Ch.23: The Tragedy of a Prodigy! Cosette's Turnabout!

With the dorm room to herself for the moment, Cosette lay on the living room couch, dressed in a black shirt double the size of her body, with homework sitting on the coffee table. Sitting idly on the table was one of her compressed marbles, which stored the pizzas she ordered for Wes. She compressed them to keep the heat in. She may not have been enthused to join the Umbreon's festivities, but she valued fresh pizza as much as the next person.

She reached over the table and resumed filling in the answers on her worksheet packet, all with a resting look of boredom. Or perhaps indifference. It was hard to tell, even for herself. She was so used to getting her work done, it became a mundane routine in her daily life. Either she was doing something productive, like training or academic assignments, or she was making work for herself to seem productive. It was a vicious cycle, especially when she exceeded all available activity.

She flipped over to the third page in her packet, but dropped her quill and flopped back onto the couch. She could've knocked the homework out in one sitting like she always did, but she wasn't feeling up to it for some reason. This feeling, it felt different to her usual boredom. Once she started something, a nagging sensation would pick at her head until she finished the task, otherwise she wouldn't get her perfect eight hours of sleep. Now, she lacked any motivation to lift a quill, much less get off the couch.

She groaned and rubbed her weary eyes. "So tired. Why can't I focus?" She rolled onto her side and stared at the lone marble on the coffee table. She wanted to release it and take a slice of pizza before the others arrived, but it didn't feel right. It wasn't even her food, she just bought it with Wes' money per his request.

She couldn't understand his mind. Was what Krystal insinuated true? Was he putting on some façade of hilarity and clownish behavior to mask his pain? She wondered what pain he had to hide. Cosette wasn't a fool. Wes and Krystal knew something she didn't, and that became more apparent after the headmaster himself accepted Wes into the academy. Everything, all one big performance she wanted to unveil the trick to.

Cosette dug into her fur scarf and plucked out a couple marbles. She rolled them around in the palm of her hand while staring vacantly at the ceiling. Another thing she tended to do when there was nothing else to occupy the storm in her mind, she had to do something with her hands just to keep her from stressing out. Whether that be playing with a quill or pencil, rolling some marbles around, or tapping her finger on a hard surface, it kept her distracted. Anything to focus.

However, bored with the routine habit, Cosette found herself bouncing the marbles around. She looked up some and saw she was subconsciously juggling the marbles in one hand. A smooth, circular path exiting and returning to her hand, one marble at a time. She had the action down to a science, so much so that she could probably do it in her sleep. How long has she been perfecting her juggling? Probably since she was a small Minccino after receiving her first set of juggling balls.

A smile crept onto her face as she extended her other hand out and extended the range of her juggling. Marbles flying in arcs from one hand to the other, passing them back along and repeating the cycle like it was nothing. She laughed under her breath and lost herself to the simple trick. It sounded stupid, but juggling fascinated her of all the standard party tricks. Something about it felt calming to her once a rhythm was established. It was artful. It was coordinated.

It was…fun.

"Cosette, stop with that nonsense this instance. You're distracting yourself from your studies."

A phantom pain rang off the back of Cosette's head. She winced, dropping the marbles, and touched her head. She pressed down and felt no bruise or sting, just the fur and skin underneath.

She sighed and pressed her head against the couch's armrest. Focus on my studies. I can't let anything…anything…distract me.

"I say loosen up and have fun! You're at a private academy for Arceus' sake! Live a little!"

Cosette closed her eyes. His words, so annoying, yet so familiar. They almost remind of—

"Don't worry too much about the future, Coco. Loosen up, have some fun. Live a little!"

That irritating nickname again, yet it came not from the Umbreon who decided on calling her that. Perhaps the nickname itself didn't irritate her, but the person who gave it to her in the first place. The one she pushed away from such behavior.

Cosette gritted her teeth. So why…why do you keep pushing back, just for me? Why do you—

The dorm room door flew open, scaring her off the couch. She peeked over the cushions and saw Krystal and Wes marching through. "We're back!" Krystal exclaimed.

"Hey, Coco! Did you miss us?" Wes greeted, waving at the stunned chinchilla.

