Chapter 5: Sisters and Squabbles

"There. Does that feel better, Roxy?"

"It does. Thank you, Andi. I still can't move much."

"You'll be alright. When Kaycee gets back with the heating pad, it should help some of the pain."

Andi had been stroking Roxy's back for the past twenty minutes. It'd been bothering her since she woke up, but it was within the last hour it began hurting so badly, she struggled to move. She had tried to sleep it off, but the pain prevented her nap from lasting long.

"So is it like this every month?" Andi asked.

"Yeah," Roxy answered. "My dad used to make me peppermint hot cocoa to help. I didn't learn how to make it myself yet."

"Oh, it's easy," Andi told her. "I can show you sometime."

"Andi, why did Taryn suppress her powers?" Roxy asked, changing the subject in an attempt to distract herself from the pain. "Oh, wait! Is that personal?"

Andi chuckled a bit. "It's no problem." She then sighed. "But to tell you the truth, it makes me sad. We used to be so close until she did that. I can understand her lack of interest in science, but going so far as to suppress her magic is something I'll never be able to get behind."

"I hope this isn't a bad question, but why does it bother you?"

Andi shrugged. Admittedly, she wasn't sure why she was bothered by it at all. The powers were Taryn's, after all. She could do what she wanted with them. "I suppose it bothers me because it feels like she doesn't respect our realm," Andi finally answered.

"I'm back!" Kaycee announced as she walked in the door. "How's your back, Roxy?"

"Still sore," Roxy replied in what was arguably the deadest voice imaginable. Kaycee gently placed the heating pad on Roxy's back and set the temperature on high. "Oh, that feels---OWWWWW!!!!! Too hot!"

"Kaycee, put it on low!" Andi shrieked.

"Alright! Alright! Stop yelling!" Kaycee pressed the button to set the temperature on low. Roxy relaxed as the heat went from scorching to soothing. "Jeez!" Kaycee exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. "You two screamed like I stabbed somebody."

Roxy and Andi shot her glances of disbelief, prompting Kaycee to shoot back a sarcastic glance of her own. They remained that way for several seconds until all three of them began laughing as they realized they’d unintentionally started a staring contest. Roxy thanked Kaycee for the heating pad and put her head down to rest some more as she asked where the others were.

“Yeah, where are the others?” Andi asked. “I haven’t seen Inessa or Summer since I woke up. Taryn was here, but she was already leaving and didn’t even say where she was going.”

“I don’t know about Taryn,” Kaycee said, “but Summer went home to help her mother out with something. I think she mentioned some kind of errands. Inessa went off to the Sweet Delights Fair.”

“That girl is going to lose her teeth before she’s 22!” Andi joked.

Never having heard of such a thing, Roxy asked what exactly the Sweet Delights Fair was. Kaycee and Andi explained it’s essentially an eating contest. People bake sweets to bring and whoever eats the most in the shortest amount of time is the winner and gets a few coupons for some free sweets at the bakery that sponsors it.

“Believe it or not, Inessa doesn’t like to indulge in sweets because she won’t be able to stop herself,” Kaycee added, “but she went this time because it’s the first time she’s ever been able to go. Before, she could only watch it on TV. And she’ll probably feel too sick to even look at another sweet when she comes back.” She then noticed Andi looking off to the side rather sadly. “Huh? Andi, what’s wrong?”

Andi let out a little gasp, as she hadn’t realized she was no longer paying attention to Roxy or Kaycee. She apologized and admitted she was worried about Taryn, thinking that she might not come back. Kaycee told her that was silly, but Andi confessed they did have an argument the night before and, truth be told, neither of them were really wanting to step up and apologize. Roxy asked what the argument was about and Andi explained it was over what Roxy had asked her prior to Kaycee returning - Taryn suppressing her magic.

Realizing it was probably a sore subject for the time being, Kaycee assured Andi she didn’t have to talk about it if she didn’t want to. Andi explained it wasn’t so much she didn’t want to talk about it as there not being much to talk about. She couldn’t even recall how the matter came up, but they didn’t settle it before they went to bed, so she wouldn’t be surprised if Taryn is still mad at her. Kaycee insisted it’s silly Taryn would hold a grudge like that, as they’re sisters and love each other, but Andi merely shook her head.

Meanwhile, Taryn was taking a walk around the quad, indeed angry, and trying to calm herself.

“Who does she think she is?” Taryn muttered to herself. “Just because she’s older than me doesn’t mean she’s in charge. I know what’s best for myself. I can do what I want with my magic! She’s so haughty! Why do I even get so worked up about it? She never listens to me! She doesn’t care.”

After a while, Taryn finally stopped walking in a square and rested her body against a tree. She felt bad for the thoughts she had about Andi, but sometimes, she couldn’t help wishing she had a different sister. One that didn’t nag her half to death.

Taryn slid slowly to the ground and thought back to when she and Andi were children. Neither of them had a very good concept of magic at that time except it being for fun and laughs. Not a day went by they were apart from each other. But after Taryn learned suppressive spells, their relationship seemed to spiral deeply into a black hole.

“I just don’t get it,” Andi had said. “You couldn’t just learn new spells without suppressing your real magic?”

“It is real magic!” Taryn had argued.

“It’s not what you were born with!” And retorted. “What’s the big deal?”

“You tell me,” Taryn fired back. “You’re the one making a big deal out of it!”

“I’m only trying to understand your reasoning.”

“I told you already. I---”

“You don’t like science. I get it. I mean---”

“Hey, I saw that! Don’t roll your eyes at me!”

“You deserve to have eyes rolled at you,” Andi scoffed. “Just explain to me how science is so bad, so boring, and so uninteresting to you, you’d rather get rid of the powers entirely than keep them while learning other kinds of magic.”

