Haute

Skipping from peak to peak of the ice that permanently covered the lake near my house, I sang a little rhyme I made up on the go. Ice skate, blue gate, spoonful of marmalade. Look at the cake I made. Why, thank you, I know it's great. The strong winds of the snowstorm made me so happy, I loved it so much, that was my favorite type of weather! I pirouetted on the slippery tip of one of the peaks, and jumped onto the lake border, into a fluffy pile of fresh snow, giggling as my silver slippers sank foot-deep into it. Kicking the snow onto the wind, a gale picked it up, blasting it off onto the the distance. I kicked some more snow around, until the pile flattened and I could see the border of the lake ice.

Fluffy snow is like a pillow, shiny and glittery and so cold! How cold? I don't know, ask the Pteri made of gold. I continued on singing my made up rhymes as I kicked the snow out of my way, making a trail that quickly vanished behind me. Another gale blasted through, and I almost lost my scarf to the wind. I squealed, and caught it midflight, and wrapped around my neck tighter, I didn't want to lose Mama's scarf that she made for me. I didn't need it, I didn't feel cold, but Mama took so long making it, struggling to figure out how to knit, and gave it to me for Winter Starlight, so I wouldn't lose it no matter what.

Squinting, I looked overhead, and could barely make a clearing on the storm. The eye! Wow, who would know it was so close to home! Oooh, this is exciting! I can't wait to test out my new trick! I knew Mama was against me using my magic to alter the weather, or anything major, she called it the Batterfly effect of magic or whatever was that she called, but there was no one living nearby for miles, it's not like anyone could get hurt, right? I just wanted to try something, Mama would never know, she was out for the day either way, getting supplies and food for the month, and would only come back at dusk. I threaded through the snow, making my way towards the eye.

Upon reaching there, the sky seemed to clear up right overhead, the bright, pale light of the Sun glistening against my frozen skin. I looked around, the storm seemed pretty strong already, but I wondered, how much stronger could I make? I concentrated like Mama taught me, drawing as much power as I could get out, which at first didn't make any difference, but then I noticed ice spreading from below me beyond, hardening the snow and slush into a plate, and I could maybe see the winds beyond the wall of the eye picking up? It seemed the blizzard was running by noticeable faster now, and the plate below me began to snap audibly, as the ice was cooled into lower and lower temperatures. The air seemed to feel thicker too, with the few snowflakes that formed around me drifting slowly through the heavy atmosphere. Yes, it's working! I said, already strained. This was hard, harder than what I expected.

I noticed the walls of the eye closing in slowly as the wind speed picked up, and the blizzard seemed to swipe the ground snow up now, picking the freshly packed snow back up in the air and tossing it around. This was exciting, albeit quickly exhausting, but I didn't want to stop. More, more, I felt such a rush, this was awesome, and I didn't want to stop! The rushing winds closed in as I kept on forcing my power out, and deep below me, I felt something rumble, probably the ground? I don't know, I couldn't tell, I wasn't paying attention, I just wanted to see how far could my powers go, this was amazing, I was amazing-

Something in the distance caught my attention, and I snapped out of it, startled by the unknown shape. There was something walking out of those woods! The storm immediately began to lose momentum, since I was no longer supplying power to it, and the storm cone began to open. I froze in place, completely unresponsive as I watched the Neopet reach out to me, I couldn't even hear their plea, before collapsing to the ground.

After some moments where I didn't even know what to do, I thought of only one thing. I slowly approached the unconscious strange Neopet, picked up the arms, and started dragging the body, and the travel bag, through the snow.

Next Part           Back Home

Efrosinea

I finally arrived at the cottage with my basket, after hours of fighting through the blizzard out there, and the very first thing I see and hear when I open the door is Haute yelling at me incoherently, rushing towards me while fumbling on about a storm and magic and a Neopet from the woods. Woah, slow down, Haute, what happened? I looked overhead to see that the fireplace was on, which was odd, but then I noticed the bundle of covers, bedsheets, tablecloths and other collections of cloths from around the house all covering something, and I guess things began to make some sense.



There was this- This 'pet, I didn't know that he was around! I just was practicing my magic! I might have gone a bit overboard though- B-but I didn't do anything bad! I-I just messed with the storm a bit- A-and then he just walked out of the woods, and just collapsed! I didn't know what to do! Then I just decided to bring him here and try to make him warm, like, with blankets and the fireplace but I don't know what else to do, he's not waking up, I don't know what- I held up my hand to ask her to stop talking, I understood what had happened, and I was quite upset she had disobeyed my orders, but that was for a later time, first, to solve the issue at hand.

Alright, I think I've understood now. Well, let's see to this Neopet, then. I approached the bundle, and saw that a Bruce was buried under all those covers. From his faded glow through the grooves of his skin, I could tell he was Moltaran, a magma Neopet, I think it was called, if my memory wasn't wrong. What was he doing here, so far away from his homeland or even civilization? I started taking off some of the covers. That's too many covers, I know you wanted to help him, but this can make it difficult for him to breathe. The Acara was distraught, I could tell she was worried sick, but her nervousness could hinder us both on helping the Bruce, so I told her, Haute, go get a face towel to warm over the fireplace, we're doing some compresses. Neither of us knew any fire magic or Moltaran magic, but I hoped that at least some good old fashioned first aid would help this Bruce get his glow back. Haute stumbled off to get the towels, while I checked his temperature.

Some time later, after we had applied multiple heat compresses until he warmed up, and moved him gingerly from the floor to the sofa, I was busy lecturing Haute on the dangers of messing with weather conditions and using magic in such large scale carelessly, yet again, when the Neopet began to move.

Urgh... I hurried over to see how he was doing, and Haute came right after, and stood behind the couch, guilty-faced.

Easy, don't want to move too much yet... He looked around, dazed and confused.

