Here I am! Now we see Kertenkele again trying to destroy Raz… read on to find out (sort of) what happened to Opal.

As it was a bit late, soon after, they agreed to put Lela to bed. Making her a tiny bed in a walnut, Opal proposed a sleepover. Raz hurriedly agreed to this; she had a couple pleasant memories of 'sleepovers' with Shira when they were teenagers. "Alrigh." They'd sat down on her bed across from each other, drinking hot tea. When Zalim had come to say goodnight, he'd reminded her to take it easy and stay hydrated. "Wot should we do first?"

"Uh… I dunno." She admittedly with a shy giggle. "I never had a sleep over before. Not really anyone ta have 'em with. But… whaddaya usually do at sleepovers?"

"Well, back 'ome, me an Shira-"

"Who's Shira?"

She chuckled. "Oh, thas righ. Shira's, ah… my sist'ah, kinda."

"Kinda?" she inquired. "How do you kinda 'ave a sister? Either ya are… or ya aren't. Right?"

"Well… she wasn't always around. See, I grew up 'round my brothah's; they rais'd me. But Shira… well, she came ta our crew when I was… fourteen a think. We was good friends, an' kinda like sisters, but… well, hard ta explain."

"Ooooooooh…"

"Get it."

"Sorta. So… if two girls're friends and like each other and have sleepovers… they're kinda sisters"

"Yeah" she laughed. "Sorta."

"Oh… so we're kinda sisters then!"

"Yeah, s'pose we are."

In an instant Opal had leapt up onto her neck and was hugging her tightly. "I'm glad- I always wanted a sister. Now I have two!"

Raz smiled, hugging her back. She and Shira had never been close, as she and her brothers had. She'd trust any of the boys with her life in a second, but Shira… well, they didn't have the same bond. She liked Shira, of course. She was cool, nice, and a hard worker; all around an admirable person. But- "Ow!" the startled cry was more in surprise than pain as suddenly, one of Opal's claws pierced her skin.

"Omigish!" she squeaked, tears already sparkling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Honest!"

"Oh, iss' fine." She rubbed her neck to numb the tiny poke, just a tiny spot of blood visible on her fingertip. "I've 'ad worse. Waaaaaaay worse. An iss' already stoppin."

Opal sniffled, trembling, frightened and guilty. "I- I'm sorry! R-Really I am!"

"Aw gemmy, stop i'. Stop cryin- it don't help anyone." She gently picked her up, cradling her in her palms. She looked up at her with round, guilty eyes. "Quit that, c'mon now…"

She sniffed again, wiping her eyes hastily. "I- I'm sorry, I just- I…"

After she got Opal to stop crying and blubbering, they decided to do a little something called a 'manicure', something she'd learned from Shira.

"So… we soak our hands in warm water and then paint our nails with berry juice?"

"Yep."

"Oh. Cool!"

So they continued. As thy continued soaking their hands, waiting, Opal suggested a midnight snack. Raz agreed, calling for a servant to bring them a fruit plate and two glasses of apple juice.

As Raz sipped her juice, watching Opal happily nibble a grape, she began to feel woozy. She blamed it on ever-present pneumonia, giving her a headache. "Ugh…" she set aside her cup and leaned back against the headboard, reaching up to rub her temples. Her vision began to dance, black spots twirling around before her eyes. "Woo…"

"Are you ok?" Opal inquired, setting aside her grape, standing up from her previous position of lying on her stomach on the end table. "You don't look so good… should I get a doctor?"

"No…" her vision doubled, then tripled. "Woah gosh-!" suddenly dizzy, she doubled over, head in her hands, leaning on her legs and resisting the urge to throw up. An annoying, high pitched, squealing buzz had started in her ears, making her head pound. "I… I…"

"Oh, poor thing." She jolted in surprise at the sudden new voice. Who was here? Something about the voice was vaguely familiar, though she couldn't place where. The voice was smooth nd arrogant, soft, but vicious. "Does that hurt, my dear?"

"Wh- who are you?" she choked out, breath hitching as she began to feel cold; her body temperature was dropping steadily. What in the world was happening? "Why're ya doin this ta me?"

Two arms forced her to sit up, and the vague image of someone standing beside her came to. "Why else, dear child?" hummed the voice. "You see, you're getting in the way of my plans. I want my sister out of the way-"

"But wot does tha' hafta do with me?"

"Everything!" she snapped. "Everything! If I let you live, well… its prophesized that on the eve of summer you'll let her rise again… and of course, I can't have that."

"I…" she gasped dryly and shivered violently; why was it so cold? "But I…"

Kertenkele laughed as her niece fell down to the floor, shaking pathetically. She could see her skin turning blue, making her fur appear royal purple. The pollen that had been on her fingers when she'd 'accidentally' poked her had infiltrated her blood stream and was working its dangerous magic. Moonshine could work two ways; during a full moon, it could be a powerful healing potion, capable of anything. It produced magical blue stones, also endowed with its magic power, which could serve as lucky and protective charms. But, on a New Moon, it became endued with dark power, and could destroy any mortal who touched it.

She watched, pleased, as her niece curled up, still shaking uncontrollably. She was getting bluer still; by now all traces of purple had gone. Now it seemed the flower was using cold to kill her; freezing her blood and turning her cells to ice. In just moments she'd be frozen solid, destroyed from within. Kertenkele looked forward to displaying her dead, frozen niece in her throne room.

"That's right, dear child." She hissed, lowering to her knees. She lay a hand on Raz's cheek, sensing her blood flow stopping completely. Her skin left frost on Kertenkele's hand when she touhed it, and she smiled. Raz's eyes, having turned white as snow, slowly closed. Kertenkele smiled wickedly.

"Sweet dreams." She snarled. "Princess."

OMIGOSH! Did I really just do that?!

Yeah, yeah I did. I'm sorry!

Review if you wanna know what happens next! ;)