[spookies] A Night at the Lunisolar Festival

With colorful lights illuminating the bustling village below, symprites’ laughter resonating through the red night and the air was heavy with the smell of delicious cuisine the Lunisolar Festival was in full flow and beautiful. The two mischievous best friends, Ivanov and Felix, however had other plans tonight. As everyone else celebrated they were busy sneaking out as they did every year.

“We shouldnt be doing this…” Felix whispered to Ivanov, too afraid to speak louder in case they would get caught even though the crowd was definitely muting them down, his voice trembling as he glanced over his shoulder. His capelet was already wrapping around his shoulders, a telltale sign of his growing anxiety.

Ivanov gave one of his famous grins to Felix, the grin that always appeared before they got into something that would bring them trouble, his green eyes twinkling under the red hue of the moon over their head. “That’s why its so fun, man! C’mon dude… You know our spot is better when the moon is like this yeah? Do you seriously wanna waste the red moon in this festival?” he asked with a small pout, his lips then breaking into a smile as he squeezed Felix's hand, “C’moooon~...”

Felix hesitated but the sight of his best friend’s excitement and his smile was always enough to make him follow along. “Fine…” he murmured as he adjusted his glasses on his nose. “But if we get caught its all on you.” he added and held Ivanov's hand back with a faint blue hue on his cheeks and a shy gaze.

With that settled they ventured into the woods together, hand in hand. Their path was dimly lit by the crimson glow of the red moon. Ivanov moved with his usual confident strides, his chonky alligator tail swayed behind him with each step as he led the way for the two of them. Felix followed him closely, his heart pounded in his ribcage with every rustle of leaves or a snap of a twig around them. It made him flinch each time and hold Ivanov's hand tighter.

The path to their spot was familiar yet under the strange light of the red moon it seemed different… the forest around them was breathing, the leaves on the trees shined and ruffled in a way that felt almost alive. The shadows of the teees stretched farther, and the branches loomed taller and taller. Despite the chill that crept up Felix’s spine and accessional nervous tugs on Ivanov’s hand, Ivanov kept pressing on without a second thought, his fangs visible as he put on his iconic confident grin while they walked to their destination.

It wasn’t long before they finally reached to their hangout spot; a small clearing surrounded by trees with two logs fallen in the middle, with a used campfire place between the logs. They had come here countless times before but something about tonight felt different, even to Ivanov. But he pushed it aside. But Felix didn't.

“You feel that?” Felix asked nervously, his voice barely a whisper. His senses were on alarm. His tail shivered and wrapped around his legs slightly, he didn't know if it was the cold or something else, the blue smoke wafting more now from his skin.

“What, the excitement?” Ivanov chuckled dismissively, kneeling down to start the fire. He struck a match on the wood and let the flames grow, their orange glow contrasting the eerie red moonlight. His pupils widened as he took in the sight and warmth of the small campfire.

Felix shook his head and fixed his glasses despite them not needing a fix, it was a nervous habit. “No… it’s just… something feels very off here.” he murmured His white eyes scanned the trees around them, his capelet getting ready to wrap around his shoulders again.

Ivanov shrugged, waving off Felix's concerns. “You’re just scared because it’s a spooky night.” he said with a roll of his eyes. He threw a few more sticks into the fire to feed it, the flames crackling warmly. “You know what would be nice? Ghost stories!” he said with a snicker and got up from tge ground, dusting his hands off.

Felix sighed, knowing Ivanov wasn’t going to take him seriously even if he pressed on. He pulled his capelet tighter around his body, watching as Ivanov’s green eyes sparkled with mischievous intent. He tensed at the mention of a ghost story, Ivanov always told the most scary stories. Maybe he was just naive… but again, he was already scared enough right now.

“Alright, listen up dude,” Ivanov said before Felix could reject the idea. He leaned forward towards Felix with his claws on his hips, his voice was low and serious. “I’ve got a story that’s going to make you wish we stayed at the festival.” he purred with narrowed eyes, his large fangs adorning an another grin.

Felix groaned. “Do we have to do this?” he asked and sat on the log in front of the camp fire, at least trying to warm up in this cold and scary night. “Of course we have to!” Ivanov replied immediately, completely undeterred by Felix's reluctance. “You’ll love it. Trust me.” he hummed and sat across Felix with a swish of his tail, it comfortably curling around his hooves.