Where... Am I? He looked at Haute, and frowned when I presumed he recognized her. You... I remember seeing you out there, in the storm... He looked at me, and seemed appalled by my face. Who are you both?? What happened?? Where am I?? Not so shocking for me, I wasn't the most appealing Neopet out there, but Haute looked upset by his reaction.

My name's Efrosinea, and this is my daughter, Haute. She took you in after you passed out from the cold, you got hit with a bad case of hypothermia from wandering around these parts of the wilds of Terror Mountain during a big snow storm. The Bruce widened his eyes upon learning where he was. What is your name, and what were you doing here? No offense, but we don't get many visitors around here, it is very strange that you would head to here, mainly considering you're not even a surface 'pet. Moltaran, right? He nodded.



I'm Penguin, I am Moltaran indeed, but haven't been to my homeland in years... Moved out, I stay mostly at Terror Mountain and Central Neopia, besides other places... I visit. So Moltarans are mingling more with other Neopians? That was a new, last I heard years ago they were a very isolated race, and I hadn't heard of any of them surfacing. I would definitely ask him more about it later, he seemed a bit light on the head still for asking him about history updates.

Figures, I knew you were a magma Neopet when I first saw you.

Moltaran? Magma Neopet?? Haute interrupted, confused. I nodded, proceeding to explain to her some of Neopian lore.

Moltara is a distant land of Neopia that resides near its core, within the planet. The 'pets there are all made out of magma, magical molten rock, which is why he looks like that. The Acara was awed at learning a bit more about the Bruce and his origins, while he mustered some strength to answer me.

I was on a trip, from Tyrannia to Happy Valley... I must have gotten really lost, if you said these are the wilds of Terror Mountain. Though, it was near impossible to see out there on the storm, I didn't know the weather would be so bad up here. I nodded, agreeing with his last statement.

This storm has even took us by surprise for its strength, normally the polar vortex does cause some storms surrounding the base of the mountains, but this has been unusual even for us. You must really be more careful, had Haute not rescued you, you'd have turned into stone. I said the last part more sternly, as a warning for this traveler, and he frowned at first, but understood my message. Well, you're welcome to stay for as long as you need here, the storm will rage for a few more days, so I've heard, and you do need to rest before you get yourself out there, you're still weak from the hypothermia. I will make a hearty soup tonight, to help you recover. He nodded, I could tell how weary he was from his lethargic expression. I looked at Haute. You keep an eye on him, alright? If he shows any signs of worsening, yell for me. Haute nodded frantically. This was going to be a long night for me and Haute.

The next morning, I woke up from my slumber on the living room chair with a noise like someone was sifting through a bag, and saw the Bruce presumably rearranging his travel backpack. I looked at the window, and saw that the storm hadn't cleared up yet. I coughed to clear my throat, and he looked at me. Heading out so soon? It's dangerous out there, the storm still hasn't subdued. Penguin looked at me, and I could tell from his hesitation that something was up.

Oh, no, I was just checking to see if my compass wasn't in here after all... He put away the rest of his things, and shut the backpack. It wasn't. I lost it. I tried to offer him help, as a way to comfort him.

I can help you find it once the storm stops. You can lead the way, showing me where you've been, and I can help you dig around the snow. Penguin shook his head.

I-it's fine. Really. I will make do. Could it be he was afraid of us? Or maybe I was reading too much into it. I noticed a ring on his left hand, and tried to ease the tension by asking about it.

Who's the lucky girl? Penguin looked at me, clearly freaked out about it, and stuttered a half-hearted response.

I- Um- She's this Buzz from Neopia Central... Then he trailed off.

What's the matter? Is something wrong? His hesitation grew until he decided to confess what was on his mind.

You have to forgive me for this, considering how you healed me, and cared for me, and watched over me overnight, I don't have any right to say this... But I have some... Worries... Regarding the two of you. I mean, you seem very nice, but, as someone who travels often, I am very aware that excess niceness can sometimes raise a red flag... I also have some concerns about the... Nature of you two... Oh Fyora, here we go. I mean, no offense, but you are a... Frozen skeleton... Accurate, I gave him that. And your daughter, she is all made of ice! And I saw her at the eye of the storm, right before passing out, using magic to alter the storm, to strengthen it... Which I chalked up to just a strange hallucination before passing out.. But waking up, I overheard you talking about it to your daughter... I could see where he was coming from, thinking that probably we set this up somehow... But yet, I still felt offended that he thought that of us, mainly of Haute.

Haute has no ill intents, I can guarantee you that! She just can get rather reckless with her powers, and ignore my own warnings, but she would never want to harm anyone-

My apologies, I didn't mean to offend your daughter. The Bruce looked ashamed, but I was not done yet.

But yes, we do have magic, and we are rather peculiar looking, as well as we live isolated in the wilds, and that can be rather off-putting, mainly with so many stories of creatures of all kinds, Faerie and Neopet and others, that are dangerous, and live isolated from society, luring weary travelers to their traps, and doing unspeakable things with those who wander off. But we are nothing like that. I didn't think if I just said that he'd believe anymore that he did then. We're no monsters... Despite my rather unusual appearance, or our powers. We're ice Neopets, kind of like Moltarans, but instead of magma, we are made from living, magical ice. I think that helped, because he seemed to understand, and was a bit more at ease to learn that. We hail from a tribe of alikes, ice 'pets of all kinds, living deep within the woods in a village of our own, and some of us were gifted beyond being made from ice, we can use different types of ice magic.

I didn't know there were others like us out there, but then again, us Moltarans weren't even known to the world until a few years back, when this explorer and his group came down to there, and helped us with the destabilized core. Wow, no one had told me about this. Am I this isolated from the rest of Neopia? I am sorry I mistook you for a monster... But you said you were from a village of your kin? Why aren't you with them?

I hesitated this time, but not wanting to tell a long story, I cut it short. We had some disagreements, me and the others of my kind, so I left. I prefer to live alone, either ways, just me and my daughter, it's more peaceful this way. I gave a sour smile and nodded, and he understood enough to not want to follow up on that specific topic.