Taryn had grown furious by this point. Her fuse was just short of exploding. She could almost feel her rage bubbling and boiling up like a pot of hot water on the stove. If Andi said one more thing…

“I’m only being logical. That would’ve just made more sense. Did you even consider that before you did this to yourself?”

That was it.

“I don’t have to tell you anything!” Taryn shouted, her voice practically booming like a megaphone. “You’re not my mother! I don’t have to explain anything to you! You can’t tell me what to do!”

“I wasn’t trying to, Sis. I said I was only---”

Taryn did not allow her to finish. “I don’t care! I didn’t ask for your approval, alright?! If I wanted it, I would’ve asked for it! Keep it to yourself! I’ll do what I want!”

“Taryn, calm down,” Andi said, ignoring the verbal beating her eardrums had just taken. “It was only a question.”

“Well, I’m tired of your questions!” Taryn yelled, somehow raising her voice to an even higher volume. “Why don’t you shut up for once and stop being a know-it-all?!”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“Then, how about this? You’re the worst sister in the world! I wish Mom and Dad had given you away! I hate you!”

Although Andi’s outside expression didn’t change from its sarcastic look, inside, Taryn’s words stung. She almost felt like someone had fired an arrow into her heart and hit the target on center.

Taryn had finally lost her breath, but once she regained it and looked up at Andi, she knew those words shouldn’t have been said. She could see right through that deadpan expression and wanted to take every single word back.

Andi turned around and began to walk away, her facial expression finally changing from deadpan to solemn and slight frustration.

“Andi, wait!” Taryn cried. “Please! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! I was mad! Andi, come back here! Andi!” She ran up to her sister, stepped right in front of her, and grabbed her shoulders. “Andi, I said I’m sorry!”

“Then, why’d you say it?” Andi scowled.

“Because you irritate me!”

“Hmph!” Andi shook herself loose from Taryn’s grip and walked up to their bedroom, slamming the door shut.

As the memory ended, Taryn sighed deeply, more out of sadness than frustration. That day, she knew their relationship was going to change and any closeness they had was over. To this day, she still wished she could take back what she said, but for the most part, Taryn had gotten over the argument. Their relationship, on the other hand, was a different story. It repaired itself over time, but they never shared the same closeness they did as children. To know they likely never would was the only thing that could tear Taryn’s heart.

Deciding moping wouldn’t do her any good, Taryn hopped on a bus and headed into town. It then occurred to her the Sweet Delights Fair was being hosted today. She laughed as she thought of Inessa stuffing her face with enough sugar to feed a planet. Still, it couldn’t hurt to see how it was going, and it’d get her mind off Andi.

When the bus arrived at the stop she needed, Taryn hopped off and began making her way to the fair when a particular shop caught her eye. It wasn’t exactly out of place, but she could feel something was a little out of the ordinary with it. She stepped inside to get a better look. The store was smaller than she’d perceived, as the walkway was only large enough for one person.

“Hello? Is anyone here? What kind of store is this?”

After a few more calls were unanswered, Taryn figured the shop was closed and the owner had accidentally left the door open. She tried to exit, but somehow, the door was stuck. She frantically shook it and, when her attempts failed, rammed herself into the door. Before she could try a second time, the door suddenly flung open, almost pulling Taryn to the ground. Stunned, Taryn whirled around to see someone now at the counter with their finger at a button.

“Sorry, dear,” the elderly woman said. “That door acts funny sometimes. This button gets it unstuck for you.”

“Oh, thanks,” Taryn said. "I thought no one was here. Nobody answered."

"Did you ring, dear?"

"No, but I asked if anyone was here for a few seconds and no one answered." Glancing behind the woman, Taryn noticed there wasn't any kind of opening behind her. "Umm...where did you come from?"

Ignoring her question, the woman asked, "Can I help you with something?"

"Well, what kind of shop is this?" Taryn asked. "I've never seen one like it."

"Just a simple old shop," the woman answered. "Is there anything you're interested in? Books? Figurines? Perhaps some toys for your children?"

"Children?!" Taryn cried in shock. "No, I'm way too young for that!" She sighed. "Though, I know someone else who'd probably like it."

"Who would that be, dear?"

"My sister. She's older than me and she's a genius, and she's always treating me like a little kid. It'd be nice if she knew what it was like to be the youngest. I bet she'd flip at the chance for me to be little again for real so she could boss me around."

"I could fix up a nice potion to help you with that."

"No, thanks." As much as Taryn would've loved to switch places with Andi for a day to show her how she feels, she couldn't do such a thing to any of her friends, let alone her own sister. Plus, it'd only prove she's immature as Andi already believes. "I'd better run."

"Well, at least, take this with you," the woman said as she handed Taryn something wrapped in a napkin. Although she was suspicious, Taryn took the gift, thanked the woman, and left.

The old woman eyed her as she made her way out the door and away from the shop, lightly cackling to herself.

Taryn continued on her way to the Sweet Delights Fair, not giving much more thought to the old woman or what was in the napkin.

The fair was bigger than Taryn initially anticipated. She looked around for Inessa, but saw no sign of her, so she went up to the registration booth to ask for help.

"Excuse me. Did a fairy named Inessa sign up?"

"We have five people with that name. Could you give me a last name or describe her?" the woman asked.

"Short, brown hair. Eyeglasses. Purple dress and pumps. Light purple stockings. Red lipstick."

"Ah, yes. I recall that young lady. She's being treated by the nurses."

"What?! Is she okay?" Taryn asked in a panic.

"She's fine. She just has a stomachache. It's pretty inevitable here. That's why we started having nurses present. If you want to see her, just go right ahead and the signs will lead you to the nurses."

"Oh. Thank you." Taryn was relieved and went over to check the signs. The care facility was easy to find, but Taryn couldn't believe how many people were sick because of the fair. She searched around for Inessa and found her resting on a cot in one of the tents.

"Taryn?" Inessa wondered. "I didn't know you like the Sweet Delights Fair."

