Mila Grothus, 9th, Madrid Jr./Sr. High School, IA, (Fiction

Mila Grothus, 9th, Madrid Jr./Sr. High School, IA, (Fiction)

"A Tale of Twin Witches"

Juniper stared out the window at the clouds. Her mother, Astoria, had just finished reading The Crystal Kingdom, her favorite bedtime story. As she stared at the starry night sky, she wondered if the Crystal Kingdom was really up there. She closed her eyes, and dreamed she was riding a unicorn. Without an evil twin sister in sight.

****** Juniper woke up to hear cackling and shouting coming from downstairs.

“Ugh!” she groaned.

Lucinda must be riding her broom indoors again. Everyone knew the ceiling was too low for that. “Lucinda! Come off it already!”

Lucinda seemed to never want to stop riding. Although the girls were seven, Lucinda had already taken up the role of the “evil witch” since Cassandra, their older sister had moved out. Their mother swooped into her room.

“I’m supposing you’ll want breakfast in bed Juniper?” she asked. “Yes please!” Juniper replied. Soon she was eating her favorite breakfast (a chocolate chip bagel with cream cheese and an apple), but it was not a peaceful one. Yes now Lucinda was off the broomstick, but now she was arguing with her mother about never getting to go to witching school.

“But mom!” Lucinda was saying. “They have a house for people like me!” “Your aunt was expelled for causing too much mischief!” her mother was shouting back. The argument went on, and on, and on!

Juniper stroked her phoenix, Pandora. “I’ll never escape this place as long as I live, will I Pandora?” she asked. Just then, Lucinda stormed into her room. “Lucinda! You know you’re not allowed in here!” Juniper said. Lucinda pointed her wand at Juniper’s prized phoenix pendant. “NO!” Juniper yelled. The pendant shattered to pieces on the floor. Juniper burst into tears. “What’s wrong

Juniper?” Lucinda asked. “What use was it anyway? You never wear it anymore.” “That’s because YOU keep stealing it!” Juniper screamed. Once again, their mother swept into the room. “Girls!” she scolded. “What is going on?”

“Juniper doesn’t take good enough care of her things.” “Lucinda broke my phoenix pendant!” Their mother sighed. “Lucinda go to your room,” she said. At this point, her voice was very stern. She repaired the pendant using the mending charm. Then once again swept out of the

room. Juniper picked up the repaired phoenix pendant, and put it in a hidden box in her closet. But when she opened the box, she saw that her copy of Tale of the Crystal Kingdom was missing. Juniper burst into tears. How could Lucinda do this to her?! Suddenly, sparkles appeared outside her bedroom window. She went to the window, and looked outside. The clouds in the sky were opening. “That was strange,” Juniper thought.

Then, she saw unicorns coming down. “Going out!” she called to her mother as she dashed downstairs and out the front door.

Just as Juniper came out the front door, the unicorns landed in her front yard. “Please unicorns,” she said. “What are your names, and did you come from the Crystal Kingdom?” “Yes Juniper. We did come from the Crystal Kingdom,” the oldest of the unicorns said. “My name is Breanna.” “My name is Simona,” the wisest said. “My name is Alanala,” the prettiest said. “My name is Celestia,” the darkest said And the last, the youngest and smallest of all said, “My name is Eternia.” Juniper went over this quickly. Breanna meant pure and virtuous. Simona meant one who hears. Alanala meant fair and beautiful. Celestia meant full of wisdom. And Eternia meant eternal friend. Each and every name seemed to fit the unicorn.

“Why did you come here?” Juniper asked. “I heard you crying over something,” Simona said. “What is wrong?” “I love the story of the Crystal Kingdom. It’s been my favorite story ever since I was a baby,” Juniper began. “I have an evil twin sister named Lucinda. She’s always getting into my stuff, and she stole my copy of The Tale of the Crystal Kingdom!”

“We all wish some moments never happened in our life,” Celestia said. “But we have to move on. How would you like to see the real Crystal Kingdom?”

“Do you mean it!?” Juniper asked.

“Of course!” Eternia said. “But you can’t tell anyone.” “I promise,” Juniper replied.

But as she climbed onto Breanna’s back, she didn’t see Lucinda looking at her from her window.

As Juniper, Brianna, Simona, Alanala, Celestia, and Eternia ascended into the sky, the clouds opened once more. And just like that, Juniper could see crystals, clouds, unicorns, fairies, fauns, centaurs, naiads, dryads, pegasi, banshees, dragons, dwarves, elves, gnomes, goblins, griffins, hippogriffs, leprechauns, mermaids, minotaurs, nymphs, phoenixes, pixies, satyrs, and will ‘o’ wisps. It was so much more than she had expected!

“First we will visit Queen Aravis,” Breanna said. Simona, Ananala, Celestia, and Eternia stopped. “No,” they all said in unison. “What do you mean No?” Breanna said.