Cosette blinked twice, then looked away. "O-Of course not, you moron. Stop asking weird questions—"

"You okay, Cosette?" Krystal suddenly asked as she approached the couch. "The fur under your eyes looks a little discolored."

Cosette's eyes widened. She touched under her eye and felt a wet stain. Tears? She vigorously rubbed them out and said, "It's nothing! I was just tearing up because…I'm super tired. You know, those super loud, annoying yawns that make your eyes leak tears and stuff. Long day of productivity and all that."

Krystal tilted her head. "Odd. You don't normally get tired during the day—"

"J-Just take your stupid pizzas!" Cosette snapped her fingers and released the pizza boxes onto the table.

Wes dropped his bag and leaped over the couch. "Sweetness! Thanks a bunch, Cosette."

"Whatever." She handed him his student ID back, picked up her packet and quill, and trudged to her room. "I've got things to do. Don't bug me."

"Are you sure you don't want to—" Wes winced as she slammed the door shut behind her. "Yeesh. Is it just me or is she extra crabby today?"

Krystal crossed her wings. "Maybe she really was tired."

Cosette attempted to drown out the festivities blaring from the living room. She smushed two pillows between her ears, but their laughter and noise penetrated the walls as if they weren't there. Normally, she would've told them to be quiet or even shut up, but she couldn't muster the strength to get out of bed.

Her work packet sat on her nightstand, waiting to be complete. The temptation to finish her homework twitched strong in her mind, but the lethargy she felt kept her from moving. The feeling was truly foreign to her. She, of all people, laying down and doing nothing productive? It seemed unlike her, impossible even. She had to do something, right?

She turned onto her side and leered at the open letter sitting on her desk. The same accursed letter she accused as the catalyst to her grief. She still hadn't read the whole thing, but it taunted her to finish. She just couldn't leave anything unfinished, even if it brought her torment.

She groaned and turned onto her other side, fumbling with her fur scarves to take her mind off it. She slid her hand over one of the marbles tucked away inside, accidentally knocking it onto the bed. She blinked at it, then glared as she sensed the contents inside. She wanted to throw it away, but…

SNAP!

Cosette sat up as the marble uncompressed into the care package that came with the letter. She set it on her lap and took a deep breath. "Okay, what is it this time?" She dragged her claw across the tape and opened the package.

She pulled out a container of chocolates, a wellness guide on dealing with stress, a stress ball, and a stuffed star plushie with a bright smiling face. Cosette held the toy up, gave it a squeeze, and tossed it over her shoulder.

"Some gift," she grumbled. She dug deeper into the bag, then felt her hand graze something hidden under the packing peanuts. Felt, based off the texture. She did feel something round and metallic the further her hand traveled along. "You didn't…" She pulled the item out.

A jester's hat. Three ends with bells attached to the tips. Two ends purple, one yellow.

It seemed like an odd gift to give someone of Cosette's upbringing. It was the kind of gift someone gave you to say you're a clown. A practical joke all for the sole purpose of a laugh and a minute of mockery. A cruel joke at Cosette's expense.

And yet, she gripped the fabric and pressed it against her chest in a tight embrace. The bells jingled from the light shudders of her body. She fell back onto her pillows and sighed.

"Why do you have to torture me like this?" Cosette grumbled. "This isn't me. This…can't be me. I'm a Glowkeeper. We don't make fools of ourselves. We're supposed to be prim, proper, standards of a society. I'm supposed to do something important, to serve the people with my magical abilities, not parade myself around like this."

Even she could hear the lies blowing through her teeth.

She looked back at the unfinished letter, then sighed. "What do you want from me, sis?"

"Alright, check this one out!" Krystal clapped her wings together, then lit up the room with a burst of multicolored fireworks.

Wes stared up in awe with a piece of crust hanging from his teeth. "Haha! Now that's pretty awesome! That a new spell?"

Krystal waved it off. "Not really, or at least for offensive magic. I did say I was taking mostly combat magic classes, but I brushed up on some other uses for Explosion magic. If I get this down, it'll do wonders for a new Team Shatter Star Rollcall! HA!" She fired more fireworks from her wings.

