The Woe of a Sister

     This caught Tessa's attention. "Any wish?" she repeated.

     "Anything at all! That kid Bruno drank some and now he's so much more handsome! Everyone in town is going crazy for this stuff!"

     Tessaract dropped her book. "Did you buy any? Before they sold out?"

     Her sister smiled her cheeky smile. "Well, I didn't exactly buy it, but I got some. I even got you a bottle." She waved the second bottle in Tessa's face. "What a good big sister I am."

     Tessa tried to snatch the bottle. "You hardly deserve that title, Nellvette. You surely don't act like a big sister, stealing things, getting into trouble. I'm more like an older sister."

     "Well, then you should have been born first," Nellvette taunted. "Do you want it or not?" Tessa nodded and Nellvette handed her the bottle. "What are you going to wish for?"

     "Did you make your wish yet, Nellie?"

     "Not yet, but I'm going to wish to be even better at stealing things." Nellvette's eyes lit up at the thoughts of all the riches she could own with this new power.

     Tessa sighed. She hated her sister's love of thievery, especially because her favourite target was Tessa. In her books, sisters were good to each other. Pets were much nicer to each other in her books, she thought. Except the villains, but they were always defeated. Life was better in her books. "I wish my life was more like one of my books." And with that Tessa downed the bottle.

     Immediately after making her wish, Tessa left Nellvette alone, off to look for adventure. As much as Nell liked to tease her little sister, Tessa's words about her lack of responsibility had upset her. Uncapping her bottle, she whispered her wish and drank down the potion.

     Tessa had barely set foot outside her house when she began to notice the difference. She felt compelled, in a way she never had. As if fate were drawing her somewhere, towards the river. As Tessa walked along the bank, she became lost in thought about the possibilities her wish might bring. An adventure to find a treasure? A world of magic? A triumphant battle? She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the curve of the river until it was too late. Tessa felt as is time had frozen for a second as her foot caught and she lurched forward towards the cold rushing water below her.

     Out of nowhere, a hand caught Tessa's arm, catching her before she hit the river.

     "Oh my, I'm so sorry," she stammered as she looked up into the eyes of a beautiful shadow Blumaroo with long dark hair.

     "It's no trouble." The mysterious Blumaroo smiled as he helped Tessa back up to the safety of the river. "I couldn't let you ruin your beautiful dress. I'm Ruhne, by the way."

     "Tessaract," she replied, blushing, as he pulled her up. "But most pets just call me Tessa."

     Ruhne was the nicest pet Tessa had ever met. Tessa invited him to her house, where he met Nellvette. Nellvette was not a fan of Ruhne. She worried about how Tessa could meet someone so perfect so easily. It was because of this that Nell stole Ruhne's journal. As Tessa and Ruhne chatted in the living room, Nell intended to find out all of Ruhne's secrets, only to discover the journal was empty, entirely empty, except for his name in the front cover and the bookmark lying on the current day's date.

     Over the next few days, Ruhne and Tessa continued to cross paths almost anywhere they went. Nellvette grew more and more worried, especially as it seemed Tessa was losing control of her actions. She would put herself into situations she would normally never attempt. She began to seek out danger, though she was never badly harmed; Luckily, Ruhne had managed to show up just in time to save her every time. Nellvette began following Tessa wherever she went, watching her in case she got into trouble. Tessa began to grow tired of her constant supervision, but Nellvette only continued, unable to shake the feeling that something awful would happen to her sister if she stopped watching.

     Nellvette tried to win her sister back from Ruhne. She started giving Tessa presents that she stole from others. At first it was only a small toy or a treat, but when Tessa turned those away, Nellvette began to take even more expensive things. She gave Tessa books, more expensive food, clothes, jewellery, but Tessa turned them all down. No matter what Nell tried to give her sister, she wouldn't take it.

     Tessa became more upset with her sister with every gift. She had never liked Nellvette's pickpocketing habits, but ever since the potions, she seemed to have lost control of herself. Tessa didn't approve of the wish Nellvette had made. Their house was filled with stolen items. Nellvette didn't even use them. She was just filling the house with trinkets for the sake of stealing, it seemed.

     Tessa voiced her concerns to Ruhne, who she had been growing closer to. He seemed concerned but offered up no suggestions. Still, even just being in his presence was a comfort. Tess couldn't believe they hadn't met sooner, as they seemed as if they were made to for each other. Their friendship grew easily. Tessa told Ruhne stories from her books and Ruhne showed Tessa all the instruments he could play.

     Nellvette's worry about Tessa's behaviour did not ease. Tess was once a timid girl who shied away from anything that could get her in trouble. Nellvette could see her sister losing control of her actions. At times there were entire periods in which Tessa seemed to have no control at all.

     The days continued to pass and the townsfolk mutated. What had once brought everyone joy became an evil curse. The pets turned first against the mysterious Krawk, then towards the first family to fall for his bait, until finally they began to turn on each other.