I- Uh- I'm so sorry for having misjudged you so much. I am ashamed of having suspected of you, both of you. I shrugged.

It's okay, you're not the first one who has feared me, or my daughter as a matter of fact, because they don't know us. Well... I got up from my chair, and fixed my garments. I'm going to go make breakfast and wake up that sleepyhead, I'm brewing some tea. You're welcome to stay and have breakfast with us, or leave, although my warnings about the severe weather remain. I started heading down to the kitchen, when I heard his answer.

I can help you with breakfast, if you don't mind. I looked over my shoulder and smiled.

Why, thank you, I could use an extra hand to cook faster.

Next Part           Back Home

Haute once more

Early dusk fell in as I was knees deep in shiny white snow overshadowed by the topiaries of the pine forest, but I wasn't too worried, as long as I knew my way back home, I was safe. Holding my skirt hem to form a pocket, I put in multiple small branches of pine; I had told mom I was going to make some tea and so I needed those. They made a beautiful contrast with the wild rose hips I had found earlier, which made me so happy!

The forest was silent because of the earlier snowfall, which I had watched from our cottage's window, and every branch of every tree was heavy with soft fluff. Staring upwards, past the treetops and onto the darkening skies, I watched with admiration as the stars popped into existence one by one, like they were being unveiled across the sky by an invisible gifter unveiling their surprise. At that moment, I felt a couple of snowflakes land on my nose and eyelashes, and I giggled, but quickly those few snowflakes became many, as one of the heavier looking upper branches gave in and dropped its entire load onto my face.

Chuckling, I wiped it all off, spitting some of that snow out with giggling raspberries towards my non-sentient prankster, fate itself, or so my mom had told me once before about such happenings. I had no fear of the cold, I couldn't actually feel it, since I was made of ice myself, so this wasn't that big of an ordeal, but also, I had snow all over me, including on my skirt. I imagined the snow and the pine leaves and the rose hips to be like a soup, and mixed it with my free hand, making sloshing sounds with it. This was going to be a yummy soup!

A treble harmonic singing call echoed in the distance in a voice I recognized, and I instantly looked back towards where my trail in the snow came from. Mom was calling me in early, and I wondered why, as there was no cloud on the sky left. I held my breath instinctively, hoping that maybe I was just imagining things, despite the fact I knew that was not the case, but I didn't want to go home yet, I wasn't done having fun! Once again I heard her song, which travelled through the forest so clearly and loudly you would think she was just there, and I sighed in exasperation. I guess it was time for me to say goodbye to the trees and the forest, which I did mentally, while I stepped through the snow, kicking through my earlier-made trail to retrace my steps back to home.

That's no fun, I thought to myself, I still wanted to have tried catching a Snowickle with a medallion I had in my pocket. It was also a medallion stolen from mom's closet... And then I realized, maybe she discovered that? Was I in trouble? But she never really used it for anything, it was just some old gold medallion in a weird shape with antennae, and that had an inside part that looked like the night sky. I even wondered earlier if that was hers or if some traveler left it with her here. Also, she never took notice of it, not normally, I had been keeping track of it for weeks now, trying to see if I could catch it for my own things... But I did feel a bit of guilt, mom told me to never lie or steal, and here I was, stealing from her.

Out of the forest and onto the snowy plains, I dragged my feet towards the cottage, but stopped when I noticed the size of the group that was next to it. There was mom nearest to the door, and I noticed she was brushing through her scarf a bit too quickly for things to be normal. Nearest to her was this strange Kau, or at least I think it was a Kau, with the great horns and tail, but it also had wings like a dark faerie, and was in a strange shade of darker blue, and was dressed with a long black coat, tall dark boots and a wide brimmed hat that obscured the face from where I was. A couple of steps away, there was a crowd of Neopets of a myriad species, but something felt really off about them, which wasn't helped by the fact they were silent and only watching, so I made sure to make a wide detour away from them as I approached the house.

... All that matters is that She's back, as fate willed so from the beginning. We're not abandoned anymore, and that should be more than enough for you to be rejoicing! The Kau said enthusiastically. But, more than rejoicing, you should be asking Her for reacceptance since you've got the chance now-

I do not care for that, I thought I had made myself blatantly clear already. It has been over a thousand years either way! Mom answered back angrily but stopped when she noticed I was near them, which also prompted the Kau to look at me as well, gross red sclera and yellow pupil eyes that looked sickly staring right through me. I hurried to mom, scared of this weird Kau who was bothering her, and rushed to behind her, and she put one arm back to hold me close to her. Mom could be called strange by others, as an enchanted frozen Ogrin skeleton, but I was used to her, and yet, something was really, really off about this Kau, which made me very, very nervous.

You didn't tell me you had a child, was that who you were calling earlier with that very interesting singing? I was surprised you too took to singing, it wasn't originally your element. The Kau leaned sideways to look at me intently while speaking, which made me even more scared. She seems special, although she doesn't seem to take after you, from what I can tell. Hello, my name is Uzukumaru, and I guess I could be considered your un cle, in some way or another. He gave me the most uncomfortable grin, to which I didn't respond, and preferred cowering on mom's cape instead.

That's not your original name. Mom snapped.

And so is yours, 'Efrosinea. The Kau replied back as he straightened back up. At least I didn't pair my name change with desertion to your own very purpose you were put in this world.

What purpose? To kiss up to Her and carry out what She wants without a second thought? All for a promise of supposedly going to her promised neverland in the end, where we can continue to do exactly that for the rest of eternity? I have had enough time to think about this all and decide I didn't want that. Mom replied.