"I don't," Taryn replied dully. "Guess you ate too much, huh?

"Yeah," Inessa laughed. "Four eating contests. Didn't win any of them, but it was fun. They had to carry me here because I couldn't move."

"You're weird. You know that?"

Ignoring the insult, Inessa asked, "Why are you here?"

Taryn didn’t want to admit the truth, so she simply said, “I was bored in my dorm. How long are you going to be here?”

“I can stay until the fair closes, which won’t be for a few more hours. You have something in mind?”

Taryn shrugged. She didn’t want to spend any more time at the fair than she already had. However, she wasn’t ready to return to school and see Andi again, so she decided to stay with Inessa.

“Hey, Inessa, when you came here earlier, did you pass by a weird shop?’

“Weird shop?” Inessa asked. “Not one I noticed.”

“I saw this weird little shop on the way here,” Taryn told her. “It didn’t really look weird, but something felt odd about it. I went in and no one was there, but when I was about to leave, this old lady appeared at the counter when my back was turned.”

“Maybe she was in the back of the store.”

“She couldn’t have been. There was no door behind her.”

“Did you buy something from her?”

“No, but she gave me this.” Taryn showed Inessa the napkin the woman handed her before she left. “I haven’t opened it yet, but it feels hard.”

“Open it,” Inessa suggested.

“Nah. I’m just going to take it home. Maybe it’s something I can give to Andi.”

Later at Alfea, Andi was catching up on a few of her studies, though for once, she’d prefer to be doing something else. Specifically, finding out where Taryn was, but knowing how stubborn she could be, they’d probably start arguing again. Although sometimes, Andi preferred the arguing to the silent treatment.

Andi took another glance out the window. It was nearly evening, and she hadn’t heard from Taryn. Summer returned some time ago, having finished helping her mom with errands, but she hadn’t seen or heard from Taryn all day, which was unusual since they’d been good friends for a long time.

Roxy was back in her room, feeling better and no longer in pain. She was helping Summer sort through a few things while Artu rested on her bed. Kaycee was in her room, listening to music native to her realm and relaxing. Her phone alerted her to a text message that turned out to be from Inessa.

"Hey, everyone, come here!" Kaycee called to her friends. Andi, Roxy, Artu, and Summer came rushing to her room. "I got this message from Inessa. She's on her way back from the fair."

"That's weird?" Summer asked.

"No, what's weird is Taryn's with her," Kaycee answered.

"Taryn?" Andi questioned. "Taryn went to the Sweet Delights Fair? When did those two start hanging out together?"

Kaydee shrugged. "Who knows? But they're coming home. Maybe you two can make up, Andi. Inessa says Taryn has something for you."

"Me?" Andi wondered. "What is it?"

"She didn't say. Would you like me to ask?"

"No, thanks," Andi answered. "I'll wait."

An hour later, Taryn came in the door with a sour look on her face and Inessa carried on her back. "Kaycee!"

"Hi, Taryn," Kaycee said as she came out of her room. Almost as soon as she did, she burst into laughter. "Should I even ask?"

"Please take her. She's drooling."

"I guess she had fun at the fair," Summer laughed. Andi and Roxy tried to contain their laughs, but couldn't help themselves. Kaycee happily took Inessa off Taryn's back and carried her to bed.

"No sweets for you for a week, missy!" Kaycee teased her sleeping friend. Summer and Roxy returned to their sorting, leaving Taryn and Andi alone. Neither knew what to say first, but Andi finally broke the silence.

"Inessa told Kaycee you have something for me."

"Yeah, I do." She went up to Andi and present the napkin. "Uh...here."

Andi unfolded the napkin to reveal a plain locket. "It's nice. Where did you get it?"

"From a shop on the way to the fair," she answered as she helped Andi try to open it. "The woman gave it to me as a gift or something. Whoa!"

Andi and Taryn had forced the locket open and it suddenly burst, knocking them both away. The others, except Inessa, came out of their rooms upon hearing the noise.

"Taryn! Andi! Are you okay?" Roxy cried. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Andi replied as Summer helped her up. "Taryn, are you alright? Taryn?" She moved toward where she'd seen Taryn get thrown back.

"I'm fine," Taryn moaned as she struggled to her feet. She then noticed Andi had a shocked look on her face.

"Taryn! What happened to you?!" Andi cried.

"What? I'm fine," Taryn insisted.

The others came over and were as stunned as Andi when they saw Taryn's appearance.

"What are you all staring at?" Taryn asked, getting angry.

"Umm, Taryn? You might want to look in the mirror," Kaycee suggested. She created a small mirror in her hands so Taryn could see herself.

"I'm a kid!" Taryn cried. "How?! How did I become a kid?!"

"That locket you tried to give me did this. Taryn, did you try to---"

"No!" Taryn quickly interjected. She may have been mad with Andi, but she wouldn't try to hurt her. Not seriously anyway.

"Andi, can you do an analysis on that locket?" Kaycee asked. "Maybe you can trace it."

"I'll give it a shot," Andi agreed. "But it's almost time for dinner. Let's eat first."

"I can't let anyone see me like this!" Taryn exclaimed.

"She's right," Kaycee said. "If they see her, they'll call authorities."

"Couldn't we just explain what happened to her?" Roxy asked.

"No, I'll get in trouble!" Taryn exclaimed.

"You should, taking something without knowing what it is!" Andi scolded.

Taryn pouted. "Nobody asked you!" She stuck her tongue out at Andi and stormed off to their room.

"Well, somebody's babysitting," Kaycee said.

"Excuse me?" Andi asked, wide-eyed.

"She is your sister," Kaycee reminded her. "Of course, we'll help, but since you're her sister, you're the best person to watch her."

"She's only physically a kid," Andi stated. "She can watch herself." At that minute, dinner was announced over the PA system. "Let's go eat. We can bring her back some food."