     As the danger grew, Nellvette hid herself within her house. The insanity of the townsfolk made her fear for her safety, but more importantly for Tessa's. She tried to keep her sister inside, but Tessa's free will had diminished even more and she became almost a zombie, not making her own decisions, trying to obey an unseen force. Nellvette grew terrified for Tessa's safety. She barricaded the windows, padded the walls and locked her sister in her room where she could not find danger. The townsfolk grew rowdier.

     Ever since Nellvette had locked her sister up, Ruhne had been trying to visit. He seemed to have no other place to go, and would knock on the door every hour. Nell continued to turn him away, until the day he delivered the news that the mayor was summoning the spirit of slumber. The idea of such a powerful being so close to her sister terrified Nellvette. Ruhne had the same concern. Though she still questioned the Blumaroo's presence, she had grown to realise that he cared for her sister as much as she did. This didn't quell her fears, however, and she hatched a plan to get her sister out of town before the spirit was summoned.

     Nellvette intended to escape into the haunted woods before the summoning took place. She snuck around town to steal supplies without raising suspicions. Bread from the baker, cloaks from the tailors, water from her neighbours. Nellvette barely had to try with the thievery, everyone in town was so affected by the curse it was no trouble at all to take things without arising suspicion. Nellvette took more than she even thought she could carry, although she couldn't figure out why.

     That night, Nellvette gathered her supplies and set out for the town border with her sister. She snuck Tess out the back door to avoid a confrontation with Ruhne, through a neighbour's yard and onto back alleys. Nellvette had planned for a simple trip, but forgot to account for Tessa's actions, which were still being dictated by the curse. As they passed the bridge leading to the town square, Tessa's desperation to seek out to seek out danger took over, and she tried to head for the summoning. She thrashed in Nellvette's arms and kicked out at her. The potion had given her a remarkable strength that Nellvette had little chance of fighting. Tessa broke free and made her way towards the town square. Nellvette could hear the chanting begin, as the townsfolk began the summoning. Desperate to save Tessa, she began yanking at Tessa's waist, trying to pick her up and drag her out of town and to safety. Tessa kept clawing her way along the ground, obeying what the curse was whispering in her head. Nellvette's grip slipped, and with a twist Tessa escaped from her arms. In desperation, Nellvette gripped the railing surrounding the bridge to anchor herself against Tessa's efforts as she caught hold of the end of Tessa's tail. At that moment, Tessa threw her head back in a blood curdling scream.

     Nellvette fell back as she looked at Tessa, who was staring a shadowy figure who had appeared in the town square, towering above the townsfolk. The Spirit of Slumber.

     Nellvette heard the spirit talking, but not what it was saying. He breathed out a smoke across the entire town. When the smoke lifted, Nellvette felt herself stand up. She remembered that she was doing something important, but couldn't for the life of her remember what it was. Her sister stood nearby, with a blank look on her face. Tess began to move towards the square. Nellvette didn't know what it was, but she felt compelled to follow her there. Tess continued to drift around town for the rest of the night, with Nellvette close behind, neither really knowing what they were doing, or why. As the sun rose, they returned to the bridge where they had woken up, and once again returned to sleep.

     It continued like this for many days, though Nellvette felt like she slept for a year each time she layed down. However, there was nothing she could do and she couldn't remember why, so they continued in their pattern.

     Until one day.

     They rose. They began to wander the town, Nellvette vaguely registered a young Usul in a red hood.

     Nellvette began to feel herself change. Her body felt more solid than it had felt in ages. Her memories came flooding back, the potions, the riots, her sister's descent into madness... Her sister!

     Nellvette looked up to see Tessaract standing before her, the familiar old gleam in her eyes. Her heart soared, but as she moved to take a step forward, the recognition in Tessa's eyes faded and the blank, zombie-like girl was back. The fear returned. Tess wasn't safe. She needed to be protected. She needed to be hidden. Nellvette knew she couldn't restrain Tessa on her own. She needed help, and there was only one pet she could think of to help her.

     Nellvette hadn't seen Ruhne since before she had tried to escape. She hadn't even seen him wandering the town with the rest of the townsfolk at night. Nellvette tried calling for Ruhne. She tried to ask if anyone had seen him, but everyone in the town were still mutants, and ignored Nell's cries. Trying to remember where Ruhne would often appear proved no easy task. Racking her brains, she tried to find a pattern across all those times he would show up out of the blue... he was there to push Tess out of the way of a falling statue down their street, to stop her being trampled by the rioting townsfolk, rescue her from the fires set in the town square, even when they met Ruhne had saved Tessa from falling into the river. Ruhne didn't show up because of the location, he showed up when Tessa was in danger!

     Nellvette knew she had only one chance to find Ruhne. She had to expose her sister to a risky situation. Looking around in desperation, her eyes fell on the banks of the very same river where Tessa had first met Ruhne. Mustering all her strength and hoping against hope that she was right, she gave Tessa an almighty shove over the edge of the bridge and into the rapids below.