So this is the life you have chosen instead? The Kau snapped this time. To waste your purpose-driven gifts and your existence away on this realm, living a menial life in the middle of nowhere, faking the most mundane and utterly desolate version of 'normalcy'? I never took you for a child-raising hermit, and I know you hide here to deny the fact your existence is starkly different from all of those you want to mimic. He stepped forward, which made mom step back, pressing against me. What a trifling, baffling choice to make, and to deny your purpose like this, you know this all is but temporary, a thousand years is nothing in the grand scheme of things!

Spare me your self-aggrandizing chiding, you are not convincing me, and you cannot intimidate me to come either, those minions of yours do not scare me. I glanced over at the other Neopets, who were all still watching us as mom pointed them out, and tried thinking if I had any chance on helping mom beat them. I had never fought before, but perhaps, if I had the right strategy, and with enough magic, maybe I could blast them frozen out of their boots. Now, begone, you have hassled me enough! I had never seen mom so angry, but I could also tell she was still nervous.

And yet, the Kau was insistent on staying. That Zafara was a bad influence on you, I should have stayed closer so you wouldn't be influenced by his treacherous mentality.

I am capable of my own thinking, thank you very much! Mom scoffed. Also, your accusation makes no sense, I have not seen our brother in a long time!

He can barely call himself our brother, he turned against his own twin as well! He yelled, enraged. Or have you forgotten that our sister has been trapped for all this time?

I have not, that is why I am also relieved I haven't seen him all this time. Mom answered. I had my face fully buried in mom's cloak at this point, and was only listening to the discussion. I do not want any involvement with him. But that doesn't mean I am siding with you on this, nor that I will be helping out this time around.

So you don't want to be taken back to Her realm, what do you prefer instead? To watch as it all eventually crumbles as it was meant to, and crumble away along with it? What sort of madness is that??

It's acceptance. I do not fear for my end, and I don't see the need to safeguard myself from it by bending over backwards to an overgrown child who likes to play dolls with us all.

How dare you say things like that, if She hears you speaking such things, She will make it Her personal goal to make your end the most terrible that can be!

And that is exactly why I decided to stay out of it all! Do you not see how mad the words you have said sound?

It is only fair, we are Her creations, after all! I had no idea who they were talking about, but "She" seemed very important.

Only it isn't! And I refuse to accept that!

How ungrateful... I peeked from behind mom once again, and was met directly with his gaze, which made me shudder and hide my face once more. When She hears about that...

If you think your blackmailing is going to scare me, you're very wrong. You can go ahead and tell Her or the world, I do not care, that is on you, not on me. I am remaining neutral in this, and good luck fighting him, because I know you are only trying to recruit me back to have numbers on your side.

Then so be it! I heard the Kau proclaim. But do not come to us later, begging for Her forgiveness, because you have decided to defend your insolent position and yet can't face the consequences. A deserter is no better than a traitor and shall be treated similarly.

I won't. Mom said sternly.

I could hear the crunching of the snow under the Kau's feet as he stepped away, and the other strange Neopets also followed him. Peeking out of mom's cloak once more, it was a relief to see that they were indeed all leaving, which I expressed with a loud sigh. Mom watched them go for a little longer before she quickly turned around.

Come, let's go in. She said curtly, almost dragging me through the snow, and I obliged to it. When we crossed the threshold of our doorframe, mom shut the door tightly and locked it and bolted it while she cast some spell. Go, lock the windows and shut the blinds! She demanded, and I rushed to the nearest window to shut it close, and she did the same with another. In the question of a few minutes, all the windows of our house were closed.

I hope that we're safe now, glass does muffle sounds. Mom said while looking around.

Was that really my un cle? Was that really your brother? Why was he so mean? I finally said it out loud, as mom sat down on the couch with a heavy sigh, and I quickly joined her, hugging her for safety. She wrapped her arm around me, comforting me as I shook, and I only noticed then that I still had held onto my pickings from earlier, as the pine branches I got were poking onto me and mom.

Yes, that was my brother, or, well, one of my siblings. But he's no good, that was... That was not good at all. He's not a good Neopet to be around with, in fact none of them are. At least he left us alone this time. Mom seemed worried and angry and distant, but I needed answers.

What did he want you to do? Where did he want you to go?

He wanted me to join him in doing some serious things, it is a bit too dark and complicated for you to understand on your age. But I can tell you that it was bad things, and he wanted me to go far away with him and others like him... Neither I am willing to do or accept. What a stubborn Kau he is, he really thought he was achieving something there with his arguments, trying to shame me for my decisions. Mom scoffed once more, and then trailed off, watching the blazes on the fireplace, while looking very concerned.

I wanted to ask more, but I felt perhaps it was better to leave it for later. Instead, I thought to myself instead, if mom had accepted that Kau's demands, would she just have left me here? I'd have to run the cottage by myself, which meant I'd have to do all the errands and everything every day, even travel to the nearby village to get our mail and buy our supplies and go to the Neopian Bank by myself. I didn't know if I could do all of that on my own, that's a lot of tasks, and I didn't remember mom's banking information off the top of my head.

Or, instead, would I have to go with her wherever she had to go? And if it were the case, where would we even go? I knew of other lands beyond our own, Terror Mountain, all from the books that mom brought home. I imagined something of the sort, maybe even something like the home of that Magma Bruce we met a while back, which was too all made of magma. I wondered if I would actually melt in a place like that, just like he was seemingly freezing in that forest. What if that Kau's place was in there? I got even more scared thinking about that possibility, imagining myself losing my fingers and then my hands and arms all to the heat.

Say, why are you holding branches on your skirt? Also, your clothes are all wet, now that you've warmed up. Mom asked, looking at me with eyes still heavy with worry.

Oh, I- I went to the pine patch in the forest, I was going to make pine needle tea but I forgot. I answered. Oh, also there's rose hips, I found some still sitting on the wild rose bushes, we could make both teas- Or mix them both.

Well, at least that explains all the prickling I'm feeling from the sofa cushion... Well, let's do that. She got up, and I followed her, still holding those branches with my skirt fold, to our kitchen.