Wes laughed. "Speaking of, how is the rest of your team doing? Have they contacted you recently?"

"Here and there. I get plenty of letters from my darling CyCy, of course! She's no talker, but she sure knows how to emphasize her worries in words." She sighed. "She's so thoughtful. Ebony and Hugo have been helping her rebuild and protect Ironworks. Saffiro had to go back home to the Aqua Zone, though. There have been a lot of attacks near his neighborhood, so he wanted to protect his folks. Oswald pretty much goes everywhere with him, so he's probably there, too."

"Man, they've been busy."

Krystal nodded. "It's been a lot of hard work for them. All of us, really. I still feel guilty I'm spending my time at the academy while they're actually doing something. I'm doing homework, they're saving lives."

Wes sighed. "I know what you mean. I have no idea what my team is going through right now."

"Hey, at least you have a reason to be here: to beat the headmaster and get the Key of Space." Krystal bit into her pizza. "Speaking of, how are you going to beat him?"

Wes frowned and crossed his forelegs pensively. "Still working on that. I'm learning as many Spatial spells I can to even the playing field, but…geez, I felt his power when he stopped my fight with Cosette. No one to back me up, either. It's me against him. My wit against his experience." He laughed awkwardly. "Maybe he'll have a heart attack in the middle of the fight."

Krystal smirked. "Wes, that's dark, and not exactly the best story. Hey everyone, I beat the strongest mage. The old coot had a heart attack! Lucky break, right?"

Wes rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't word it like that." He rubbed his chin. "No, if I want to beat him, I need to learn every trick in the book. Anything I can use against him. Anything I can use to prepare for the Shadow King." His face fell into a glum expression.

Krystal tilted her head. "Something wrong?"

"Kind of." Wes rubbed his foreleg. "Have you ever…discovered something horrible about your family tree?"

Krystal shrugged. "Not especially. Why?"

"Well—" Before he could continue, they heard Cosette's bedroom door open. They watched her flee to the door in a brisk walk, slamming it behind her. They blinked, then looked back at each other. "What was that about?"

"I don't know." Krystal stood up. "I should go talk to her." Wes suddenly pushed her back onto the couch. "Huh?"

"Let me." He sighed and glared at the front door. "I…may have a faint idea of what's going on with her."

"You sure?"

"I did say faint." He hopped over the couch. "I'll be back in a bit." He hurried out the door, hoping Cosette didn't get too far.

It took him some time to track the Cinccino down. She covered more ground than he expected, but he managed to track her scent up the dorm's stairwell. He ascended flight after flight, walking past the other residential floors. He reached the top of the stairwell where the scent trail ended. He stared at the door, which had one of those prohibited signs and a 'Staff Only' sticker.

"Coco's breaking the rules, eh? Yep, something's definitely eating at her." Wes disregarded the signs and pushed the door open.

A blast of cold air ruffled through his fur. He shivered and stepped fully out the door. He found himself standing on the dorm roof. Solid concrete with air ducts and pyramid-shaped roofs on opposite ends of the building. He looked to the horizon and saw the sun sinking below it, lighting the purple sky in a reddish tint. The first sign of stars appeared above him.

"Quite the view," Wes commented. He looked around, then spotted Cosette sitting on the other side of the dorm, facing away from the setting sun. He frowned, then walked up to her. "So, do you normally come up here or…?"

Cosette glanced briefly over her shoulder, then returned to staring at nothing. "What do you want?"

"Depends on how you respond." He sat down beside her, then took a moment to inhale the fresh air. "Smells nice out."

"I guess."

"What are you doing sitting over here, though? You're going to miss the sunset."

"I don't care."

"Your loss. It looks great." He took his hat off and set it to the side. "You know, nights like these remind me of when my dad took me camping. We never went far, just the backyard, but they were amazing. My brother would count the stars, I'd tell ghost stories, and my dad would be pulling his little pranks on us. Heh, good times."

Cosette rolled her eyes. "Yippee."

"Have you ever gone camping before?"

"No."

"You should. It's a worthwhile experience, even from the comforts of home."

