The Sought, the Sister, and the Sorceress: Part Five

Author's Note: If you have been up-to-date with "The Sought, the Sister, and the Sorceress", which I hope you have, you'd know that at this point Sam is unable to tell her view of the story. So for this part, Lori will take over. -Kitty

It seemed to happen in slow motion. The orb of dark magic, Sam pushing Kari out of the way, the orb hitting Sam instead all seemed a haze in my mind. But there was Sam, lying on the cloudy ground of Faerieland. I felt hollow. She and Kari had offered to give me a home with them.

     Jhudora was coming for us again. I screwed up my brain and thought, 'shield, shield'. Then I relaxed as a shield of turquoise mist surrounded us and hardened into a dome. Jhudora beat furiously against the sides of the dome, but she could not break through.

     Kari knelt down next to Sam. She bit her lip and said in a small voice, "Sam?" I took a nervous step towards the pair of them. Oh, by Jhuidah's Cooking Pot, let it not be true! "Sam, get up!" exclaimed Kari, shaking her sister. "You HAVE to get up, Sam!" she said, her extraordinary eyes turning liquid.

     Not a hair of Sam's white fur moved. "Sam, I NEED you!" cried Kari. "If you hadn't followed me that night I left, I don't know where'd I'd be. I need you to look out for me in the future, too!" as she said this, big fat tears ran down her cheeks. I touched my face and discovered it was also wet.

     "I don't know what I'd do without you," whispered Kari. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Jhudora had stopped beating the walls and was now looking on with satisfaction. Remembering that it was she that had made that orb, I gave her a look of purest loathing.

     Then I heard her voice more or less. I would have wished for the "less" part. "It seems that I have hit the beloved Chosen One's sister instead," she said, her sickly green eyes glittering. "No matter. I see that it causes her pain, and that's exactly what I want to give her."

     Kari looked up and said, "You MONSTER! Don't you realize the more you say, the less time you have to live?! I am destined to overthrow you! Fyora herself prophesized it! So by all means, keep insulting and threatening me and my family, but bear in mind that I WILL find you and avenge my sister!"

     I could see the wheels turning in Jhudora's mind as she took this in and saw the shimmer of fear pass through her permanent haughty expression. I was impressed with Kari's little speech. But that only lasted a second when I looked back and saw Sam.

     I heard myself say, "Kari, I don't think there's anything we can do."

     Kari looked up at me and said fiercely, "Yes, there is."

      My eyes widened. "Kari, you heard Fyora! You can only do it once!"

     Kari replied hotly, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

     Satisfied, Kari turned to the problem at hand; she didn't know how to do the spell to bring Sam back. We sat there puzzling for a few minutes. Then Kari burst into a full flow of tears. She flowed and gushed a constant stream and Kari showed no effort to stop.

     I sank to my knees next to them and looked into Sam's face. At least she looked peaceful. I began seeing flashbacks from the moment I saw Sam. I saw that brute Tyrol snatch her up. I saw that wicked Kougra Yoraki looking at Sam the way you'd look at a poisonous bug you just squished.

     I saw Sam talking to Kari through the window of the Uni trailer. I saw her standing up to Jhudora. I saw her face when she first saw me use my magic. I saw and heard Sam and Kari asking me to live with them. Too depressed for words, I stared disdainfully into Sam's face.

      Then I did a double take. Did I just see…? No, it couldn't be. Then I saw it again. Did Sam just BLINK?! Maybe I was just seeing things. Then she blinked again! Kari, still flowing tears, saw nothing.

     "Uh, Kari?" I said in a low voice. Sam's brown eyes were slowly opening, like when you wake up on a Saturday. Kari still didn't look up. "Oh, Kariiiiii!" I said, my eyes wider than dinner plates. But she still didn't look up.

     Sam raised her head. I couldn't believe this was happening. Then she spoke. "Kari?" Finally Kari looked up. She saw Sam smiling at her and gasped. "SAM!" and she threw her arms around her sister. I admired the two Wockies embracing for a moment before I joined in.

     "Sam!" I laughed. "You idiot! You nearly gave me a heart attack! I hope you're happy!" Sam just laughed with me and Kari buried her head into her older sister's ruff around her neck.

     I looked at Jhudora and gave her a smug look. She looked furious. "You think you've won?" she spat. "You're not even close! I can make you live in fear. I guarantee that I will be around every corner you turn in your life, I will make you go insane with worry that I will be lurking near you. Every time you think you are alone, I will be watching. Every time you think you are safe I'll be there. So go on. Be joyful! Celebrate! But I will be back." Then she disappeared in a cloud of sickly purple smoke. Then I looked back at Sam. And we all laughed just for joy, unbothered by Jhudora's threat.

     Fyora appeared, looking as surprised as us. But that was confusing, because why WOULDN'T Kari's spell work? "Where've you been?" we asked her.

     "I was needed at the Eastern End of Faerieland," she said, her eyes transfixed on Sam. "I was keeping an eye on the whole thing, though."

     Oh, hang on, guys, Sam wants to tell this part.

      SAM:

     Thanks, Lor'. At first I couldn't believe it! You know, being alive. I guess Kari must have used her healing spell on me. ME! Was I truly that important to her? Oh, PLEASE stop laughing, Lori and Kari!

     Anyway, I was as confused as the others of why Fyora was so surprised that I was here and breathing. "That's not possible," she whispered.

     Perplexed, I asked, "Why not?"

     Fyora replied, "Before that boulder smashed into the wall, Kari, I was going to tell you that you couldn't bring someone back just yet. You had to become a certain age before you could do it!"

     Whoa. "So, if the spell didn't do it, what did?" wondered Kari aloud. Then the answer dawned on us all at the same time. And Fyora smiled and said, "Love. I suppose you and Lorelei brought Samantha back with your love."

      ~*~

     We went home to Mom, who cried and hugged us so hard I started saying, "Choking! Choking, meaning 'not breathing!'" Mom welcomed Lori into the family with open arms. We got her settled with a little Wuzzer who she dubbed Rosella, a Tiger Bed, and an assorted collection of clothes.

     Kari still hasn't attacked Jhudora; she always says, "I need to train more! I can't slip up once I decide to take her down (if I can!)" And training she has. Every day we go out to the field Kari and I used to play in when we were little and made obstacle courses and magic combats with the help of Lori.

     We still remembered Jhudora's threat. When we sat down and really talked, the threat hung over our heads like Jhudora's own unnaturally purple cloud. And once Lori found the light footprints of a Faerie in the wood surrounding the field we practiced in. And Kari swore she heard the swish of a cloak once. As for me, I never felt really alone.

     But maybe because I never was. Lori seemed the perfect addition to our family. She helped Kari make new friends in her class, even despite her strange appearance ("I heard that!" Kari is saying.). Now she has more friends than you can count. She and Mom have taken to each other greatly. Lori uses her magic to help around the house; you know, washing dishes, dusting, all that jazz.

     And she never seemed to want to leave my sight! Everyone seemed to cling to me ever since that battle in Faerieland, including Mom once Kari told her what happened. Since then, Mom keeps saying, "I must be the luckiest mother in Neopia to have such wonderful daughters!" Ugh. Way too mushy, if you ask me.

     I still believe Kari is the Chosen One. But she's more than that. She's my sister. She and Lori saved my life. Kari keeps saying she needs me. But I need her just as much.

The End