In there, mom took her kettle, took some water with a ladle from our snow melt bucket that we used for drinking, and then set it on our log stove, going back to the living room to take some embers from the fireplace to start the fire. I set the sticks and the hips on the table, and took a bowl from our pantry to put the needles in, and a bowl where I scooped into the rose hips. I sat on the table to pick the pine needles out of the branches with mom, and she tossed the empty branches onto the stove fire.

While I picked the needles, I tried counting how many relatives I apparently had, there was that Kau, and then apparently there was another of Mom's brother? And a sister as well? That makes it two un cles and an aunt? But were they all bad? I mean, that Uzukumaru was bad, what about the others? I wondered why none of them had visited us until now.

Also, I had one question that had stayed in my mind. Who was that 'She' you guys were talking about? Is she your mother, so... My grandmother? I said out loud to mom, and she looked at me, surprised.

Yes, and no. She's... Well, that's another complicated topic, maybe I could explain to you when you are older.

I huffed, irritated. Why can't you tell me anything now? I can handle it. That was not fair, she wasn't telling me anything at all, and had been avoiding all of my questions.

Because I said so. This is grown up talk, with grown up topics, you are too young to understand any of this. I scowled at mom, but she ignored me, looking away towards the stovetop as the kettle was coming to a boil. Besides, none of this is positive or any fun, you are really not missing out on anything, I promise.

Mom got up to get our cups and the kettle and a pan coaster for the table while I finished up picking out the needles from the branches with irritation. Tossing the last of those into the stove fire while mom got a large saucepan filled with water to start on dinner, I sat back down on the chair with my arms crossed, still miffed at the fact I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that it was all important. While mom poured in the needles and the rose hips into the kettle, I tried remembering mentally what had just happened earlier, to see if I could piece it all together.

Perhaps I should contact him after all... But what are the chances this may backfire on me? Last thing I would want is to get into conflict, and I do not trust him to not come after me either... Mom said out loud while thinking.

Who? Your other brother? I asked, and when she looked at me, she went very sad, which made me sad.

Yes... But... Perhaps it is a necessary evil to do so... Mom poured herself some of the tea and I followed suit, and I rushed to the pantry to get the sugar cubes we had.

Is he evil as well? I asked, concerned, as I brought the sugar pot to the table. Are all of your siblings evil? Like Ukudzu- Ah- U-zu-ku... Maru? What a difficult name to say.

Well... If 'evil' means he can harm us, then yes. That made me even more concerned. None of our family was good, then, I thought while I poured myself some tea as well. Mom, who noticed me fretting, added. But I won't let any of them come close to us. We'll be safe in here. Tonight you need to do me a favor, though.

What is it? I asked while I added several sugar cubes to my tea.

Sleep with Springabee's wax in your ears, alright? Don't take it off until I come to see you in the morning.

Why?

So you won't hear anything, obviously. I need you to do this, understood? It is for your own safety. Also, double check your bedroom window is locked, and keep your curtains shut. I nodded slowly, not understanding why would I not need to hear anything, that was so strange.

Maybe mom was going to fight that Kau, maybe he was still out there and she was going to fight him, but why couldn't I watch or even hear it? Or maybe something awful was about to happen tonight? I looked at mom, who stared at the stove fire for a little longer before noticing that the pan water was boiling. As she prompted me to go fetch some onions and carrots to start chopping, I forgot what I was going to ask next.

Before I went to bed, I looked all around the bedroom window to see if there was no gap or anything I had to worry about, but it was just fine. Finding the window lock to be just as locked as before, I closed the curtain and sneezed at the dust coming off from it. I never closed my curtains, it just didn't make sense to me, I liked to wake up with the sunlight in the morning, even though mom had told me multiple times that it just made my sleep worse since I slept in way past sunrise. I was so tired I didn't want to switch into my nightgown, and if I was quick enough to get into bed, perhaps mom wouldn't notice it and yell at me to do it.

Looking at my nightstand next to the window, I groaned audibly at the fact I would have to put the lump of yellow wax that was sitting on top of it. That would feel so gross! I hated stuff in my ears! But mom had told me to do that, just like she had told me about the window and curtain, so I'd have to do it. I picked apart into four parts and rolled them round, and then started sticking the wax, one by one, into my ears, despite getting the shivers from such an awful sensation. I did them quickly and just got it done with, but still felt grossed out by their presence in my ears, I hoped it was all just for a night, because I was very sure I'd even struggle to fall asleep with those globs in there.

When it was all set and done, I went to bed and laid down, although I had forgotten to blow out my candle. Mom walked in, checked around, and then gave me a good night kiss, before chiding me about something I couldn't tell, and then blowing out the candle herself and walking out of my room. And with that, I felt myself beginning to drift...

It must have been at some really late hour of the night or something because everything was quieter than quiet inside and outside, but yet, something I had heard had woken me up. I peeked from under my covers and looked around the room but couldn't see much in the darkness, besides some silhouettes that spooked me. They were large and were everywhere in the room, and perhaps they were moving? I couldn't tell, my eyes were playing tricks because of the dark, and I hated it so much. I held my breath and sat up... And yet nothing was happening, so I released my breath audibly, relieved that I was at least alone in the room, but yet, something was off.

I knew something had woken me up, because I was still feeling my heart beat strong from whatever was that, but I was too sleepy to recall it... Was it a nightmare? Maybe it was a nightmare, but I couldn't even think of any figments of whatever was that I was dreaming of, I had completely forgotten it. Maybe I needed some water... I got off the bed, and was searching for my slippers under my bed, when something made me freeze in place. A distant sound, far in the distance outside, not like a howl, but like... Singing? And then I realized something bad, I could hear from part of my ears! The wax must have fallen off! And then I noticed something terrifying, when I realized I couldn't move from my spot.