Felix sighed, already starting to regret sneaking out into the woods. Ivanov on the other hand looked like he was in his element, his green eyes gleaming in the firelight as he prepared to tell his tale.

“Once, long ago,” Ivanov began, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper to add ambiance, “there was a symprite who lived deep in these very woods. He was just like us, a curious, adventurous bappy who always sneaking away from the village.”

Felix’s brow furrowed, his interest piqued despite his apprehension. He shifted slightly on the uncomfortable log, leaning closer to the fire for warmth and to hear Ivanov better. His glasses shined with the flames as he couldn't help but focus on the story.

“But one night during the Lunisolar Festival,” Ivanov continued, “under the red moon something happened. Something terrible and horrible!” he said, claws shooting up in the air for effect.

Felix swallowed hard, already regretting his curiosity. “What…What happened?” he asked, his ears strained towards the back of his head. He had a feeling Ivanov's next part of the story was definitely going to get into his nightmares.

Ivanov’s green eyes sparkled again as he sensed Felix getting tense, he leaned in closer, his voice low like he was telling a secret. “The symprite heard a noise, a strange, low growl coming from the trees. He thought maybe it was just a wolf, perhaps lost or wandering too close to the village.”

Felix shivered, pulling his capelet even tighter. “Wolves- wolves don’t usually come close to villages…” he murmured.

Ivanov nodded, his voice steady. “Exactly. But this wolf wasn’t just any wolf. It was… different. Larger, more dangerous. And it was hunting.”

Felix’s heart raced as he listened, his eyes wide behind his glasses. “H-Hunting what?”

Ivanov smirked, pleased to see Felix getting nervous. “Anything it could find. But that night, it found the bappy. He tried to run, but it was too late. The wolf chased him deeper into the woods, cornering him near a creek.”

Felix winced, already imagining the worst. “A-And then what happened?” he dared to ask.

Ivanov’s voice lowered to a near whisper again. “The symprite was never seen again. Some say the wolf got him. Others think the wolf was special… Capable of changing others so he might have transformed into something worse, something darker…”

Felix’s breath caught in his throat at the implications. “D-Darker?”

Ivanov nodded solemnly. “A monster… that roams the woods during the Lunisolar Festival, hunting anyone foolish enough to wander too far, just like he did.”

For a moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire. Felix’s heart pounded in his chest, his eyes darting around the clearing as if expecting to see glowing eyes staring back at him from the trees. “You’re just making that up,” Felix muttered desperately, though his voice was shaky. He regretted coming here so much.

Ivanov smirked, deeply enjoying Felix’s reactions, his tail wagged behind him. “Maybe. But with the red moon out… you never know what could be lurking.” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Felix sighed, trying to shake off the lingering fear. He hated how easily Ivanov could scare him. Every year, without fail. Just as Felix was about to say something, a low, guttural growl echoed from the trees.

Felix froze. “Did you hear that?” he asked, head frantically turning around.

Ivanov frowned, his playful grin fading. “Yeah… I did.” He didn't want to admit but he got scared by the noise as well.

Another growl, louder this time, sent a shiver down Felix’s spine. His white eyes widened in terror as he instinctively wrapped his capelet around himself tighter. “I-Ivanov… that doesn’t sound like-”

“I know,” Ivanov muttered, his bravado suddenly gone. He stood up, his crocodile tail still behind him as he scanned the dark woods. “We need to get out of here. Now.” Felix didn’t need to be told twice. He scrambled to his feet, his heart racing. Then the growling grew louder, closer.

The two bappies stood frozen for a moment, unsure which direction to run. The sound of something moving through the trees, snapping branches and crunching leaves underfoot, sent them into a panic. “Ivanov!” Felix cried, gripping his friend’s arm. “What is that?”

“I think it’s… the monster.” Ivanov whispered, his voice barely audible. The monster? Was it real? Felix’s mind raced with terror. What could they even do! The growling intensified then and suddenly a massive shadow loomed just beyond the tree line.

“Run!” Ivanov yelled.

Felix didn’t need any more convincing. The two bappies sprinted through the woods, their tails whipping behind them as they dodged branches and jumped over roots with panic. The sound of the monster, or whatever was following them, crashing through the forest behind them was deafening, but Felix and Ivanov didn’t dare look back. They ran and ran until the forest was nothing but a bundle of trees in the horizon… They were definitely going to do this again next year.