Chapter 247 First Halloween [BONUS CHAPTER]

– POV General –

It was lunchtime, as usual, the Imperial family was eating in the private flower garden even though autumn had finally arrived in Elysium. The trees and bushes were covered with a thick layer of dead leaves, some had lost their foliage completely, while others were still losing it. The air was crisp and the falling leaves tinged the Empire's landscape with fiery reds, oranges and yellows

The air was cold and crisp, but the sun was warm enough for the Empress and her family to sit outside without shivering. The air smelled fresh and crisp, like the first snow but the birds were singing happily outside bringing something unique. The breeze carried the smell of burning wood smoke mixed with the smell of damp earth, grass and the sweet musky smell of autumn.

To make a long story short, Freya and the others were still enjoying the relatively good weather outside before having to return to the manor for the winter. The sun was shining high in the sky, its rays brighter and warmer than it had been since autumn began. It felt almost as if spring was on the way. The whole family was together and the topic of the day was of course this very famous event on earth that the Empress wanted to bring back to Elysium.

"So at Anooween the children can dress up and ask for candy at people's houses ? For real real real real ??"

"Halloween my little moon~ I already explained it to you, don't you remember haha~ ? But yes, tonight is the night of children and candy"

"I-...I remember mommy, but it sounds too good to be true...so I wanted to be sure hihihi~"

Shiro, who was hearing for at least the tenth time what Halloween was, still had the same wide open mouth and eyes twinkling with excitement. Above all, she loved it when her mother told her such things, especially when a uniquely themed party was involved. Sitting on Freya's lap, she rocked her little legs while chewing on a piece of apple pie, imagining what the Empire would look like tonight.

The Empress had planned everything, thanks to the family of Elves in charge of information and communication, posters had been put up a week before the big event. So, all the people knew what was going to happen and now hoped that most of them would play the game for fun. The streets were being decorated by volunteer soldiers and those who wished to add their personal touch.

It was a collective effort to cultivate that community spirit while conveying joy and good humor, away from the screams, blood and tears. That's why Freya had explained beforehand what Halloween was all about, much to the delight of the kids and especially her daughter. However, while Shiro was imagining a whole lot of things, Kira, who was eating from three different plates, spoke up with a judgmental look.

"So first it's an old man breaking into your house through the chimney in the middle of the night to bring presents. Very suspicious if you ask me but whatever. And now... you're telling me that children are going to beg at every door in the Empire ?"

"Adults can dress up too, you know ?"

"Still, this is all scary my goodness, I can see why you ended up with the yakuza in your old life pfffhahaha~"

Giggling, the young fox girl bit into a chicken leg while her older sister rolled her eyes at this not so false statement after all. Kalaa was at the end of the table eating a salad, while helping Angel, still mute, to eat his pancakes. The atmosphere was cheerful and it was finally the Queen who raised her voice to ask a question that no one had really thought of until now.

"Anyway, I hope you know what you want to dress up as, sweetheart."

"..."

"You didn't find anything ?"

"W-Well...I-...I thought we could all dress up like the story Mommy tells me sometimes. The story of Little Red Hood in the forest...I-...I really wanted to do the same thing...as a family."

The little white-haired Princess had said these words while touching her two fingers shyly, the red in her cheeks becoming more and more visible. She was to crunch, she was adorable and at this moment nobody could answer, preferring to observe with tenderness the scene. The announcement was all the more surprising as Shiro asked everyone more or less to dress up which some around the table had not anticipated.

"I-It's a no…?"

The adorable girl on her mother's lap turned to look at her with pleading eyes in the hope of getting a positive response. Without saying a word, Freya put her hand on her little head to caress her hair tenderly before placing a kiss on her forehead. Then, raising her head in the direction of Kira, Kalaa and Gaya, a smile appeared on her face along with those of the others, answering the question.

