Now You See Me, Now You Don't: Part Three

     "I couldn't see you before," Kipper agreed, "and you scared me to pieces. But that's not the point. I wished I was invisible, and I guess it got granted, because I can't see myself, and I went out and Belinda couldn't see me. Anyway, I guess invisible folk can see each other, but no one else can see them. If you get my drift."

     Marigold laughed for the first time in a long time. "You have such a weird vocabulary full of strange phrases!" She pulled her little brother close and gave him a big hug. "We have an ordeal, though. You shouldn't have wished this. I can't change back." She pushed him away and eyed him suspiciously. "Hey, why did you wish to be invisible?" she asked.

     "I thought you were invisible. I didn't say it though, but I knew it inside of me." Kipper grinned. "Hey, I'm wise!" he exclaimed, making a fist. "Anyhow, what are we going to do then? I'd rather be invisible with you than let you be invisible alone. It must be awful..."

     "It is," Marigold insisted. "Sad, too. I felt so lonely!" Marigold's sad smile was immediately replaced with a frown. "Let's get down to business. What are we going to do about Belinda?" she asked. "We can't keep living with her and going on like this - it's miserable! Too bad we can't tell The Neopets Team and have them do something of it. There should be a rule that if we're not fed in ten days we get immediately taken away from our bad owner!" Marigold declared.

     "I guess so," Kipper said. "But we need to think of something foolproof, like-"

     Kipper's idea was interrupted by a loud crack, sounding like it came from the front door of the living room. "Belinda!" Marigold rasped. Sure enough, Belinda erupted into the room they were both in. She seemed full of rage and anger. She was wet and had twigs sticking out of her hair.

     Kipper almost screamed but Marigold quickly clapped a hoof over his mouth. "She can't see us, remember?" Marigold hissed in his ear. But as Belinda began edging towards the two Moehog "children" she had, Marigold yanked Kipper up and ran away, dashing out of the room and leaving Belinda in the dust. Marigold dragged her little brother all the way outside.

     "Now then, what were you saying?" Marigold asked in her normal voice. "I need a good plan, and I need it now. We have to make it work, today!" Marigold insisted.

     "It's almost dark," Kipper protested. "We could never pull it off," he said angrily. "But I'll tell you. We just need to get in the pound and get a good owner, that's all."

     "I thought you were smart." Marigold grunted. "We'd be separated and not to mention we might just get a bad owner. Plus, no one would or could adopt the both of us." Marigold sighed. "It's pointless. We're practically stuck with Belinda or being invisible together, running and hiding, for the rest of our lives."

     "Don't say that! You're pessimistic!" Kipper scolded. "We can do this. We're the best Moehogs in all of Neopia, right?" He smiled and gave her a thumbs up, but scowled when she didn't return his thumbs up.

     "You don't even have a thumb. How did you do that?" Marigold asked curiously. Then she laughed. "Haha, am I funny or what? No, seriously, how did you do that?"

     "Be quiet," Kipper growled.

     "I'm not invisible anymore... Oh no," Marigold cried. She looked down at herself and she could see everything. She grabbed Kipper and pulled him back inside. She ran to the bathroom, dragging him along the whole way. She pulled herself up to look at the mirror, and there it was: her reflection. "It's true," she whispered. She was frightened. "If this had happened before you became invisible, I would be overjoyed right now. But now I'm scared - you're still invisible, right? Oh, forget it, of course you are. I can't even see you," Marigold said in exasperation.

     Kipper looked into the mirror also. He then looked down upon himself. "Yeah, I'm still not noticeable," he muttered. "I guess I'll learn what it's like to be invisible by myself. Have fun, and if you need me, I'll be here, locked in the bathroom. Just knock when you need in... And knock exactly three times and say 'One two three' so I'll know it's you. Belinda can be tricky!"

     "Okay," Marigold said. "I'll be off planning and things, if you don't want me to stay with you. I'll think up something. It's almost our bedtime, but hey, that doesn't matter, right? Pray you'll turn visible again, and I'll be off in my bedroom thinking and sorting books! I love you!" she cried as she walked out of the bathroom. She heard the lock click behind her.

     As Marigold walked into her bedroom, she stopped short. She saw Belinda sitting on the bed, an evil smile on her face. Her awful owner had been waiting for her! Marigold screamed. She had forgotten about Belinda! She ran out of the bedroom, but Belinda chased right after her with gritted teeth. The twigs were still even in her hair, which was partially dried, but not completely...

