If Only a Dream

     Blinking sleepily, four-year-old Isca could barely make out her sister's tear-stained face in the dark. Her ears were dropping and shaking, causing little ripples to blur the water around her. "Caylis, why are you crying?" she said at once, simple and earnest.

     "I had a nightmare," Caylis mumbled. "I dreamed that – that – I saw a house fall down, and people were yelling inside it. They wouldn't stop yelling. But then they went all quiet and then I woke up."

     "Well, it was only a dream," Isca said confusedly. "I dreamed that Papa found a great new stash of hidden gold to make jewelry out of."

     Caylis sniffed. "I wish I had happy dreams."

     "Sleep next to me," Isca offered. "I'll give you mine!"

     At last, Caylis smiled. She nestled herself in the shell bed next to her sister, twining their scaly tails together for comfort. Isca ran her hand through Caylis's hair and repeated in her head with every movement of her hand good dreams, good dreams, good dreams...

     They next morning, their father took them aside to tell them some very grave news. A house had collapsed over a family of four, and no rescue squad had been able to get to them in time. Caylis gasped in horror, and Isca glanced over at her with wide eyes.

     "I know, my darlings," he said, pulling them both into a hug. "It is very scary, and we are very sad. But I want you to know that you are safe here. Nothing like this will ever happen again."

     Caylis and Isca didn't say a word to each other for the rest of the day. At dinner, their whole family was silent, so Isca did the only thing she could think of to lighten the mood. "Papa, I had a dream you found a hidden treasure to make jewelry out of!"

     His somber expression transformed instantly to breathless delight, his grin wide and enthralled. "Why, Isca, you are incredible! I was just about to give the two of you a little present."

     From under the table he pulled out two sets of paired seashells, each shut tight. He handed one to each of his daughters, who opened them to find identical necklaces of gold and copper wire intertwined, like tiny glittering strands of seaweed. Isca's mouth fell open.

     "My explorers just got back to me today," the king said confidently. "They found a huge chest full of pirate's gold, bronze, copper, silver. I had these made for the two of you. I thought you would like them. What an extraordinary dreamer you are, Isca!"

     Isca could only stare. Beside her, Caylis was gripping her necklace so tight that the scales on her hands had turned white, and tears glimmered behind her eyes. Before the king could say anything, however, Caylis shot out of her chair in a flurry of bubbles.

     "She – she's really sleepy," Isca said dumbly, by way of explanation. "She had a scary nightmare last night."

     The king nodded sympathetically. "Well, I hope she sleeps better tonight. Go to her, Isca. And - " – his eyes twinkled – "if you have any other dreams, do let me know!"

     Swimming faster than she had ever swam in all her four years, Isca found her sister crying in the corner of their bedroom. "Go away!" she shouted at the sight of her sister. "Go away, Isca!"

     Isca started to tremble, tears pricking behind her eyes too. She couldn't stand to see her sister so sad. "Y-you should tell Papa about your dream," she mumbled.

     Caylis shook her head violently. She curled into a ball on the floor, turning her back on Isca, who let herself sink to the ground too, helpless. Neither of them moved didn't move until they fell asleep and, thankfully, did not dream.

     ---

     King Kelpbeard watched his two young daughters, twin Aishas matched in beauty and grace only by each other. Bright and cheery Isca led cautious, careful Caylis through the palace reefs , laughing a little as they played. The king couldn't help but notice, though, that Caylis seemed to wear down as they day went on. Isca grew tired as well, too in tune with her sister's emotions to remain in a disparate state for long.

     They were only six. They ought to be swimming through the kelp forests all day long and begging to stay up past their bedtime, sneaking out at night to find luminescent seashells, even daring to peek above the surface of the water. But instead, his two Aishas were exhausted by dinnertime, Caylis especially, with Isca constantly at her side for support.

     Perhaps they were just quiet, compliant children, happy to obey their father's rules. He couldn't really complain about that, could he? Would he rather have two daughters that swam away or tried to interact with the world above the water?

     It was better now, at the very least, than when they had been babies. Caylis had cried relentlessly, and he had had no idea how to calm her because of course she couldn't tell him what was wrong. Even now she didn't tell him much, but at least she wasn't crying all the time. Should he ask, perhaps?

     No, he decided. He didn't want to pry, and they seemed happy enough, most of the time. Content, King Kelpbeard let his daughters sleep early, pleased at their acquiescence to his authority.

     He didn't notice the shadows under Caylis's eyes, or the guilt in Isca's gaze whenever the two sisters shared a loaded glance before bed.

     ---

     "Shh, Cay, shh. You'll wake Papa."