_______

Night had finally arrived and with it the promise of the Empire's first ever Halloween candy hunt. The big Hall was empty as all the employees were off for the event leaving only the Imperial family, waiting to go out. In front of the throne room doors, the Empress dressed in a furry coat was waiting patiently, knowing that any second the others would be there, when suddenly, her little daughter's voice echoed up the stairs.

"Mommyyyyy this is it ! We're ready so please close your eyes !! hihihi~"

Obeying with a small smile, Freya instantly closed her eyes hearing a few seconds later the sound of the little group finally arriving. Then she felt a small hand shyly grabbing her coat and pulling on it indicating that she could finally open them. The little princess was there, carrying a wicker basket and above all covered with a big red hooded cloak that made her ears fall down in a too adorable way.

Behind her, the dragoness had a scarf on her head, a shawl around her shoulders, a wide beige skirt and a white blouse. She was blushing slightly and even seemed to be sulking a little bit, offended to have to play the grandmother of the tale but happy all the same. Next to her, Kira was playing the role of the hunter with a fake mustache, a fake axe, overalls and a red and white checked shirt.

Angel wasn't dressed up because he didn't know what to do and was still too shy to speak, but Kalaa was dressed up as…a tree. All dressed in brown with a red leaf hat on her head and her face smeared with paint the same color as her clothes. In Gaya's arms, Tyle and Altaïs were also in red but they represented without even knowing it, two hunters wearing the same fake mustache as their aunt.

"Well...that's quite a view I have there fufu~"

Almost everyone had played along and Freya couldn't help but want to both laugh to tears and smile happily at all the disguises. She never thought she would ever experience this, but she did, and this disconnect from her old life was anything but unpleasant. As she stood silently watching happily, Kira pulled a small prototype type polaroid camera from her pocket, made by Yuric.

"Wait, let me try this little gem to capture this precious moment hehe~ Let's start with the two mothers and their daughter embodying the big bad wolf, the grandmother and of course the cute Little Red Hood~"

Grabbing Freya's sleeve in turn, the silver-haired fox pulled her to her wife and daughter while Gaya entrusted the twins to Kalaa. With magic, the new camera used the mana in the light and the chemical in the housing to reproduce a perfect picture. Kira was eager to try it and as the three of them positioned themselves, she stopped with a hesitation in her eyes.

"Onee-san, smile a little will you ? Shiro, show me your best smile, my little sugar pancake and you Gaya, it's perfect don't change anything !"

"..."

"Onee-san, try to be a little more of a wolf ? I'll remind you that you want to devour this cute little face right here so...aaaaaaaah there you go perfect, don't move !"

The next moment, a flash of mana erupted from the box as a small sheet of glittering black paper slowly emerged from behind it. Without waiting, Shiro rushed at her aunt making little leaps to try to see what it looked like but Freya didn't move. After the picture, she had turned to look behind her at the large empty hallway of the mansion, squinting her eyes as if there was something there, alerting her wife.

"What's wrong honey ?"

"N-No nothing...I-...I just felt like someone else was standing behind us for the picture hahaha~ like a presence but it's just a stupid feeling don't worry my love~"

Shaking her head, the Empress gently kissed the dragoness' cheek before heading to the large doors of the mansion leading to the exit to open them. Seeing this as the sign of departure, Shiro, Kalaa, Angel and Gaya followed with a smile, eager to discover Halloween. Kira, who was busy shaking the black paper in the air to speed up the process, rushed to them shaking her arms in panic.

"Hey hey hey ! What about the picture ? It's almost finished drying, don't you want to see it onee-san ? And...what about the other pictures with the others ??"

"We'll do them there"

"Eeeeeeeeeeeh!! ??? Ok ok !"

Unfortunately, when the doors opened, a big draft swept through the hall making the picture she had just put in her pocket fly away. The young woman with the three tails hadn't even noticed it though, continuing to run behind the group. As the doors closed leaving the mansion totally empty, the piece of paper was dropped on the floor while the image was slowly appearing.

