Author Note: Here I go, off into a new fandom. This is going to be 4 chapters, I think. I have it all blocked out but am writing it as I go.
Emira would've loved to put all the blame for what happened at the library on Ed, but it had been her idea too. Sneaking into the library after hours, inviting Luz to come along with them, planning to steal Mittens' diary to post the pages around school; Emira had helped plan each step. One even could say she masterminded it, but she didn't want all the blame.
Even though the plan didn't fully come to fruition, she still got a good laugh at Mitten's expense in the end. The whole adventure cost her and Ed dearly when they got home. If only she could've just blamed it on Ed, that would've made things much easier.
The entranceway of the house was quiet when the twins slipped in, as expected for this time of day. Most members of the family would be still asleep in the wee hours of the morning. Almost all lights were off in the mansion, all except the study in the rear of the house. Emira assumed her father was up working early, since many days of the week that study light remained on all night. The only way to the stairs was past this room, which would've made it tricky to sneak in if the twins weren't masters of illusion magic.
After Ed closed the door quietly, Emira signaled for him to follow her and then cast a low level camouflage spell. Ed followed suit as they crept towards the stairs, careful not to make a sound. The spell would only aid in being spotted, not in covering up any accidental noise.
It didn't matter though, because nothing could get past their father.
"Edric. Emira." His voice stopped the twins dead in their tracks, their camouflage snapping with a crackle as he stalled them right in front of the study door. "We require your presence." He spoke evenly, his tone not giving away any clues of what was to come.
Emira didn't need any clues, she knew what this was about. Ed clearly did too, as he shook his head rapidly and pointed rapidly at the stairs. He wanted to bolt for it. If Emira thought they could get away from it, she would join him.
But no, no matter how fast they ran they would never escape. Emira knew this and she knew Ed did too.
With a shake of her head, Emira pushed open the study door. While she expected to see her father there, she was surprised to see her mother and Mittens as well. Father sat at his desk, writing on a piece of paper in front of him. To the right there were a couple chairs for guests, where the other two sat.
Their mother was dressed in a bathrobe, which gave Emira a twinge of guilt as her mother may have been sleeping before all of this. It was quite early in the morning, after all. Mittens was frowning, as usual, as she watched her siblings enter the room.
Emira and Edric stopped just inside the door, closing it behind them. They waited with bated breath as their father stood up, casting his gaze over his elder children.
"Would either of you like to explain what happened tonight?"
Ed grit his teeth next to her. "We were just teasing, Mittens needs to lighten up. We didn't even get to read it." His hand twitched at his side, but stayed there.
Emira backed his story up. "Yeah, we barely looked at her diary. We were just going to put it back anyway." A little white lie to smooth things over never hurt. Mittens wasn't buying it, based on how she had one eyebrow raised. Their father, on the other hand, looked quite irritated.
"So you are not aware then," his voice rose in volume, "of what happened after you abandoned your sister at that library."
"I'm sure she was fine." Ed's smile was clearly forced as he tried not to buckle under the pressure. Emira nodded alongside him.
This was the wrong response.
"She was almost killed by one of the creatures you created." Her father's voice was like a judge's gavel, banging guilty. Emira felt the blood drain from her face.
It was all in good fun, they had never meant to actually harm Mittens. It looked like she had made it out unscathed at least. Again, her father looked between the twins, casting judgement upon them. "If not for her quick thinking, Amity might not have come home."
That was odd, why not mention Luz? Emira thought the other teen had stayed behind to talk with Amity. Certainly she would've been caught up in this as well, but her father didn't seem to know of her. Did Mittens hide her presence from him?
Ed came through again, "We were just having fun." He persisted in the defense, lightly elbowing Emira and refocusing her on the conversation. "And we didn't think anything there was dangerous."
"That's right." Emira lifted her chin. "It was harmless fun."
"Well, whether you believe that or not, the fact is the two of you brought serious harm upon your sister." Her father seemed done with listening to their excuses. "You will apologize, and you are grounded for the next month. You will only be permitted to leave the house to escort Amity. Am I clear?"
Emira hung her head forward as she and Ed responded in unison. "Yes sir."
Her father didn't seem satisfied, as he gestured towards Mittens with one hand. "And?" he prompted them.
"I'm sorry…" Ed said quietly, trailing off at the end.
"Me too. I'm sorry Mittens." Emira brought her gaze back up to meet Mittens', a blank expression meeting hers.
"Thank you." Was all Mittens said, in her usual tone.
Her father nodded once. "Good then." He turned back towards his desk. "If you hurt your sister again or bring more shame upon this family, you will never see the light of day again." She knew him well enough to know he would make good on that promise.
Emira and Ed both muttered that they understood.
"You are dismissed." Her father sat back down at his desk, picking up his pen to resume whatever he had been doing when they arrived.
All three teens slipped out of the office, shutting the door behind them.
They walked in silence up the stairs, out of their parent's earshot. Once they reached the peak though, all bets were off.
"Why'd you tattle on us?" Ed immediately turned on Mittens, his lips pulled into a distinct frown.
Mittens crossed her arms, "You had to be stopped." She had to look up to make eye contact with her siblings. "Otabin tried to kill me!"
"Are you sure you're not exaggerating?" Emira cut in; Otabin was a sweet little rabbit he wouldn't do something like that.
Mittens stomped one foot. "Yes I'm sure." She seethed. "He had big claws and he tried to sew me into a book so I would be his friend forever!"
"We were just having fun." Ed said in response, but Emira couldn't really hear it. What Mittens said finally clicked in her mind. Ed had drawn the claws on that rabbit. When Luz dropped the book they assumed it was closed, apparently they should've checked better. They really had almost killed their little sister.
"I'm sorry we left you alone with it." Emira interrupted whatever Mittens was saying in response, drawing two surprised stares to her. "And it won't happen again." Neither of them had anything to say now; they just looked at Emira as if she had grown a second head. "I'm going to bed, so should you."
Without waiting for a response, Emira brushed past the pair to go to her room. Once inside, she collapsed down onto her bed. The weight of what happened and what nearly happened that day pushed down on her shoulders.
Had she always been this bad of a sister? The answer was probably yes. She had teased and played pranks on Mittens since they were very young. It was like a hobby for her and Ed.
Well, no more of that. It was time to stop picking on her little sister, or at least pick on her a bit less, a very small bit less she still loved to tease her, and be a responsible older sibling. No more putting her in danger, especially not mortal peril like today. She also should try to protect her, though she wasn't sure from what.
Emira wondered what kind of danger Mittens got in on her own, since most of the time she was off at school or doing uh… Emira didn't actually know what Mittens did in her free time. What kind of trouble did she get into out there?
She didn't know much about Mittens at all, when she thought about it. Sure, she knew she was a star student who got good grades, though not as good as her siblings, and had a surly streak, but what were her interests besides reading? What kinds of food did she like? Did she have a crush on a witch in her class? Emira should've been able to answer these questions, but she couldn't.
Maybe she should ask, that might be a good place to start. Tomorrow could work, or next week since Mittens might not forgive so quickly.
With that simple plan in place, Emira went to bed with the conviction to be a better sister in her heart.
Even though she had been up all night, it took a very long time to fall asleep.