     Caylis's sobs wracked her whole body. Desperately Isca tried to soothe her, stroking her gray hair, hugging her when she grew still. Their tails intertwined, and Caylis buried her face in her sister's shoulder. "They're getting worse. Ever since we turned eight, I have the n-nightmares every night. A-and then, something happens, it comes true - "

     "Not always!" Isca countered. "You said not always!"

     "Maybe I just don't know!" Caylis said. "Maybe I only hear about some of them!"

     Isca gulped. "We should tell Papa."

     Instantly Caylis's whole demeanor changed. She pushed Isca away and glared, and Isca almost shrieked out loud at the glow of fear and anger in her beloved sister's eyes. "No! You promised it would be our secret! I don't want Papa to know I'm – I'm - "

     She seemed unable to form the word, too terrified to even think about it. Their father had taught them the words blessed and cursed – he said they were both blessed, to be princesses of Maraqua, but Caylis couldn't forget the other word. She turned away from Isca, who only barely the caught her next words. "You don't understand. You only see good things. Papa loves your dreams. He would hate me if he knew mine."

     Caylis's eyes were dry, but Isca couldn't stop the tears that spilled over her own cheeks. "Papa loves both of us!" she cried. "Papa will love you no matter what! Maybe if you tell him, he can stop them from happening!"

     Her sister made no reply. Infuriated, Isca flipped over too so they lay back to back, not even touching. It took some time, but eventually Isca fell asleep despite her anger. She didn't hear Caylis's sleepy murmur.

     "Maybe you're right..."

     ---

     As the years passed, his daughters grew further and further apart. When they had been barely able to swim on their own, he could hardly tell the difference between them; both glowed with energy and joy. Now, only Isca's scales shone while Caylis's grew dull and gray, only Isca's eyes lit up when she gazed around the city while Caylis's remained dark and bitter. Her shoulders slumped, she let her tail and her hair grow ragged, and she rarely, if ever, smiled.

     He could understand her sadness, of course. Ever since she had told him about her dreams – and Isca about hers – he wondered what such a burden must feel like for such a young Neopet. She was only ten years old now, but she was no child, haunted as she was by her terrible prophecies.

     Whispers were beginning to break out in the streets of Maraqua about the miraculous skills King Kelpbeard's daughters possessed. They spoke cheerfully and excitedly about beautiful Isca's powers, but muttered in dark, hushed voices about Caylis and her nightmares.

     Whispers were nothing but whispers, however, so King Kelpbeard did nothing save for shield his two daughters from them as best he could. He could not, however, shield them from themselves – or each other.

     ---

     "Caylis? Caylis, is that you? Where have you been all day?!"

     Frantically Isca dashed through the water to her sister, who was slinking back into the palace from behind an ancient statue that hid a secret passageway. They had discovered it when they were children and had promised to use it together to go on many adventures, but lately Caylis had taken to sneaking out more and more on her own, leaving Isca behind with nothing to do but worry.

     "None of your business," she snapped, swimming away. "I'm thirteen now. I can go where I want. I don't need you tagging along, wondering if I'm gonna fall apart because I had another nightmare."

     "I don't wonder that," Isca lied as she caught up with her. "Just – why can't I go with you? I miss playing with you, that's all."

     "Well, I don't miss playing with you!" Caylis shrieked, whipping around so fast that a spray of bubbles whipped painfully across Isca's face. "I don't want you to come with me 'cause I don't want you anywhere near me! Go on, go, sit at Papa's right hand and tell him all the wonderful things that are going to happen that day, with everyone loving and admiring and praising you, while they hiss and mutter every time I open my mouth! Go away, Isca!"

     Isca stretched out her hand, intending to stroke her sister's hair like she always did, but Caylis jerked her head away. Isca glared at her sister. "It's not like that!" she said. "You know it's not like that, Caylis, you know they're just scared! You're trying to help them, Papa understands that!"

     "He says he does," she said nastily. "But I see the way he looks at me, and the way he looks at you. He loves you more. How could he not? You tell him when he's going to be victorious or lucky. I can only tell him when his people are going to die!"

     Isca threw up her arms in exasperation. "So what is running away going to do about that? If you feel that way, tell him! Nothing's going to change if you avoid everyone all day!"

     Caylis's shoulders fell. She looked down, all the fight pouring out of her, and she seemed to shrink in her meek defeat of her fate. "Nothing's ever going to change for me anyway, Isca. I know it isn't. I'll never be free of my powers – I see that future every night. So why bother?"