As soon as her friends were gone, Taryn screamed into a pillow. She could not believe what just happened to her. Worse, Andi now had an excuse to boss her around and treat her like a kid. That was the one thing Taryn dreaded.

After dinner, the other girls came back with leftovers for her, as they promised.

"Here, Taryn," Andi said as she gave to her. Rather than thanks, Andi was met with a pouty face. "Come on. Just because you look like a child doesn't mean you have to act like one."

"You're the child!" Taryn argued.

"I'm trying to be nice!" Andi retorted. "Why are you so stubborn?'

"Why are you so annoying?" Taryn fired back.

"I tried to give you dinner," Andi said. "You're the one copping an attitude and I'm not giving you a free pass because you're a toddler."

Taryn crossed her arms and turned her head away from her sister. “Hmph! I’m not hungry.”

Andi gave up. She wasn’t going to argue with someone half her height, even if that person wasn’t supposed to be that age. “Fine! Act like a baby. I’m going to go back to my studies.” However, she still set the plate aside near Taryn.

Meanwhile, Fae was spying on the group for Xanthia. After seeing Andi and Taryn’s brief argument, she hurried to back to Xanthia to report what was going on. Xanthia was pleased to hear the news.

“They’re going more quickly than I thought,” Xanthia boasted. “This plan shouldn’t fail. One thing, Fae. Which one did you say became a child?”

Fae chattered to say “Taryn”.

“I was planning on the smart one being transformed, but it makes no difference. With two of them distracted, that just leaves three. It should be a cinch to capture Kaycee. Now, I have to think of something for the other two.”

Suddenly, Fae began falling out of the air. Xanthia caught her before she hit the floor. “Fae! What’s wrong?”

Fae shivered in the palm of Xanthia’s hand and curled herself into a ball.

“You’re cold,” Xanthia realized. She turned the heat in her room up and and held Fae near the heater for a short while. Fae began to relax and stretched out her body, but she also yawned and her eyelids began to droop. “Oh, you’re tired. Sorry, Fae. I forget you become cold when you’re tired. Here, I’ll put you to bed.”

Carefully, Xanthia tucked the sprite into the tiny bed next to hers. Fae fell asleep quickly. Xanthia smiled, not evilly, but genuinely. She continued mulling over her plans quietly, so as not to wake Fae.

The next morning, Taryn woke up alone with what appeared to be breakfast by her bedside. She knew it had to be from Andi, but holding a grudge wasn't going to help her rumbling stomach, so she grabbed the plate from her stand. There was also a note where the plate had been sitting. The handwriting was a little sloppy, but otherwise legible, although there was no name, so she couldn't be certain which of her friends had written it. The note read:

"I don't know what you like, so I just gathered a few small things from breakfast. Andi told me to fill the plate since you wouldn't eat your dinner. You don't have to go to class. Summer told everyone you have a high fever, so they think you're resting. We'll see you after our classes!"

"Sounds like Roxy," Taryn guessed. She was grateful her friends would make an excuse for her. Her stomach reminded her she was hungry with a growl, and she wasted no more time in scarfing down her breakfast. Satisfied, Taryn set the plate where it'd been and thought about what to do for the day. She couldn't let herself be seen, so she had to stay in the dorm all day.

Taryn then noticed the locket on Andi's desk. Had she tried to analyze it last night? Taryn went over, took the locket, and tried to open it again. This time, it opened rather easily, but there was nothing in it. "Stupid locket," she mumbled. "That old woman tricked me." Suddenly, Taryn had an idea. She could go back and ask the woman how to reverse the spell. There had to be some cure for it. But there was no way she could get through the school without being seen.

"She's got to have an invisibility spell in one of these," Taryn mumbled as she flipped through some of Andi's books. She knew Andi would be upset if she found Taryn going through her stuff, but Taryn didn't have any spell books of her own. Taryn did find a few, but they all required potions. Frustrated, Taryn threw the books aside. "Argh! How can she have so many books and not a single one with a simple invisibility spell?!" Taryn decided to try Andi's computer. Sure enough, she found a simple one within two minutes of looking. The downside was it only lasted for ten minutes, so Taryn would have to hurry. She deleted the search history so she wouldn't be found out, and it also dawned on her she ought to put Andi's books back in place.

After she fixing up the books, she grabbed the locket, recited the spell, and quickly faded into thin air. "Perfect!" As fast as she could, she made her way though the halls and down the stairs, barely making it onto the quad, which was fortunately empty, before the spell wore off. Unfortunately, Taryn's age had been pushed back far enough where she couldn't use her inherited powers, including flight, but since spells were a different story, she simply used another one to enable her to fly, albeit only a few inches off the ground. But it was still faster than walking.

Once she got to the street the shop was on, Taryn lowered herself and walked. The shop wasn't hard to find, but to Taryn's dismay, it was closed. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed as she stomped her foot in anger. "Now, what will I do?" Taryn wasn't ready to give up yet, so she knocked on the door. To her surprise, it opened. "This lady must not lock up," Taryn figured.

Just as with her first visit, the shop was empty. However, this time, Taryn stayed near the door and stared directly at the counter so she could see the woman appear. "Excuse me! Is anyone here? I came to bring your locket back!"

Taryn waited and waited, but the woman never reappeared. Taryn was at a loss. The old woman obviously wasn't here, and she was stuck as a kid. If someone ambushed her, she would be powerless. Still, she didn't leave. That woman had to show up sometime.

Unfortunately, Taryn was about to see her fear realized.

Back at Alfea, classes were over and the girls were tired. Inessa and Kaycee had conked out on the couch, and Roxy was close to joining them in their slumber. Summer and Andi were the only two able to stay awake and for both, it was out of concern for Taryn.

"Are you going to do more analyzing on that locket?" Summer asked.

"I'll try one more time," Andi answered. "But I'm only more certain the spell being inside that locket wasn't an accident. Someone put it there deliberately to fool someone."

