought better of it "Nothing..I mean... I observe... Moon symbolism. And ancient poems. And lantern rituals. Definitely not noble daughters sneaking out of the palace"

"Good" yin Shu smiled sweetly.

"Because that would be a very dangerous thing to say".

"I'm excellent at not saying dangerous things" He replied then accidentally knocked over a fruit basket with his elbow.

**

Before they part ways, Jin Tan picks up one of the fallen scrolls and unrolls it briefly to check for damages. It shows a fragment of ancient poetry, and reads aloud without thinking.

"When light breaks and ink returns, the twin– born fire shall burn, where two moons cross the sky, the silence learns to cry..."

He pauses.

"Odd ... I don't remember reading that one before"

The twins exchange quiet glance.

Jin Tan is left scratching his head and trying to collect his scrolls again as the girls disappear back into the crowd.

***

At the end of the night, the twins sit at the edge of the river, feet dangling in the water. Around them, lanterns float — each carrying a wish.

Yín Shū releases hers first.

"I wished for peace."

Mo yao hesitates.

"What about you?" Yín Shū asks.

"...I didn't make one," she lies.

But her lantern floats anyway — drifting slowly toward the edge of the river where the moonlight touches the surface.

The symbol of a black flower flickers briefly in the flame... and then disappears.