Falling into the Pot - Edna's Story: Part One

      My mother and father were standing outside the tent of a Neopian Seer. They decided to step inside for a bit from the cold. It was the month of Celebrating, or December, so it was very chilly outside. The seer greeted my parents warmly.

      She spoke in a thick accent, from what I've been told. "Ah, me dears!"

      My mother turned around and blinked at the seer. "Hello?"

      "Hullo there, dearie!" the Seer greeted her. "Ah, my aura is pulsing! I can feel a prognostication coming on!"

      "A, erm, what?" Dad asked.

      The Kau seer went rigid and spoke. "Two sisters to be born together. Yet, different as you and me. Make one a... Zafara and the other an Ixi."

      "Pardon me?" Mom asked.

      The seer shook her head. "You need two Neopets. Make an Ixi and a Zafara, please." The seer rolled her eyes.

      "Why?" Dad asked.

      "So unbelieving! Do you have no faith in the Neopian Seers?! Do we deceive you?" the seer asked.

      "Not that I know of, however, we must be going."

      "See you later!" the seer said. My parents left the tent. The seer smirked and lifted up her starry tablecloth. She reached under it and withdrew a notepad. "That's one more Ixi and one more Zafara! I will soon have an invincible army."

      After my parents left the tent they were rather shocked by the prediction. Would it be against Neopian fame and fortune that they did not create a Zafara and Ixi? They decided it would be best to actually make us two pets and take their chances with utter misfortune.

      So my sister, Ophelia, and I were born! She was the Ixi and I was the Zafara. My name was rather unique and much better, if I may say so myself. Edna sounds so much better than Ophelia. It's easier to write on school papers, too!

      We were quite the two young Neopets. Ophelia was adventurous, unlike myself. I preferred to stay inside and read books on potions and witchcraft. I learned much more than her. I always will be the smarter witch.

      One day I was rather pleased with myself. I found a potion to make that would cheer up Ophelia. She was rather depressed since one of her closest friends, Lucy the Lupe, had moved away. All I needed was a few kitchen herbs and the very rare Cheery Flower.

      I walked into the kitchen and grabbed the correct herbs and threw them into my cauldron and watched it turn a murky purple color. Just as planned! It needed to simmer for a half an hour. That should be just the right amount of time for me to go to the Flower Market and get the Cheery Flower.

      I set out straightaway, destined to cheer Ophelia up. Fifteen minutes later, I reached the Flower Market. The normal Kacheek shopkeeper was now replaced by a red Kau. I walked up to her and asked her for the flower.

      Her voice's accent ringed through the tent. "Yes, you may have this wonderful Cheery Flower. Just ten thousand neopoints for it."

      "Ten thousand?! I'd have to go to the bank! May we haggle?" I asked quietly.

      "How about five thousand?" the shopkeeper said.

      "I only have two thousand, ma'am."

      "Fine, take this Cheery Flower." The Kau handed me the flower and greedily grabbed my money. "See you later!"

      I grabbed the flower and looked up at a clock in the center of the town. I had only a few minutes to get back home! If that potion was ruined I would be very mad! I picked up my pace and got home in time, luckily.

      It seemed my flower had gone grey. It wasn't so cheery anymore! It had wilted and I figured out later that the Kau Seer had bewitched it to look like a cheery flower. She had planned everything that was about to unfold.

      I still threw the flower into the pot, reluctantly. It shone the correct color, so I believed I still had done the potion correctly. "Ophelia! Come here, please!" I beckoned my sister to me.

      She sulked out of her bedroom with a droopy look on her face. "What do you want?"

      "I made a potion I need you to test out!" I said cheerily, helping her down the stairs.

      "Oh, what kind of potion, dear?" Ophelia asked.

      "It's a Cheering Potion! Guaranteed to make anyone cheerful, even if they've been depressed for years!" I grinned. By the way, if you stumble upon me with this autobiography in your hands I would be utterly delighted to sell you one of those Cheering Potions for a mere million neopoints.

      "Really? I don't feel like doing that, Eddie." My sister said.

      "Aw, come on! What will it hurt?" I asked, stirring the potion some more.

      "Nothing, really. I just feel like going upstairs and not coming down for a while. Besides, those potions can be harmful." Ophelia turned to walk upstairs again.

      "I'll show you it's not harmful! I'll get in myself if you will come in after me!" I said, smiling at my sister.

      "Okay, sis. You have to get in and stay in for a bit before I'll even put one finger in that concoction!" Ophelia smiled back at me.

      "Okay, sis!" I repeated. I looked down at the pink potion and walked over to the kitchen counter. I grabbed a mask and put it on to protect my face. I walked back to the brew and jumped in.

      It felt superb. I was immediately happy and a grin came all the way across my face. It certainly seemed like the perfect Cheery Potion at the time! I turned tickled pink and my sister, Ophelia, grinned with me.

      "Ooh, that does look nice, Edna!" Ophelia said, peeking into the potion. "I'm going to go get a spare mask." She walked over to the kitchen counter and tried to find another mask. I forgot to buy two, however, so she would not have one.

      "I forgot to get two masks, Ophie! Sorry!" I said, still smiling from the Cheery Potion.

      "Can I borrow yours when you come out?" Ophelia asked.

      "Most certainly! Although I doubt I will ever come out. This is so delightful!" I spoke.

      "It's getting late!" Ophelia said. "Get out so I can get in real quick!"

      "Oh, alright!" I said, begrudgingly watching Ophelia get in. I handed her my mask and decided to go tuck in for the night. I walked up the stairs and waved down at Ophelia.

      "Oh, Eddie! Thank you so much. This certainly is cheering me up." Ophelia smiled and waved me goodbye.

      I opened my bedroom door and set down on my bed. I dozed off into a lovely sleep. I woke up hours later to Ophelia shaking me. I shook my head and spoke. "What is wrong?!" I rubbed my eyes open.

      "Look at your skin, Eddie! It was that dratted potion! You better hope it doesn't happen to me! If it does I'll knock you over, miss!" Ophelia growled at me.

      I didn't understand her. I jumped up and ran to the mirror. Oh no! That Cheery Flower wasn't the real thing. My skin was mutated! I was an ugly pea green color. My Zafara fur had gone awry and was furry and in blotches.

      That Kau was going to get it! I had to run back to the florist and demand an antidote! Would this happen to Ophelia as well? I would soon find out. I watched Ophelia glare at me in the back of the mirror and then it happened.

      Her blue Ixi form changed. Her ears went as floppy as a human dog's. They went down to the bottom of her lips and black spots were forming on them. Her skin then turned a nasty green, just like mine.

      She gasped and lunged forward to sock me. I ran down the stairs and out the door, fated to meet that Kau seer once more before my adulthood. Ophelia at my tail, we bolted off to the florist shop.

      I ran into Neopia Central. Many people were staring at my sister and I. We growled at them and then rushed into the Flower Shop. The Kau was still there. I showed her my skin and demanded an antidote. She wasn't so agreeing.

      "You bought this changing Cheery Flower. Dat was ze risk you took," she said, her accent making her words sounds odd.

      "Give me an antidote NOW!" I bellowed. "You WITCH!"

      She smirked at me and put a hand to my mouth. "No, my dear. It is your sister and yourself who will be the witches. I am just a lonely Neopian Seer. Come with me, I will show you the way out."

      She grabbed some rope and bound my sister and I and put tape over our mouths. "The adventure is just beginning, my pretties!" She cackled and stuffed us in her trunk.

To be continued...