"But why Taryn?" Summer wondered. "You'd think we would've heard about more people getting tricked by this shop she went to. There's no way it could've just set up a day ago, is there?"

"There is," Andi admitted, "but not without anyone noticing. After I get my homework done, I'll see what more I can learn about that locket."

"Hmm. Taryn's pretty quiet," Summer noticed, looking in the direction of Andi and Taryn's room. "I thought she'd be playing her video games. By the way, did you at least discover how to break the spell?"

"It's not permanent, but if Taryn doesn't want to wait, I'd have use a special kind of spell," Andi explained. "That spell was done with a certain type of dark magic. Not just any spell will work."

Andi was about to check on Taryn when she noticed Artú sniffing around her room. "Roxy, what is he looking for?"

"Hmm?" Roxy mumbled sleepily, barely lifting her head.

All of a sudden, Artú began barking. He ran toward Andi and attempted to pull her forward.

"Roxy, I like your dog, but please make him stop," Andi said patiently. "What is he doing?"

"Artú, stop that!" Roxy ordered, now alert. She tried to pull Artú off of Andi, but he only began nudging her, trying to push her toward her room. "Artú, what's the matter? Is something wrong?" Artú jumped and barked excitedly to answer her.

"Uh...Andi? I think I know what Artú is trying to tell you," Summer said after checking the room for herself. "Come, look."

Andi and Roxy hurried to see for themselves, but nothing seemed out of place.

"What?" Andi asked, looking at Artú. "Nothing's here." Suddenly, it dawned on her. "Taryn! She's not here!"

"The locket is gone too," Roxy noted. "Do you think something happened to her?"

"I don't see any signs of a fight," Summer said. "Everything looks neat. Maybe Taryn got antsy from being cooped up all day and snuck out."

"But why would she take locket?" Andi wondered. "Unless she wanted to return it, there's no reason for her to take it. I'll try calling her."

"You can't," Roxy told Andi, pointing to Taryn's cell phone on her bed.

"Great," Andi sighed in frustration. "Let's go find her before she gets herself into trouble."

Summer woke up Kaycee and Inessa, and all five girls transformed and flew off as quickly as they could, heading for downtown.

Although it was evening, the girls couldn't shake the feeling downtown was eerily quiet. Usually, there'd still be people about for a few more hours. They disregarded it and split up to find Taryn. No trace of their friend was anywhere to be found. After about an hour, they regrouped and rested on a bench to discuss what to do.

As they went on trying to come up with a plan, Andi got up and walked a short distance away. Roxy noticed and, worried, followed her to see if she was alright.

"I'm sure we'll find Taryn soon," Roxy tried to assure her, though she wasn't so confident herself.

"It's not that," Andi said. "Well, it is, but...I..." She sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I know. You're worried about your sister."

"That, and this is my fault," Andi confessed.

"No, it's not!" Roxy quickly objected. "You didn't do this to her. None of us could've known something like this would happen."

"But the reason she left in the first place is she was mad at me," Andi explained. "I feel like a fool. If I hadn't given her a hard time, we wouldn't be looking for her."

Andi's voice broke and she slowly began to cry. At that moment, she would've given anything to have Taryn by her side again, even if she was still pint-sized. Logically, she knew Roxy was right, but it did nothing to subside the guilt Andi felt at every argument she'd ever had with Taryn.

Being an only child, Roxy had no idea what it was like to have a sibling, or feel the guilt Andi was feeling right now, but she still tried to comfort Andi in any way she could.

"I know you told me you and Taryn used to be close, but I think you're still close," she told her.

"Why's that?" Andi asked, trying to force herself to stop crying.

"You're fretting over her so much."

"I'd fret over you too if you went missing."

Roxy tried to explain herself more clearly. "I mean you still care a lot about her. You were blaming everything on yourself a moment ago. You don't mean to fight with her, do you?"

"Of course not," Andi quickly answered. "She thinks I'm a nag, but she just acts so much like a child. Still, I'd do anything to have her back right this moment."

"That's what I mean," Roxy said. "You want her back, no matter what. Sounds close to me."

Andi finally smiled a bit and cleared her eyes. She may not have felt as close to Taryn as she once had been, but for someone else to see their relationship in the light Roxy did was all Andi needed for the minute.

"Roxy, I hope it doesn't upset you, but Kaycee mentioned to us how you felt about your last group," Andi confessed. "I'm not saying I'm happy you got excluded, but I'm glad you're with us."

Roxy would've been upset about something she told in confidentiality not being kept, but Andi's words were too much to allow it. She could only give a soft, wide grin as thanks.

"Taryn! Roxy!" Kaycee cried as she ran over with Inessa and Summer. "Sorry if I'm interrupting your conversation, but Summer has an idea!"

"What is it, Summer?" Andi asked.

"Can you do analyses with your phone?"

"Sure. Most of what I can do on my computer in my room, I can do with my phone," Andi explained.

"Is it powerful enough trace Taryn's tracks throughout the city?" Summer asked. "We could find out the last place she was and find that shop."

"Unfortunately, it can't trace the whole city, but it can retrace her steps within a certain area," Andi replied. "I'll try it."

Within a few seconds, Andi used her phone and began to scan several areas of the city one-by-one until Taryn's steps were found.

"Hmm," Andi mumbled. "That's interesting. If my scanner's not malfunctioning, it's showing that Taryn walked into a concrete wall and left."

Confused, the others looked for themselves and saw the same thing. Andi attempted to search for information about the shops, but none showed any trace of Taryn on her scanner. The group would simply have to see for themselves.

Using the map as a guide, Andi led everyone to the area, but instead of a concrete wall as shown on Andi's scanner, there was an unfamiliar shop in its place. All of a sudden, Andi's scanner flashed an error sign and shut down.

"Something's not right with this place," Andi said. "My scanner can't read it."