Cosette sighed. "Did you come all the way up here to convince me to go camping?"

"I like to start off with some light conversation before we get to the heavy stuff." Wes scratched behind his ear. "You seemed upset when you marched out the room. What was up with that?"

"None of your business."

"You sure? You made quite a show of it. Didn't really bother hiding it." He frowned. "Come on, I'm your friend."

"You're an acquaintance at best."

"Friends, acquaintances; I just want to know if there's anything I can do to help."

"It's a personal matter. Don't butt into things that don't concern you."

Wes shrugged. "Hey, I get it. Family matters are for family only." He looked up at the sky. "Still, if you didn't want us knowing, you could've done a better job at hiding it."

Cosette closed her eyes and huffed. "I try to keep a tempered exterior, but family always finds a way to rile me up. In more ways than one, too."

"Does this have anything to do with why you don't like having fun?"

"I'm going to one of the most prestigious magic academies in Mysto during a national, potentially worldwide, crisis. I have no time for that rubbish." She glared at him. "What about you? You came here for some important reason, yet you've been wasting time and goofing off. Granted, you do seem to study hard when you put your mind to it, but…I don't know."

Wes blinked at her, then returned to looking at the stars. "I've made it clear school isn't my thing. But at the same time, adventuring may not be the right career path for me. I love the thrill and danger, but I don't have my dad's luck. These past couple of years have probably been some of my best work. How can I possibly top my greatest adventure? Can I get your opinion on something?"

Cosette shrugged. "Whatever."

"Would I make a good professor?"

Her eyes widened. She looked at him as if his head exploded. "You? Teaching? Really?"

Wes smiled. "I don't blame you. I had the same thoughts when it was first suggested to me. Seems so out of place. I'm not book smart. I like fighting, exploring, gold, adventure, gold, uncovering unexplored caverns—did I mentioned how much I love gold?"

Cosette narrowed her eyes. "Then why give it thought?"

Wes shrugged. "Well, if there's one subject I've always excelled at, it's magic. I get so giddy when I'm learning new spells and glyphs. I figured I could make for a good magical history professor. Plus, with the recent stuff I've been learning about my family, it might be nice to look into the development of magic over the last five centuries, maybe even back when it was still an archaic practice."

"You as a professor, huh?" Cosette looked ahead, twiddling her fingers together. "I can't see you as one, academically speaking."

"Fair."

"But…you do have the enthusiasm for it. A professor that loves what they do and gets their class to join in on that infectious optimism? Those are some of the best teachers you can ask for. It makes all the hard work feel earned, rewarding even." She sighed. "You actually find joy in what you're doing, rather than doing it out of some obligation set upon you. You're not forced to learn because a school system said so, or…because you were born into that role."

Wes glanced at her. "Sounds like you put a lot of thought into this."

"…It's basically my whole life." She sighed, then leaned back on her hands. "Ravenfield, how much do you know about class expectations?"

"We talking school or societal class, because I'm ignorant in both."

Cosette rolled her eyes. "This shouldn't come as a shock to you, but I was born in an upper class family that inherited strong magical ties. Through my lineage, my family was made up of some of the finest warriors and leaders in history. We Glowkeepers have a reputation to uphold, and those standards are pushed onto us at birth."

Wes glared. "Annnd I'm starting to see where this is going."

"You're only scratching the surface." Cosette hugged her legs. "My parents expected so much out of me. I'm called a prodigy, but that's only because I was pushed to become one. I wasn't magically gifted, but I was told to pretend I was. I was raised to look strong, and all the lessons just sort of stuck. Every waking hour of my life, I either perfected my magical abilities or focused on my studies. I was told that's the only way to achieve in life. Anything else was a meaningless distraction. They really drove that lesson in."

Wes watched Cosette rubbed the back of her head, almost tenderly. He squinted at the action and noticed the blank look in her eyes. His eyes widened. "They didn't…"

Cosette smirked bitterly. "They hired some pretty tough tutors. If I did anything wrong, they whack me in the head with a ruler and tell me to fix it. They never really said what was wrong. I had to figure it out for myself. It was a vicious childhood."