The sound continued echoing faintly out there, and for some reason, I stood up. Going around the bed, I moved towards the window and opened my curtains, and then went to unlock the window, which I knew I wasn't supposed to do it. I tried stopping myself, fighting against my own hands to not do it, but something was making me. I started crying as I unlocked the latch and then went on to push the glass upwards, letting the cold air in, and then, when the opening was wide enough, I hopped through it.

The snowfield around our cottage was illuminated by the waning moon, shining brightly until the forest's edge, which was all silhouettes at this time, and the sky was completely clear and dark and covered with stars. I felt compelled to walk towards the forest, where the singing was coming from, and stepped barefoot through the settling snow, making a loud crunching noise that was the only other thing I could hear tonight. I still cried, my tears freezing from the frigid air, but I was helpless to all of this, it was like my body was moving on its own. When I reached the edge of the forest, I saw some shadows behind the trees, and one of them, recognizable by the tall horns and hat and now glowing yellow eyes, walked up to me as I crossed the threshold into the forest, and laid his hands on my shoulders. He ceased singing to speak to me.

Aw, don't cry, little one, it's not like you can do much in here, nor can that stubborn fool you call your mother. His grin made me very, very uncomfortable and scared. Now, this is hitting two birds with one stone.

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Efrosinea once more

I ran across the cabin when I opened the bedroom door, not caring for the mess I was making, as I tripped and slipped through the things I owned. I coughed a few times, a dry, unusual cough, but was too distracted with panic to pay notice to it.

HAUTE!! I screamed at the top of my lungs, fearing the worst had happened. I coughed once more as I ran into the table so hard. The breakfast I had set for the two of us shook, cups spilling over the food and containers wobbling as the silverware clattered on the plates. HAUTEEE!! Leaving the cabin with a bang through the door, I called out to her once more.

HAUTEEEEE!!! My shrill voice echoed on the icy plains we lived on, which shone a blinding white today as the sun was out on a fully clear frigid blue sky. My screams died out at a short distance due to the nearby hills and forest, and I thought, I needed to sing some kulning, that would be more useful.

I coughed even more severely now, my strained voice adding to the irritation I felt on the back of my throat, and I had been crying from the hollows where my eyes should have been, but my tears froze as they rolled down my frozen cheeks. I should have made that Acara sleep in my room, I should have held her back or even tied her up, if needed be, for her own safety against him. I should have known he'd pull that sort of thing with me, for opposing him and Her, it was just the sort of thing he'd do.

Ha- I was going to uselessly call out to my daughter once more, but my winding triggered more coughing, and I hacked and scoffed and gagged as I felt something coming up from the back of my throat. Not noticing when my knees had buckled down, I continuously struggled to catch my breath as my coughing got more and more severe, and fog formed by the icy air interacting with my strangely warm breath. Then, as I heaved, I felt something come up my throat and extend outwards into the air as well.

Appendages in a group of five at the end of a long limb forced my mouth unusually open, as it kept on extending out, and at some point, it bent at a sharp angle. An arm, an entire arm, Her arm and hands and fingers were making me choke, and not only at my mouth, as it blocked the entrance of my airways, but that bend led the hand downwards, and towards my neck. The fingers coiled around my throat, tightening in, and the panic I felt had more than doubled, as I struggled and choked-

I gasped for air as I snapped back into reality, laying on my bed, inside my rustic room. The covers had somehow wrapped around my neck, which I knew right away was the reason for the feeling of choking, but I knew there was more to it. I stood up with a jolt, my ancient frozen bones creaking with the sudden movement, and, with every heavier step, I walked out through the door, and headed to the room next to mine, knowing what to expect, but still dreading it regardless.

The cold wind from under the door already confirmed my fears, but I still needed to confirm with my two eyes what I knew to be true. Twisting the handle and pushing the door in against the incoming gust of icy air, I opened Haute's room to find it empty and frigid, the bed unmade and the window with its panes open, letting in the snow and the ice that covered the entire room, up to the door. This second time I didn't even freak out, it was pointless to do it again what I had already done in my dreams. I just wandered back to my room in a somber silence to get my travel coat and apparel, my frozen heart so heavy I could just sink through the floor.

Wandering through the dense pine woods in my heavy blue woolen overcoat and fur hat, my footsteps crunching through the ice were the only noise being made as I rummaged through my travel satchel until I found what I was looking for. I brought out an Everlasting Apple I had gotten centuries ago, which looked as new as the day I came across it, and would be an offer high enough to perhaps appeal to the one I was going to seek out help from. Also, I was reminded that earlier some of my trinkets and belongings had gone missing from my closet, which would have annoyed me in a better time, and I'd surely bring it up with Haute after getting her back, but at that moment, all I cared about was getting to the village.

I crossed the threshold of the edge of the forest, which opened up to the foot of one of the lower mountains that belonged to the mountain chain of Terror Mountain, revealing a tall, desolate slope of frigid white and blue and brown, the far side of this land away from the knowingly populated region of Happy Valley. There was not a single cloud in the sky that day, like I had seen in my dream, and so the albedo effect that the snow had was almost blinding. I walked down towards a dent in the snow where a pair of desire paths made of ice marked past but recent trekking as a crossing, and took my Everlasting Apple and placed it down on the path.

Ice Trekker, please help me for I am lost, show me the way I need to go. I exclaimed out loud to the thin air, following along with the story I had heard many, many years ago.

Spirits in Neopia were a dime a dozen, many a time a result of an overflow of magic forming into a physical form, or a ghost whose connection with their land or proclivity with natural magic made them more permanent in this realm than most undead, or some sort of sentient manifestation of a place or setting, it all went back to the fact that Neopia had much magic to spare, and anyways everything supposedly originally had come to be from magic, after all, or so I had heard eons ago. The Ice Trekker was one more of this sort, legend told of some ancient trekker who had gotten lost on his way home in a bad storm, and suffered a bad fate, so he swore to never allow anyone else to get lost in this land. All you needed to summon him was to call him out with an offering as a thank you gift, and he'd guide you to wherever you'd need to go. That is, as long as you never mentioned the odd fact that his head was detached from his body, an allusion to his gruesome demise.