"It's eerie here," Inessa added. "This shop makes me feel uneasy. Do you think this is where Taryn got that locket?"

"I'm not a patient lady, so Summer, can you use your whip to break that door?" Kaycee asked. She gave the handle a tug. "It's locked."

"Kaycee, wouldn't it have made sense to try the door before asking Summer to break it?" Andi pointed out.

"I'm a fairy of languages, not patience," Kaycee remarked. "That's Inessa's job description."

After a small chuckle at her friend's sarcasm, Summer threw her whip at the door, obliterating it with a single strike. Almost as soon as the group entered, Andi's scanner began working again and picked up Taryn's trail.

"This is so strange," Andi stated. "Now, it shows she just vanished."

"Andi, I just remembered something," Inessa told her. "At the fair, Taryn said there was no one when she went in the shop, but an old woman appeared when she had turned around."

"What's so weird about that?" Andi asked.

"Probably that there's no door up here," Kaycee answered, now at the counter. "The door Summer busted is the only one in this place."

"Taryn told me the same thing," Inessa recalled. "She said there was no door behind the woman."

"Hmm," Summer mumbled. "It's only a guess, but..." She walked up behind the counter and felt the wall. It felt normal. She walked along it, moving her hand in circles, until...

"Ahh! Help!"

"Summer!" All of her friends rushed to grab her and pull her out of the wall. Thankfully, she was unharmed, but she'd proven her suspicion.

"There's a portal within that wall!"

"You mean behind it?" Roxy asked.

"No, within it," Andi corrected her. "The wall is a portal and Summer nearly fell in."

"Why would there be a portal in a place like this?" Inessa wondered.

"Because somebody is trying to deceive somebody," Kaycee deduced, "and I bet Taryn accidentally fell victim to it. Which is all the more reason we need to find her. Andi, can you trace where that portal leads?"

Andi analyzed the portal and the results she got almost terrified her. "Everyone, get away from there right now!" she ordered. "That portal contains the same magic that transformed Taryn into a child!" Immediately, her friends were at her side. "Summer was unaffected because her whole body didn't go through. That portal leads to a chamber, but I can't see whether or not Taryn is on the other side."

"How do we get over there if she is?" Roxy asked. "We'll become children and unable to rescue her if go through it."

"I could try to use my bows," Kaycee said. "They usually only work if I'm not exhausted or being threatened, but I could attempt to force them."

"But you said you haven't perfected it," Andi reminded her. "Can you guarantee you'll get us on the other side?"

Kaycee frowned. "I have to admit I can't. So what do we do? We're stuck."

"I have a suggestion," Inessa stated. "Andi, this place broke your scanner, right?"

"Yes. It shut down because it produced an error when I tried to analyze this place," Andi replied.

"And the map showed a concrete wall instead of the store, right?"

"Yes, but what are you..." That's when it hit Andi. Stunned at her own oversight, she slapped her palm to her forehead. "Go ahead."

Kaycee, Roxy, and Summer were confused until Inessa began to perform a spell. Strong winds began to blow and the shop began to fade. Suddenly, all five girls began falling into what seemed to be a pit of darkness. Summer shielded herself and her friends by encasing them within an ice block, though it didn't protect them from a bit of whiplash when they finally crashed below, although the block had remained intact.

After making sure each other was alright, the group looked around. To their surprise, straight ahead of them was Taryn, lying flat and motionless on a table, as if dead.

"Taryn?" Andi murmured. She was suddenly filled with dread. Was her sister actually...dead?

"She's fine," Summer stated, almost seeming to have read Andi's mind. "She's breathing. It's hard to notice, but I can see her chest rise and fall. She's okay."

Summer faded out the ice block and Andi made a beeline for her sister, against the cries of her friends for her to wait. Before she could reach Taryn, Andi was suddenly struck down by an attack. In pain, she struggled to get on her knees. No guesses needed to be as to who the attacker was, as she stood tall directly in front of Andi, cackling madly.

"Xanthia!" the whole group cried.

"Of course!" Kaycee added. "We shouldn't be surprised!"

"You little pests are smarter than your friend here," Xanthia snickered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Andi demanded as she writhed in pain.

"You were my target, but Taryn clearly got herself hit instead," Xanthia clarified. "Not that it mattered much. You all fell into my trap anyway. But I don't have any interest in you."

"What?" Andi muttered as Xanthia stepped past her.

"No," Xanthia continued. "You see, I wanted to Kaycee alone. With the rest of you little pests turned into half-pints, Lil Miss Pinkhead over here wouldn't have stood a chance. Unfortunately, I underestimated you."

"Xanthia, I'm not stupid," Kaycee remarked. "You have something up your sleeve."

"Impatient, are we?" the witch taunted. "Alright. I'll get to the point." She struck down all of Kaycee's friends, paralyzing them and leaving them weak.

Enraged, Kaycee's magic began to swell inside of her and she prepared to attack Xanthia, but the witch stopped her.

"If you want to save your friends, you'd better listen!" Xanthia insisted. Kaycee calmed her powers and silently agreed. "Good. We're going to have a one-on-one battle. If you win, I'll free you and your little pests, and you can all be on your way. But if I win, you all remain my prisoners and I get the incantation from you. Got it?"

"You expect me to put my friends' lives in jeopardy over a rivalry that has nothing to do with them?" Kaycee fumed. "You have lost your mind!"

"If you don't, you have no chance of freeing them," Xanthia reminded her.

"Because...?"

"Look up."

Kaycee did so. Above the team was a portal, which Kaycee correctly guessed was the same one within the fake store's wall, only it'd been enlarged.

"I will throw you and your friends up there and it leads to Eternal Darkness. You'll all wander for eternity!"

Kaycee felt conflicted. She was not willing to put her friends' lives on the line this way, but she had no choice in the matter. Reluctantly, she agreed to the conditions, but added one of her own: if she won, Xanthia was not only to release all of them, but never bother them again.