"Cosette, that's horrible!" Wes gasped. "That's not even tough love, that's just…mean!" He remembered times his own mother got violent with him, but that was only in response to his rebellious, younger years. His mother smacked him sometimes, sure, but those times were rare and for very special cases. Wes wasn't exactly a golden child, and he freely admitted to that.

"You know, if you told me that back then, I would've laughed in your face. I always got through the pain telling myself 'Mom and Dad know what's best for me'. I started to believe it up until I started the academy." Cosette closed her eyes. "Sometimes people just care more about their status, not the lives they affect."

Wes frowned. "That's not how anyone should treat their children. You're a living being, not a tool. I have a friend who's been going through a rough patch with her parents, but they've never treated her like that. They cared about their status, too, but they also cared for their daughter's future, even if they didn't always approve of her few choices."

Cosette sighed. "Your friend sounds lucky. I don't believe everyone of great economic status is tyrannical, but it sure is bad luck I got stuck with those types. Worst part, I got sucked into their ideals and went along with like it was normal."

"But if you truly believe all that, why do you keep resisting your love of the circus?"

Cosette clenched her eyes shut. "Because it draws up too many bad memories. Whenever I think about it, I think about that time and realize…how much of a terrible little sister I've been."

Wes' eyes widened. "Sister?!"

"Yeah."

"You have a sister?" Wes stared ahead in disbelief. "I could've sworn you were an only child."

"I might as well be with how my parents acknowledge her." Cosette looked down. "My older sister, Fleur, was their original prodigy. She worked hard every day just to please them, or at least feign it. Truth is, my sister slacked on her assignments and cheated her way through any lesson she could. It fooled them for quite some time, even after I came along. For a small bit of my childhood, I was allowed to be a kid while she had all their attention. She confided in me about what she did behind their backs." She smirked. "And I think that's why I hated you so much: you reminded me too much of Fleur."

Wes looked off to the side awkwardly. "So, you hated your sister?"

Cosette sighed. "No, no I didn't. I adored everything about her. I didn't hate her. I hated…that I rejected her from my life."

"Fleur, we shouldn't be sneaking out so late," a young Minccino said as the older Cinccino pulled her by the hand. "Mom and Dad might get mad."

Fleur turned and smiled. "We'll be fine, Coco. I wanted to show you something you might like."

"What is it?"

"You'll see~."

Soon, as they walked to the edge of town, they came upon what was once bare land. Taking up the vacant lot was a carnival, with bright lights and music blaring all over. Cosette's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in awe. Stands selling junk food, stalls filled with carnival games, miniature rides, and a large circus tent towering above it all.

Fleur hugged her sister from behind. "Pretty nice, huh?"

"Uh huh," Cosette sounded, still entranced by the lights and spectacle.

"Staring's half the fun. Let's jam." She took Cosette's hand and dragged her down to the carnival.

For the next hour, Fleur took Cosette to as many rides and games as they could handle. They rode on the carousel, sped through the mini rollercoaster, tried their luck at the ring toss, and more. Cosette even got to try funnel cake, cotton candy, and fluffy chocolate chip pancakes. The pancakes were Cosette's favorite. Fleur had to get her a second plate.

All the while, Cosette never had so much fun in her entire life. She hung onto her sister's arm and pointed at everything that caught her eye. Fleur listened with a warm smile on her face, enjoying the sight of her sister's excitement.

"The fun's not over yet, Coco." Fleur pointed to the circus tent. "We're going to see the circus."

Cosette tilted her head. "I never been to the circus before."

"I'm not surprised. Trust me, you'll love it."

They entered the tent and found some vacant seats close to the stage. Cosette shifted nervously as more people gathered around, so she clung onto Fleur's arm. Fleur smiled and wrapped her arm around Cosette.

The little chinchilla squeaked as the tent went dark. Before she could ask what happened, a spotlight shined on the ringmaster on stage. He flipped his hat through the air and gestured to the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Prepare for a spectacle unlike the likes of mortal eyes have ever seen! This is the Great Rodney's Flying Circus!" Fireworks exploded above his head and illuminated the crowd.