     "Caylis..." Isca whispered in shock. But she could think of no counter-argument no, no words to convince her sister that she was wrong, that there was still a chance, that she should stay. Because Isca knew as well as Caylis did that if they saw something, if they dreamed, then it was as true as if it had already happened. The last flicker of hope in Caylis's eyes vanished as she stared at her helpless sister.

     "Just leave me alone," she said as she turned away. "You can't help me now. No one can."

     That night, they slept apart for the first time in years. Isca tossed and turned, unable to stay comfortable. Whenever she did doze off into unconsciousness, her dreams were of cheering, delighted Maraquans, praising some edict of the king's. But Isca could not shake the somber fear that had settled in her gut and that lingered even when she woke.

     ---

     "People of Maraqua! We have heard your cries, and we come to you now your servant. After much thought, we have come up with a solution that has Maraqua's best interests at heart."

     Seated high on his coral throne, King Kelpbeard stared across the enthralled gazes of the Maraquan populace to his two daughters, side by side, at the other end of the pavilion. Floating together like they were, the differences between them appeared more stark than ever. Caylis seemed a mere shadow of her shimmering sister, her expression twisted and sour, while Isca radiated sympathy and goodness.

     His heart strained to stop the words he knew he must now say. It is for the best. For her good and for the kingdom's. I have no other choice. He closed his eyes, unable to look at his once-beloved daughter standing, for the last time, next to his perfect princess. "We hereby declare that Princess Caylis of Maraqua is to be stripped of her title and standing. She is no daughter of ours. In order to safeguard our kingdom, we banish her to the farthest corner of the ocean and forbid her from ever returning to these waters. No Maraquans are to follow her or ever contact her. This we declare in order to protect our kingdom from the dangerous witchcraft that has haunted us for so long. Caylis, you have one hour to begone from this place, or else suffer the ultimate punishment."

     A great sigh of relief rose from the onlookers, followed by cheers and chants. King Kelpbeard opened his eyes at the tumult. Instinctively he searched the crowd for his daughters' faces, but there was too much movement now; the masses were dancing excitedly at the news they had demanded for so long. When finally a gap opened near the corner of the pavilion, King Kelpbeard's heart sank.

     His daughters – both of them - were gone. Caylis's dark glare burned in his memory, and he wondered if he would ever see those eyes again - or if he would only ever have her hatred to remember her by.

     ---

     Desperately Isca swam through the darkening ocean, trying to follow her sister's trail, fear closing in on her as surely as the night. She passed sunken ships and decaying reefs, fish with long curling teeth and steep black crevasses, farther from the city than she had ever ventured before. She could feel Caylis ahead of her, though, so she pressed on. Finally, her senses led her to a crack in a large rock just big enough for a slender Maraquan Aisha to slip through. Steeling herself, Isca swam into it, feeling the rock scrape her sides painfully before it opened up into a large cavern.

     Inside, Caylis was curled up like she was a child, tail bent and clutched to her chest. At Isca's entrance she jerked up, glowering. "You shouldn't be here. You'll be banished too if you're caught with me."

     "I don't care," Isca said. "You're my sister."

     "Not anymore," Caylis hissed. "You heard him. I'm no daughter of his. I have no title, no family, no home. Don't suffer on my account, sister."

     Tears welled behind Isca's eyes. "This isn't fair! It's not your fault, Caylis, you aren't making these things happen!"

     Caylis smiled bitterly. "Since when has anything in my life ever been fair? Was it fair that you were born with visions of good, and I was born with visions of evil? Was it fair that everyone was so scared of me they forced Papa to banish me? Was it fair that he cared more about his kingdom than he did about his own daughter? Nothing is fair, Isca. Go home."

     "I won't give up," Isca managed through her tears. "I promise, Caylis, I'll be back. I won't give up on you. I'll never stop trying to get you home!"

     "Don't bother." Caylis laid back down on the hard cave floor, curling up again. "At least here, I can ignore my nightmares. I don't have to care anymore what happens to anyone. They'll just be dreams. That's what you always used to say, isn't it? It was only a dream. Well, go home, Isca, pretend I was only a dream. Wake up, and you'll be Papa's one and only, the most beloved princess in the whole of the sea. As it should be. Goodbye, sister."

     She closed her eyes. The fear that had followed Isca on her whole journey here crashed in on her at last, suffocating her, bearing down on her shoulders and driving her into the dirt. Before it broke her completely, Isca fled, racing back to Maraqua and trembling as if she could shake off the pain and loss if only she swam fast enough. When at last she reached the familiar palace, she collapsed into her cold bed and cried herself to sleep.

     If only if was just a dream. If only they were all just dreams. If only...

The End