___________

Elysium was shining brightly, it was night but the city looked like day, thousands of lights illuminating the dark sky with a warm and comforting light. Lanterns hung over the streets, pumpkins were placed everywhere as well as fake monsters. Citizens strolled around dressed up in a variety of costumes, taking advantage of the many stalls everywhere, creating Elysium's second festival.

However, the Imperial family was not among them, or at least not near the center where a broken statue of Titania now stood, but somewhere else. Joined by the bunny girl Lia, they were heading for the Empire's orphanage run by Viana, the fire fox, mother of Commander Naïa. Why ? Simply because it had been decided that they would all participate in the candy hunt with children who had no parents.

"I wonder what Sebastian will be disguised as~"

"Who ?"

Perched on Freya's shoulders, Shiro wrapped in a scarlet cloth making her white hair stand out, was wagging her tail from side to side. Her radiant smile reached her ears and she even hummed a little song far too happy to help herself. At her words, the first to react was the Empress who squinted her eyes waiting for an answer that soon came with far too much gaiety for her liking.

"H-He's a boy in my class that I really like, he's super duper funny, he makes me laugh all the time. He gave me flowers last time and even told me that he would like to marry me later hihihi~"

"..."

"I-...I didn't say yes but since he has very beautiful eyes I'll see hihihi~"

As the little princess finished her sentence, the she-wolf instantly stopped after almost feeling her heart break into pieces. Who was this Sebastian ? Getting married ? With her adorable little moon?  It would be necessary to pass to her on the body for that. Then, after thinking it over, her eyes lit up because she had found a solution. With a very serious look on her face, Freya raised her head to look at her daughter and offered a much simpler solution.

"You said he had beautiful eyes ? Mmmmh....If it's just that, I can gouge his eyes out and soak them in formalin"

"I'm in onee-san !"

Kira by her side who had also frozen earlier as if an arrow had pierced her heart, raised her hand to adhere to this project which she thought would ease the sensation. Both of them were waiting for Shiro's answer with impatience, a dangerous fire burning in their purple eyes. However, before either Gaya or Kalaa had time to react, Lia raising a trembling hand, raised her voice as a bead of sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Y-Your Highness, K-Kira-sama...you...um how to say ahem...y-you are aware that you're talking about a seven year old child right ?"

"Is that making any difference ?"

"Mmmh...apparently yes onee-san"

Shiro, on the other hand, had a finger on her cheek and her head tilted to show that she didn't understand anything at all while Angel had slightly hidden behind his older sister Gaya. A great silence had then appeared during which, all adults judged the Empress and her little sister. The two concerned then hurried to find a compromise, Kira speaking first then followed by Freya who spoke in a slightly colder voice.

"Hahaha don't believe us it was a joke but listen carefully, my little caramel bun. If one day you want to get married, you'll have to find a boy even funnier than me, okay ? Ahem good luck"

"And he'll have to be way much stronger than me and nicer than your mom Gaya and smarter than Kalaa and finally...even cuter than you"

"Mmmmh~ Okay mommy I'll be careful then~!"

The little moon of the Empire naively replied without seeing that her aunt had started to giggle in an ominous way and that an evil smile was born on her mother's face. Both satisfied, they resumed walking while Gaya decided not to say anything this time. However, her dragon instinct told her to watch her wife and especially her psychopathic mother hen side ready to do anything to keep her children close to her.

The orphanage was already in sight and in front of the big white stone building, dozens of children were gathered, all dressed up and smiling. It was hard to believe that several months ago they were on the streets, enslaved or even on the verge of death, those fateful days being in the past. Innocent laughter rose in the sky and in an excess of happiness, suddenly the little white-haired girl began to shout.

"LET ANOOWEEN BEGIN ! Hihihi~"

This evening promised to be unique, magical and filled with the happiness of children, Freya, Gaya, Kira, Shiro, Kalaa, Angel and Lia wearing the same sincere and excited smile. The Empire's first ever Halloween had begun. And as the group finally reached the orphanage, in the empty hall of the Imperial mansion, the picture Kira had taken had finally finished drying. But that...that's a whole other story

Picture taken by Kira ->