Spotlights flashed on the acrobats high on the pillars. They grabbed the trapeze bar and swung off the platforms, spinning and performing amazing flips through the air. One acrobat stood atop the swinging bar and juggled flaming knives in their hand, then threw them down and struck painted targets in the ground.

Cosette gasped as the targets exploded and, from the smoke, revealed circus clowns on unicycles. They rode along the walls of the stage and pulled out seltzer bottles, spraying the front seat audience members as they passed by. Cosette and Fleur got a face full of water with Cosette falling back in her seat.

Fleur laughed and pulled Cosette up. "You okay?"

Cosette blinked, then smiled. "That was so cool!"

"Heh. You're easy to impress."

Cosette giggled, then gasped again as the water seeped off her fur and clothes, transforming into mist. The mist gathered into the center of the stage, right above the ringmaster, who balanced the bubble of gas on his cane.

"Let there be light!" He pierced the bubble, causing the mist to exploded outward and transform into a fog of golden light that cascaded over the audience.

Cosette held her hands out and let a sparkle fall into them like a snowflake. Her eyes shimmered. "So pretty."

Fleur sat back and smiled. "I missed doing stuff like this, you know. Not having to worry about work or anything. No stress, no expectations, nothing." Fleur nudged Cosette's side. "You enjoying yourself, Coco?"

"Uh huh!"

"I'm glad." Fleur sighed and turned back to the performance. "Don't let Mom and Dad get you down, okay?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Fleur smiled sadly at the floor. "You might be too young to fully understand this, but…life's too short to be worrying about the future. I rather live my life doing something I love than working off the expectations of others. Don't tell Mom or Dad this, but I don't want to use my magic to serve some higher purpose. That's not for me. I'm no political leader. I'm looking toward theatre when I'm ready to move out of the house."

"Really?" Cosette gasped.

"Mhmm. But that's still a long time coming from now. I think you should do the same when you're ready."

"But what should I do?"

Fleur shrugged. "Don't worry too much about the future, Coco. Loosen up, have some fun. Live a little!"

"Live a little?"

"There's no joy to life if it's all work, no play. Do something with your life that gives you meaning."

Cosette blinked, then looked out to the stage. "Do something that gives me meaning…"

"Community theatre?!"

Fleur finished packing her suitcase and rolled her eyes at her parents, who were standing by the doorway. "Yeah. I'm staying with some friends so I can work at the local theatre in Scorch Grave City. I'll find work there so I can pay the rent and find time to—"

"Absolutely not," her Cinccino father said. "We got you enrolled to the Grandmasters Magic Academy to further your studies. We're not paying you to waste your time with some frivolous hobby."

Her Torkoal mother nodded. "Your father's right. The theatre is mindless entertainment. Pointless, doesn't contribute to society, and doesn't produce great leaders. It's expendable. We've been raising you to become a proper socialite of Mysto, not some clown on stage."

Fleur laughed bitterly. "My passion is for the arts, not boring stuff like that. And the arts are not expendable or pointless. They mean something to me and the people who come to see our performances." She swung her backpack on and dragged her suitcases with her. "Now, if you excuse me, my friends will arrive soon to pick me up—"

Her father grabbed her arm. "Out of the question. You're staying here."

Cosette, now a few years older, came upon the scene in confusion. "Mom, Dad, Fleur? What's going on?"

Fleur shook her father's hand off and marched past Cosette. "I refuse to stay in a house where my parents use me like some tool to better their status!" Fleur snapped over her shoulder. "You never gave me a chance to grow. All you cared about was whether or not you produced a worthy successor to this family. Well, you can forget it. I want nothing to do with this family."

"Fleurette Maryanne Glowkeeper, you get back here this instant!" her mother shouted.

Fleur glared, then looked down at her scared little sister. "Coco." Cosette looked up at her, trembling in place. "Come with me."

Her eyes widened. "Huh?"

"You'll be much happier with me than them. Come on, you don't want this. I can show you so much of the world. Wouldn't you rather stay with me than live with them?"