I stood around, engulfed by silence, as there was no wind, no movement, nothing at all happening, watching out for the visage of the ice Wocky with traveler's clothes and a bandana around his missing neck. Suddenly, I felt his presence behind me, and I turned to face said Wocky, who held a walking stick taller than his body, and looked up to me.

Efrosinea, what do you need? The spirit spoke, Everlasting Apple in the hand raised at my eye level.

I need to get to the Ice Crystals Village I once lived in, to ask for a favor there to its head, whoever may be. I asked.

The Wocky frowned, lowering the hand with the offer. You do know you are banned from that village, right? It has been centuries, but that doesn't matter. Word is passed down from leadership to leadership, and from member to member of that community, to never again allow the frozen skeleton demon Ogrin from the Frozen Waste beyond Green Forest to step into the Village. I cannot lead you there.

Please, I asked in a more desperate voice than I had hoped to come across. I need their help, I promised I'd never go back there, and left of my own volition, if I am going back, it is only because I have no other choice.

The Ice Trekker let out a long, audible sigh, and then responded. Very well, I will lead you to the Ice Crystals Village's edge, and you carry on by yourself from then on. He pocketed the Everlasting Apple and signaled me to follow him.

We walked for a long while, around the base of the mountains and into another part of the large pine forest, towards where it went denser and denser until we could barely push through the low-hanging, snow-heavy branches with dark green fresh-smelling needles. I didn't feel cold, for obvious reasons of course, but it was annoying nevertheless to have snow slide off the trees and pile up all over my clothes, weighing me down until I was almost immobile at a certain point. The Ice Trekker kept on going, though, not even minding the branches or the snow, aloof as typically his kind was.

I couldn't tell how much of the day had gone by, or if the day had even gone by, as I had been told that traversing this land his help could sometimes be much faster than a normal travel, despite us being by foot. All I knew is that, when the pines were so unnaturally densely together I could barely push through, I bumped into him, who had stopped on his feet suddenly.

This is as far as I am going, as I want no part in the animosity that your presence will ensue. He said, and I nodded as I replied.

Thank you. And went around him, struggling through the dark branches and snow that built up to almost an outer wall of some sorts. When I finally managed to push through this one threshold, I wandered into yet another large opening in the forest at the foot of another mountain, one which was immediately ahead blocked off by a tall ice wall.

I had only one moment to verify that most of the day was gone, by the position of the never-lowering summer sun in the sky indicating it should have been dusk hours by now, before I was attacked. A wandering, giant mound of snow, shaped roughly as a bipedal being, roared awful sounds before rushing in with its closed fists tight together, planning to slam me down, and I had but a fraction of a second to dodge out of its way. Rolling on the snow, I shouted out loud.

Let up the gate! It is I, Efrosinea! I want to see the Village Leader!!

Another golem made out of snow approached me, and blasted me with ice magic, which I quickly absorbed, before getting up on my feet and running away. There was no point in throwing up a storm or illusion to hide, golems were driven by all sorts of stimuli to attack, not just visual. The only thing that would stop them was if whoever was controlling them called them off.

Please!! I need your help!! I shouted once more as I was chased by both golems. I was faster than them, but I was tiring quickly from trodding in the deep snow that surrounded the wall. If only I still had wings, a fleeting thought reminded me of a long gone past, but that was not an option in the reduced state I had been in for a long while. All I could do was run.

You are not welcome here, demon! Turn around and go back to the forest! I heard a voice coming from the far gate on the ice wall. I stopped to look around, seeing two Neopets standing at its opened front, surrounded by the brilliant light of the sun that peeked through the gate at a perfect angle, a Blumaroo and an Acara. The latter was the source of magic for the golems from what I sensed, and the other was then the one I was seeking.

I looked around and noticed the Acara had stopped my two attackers, and others that I had not even noticed were approaching as well, counting five visible, and other three invisible behind walls. Please, by the grace of your Faerie Queen, help me! My daughter has been taken, and I need to get her back! I would not be here at your doorstep if I had anywhere else to turn to! The Blumaroo and the Acara convened quietly, and I could see others far behind the gate, lightened out silhouettes peeking through in fear. Please, I beg of you! I insisted.

The Village Leader decided to approach me, stepping out of the light to reveal being a very average middle-aged blue Blumaroo in a heavy brown woolen coat and fur cap. I guess even demons have children now. Why would you come to our village to ask for this sort of help? We are not seekers-

No, I know that. I said, because it was true, I knew these Neopets were mostly recluse, barely ever leaving their village that was near self-sufficient from what I remembered, with stock and land enough for their numbers, and with water and other natural resources plenty for their whole lot. I am going to go out to seek her, but I need some magic, for mine has been greatly depleted and diminished over the ages.

You seek to draw magic from our Sacred Crystals?? The Blumaroo asked, bewildered. The Acara, who had been approaching us while we discussed, overheard his question and turned to me, enraged.

You have some nerve, asking that sort of thing. She was an ice Acara, with long, light blue hair, an ice-themed armor plate over a long, adorned, woolen light blue dress, and glowing blue eyes. Weren't you kicked out of this village, that had taken you in as a guest eons ago, mind you, for attempting to steal all of our Sacred Crystals' magic?? Her enraged face reminded me so much of Haute, it made me hesitate for a second, but I needed to be focused on the task at hand.

I won't take it all this time, I promise, all I need is a boost. My brother has taken my daughter, he's trying to force my hand into joining in some dangerous plans by taking her, and I want to stop him, but he's far too powerful for me to fight in this state. I said, trying to keep my composure. Just let me be exposed to them overnight, I won't even touch a single one of them, and you can watch me to make sure of it, that would be more than enough for me. Not really, though, this would only grant me a little boost from the state of absolute depletion I was in, but I couldn't ask them to draw more than that from their sacred magic.