     "Please!" Marigold sobbed. "I love you and I wish we were closer than we are now!" she cried, throwing herself on the floor. "But please don't be mad! It's not a big deal!" Marigold whimpered and held up her hands, shielding herself from any blows.

     But Belinda stopped short. "You love me?" she asked. "Why, I love you too," she admitted. "I've always wished we were closer, but I thought you didn't like me at all so I didn't like you."

     "I didn't like you, but that's because you've been so cruel," Marigold confessed, surprised at the turn of events. "You only let us have such small helpings at supper, you're very strict, and you never give us what we want or need. We don't need an owner, Belinda, we need a mother."

     "And I don't need two silly pets," Belinda whispered. "I need a daughter and a son." Tears came to her eyes. "Oh, come here you!" she exclaimed, pulling her daughter close. "Speaking of that, where is Kipper? Did he ever eat? I don't think he did."

     "He's still invisible." Marigold laughed. "Oh, man, do I have a lot to tell you!" she exclaimed. "It was so weird, because we get what we wish. Or at least this once, we did... I wished I was invisible because I already practically was. But now I know I'd rather be seen plain as day than being invisible." Marigold cracked a smile. "Come on. I'll go get Kipper. He has locked himself in the bathroom."

     Belinda smiled. "I'm so tired. This whole day has worn me out. I was horrible to Jasmine, wasn't I?" Belinda bit her lip. "I should worry about that as much, though, as how terrible I was to you. And Kipper." Belinda sighed. "You know, I regret so many things? I just reach out and attack, not embrace. I should embrace and not attack."

     "Kipper! Come out of the bathroom! It's me, Marigold!" she yelled. "One, two, three, knock, knock, knock!" she called, rolling her eyes. "It's amazing!! Mommy is finally a mommy!" Marigold called up.

     Kipper slowly came out of the bathroom. He seemed doubtful, but when he looked down and saw the gentle smile on his owner's face and the twinkle in her eyes, he knew she wasn't his owner anymore. He knew, now, that she was his mother, and it would be that way from now on.

     Belinda smiled. "I don't know what's wrong with me. What's always been wrong with me. You two really are my angels, and I should have known that all along. I was merely too blind to see... Why, I think we should-"

     Belinda was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. She cleared her throat and went to answer it. As the front door swung open a large Grarrl stomped inside. He held up a very dangerous looking Battledome weapon.

     "I heard the distress call!" he screamed. "Where are the miserable pets?!" he demanded. He glanced around and saw Marigold and Kipper, so he yanked them up. "And you must be the awful owner." He scowled. "I'm taking these youngsters off to the pound to find a better neohome," he explained. "They don't need such an awful owner as you."

     "Distress call?" Belinda whined. "Who made a distress call?" she hissed at her children. "No, you see sir, it's all a big mistake!" she pleaded as he started to head out the door with Marigold and Kipper. "No, I'm not lying, ask them! I'm being truthful! I love them! They are my children!" Tears gathered in Belinda's eyes. "I do..."

     "I'm sorry, ma'am, but the distress call doesn't seem like a false alarm. There were rumors about how you acted towards these kids before, but we've been watching you. And the distress call was the last straw. I'm finding these little ones here better homes," he said with an intense glare.

     "No," Marigold whimpered. "I want to stay here. I love my mommy," she said, trying to sound sweet and innocent so he'd put her down. But he didn't.

     "She told you to say that, did she not?" he asked.

     "No, sir," Marigold growled, getting impatient. "I said that on my own. Blah, blah, blah, see, I can speak for myself!" Marigold started kicking but his grip remained firm. "You're more like an evil Grarrl than a rescuer!" she cried. "Let me go, I command you! I belong here with my mother!" she screamed. "No one made a call!"

     "I did," Kipper whispered. "I'm sorry, sir," he insisted. "It was a false alarm, I tell you. I was fooling around and decided to be funny. I really love it here and I'd do anything to stay." Kipper put on his sad baby Moehog face.

     The Grarrl, who told them his name was Mr. Picky, started carrying them out the door. He huffed and growled as he took them away. Belinda sobbed. What the family of three thought was going to be a happy ending really wasn't an ending at all, but only a beginning.

To be continued...