Cosette frowned, feeling unsure. "I…I don't—"

"Cosette." She turned to her mother and flinched under her gaze. "Get over here right now."

Cosette gulped. "But Mom—"

"Listen to your mother and come over here this instant, young lady," her father joined in. "Don't bother yourself with those frivolous distractions your sister galivants over. If you were to follow in her footsteps, you will be seen nothing more as a joke."

Her eyes shrank. "A…j-joke?"

Fleur growled. "Hold it right there—"

"The arts are a cruel, unforgiving temptress. No one is the next great artist or sculptor, or the next big playwright. Your dear sister is setting you up for uncertainty. The arts are pointless in the pursuit of progress. No good was ever done to the world by a measly painting that any child can splatter together with a couple of paint buckets. There is a time and a place for it, but it is nothing more than a frivolous hobby."

The mother deepened her glare. "Is that what you want, Cosette? To be ridiculed as a failure, to live alone because you weren't good enough for the world? Or would you rather guarantee a future where you're secured and respected?" She huffed. "Do you wish to live the rest of your life wearing some stupid red nose and parading yourself around like a fool?"

Cosette was on the brink of tears. Fleur touched her shoulder and turned her around. "Coco…" She sighed. "Not everyone makes it big in this business, I admit, but don't let what they say scare you. This is your choice, not theirs."

Cosette looked back at her scowling parents, then to her sister's inviting smile. Cosette wanted to choose her sister. She trusted her, more than anything. If she said she had nothing to be afraid of, then she should jump at the chance.

And yet, the oppressive scowls boring into the back of her head kept her from taking a step forward. A sliver of doubt crawled its way through her. She wanted to be a performer, but was that the life she really wanted? Could she make a career out of that, or would she fall in despair?

She was still young, and a child wasn't one to disobey their parents.

She clenched her eyes shut, holding back her sobs, and took a step back toward her parents, fists shaking.

Fleur frowned, heartbroken and hurt. She looked away, then started for the door. "Take care, Cosette. I'll try and visit when I can." She closed the door behind her, a sad creak lingering through the air.

The father huffed. "Unbelievable. All that hard work and this is how she treats us?"

The mother shook her head. "Where did we go wrong with her?"

"I'm sure she'll come crawling back once she crashes and burns. Maybe it'll teach her some respect."

Cosette ignored her parents and stared dejectedly at the floor, tears freely dripping from her eyes. She didn't know it now, but that would be the last time she would ever speak to or see her sister.

Cosette wiped the tears dripped from her eyes and sighed. "I was too afraid to stand up to my parents, so I took their side over hers. I haven't seen her since."

Wes frowned. "Cosette, I'm so sorry."

"Ever since then, my parents have been pushing their attention onto me, transforming me into this unstoppable prodigy of magic. As I got older, I started thinking more like them, that progress wasn't made through pointless distractions or stupid entertainment. I am to take over as head of the Glowkeeper family and make my mark on Mysto."

"If that's how you feel, why do you keep insisting on listening to them?"

Cosette glared. "Who knows? Maybe out of shame. I want to believe I made the right call. Should I really waste my opportunities just to become a common performer? It seems so foolish, turning away everything given to me for such a simple life. All for what, too? To satisfy some childhood wish? It's not like I hate learning at this academy, but what did it cost me?"

Wes shifted closer to her. "You must really love your sister if you've been holding onto that dream."

"I truly do love the circus. That first time I went with her was my happiest memory." She covered her face. "I'm too ashamed to even speak to her. I went out of my way to reject her from my life, believing she was a bad influence on me. She still found ways to make my shell crack. I think today was my breaking point."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, then summoned the letter in her hand. She wordlessly handed it to Wes, then hugged her legs as she stared absently at the stars. Wes unfolded the letter and started reading:

"Dear Cosette,

I know you're probably busy, and I'm sure you're just going to ignore this like all my other letters. I'm not sure if you even read these. Honestly, it's a miracle that postal workers are still delivering mail. Props to them, am I right? I really want to know how you're doing at the academy. Still, I hope you're doing well and making lots of friends.