Xanthia agreed and teleported them to another area, engulfed entirely in darkness. Kaycee couldn't see an inch in front of her, but Xanthia could and struck her in the back. As she struggled to her feet, Xanthia struck her again. Kaycee wasn't surprised by the witch's dirty tactics, but protecting herself was of utmost importance right now.

Kaycee employed a cubic barrier to defend herself, but she had to think fast because her barrier wouldn't hold for long. Her strongest spell was Surround Scream, but using it would render her unable to use another spell for a few seconds, long enough for Xanthia to retaliate if she somehow managed to protect herself from it.

Xanthia's taunting and the continuous strikes against her barrier reminded Kaycee her time was limited. She'd simply have to risk it.

As her barrier was finally broken, she stood up and released the loudest Surround Scream she could muster. The ground shook powerfully beneath her, barely allowing Kaycee to remain on her feet, but she continued screaming as high as she could, struggling not to let her voice die down.

Finally, her voice let out and she almost fell as she grasped her throat. She couldn't yell anymore, but what she saw in front of her told her she didn't have to. It was no longer pitch-black, and Xanthia was lying a few feet in front of her, immobile and obviously injured. Kaycee looked around in horror at the destruction her voice had caused and immediately began fearing the worst of Xanthia's condition. The realization of what she may have just done made her fall to her knees. Sure, Xanthia was evil, but Kaycee could never bring it upon herself to wish death on anyone, not even someone who'd been aiming to end her life mere minutes ago.

Fae then came up to her face and began chattering. Unable to understand the sprite's words, she used Translation to do so. Fae explained Xanthia was alright and to not mind the destruction that occurred. Kaycee was baffled, as she couldn't just leave what she'd done unfixed, but Fae continued on to say her destruction isn't real. The whole area was an illusion Xanthia created to put Kaycee at a disadvantage, as Xanthia could see through darkness, but knew Kaycee couldn't.

Seeing Kaycee wasn't believing her, Fae fluttered over to a small pile of the debris and poked it. It glitched and vanished into thin air in mere seconds. Fae also assured Kaycee her friends were in the same places they were when she and Xanthia left, but she'd have to get there herself. That was no problem as Kaycee could use her bows to do that. She thanked Fae for clearing things up for her, but expressed concern for what would happen to Xanthia. Fae told her there was no need to worry, as Xanthia would live and heal, and the illusion would wear off when she woke up. She also thanked Kaycee for sparing her life, though Kaycee swore to her she wouldn't have tried to take it.

Fae then fluttered over to Xanthia's side, and Kaycee concentrated to activate her bows and return to her friends. As the pale pink orb of light hurriedly engulfed her, she only hoped it'd take her to the correct place, as she wasn't certain what she could do if it didn't. The orb vanished and carried Kaycee away.

A second later, Kaycee was dropped off and the orb vanished again. To her delight and relief, she'd teleported herself to the right place, although her hair had to cushion her landing. The portal Xanthia created was gone, and her friends, no longer paralyzed, were happy to see her, although Taryn remained an unconscious child. Kaycee quickly went over to them, where Andi was cradling her sister, uncertain of what to do. Nothing they tried would awaken Taryn or break the spell.

"I'm going to take her home," Andi said. "If I can't figure it out, I'll take her to the nurse."

"We're going to have to walk or fly," Kaycee told her friends. "I'm not sure where we are, and I don't think it's safe to try my bows again."

"We're in a low chamber of Cloud Tower," Andi informed her. "My phone is functioning properly, so I can use its map and navigation to lead us out."

"What if we get caught?" Summer asked worriedly. "Taryn's incapacitated, Kaycee's tired, and we'd be outnumbered."

"Didn't we fall down a pit of darkness?" Kaycee recalled. "Why can't we fly back up?"

"Because that pit of darkness was the result of an illusion being cleared," Andi explained. "Even if it weren't, do you really think it's safer to fly toward what we can't see?"

"I could use my starlight," Inessa mentioned.

"Starlight?" Roxy asked.

"It's a spell called White Starlight," Inessa clarified. "It's a guide light, and it's extremely bright. It can shed all darkness."

"I have an idea!" Kaycee blurted out. "If it's extremely bright, it must be blinding. That'd be enough to stun anyone who tried to ambush us and we wouldn't have to worry."

"But wouldn't it blind us too?" Summer asked.

Inessa shook her head. "It's only blinding if it's in your face, and it doesn't extinguish until I put it out. It'd be a few feet ahead of us. Though I think Andi's map is more reliable. It'll guide us out, but it might not guide us safely."

"We can use both," Andi concluded. "I can direct with the map and Inessa can use her starlight as our defense. But if we get into an emergency situation, Kaycee, would you use your bows? I know it's risky, but we wouldn't have much time to consider alternates."

"Fair enough," Kaycee agreed. "Come on. Let's get going already."

"Andi, do you need one of us to take Taryn off your hands so you can lead us?" Summer asked. "If you do, I'll carry her."

Truthfully, Andi didn't want to let go of her sister after how close she came to losing her, but it would be a little easier to utilize her map without an armful.

"Sure, Summer. Thanks." She handed Taryn off to Summer, who held her tightly with both arms and allowed her head to rest on her shoulder. Then, the group finally began making their way out.

Quietly, Andi led her friends through the corridors and around the corners. They proceeded with extra caution as they went through the dormitory areas, fearful of waking any of the students. At one point, Inessa believed she heard someone behind them, but it was only Kaycee, who'd mistakenly tripped over her boot.

It seemed to be so long, but before they knew it, Andi had lead them to the exit. Understandably, they were all ready to transform and fly away as fast as their wings could carry them, but Andi held them back, telling them to wait until they were a good distance away from Cloud Tower.