The Blumaroo and the Acara switched frowned glances, and then the Leader conceded. Very well, I'll ask then our Chief Guard here to watch you overnight, if that's alright with her?

Fine. The Acara responded with a scowl.

The pair led me in through the gates of the icy wall, and into their village where everything was either sculpted from, or decorated or covered with ice and snow, buildings and walkways alike, Neopets and Petpets included. There were ice houses, ice carts, ice tools, ice roads, ice plants, ice lighting posts, ice stalls, even that one ice gazebo I remembered being near the gate was still in its place, eons later. Yes, there were things, and Neopets, made out of not ice as well, mainly wood, and flesh, but ice was what set the tone and lighting of this village, as everything glistened and glimmered and illuminated and reflected sunlight in a way that made this place feel almost otherworldly. Villagers all rushed away from us, afraid of my presence and the tales I left behind after my last stay here, when I sought to betray them for my own search of power.

After a while of walking, we reached the frozen stream that bowed at the village's other end, where their winter crops were grown just beneath the snow blanket, and crossing this frozen stream through a frozen low-hanging bridge, we were right at the foot of the mountain this village sat upon. But, before the slope of the mountain began taking shape, there was one last plain in this region, bathed by that same snaking stream that ran under ice, and on that plain was what I had requested to approach. We started walking past the river, and saw, little by little, multicolored geometric formations appear through the drifting snow, very small at first, but as we threaded through this crystal-littered plain, these began to escalate in size, until we were surrounded by formations taller, and greater, than any of us. I felt a rush of energy, their magic seeping through my old bones and reminding me as they charged me of the power I once held, over a millenia ago.

These were their Sacred Crystals, and the story went that these crystals were responsible for the creation of the first Neopets that founded the village. It may have been the truth, as a matter of fact, this crystal formation emitted and consolidated such enormous amounts of magic, I never doubted they could have spawned life from them. Also, in addition to it, these crystals' life-bringing magic worked in a particular manner, as they reflected the light of the sun into their own light, so did the Neopets that came from this village reflected those from the surrounding regions outside. Thus, these villagers were known as doppelgangers in the greater Terror Mountain, and spawned many a legend or superstition due to Neopets encounters with their mirror image by chance, when a villager from this place was on travel or business.

Here is good, I said to the other two, looking at the tall crystal structures that protruded from the ground like pillars, and bathed our surroundings with light and magic. I shall spend the night here, and in the morning I will leave.

Very well. Sigrid will sit with you tonight. The Blumaroo looked at the Acara, who just nodded. That was just fine with me, someone to entertain me overnight wasn't a bad idea, and I wanted to run my curiosity by her.

Thank you for your time and help. I said to the both of them, and the Village Leader left back towards the village he had to run.

The sun inched across the sky in its inclined circle, never fully setting but being rather low, which indicated to me this was meant to be nighttime anywhere else in the globe. I basked in all of this for a while, seated on the snow next to the Acara, who stayed on her two feet next to me, and at a certain point, I let my curiosity get the best of me.

Do you perchance have a young daughter? Of around ten years of age, specifically, who's an ice Acara like you, but with dark blue crystal hair? The horrified look on her face was all the confirmation I needed for my question.

What mind games are you playing, demon?? Sigrid asked.

None, I answered. I was just curious about a coincidence. A coincidence, or fate. Is she a powerful magician like you are? I noticed you had what, eight golems patrolling your village's exterior, plus you seem to be nowadays' main contributor to the maintaining magic of your village's wall, those are impressive feats of magic for a little Neopet like you. The Acara continued to be on the defensive, but she answered me.

No, she has little to no magical tendencies, unfortunately, but much bravery and inner strength to make up for that. That last part was a touching remark, but I was at a bit of a loss as to her first part of the answer.

None at all? Has she never even had magical accidents, or just having enough of a magical aura to notice it even if she doesn't use magic at all?

No, neither of that. The ice Acara frowned. I guess it's for the best, otherwise she'd have to become a Guard like I had to from a young age, instead she can choose to do other things with her life. That was true, not having a purpose defined for you since you know yourself as a sentient being and figuring out on your own who you were meant to be was a much better alternative I didn't get to experience.

Fair enough.

But that response was oddly dissonant with what I presumed was the association between my daughter and this doppelganger's daughter. Haute was notoriously powerful, so much so that she was one of the reasons I could maintain myself without having to leech off magic and energy from other sources because just being in her presence was enough to maintain me. Which he had noticed, and that's why he had taken her, to force my hand onto joining arms in his crazy quest to bring back our fourth sibling, leading me to be here. Going back to my question, perhaps it was then that this Acara and especially her daughter weren't then in any way related to mine, and it was just a mere coincidence… Or something else was going on, but I wasn't sure what.

At some point during my stay in the crystal plain I had fallen asleep among the snow piles, and time had passed without me even remembering. I didn't have much of a dream this night, only some forgotten anxious darkness that made me unrested enough to wake up in a jolt once more at midmorning, from what I could tell by the height and position of the sun in the sky. I looked to the side where my watcher was seated, and there she was, the ice Acara with light blue hair, asleep as well, leaning against one of the crystal pillars. Despite the poor sleep, I woke up far more rejuvenated than I had felt in ages, and sat up with much less of a struggle than usual, only I noticed something, or rather, someone approaching from the sky.

A grim white Zafara with harsh skeletal features and hollow eye sockets that glowed yellow dived towards me with his wings wide open and his dark cape fluttering behind him.

Oh, great. I commented before he landed a few feet away from me and the Acara, who was getting up on her feet immediately.

Who- What?? The ice Acara prepared to attack, but I raised my palm at her as I got up on my feet.

Don't worry, I know him. I said, and turned to the uninvited guest. Hello, Star.

Enkeladia, what are you planning? My brother responded.

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