Things are tough right now, I know. My theatre group had to relocate. We're fine, don't worry. We found shelter in a town that's doing its best to fortify the perimeter. Business hasn't been good, but we've been using our time to keep morale up. The kids here love our performances. They might be the only thing keeping the kids from fretting over the warring outside. Not sure how long we'll be here, but hopefully this nightmare will end soon.

If you do get this, can you at least check on Mom and Dad for me? They may have disowned me, but I don't wish ill-will onto them. No one deserves that. Most of all, I just want to know if you're alright. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if anything happened to you. I miss hearing from you. Just once, I want to see your face again, or see your words.

I do have some good news, though. You remember that guy I've been seeing for a while? Wilbur? He's been pretty busy the last several months with his team, trying to hunt down any stray bandits. I haven't seen him since. But he said once the fighting stops, he wants to try and settle down. He proposed, promising he'll come see me when the fighting's done.

Isn't that great? I'm getting married!

Heh, yeah, I know it's not the best time to be thinking about this stuff, but…it gives me hope, you know. If we ever do get married, I really want you to come, even be my bridesmaid. I couldn't possibly celebrate the happiest moment of my life without you. I want you to be there with me. I want to see my sister again.

I hope you give this letter a chance. I hope the care package helps, too. Just something to take your mind off the stress. I won't fault you if you ignore this one like the others, but…I love you, Coco.

Your dear sister,

Fleur."

Wes looked up from the letter, stunned silent, with tears dripping down his face. He heard Cosette sniffling into her arms. Her whole body trembled. Her fur stood on end, revealing the marbles tucked away in her fur scarves.

"I-I-I'm…a terrible s-sister," Cosette sobbed.

Wes frowned. He set the letter aside and scooched closer to her. He wrapped his forelegs around her and pulled her close. Her trembling halted. Cosette stared ahead in shock, but didn't struggle in his embrace. After a while, she sunk into it and cried into his forelegs.

"I don't think she's mad you've been rejecting her," Wes whispered. "All she wanted was to know if you're happy." He smiled. "Brothers and sisters may not always show it, but a true sibling is always there for you, even in the rough patches."

Cosette clutched his fur. "What a-am I supposed to do?"

"If you truly love someone, you have to meet them halfway. I think the best thing you can do is take baby steps. Maybe then, you can patch things up with her and feel free."

Cosette opened her teary eyes. "You…really think she'll forgive me?"

"I think she forgave you a long time ago."

She narrowed her eyes, then leaned her head against him. "Raven…Wes?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Wes and Cosette returned to the room, where they found Krystal collapsed on the couch with a slice of pizza sitting on her chest. She startled awake from her daze and peeked over the couch. "Ah sheesh, you're back!" She set the pizza aside and sat up. "Are you alright, Cosette?"

Cosette wiped her eyes and returned a weak smile. "I've been better, but I'm doing fine now."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Cosette sighed, then shuffled to her room. "I'm turning in early for the night. Oh, and…can I have some of your chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast?"

Krystal blinked, then smiled. "Sure thing. I'll save you some pizza, too."

"Thanks." Cosette yawned, then entered her room. "Night." She shut the door behind her.

Krystal stared curiously at the door as Wes took his spot on the couch. "I don't know what you did, but she seems…calmer."

Wes smiled. "I guess I have that effect on people."

"Will she be alright?"

Wes stared at the coffee table in silence for a moment, then chuckled. "I'm sure she will."

"Right now, I think she's doing a bit of soul searching."

Cosette sat at her desk and turned on her lamp. She rifled through her drawer before pulling out a spare piece of paper and a quill. She dabbed the quill a couple times in the inkwell, but hovered over the blank sheet of paper. She narrowed her eyes, hesitant to continue. A part of her feared finally returning her sister's unrequited letters after so long, worried some part of her sister resented the cold shoulder given to her for so long.

However, Wes' advice spoke over those doubts, reminding her that Fleur worked tirelessly just to reunite that lost spark between them. Fleur did care, with all her heart, and now it was Cosette's turn to return that love in kind.

Cosette dabbed her quill again and met paper with ink.

"Dear Fleur,

Hey. It's been a while. There's so much I want to tell you…"