Several feet later, Andi deemed it safe, so the group transformed, and flew off toward Alfea as fast they could until Cloud Tower was no longer visible in the distance. Kaycee teleported them all to their dorm to avoid the risk of being seen.

Though in slight pain from the fall, the group was very relieved they managed to avoid trouble. However, by now, it was very late, and the girls would be too tired to attend class the next day if they stayed awake much longer. Nevertheless, when Andi insisted the others go to bed to be well-rested, they refused, wanting to assist her in finding a cure for Taryn's predicament. Though Andi admitted the help would be nice, she still insisted her friends go to bed, but her confession only made them more persistent. After all, she and Taryn were their friends and after tonight's events, it didn't feel right to leave her to fix it alone. Andi had little argument for that reasoning, so she allowed them to help her and began searching her computer's database for cures.
Recalling that she needed a certain type due to the nature of the spell, she only selected a few, and she and her friends got to work on creating them.

After a few hours and literally a dozen of potions, Andi was beginning to feel hopeless as her friends helped her concoct the final one. She was tired and, more so, she just wanted her sister back.

The girls spread the potion, as a sparkling liquid form, all over Taryn from head to toe. As it seeped into her body, the group looked on hopefully, but none more so than Andi, who was firmly clutching her sister's hand. "Please, Taryn," she whispered tearfully. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. Just...just please wake up. I need you. Please." Her voice softened a bit more. "Please."

Taryn's body began to glow brightly, so much so, the group had to turn away to avoid the light irritating their eyes. When it dimmed, they heard a small grunt.

"Oh...ow...my head..."

"Taryn!" they all cried joyfully.

Taryn covered her ears. "Stop yelling! I have a headache! Darn, I feel sore everywhere!"

Unable to hide their happiness, everyone immediately grabbed and hugged Taryn, much to her confusion. Roxy, Kaycee, Summer, and Inessa let go to allow Andi to pick up her sister and squeeze her tightly.

"What is with you?! Put me down!" Taryn demanded, fighting to free herself from Andi's embrace. It wasn't until she realized Andi's face was bit wet that she calmed herself. "Andi, are you...crying?"

Andi let go and wiped her eyes clear. "No," she denied, but it was clear to Taryn she was.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Taryn asked in exasperation as she looked at her friends. "Why is she crying? Why do you all look like you want to cry? Why is everybody sad?"

"Taryn, we almost lost you!" Summer explained. "We're not sad. We're happy you're back to yourself and alive! Andi spent all night creating potions to get you back to normal. That was the last one she had before we would've had to take you to the nurse and hope she could help you."

Taryn thought it over. Slowly, she began to recall the previous day's events and realized what Summer was talking about. She'd been turned into a child and she'd gone to return the locket, but Xanthia had attacked her and made her black out. At least, that was how she remembered it.

As soon as she remembered it all, Taryn became somber. All this had happened because of her. She was the one who held a grudge and had taken something without even knowing what it was from a stranger. Taryn may not have known exactly what happened between her being ambushed and waking up just now, but she knew it couldn't have been anything good.

"Andi, I'm so sorry," she finally said. She looked toward her friends and back at Andi. "Whatever danger you all went through, I'm so sorry."

"It's my fault," Andi said, but before she could say any more, Taryn cut her off.

"No, it isn't. It's mine. I did this to myself and to all of you. I'm the one who left and didn't come back. I'm the one who gave you that locket without even checking what it was. I know you all had to risk your lives in some way for me." Now, Taryn was beginning to break down. "I'm...I am so sorry. This is my fault for being so selfish."

While blaming was essentially pointless now, Andi couldn't sit there and let Taryn take responsibility for everything. "It is mine, Taryn," she insisted. "It's mine for nagging you. You only did those things because I got mad at you. If I hadn't---"

"Stop!" Taryn appreciated what Andi was trying to do, but shifting the blame to herself wasn't making it better. "Yes, you got mad, but I chose to linger on it. You had nothing to do with my actions. They were mine. Just please...stop."

"Girls, I apologize for interrupting you," Kaycee said as she stepped up, "but does it matter? You've both taken accountability for what you've done and that's good, but I think who's at fault is irrelevant now. Taryn is safe and sound, and you're both where you should be. At least, for now, you shouldn't be trying to shift the blame between yourselves and just be glad you're back together. And don't forget, Xanthia did play a part in this too."

"That's true. She did," Andi agreed. "I'm sure you didn't ask to be kidnapped. Look, I really don't care anymore, okay? I may not ever understand, but you can do what you want with your magic. It's yours. But I love you, and I never want you in danger again. At the end of the day, you are still my sister, and I'd be broken if I lost you."

Now, it was Taryn's turn to grab and hug, and she clung to her sister like a magnet. Andi returned to the embrace, and whispered, "I'll always be here for you," as she slowly stroked Taryn's back.

"Me too," Taryn promised.

They stayed that for a long while before releasing each other, and bringing their friends in for another group hug.

It wasn't until the sun began to rise that the girls realized they'd have to get ready for class, and none of them had gotten any sleep, except for Taryn.

Suddenly, Andi smiled a bit slyly. "This won't sound right coming from me, but why don't we all take the day off?"

Everyone looked at Andi like she'd grown two heads at that moment.

"Uh...are you feeling okay?" Taryn asked suspiciously.

Andi laughed. "Of course. But we're all tired. Let's just rest for today." She glanced at Taryn affectionately and put her arm on the girl's shoulder. "I think we afford one day."

No one argued and, shortly after, everyone was in their beds and fast asleep. Though this time, Taryn and Andi shared one of their beds. Before they dozed off, Taryn had one final thing to say.

"Andi, tell the truth. Do you like me better as a kid or an adult?"

Andi thought it over for a few seconds. "Adult," she finally answered. "Surprisingly, you're a little nicer."

Taryn chuckled and the sisters finally fell asleep, ending the last bit of sound in the quiet morning.