     As if he had materialised at that moment, Ruhne's hand caught Tessa's before the hit the water. Nellvette hurried over to help him pull Tessa back over the railings.

     "What is wrong with you, Nellvette?" Ruhne turned on Nell. "You just pushed your sister off a bridge! Why would you do that?"

     "I needed to find you, Ruhne. I knew if I put Tessa in danger-"

     "What could you need my help for?" Ruhne retorted, still furious at Nellvette for her actions.

     "Please help me, Ruhne. I need to keep Tessa safe," Nellvette whispered. "I can't do it alone. I need your help. Please."

     Together, Ruhne and Nellvette managed to restrain Tessa with a rope from Nellvette's supplies. Once she had been tied up, Nellvette stole a pull along toy from a nearby house, which proved useful in transporting Tessa back to their house. Ruhne tried to argue that Tessa shouldn't be returned to the barricaded bedroom, but Nellvette locked her up again regardless. Tessa pounded on the door, trying to escape back to the dangerous outside. It took all Nellvette had not to let her out. This time, however, she allowed Ruhne to sit in the hall outside, and together they tried to make sense of what had happened to Neovia.

     Nell found it confusing that Ruhne had not been affected by the curse. On some level she knew that even though her appearance had not changed, her behaviour was out of control. Ruhne, on the other hand, seemed perfectly normal.

     "Ruhne, what was your wish? When you drank the potion?"

     Ruhne looked uncomfortable. "I didn't make one. I didn't get any potion."

     Though she was still suspicious, Nellvette didn't ask any more questions.

     They didn't speak again for the rest of the night.

     As dawn broke, the Nellvette woke from uncomfortable sleep on the floor to the sounds of joy in the town. She opened a window, and could hear that the townsfolk were celebrating, and many seemed to have returned to their original selves. Leaning out, Nell was able to make out what was being said. Excitedly she rushed back to Ruhne.

     "Ruhne, there's a cure! It's in the well, we can lift the curse! We can save Tessa!"

     Ruhne was up and unlocking the door before Nell had finished her sentence.

     With Tessa between them, the two pets carried her to the town centre. Many of the townsfolk had already cured themselves with the water of the well, and had since left the town centre. Ruhne sat Tessa by a wall and unwrapped her bindings while Nellvette fetched the antidote. She handed her sister a cup of the well water and with Ruhne's help the two sisters drank together.

     Nellvette watched her sister as Tessa's eyes returned from their glassy state. The joy in them quickly evaporated, however, when she turned to look at Ruhne. Nellvette watched in horror as Ruhne's skin slowly began to fade.

     "Ruhne! What's happening to you?" squealed Tessa as she gripped his hand.

     "I didn't want to tell you, Tessa." The shadow Blumaroo looked away. "I... I didn't exist before you made your wish. I am a character in your story. Now that the curse is broken, I'm going to disappear."

     "No! You can't, Ruhne! You're my best friend! Why did you let me drink to potion if you knew this would happen?"

     "I couldn't watch you in that cursed state, Tessa. You need to be free, even if that means I can't exist."

     Tears filled Tessa's eyes as she watched the best friend she'd ever had gradually vanishing, with nothing she could do. His skin was entirely gone, and his bones were losing their colour. Without warning, Nellvette grabbed Ruhne's free hand.

     "Ruhne, take my body. You must still have some magic left in you, from the curse. Take my bones and you can live."

     "Are you sure, Nellvette?" Ruhne asked, his face almost invisible.

     "Positive. You're better for Tessa than I am. Please do this." She held harder to his hand. With a nod, Ruhne closed his eyes and let go of Tessa so both of his skeletal hands were on Nellvette's. Colour began to seep from Nellvette back into him.

     "Nellie, what are you doing?" cried Tessa as she watched her sister disappearing.

     The see-through Usul turn to look at her sister. "I'm trying to finally live up to my wish." At the sight of the confusion in Tessa's eyes, she continued. "I know you thought I wished to be a better thief, Tess. But I really wished to be a better sister to you. I've only ever wanted to deserve you as a sister."

      Ruhne was almost completely solid now. His bones had reformed, all that was left to return was the colour of his skin. Nellvette closed her eyes and prepared for the end, but it didn't come.

     When she opened them again, Ruhne was sitting before her, his skin transparent so that his bones were visible. "I couldn't take all of you, Nellvette. Tessa would lose the one pet who cared more about her than anyone else in Neopia. I can live as a skeleton for that."

     "You're the best sister I could ask for Nellie," said Tessa. She leaned forward to hug her sister, but all that was left of her was a ghost. All three pets were silent for a second, until Nellvette cracked a smile.

     "Just think how much easier I can get away with stealing now." With a wink at the other two, Nellvette stood up and the three pets returned home together.

The End