"Wake up sleepyhead!"

"Wake up birthday girl!"

I slowly open my eyes to the voices of my best friends. Cain's red hair and sharp, bright, deep red eyes appear first, glowing in the morning light. Abel's green hair appears next to him as I slide my gaze back and forth, his soft, calm, green eyes watching me intently with his slight smile.

After gazing around for a bit, their words sink in and a smile slides onto my lips. Today is my birthday and my friends have come to wake me. I slowly sit up, slightly chuckling to myself. Papa, what have I told you about letting them up here without me knowing?

"Well, Kit Kat?"

"Hurry up, Kitty Kat! Race you downstairs!"

"H—Huh? H—Hey wait!"

Before I finish my sentence, I spin around and find them giggling as they rush out my bedroom doorway calling behind them, "Better hurry! It's a huge surprise!"

A huge surprise? What are they planning this time? I slide from bed and fumble around my room to my favorite clothes laying haphazardly on my chair.

Last year, they did something similar and lead me on a goose chase to their surprises, a treasure hunt so to speak, or maybe hide and seek. I can't help but smile as I push through my doorway and look down the stairs before I start to head that way. I catch a glance of colorful decorations in the kitchen and I hear faint giggling as I begin to slowly edge closer to the top of the stairs.

I take one step down. Silence.

I move my other foot down on the next step. Still nothing.

My heart speeds up as I decide to just book it and rush down the rest of the stairs. I find myself looking up at a huge cake on the kitchen table, red and black to match my hair, tons of streamers hanging from the table and ceiling and confetti all over the floor. As I slowly move my gaze around the room, I notice more and more.

Then my gaze lands on Papa. He proudly stands there with his casual home lounging outfit on. It is strange to see him not in his armor anymore since he retired from being a Royal Lance Knight that served the King. His beard is becoming prickly now and his dark hair is now visible and no longer hidden beneath his helmet.

"Speechless I see," He chuckles at me as my smile widens.

"You didn't have to do all of th—"

Cain reaches towards me with his smirk on his face, grabs my hand, pulls me up to the table next to them and laughs at me as my gaze is locked with Papa's, "Come on over here, Kitty Kat. You are slow today!"

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Or should I say, good afternoon. Just like my daughter to sleep in on her special day. These boys worked hard all morning on this, so you could enjoy yourself today,"

Papa smiles warmly at me, "Now have fun, sweetheart,"

I slide my gaze over to Cain and his smirk widens while he crosses his arms over his chest. Abel next to him smiles warmly, matching Papa's, and places his hands on his hips. They are in their practice armor again today. Cain in his bright red, glistening armor over his chest and shoulders while Abel is in his matching green set. They are so close you would think they are brothers. They are always together.

I smirk back at them and place my fists on my hips, "Oh really," my voice comes out sassy for a second.

A genuine smile replaces my smirk, "You guys are the best. I love it, thank you,"

"Heh, no need to thank me, Kitty Kat," Cain reaches to the table and places a tiara on my head that says Kit Kat on it in red letters.

I reach up and touch it with my fingers and my mouth makes an 'o', "Oh, did you make this? For me?"

Abel grunts playfully behind him, "Weeeell, he had a tad bit of help from me, but yes. It was his idea, Kit Kat. You like it, yeah?"

I slide my gaze over to his, "O—Of course I do! It's so pretty... thank you,"

Cain grabs my hand again, tugs on it and lets go, "Come on, race you to the field, Kitty Kat! Let's go, Abel!"

"H—Huh? Hey!" I glance to Papa and he nods me off as I smile and turn to follow Cain and Abel out the door. I chase them all the way to the far side of the village past the wooden fence. They stop in the middle of the field and turn around to wait for me. I smirk as them as I approach before glancing around the field.

I don't see anything unusual around, so I wonder what they are planning. I stop when I get near them and they turn to each other before nodding, "After you, Kit Kat,"

They step apart and motion for me to continue in the direction behind them. I glance to them before slowly moving towards that part of the field and that's when I see movement from behind the tall grass and trees.

"Ah, there she is, Kitty Kat! We have been waiting to show her to you for hours now!"

My eyes widen, and my mouth opens as a beautiful black horse appears slowly from behind the trees. She turns to me and shakes her snout, then keeps watching me, "We know how much you have always wanted to ride a horse, Kit Kat,"

"Wow... but where did you get one?"

Cain chuckles, "Well, your father still has some tricks up his sleeve. Go on. She loves when you pet her mane,"

The horse lets me approach her and she pushes her snout into my hand when I raise it up to her, "She's beautiful," I whisper.

"Have a ride, Kit Kat!"

I glance back at them and they both smile at me as I eagerly start to climb up onto her back. I did not expect any of this. How did Papa get a horse to stay in the field like this? How did he even get one? These are rare around this area of the kingdom.

When I settle on her back, she starts to trot slowly, and I almost lose balance, "W—Whoa!"

I hear Cain and Abel chuckle behind me and call out to me as she speeds up into a simple gallop through the field. I have dreamed of riding a horse like this forever. I take in the scenery through the fields I play in everyday with Cain and Abel as I listen to the rhythm of her gallop. She takes me around the field and wades through the trees multiple times, taking me by Cain and Abel every time.

They smile wide at me and wave as I pass them each time. I should feel embarrassed from my huge smile on my face but somehow, I don't care. I feel nothing but happiness at this moment and I want to enjoy this day.

I will never forget this moment.

~~~

"Hey, Kitty Kat, that star cluster is shaped like a bunny,"

Cain points to the starry sky from next to me on the soft grass in the center of the field. I giggle, reach up, take his hand and point it to another cluster to our left, "Yeah... and that one looks like a kitty!"

"Aw, I see it. It's cute," Abel calls from my left.

"Yeah, I do see it too. Reminds me of you, Kitty Kat,"

I release his hand and he lowers it, "Because my name is Kat?"

"One of the reasons..."

We lay in silence, enjoying the silent night in each other's company for a long time. I try to hide my yawning, but I fail, and I hear chuckles from the both of them.

"Come on Kitty Kat, let's take you home,"

I don't refuse as they pull me up from the grass and walk me home. When I enter the door, they wave, turn and hurry off. Probably to practice their weaponry. They probably think I don't know that's what they do at night. But I can't help but watch them.

I hate thinking thoughts that they will leave town for some reason because of their abilities with these weapons. The same reason Papa left when he joined the Royal Lance Knights.

I shake the thoughts away and approach my back window to my back yard. They live back there and that is where they practice together, under the tall tree. Cain uses a sword and Abel uses a lance, similar to Papa's lance, just not as fancy.

"You're always so fast,"

"Well you're always so strong!"

I chuckle to myself while I listen to their playful bickering as they exchange blows. Soft echoes of wooden tools against wooden tools flow through the quiet town as the moon slowly rises in the background.

Those sounds always lull me to sleep. But this time, before I do fall asleep, I hear them say something else.

"Hey Cain, you sure did make Kit Kat happy today,"

"Yeah. But you did too, Abel. Couldn't have done it without you,"

"Nah, you don't need me to make her happy, bro,"

Cain...

Abel...

Please never change. You guys are the best friends I could ever ask for.

A smile creeps up on me as dreamland takes me away.