“The queen doesn’t like humans. Especially witches,” Eternia said. “What are you talking about?” Breanna asked. “Didn’t you ever hear what happened to young Locasta Redwood?” Celestia asked. “The queen was so angry that Danika, Yashiana, and Tomo had brought her to the Crystal

Kingdom, that she froze Danika, Yashiana, and Tomo with her ice crystal magic for months! Then, she froze Locasta forever!” Simona said.

“Well, don’t you remember that the queen knows if the human is trustworthy or not? I think that Juniper is trustworthy,” Breanna replied.

There was no further arguing with that. For it was true. Soon, they arrived at the palace, and there on a throne made of crystals sat Queen Aravis of the Crystal Kingdom. With a scepter of ice next to her.

“Welcome,” she said. “I think we all have something to talk about. ******

“Your majesty,” Juniper said.

“Please Juniper, call me Aravis,” she replied. “Any person like you, magic or not, is welcome. Now,” she said, turning to the unicorns. “All of you know you should have watched to see if anyone saw you. Someone did. Someone we cannot trust.”

Brianna, Simona, Alanala, Celestia, and Eternia looked at each other nervously. “Was it another witch?” Juniper asked nervously. “Yes,” Queen Aravis replied. “One who was wearing dark black and white clothes, and had black hair.” “That would be my twin sister Lucinda,” Juniper replied. “And she can’t be trusted with something like this.” “What should we do, your majesty?” Simona asked. “We should prepare ourselves,” Queen Aravis said. “She has already tried to get in.” Juniper looked solemn. “I guess this means you’re going to freeze us in ice,” she said quietly. “I never said that, Juniper,” Queen Aravis said to her. “I never froze Locosta Redwood in ice. She tried to do that to me. She, like your sister wanted to have the Crystal Kingdom for her own.”

Juniper looked surprised. Suddenly, the sky and room turned a shade of purple and black. And there stood Lucinda. Cackling and screaming as she pleased. “Go away Lucinda,” Juniper said as she turned around. “Unarmed, unprepared, my, my, my. This is not like you Juniper,” Lucinda said. Immediately, she pointed her wand at Queen Aravis’s ice scepter.

“Veni scepter,” she said.

Then, she aimed it at the queen, and created an ice prison. “Supernatet!” she ordered. And moved the chamber aside. Then, she processed up, and sat down, on the royal throne.

“Now dear sister, what should we do now?” Lucinda asked. “I know. Why don’t I imprison you as well!” But when Lucinda turned around, Juniper was already flying away on Eternia’s back.

Lucinda acted quickly. She imprisoned Celestia, Breanna, Simona, and Alanala in ice chains. “Guards!” she called. Four dwarves appeared running from the hall.

“Yes your majesty,” they said together.

“Take these unicorns to the pre-torture chamber. I will handle it from there,” Lucinda instructed.

“Yes your majesty,” the dwarves replied.

And just like that, Celestia, Breanna, Simona, and Alanala were dragged off the chamber. Lucinda cackled, and put her dark magic all over the Crystal Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Juniper and Eternia had stopped by Juniper and Lucinda’s house. Or in other words, Lucinda’s former home. Juniper now had her wand and broomstick. She had also pinned her phoenix pendant to her robes. Now, they were back in the Crystal Kingdom, and nothing was the same.

“What happened here?” Eternia asked. “Everything looks so different.”

“Lucinda must have spread dark magic through the Crystal Kingdom!” Juniper gasped in horror.

When they arrived back at the castle, Lucinda was waiting for them. “Ah!” she said. “My dear sister has come back.” “Lucinda, the Crystal Kingdom isn’t yours,” Juniper replied. “Give it up.” “But I’m having too much fun,” Lucinda said. “It’s so pleasing to see your little friends so miserable.” “But they don’t deserve to be that way,” Juniper said. At that point, Lucinda had drawn her wand. “Rigescunt indutate!” Lucinda screamed. Lucinda missed narrowly. “Mentix!” Juniper shouted. Lucinda dived out of the way. “Demobiliarus!” Lucinda cackled. “Oh my, this is too much fun.”

Juniper doged the spell and shouted, “Exarmaueris!” Finally, someone was defeated. Lucinda’s wand flew through the air, and Juniper caught it.

“Oh Juniper, I’m afraid this is going to end well for me,” Lucinda said. She grabbed the scepter, and screamed, “Exarmaueris!”

Juniper dropped the wand, and Lucinda picked it up. “Occidere!” she screamed. Juniper thought quickly. “Supernatet!” Juniper shouted. The two spells met. Each sister looking intently at the other. Suddenly, Juniper closed her eyes, and focused on her spell. She used all her might, and finally, her spell overpowered Lucinda’s, and Lucinda went up to the ceiling.

“You think that’s funny, don’t you Juniper,” Lucinda asked.

But suddenly, Lucinda dropped her wand. Down, down, down, it went, until Juniper caught it. “You can’t stop me!” Lucinda screamed.

“Oh yes I can,” Juniper replied. And with that, she snapped the wand in half. “NO!” Lucinda screamed. And the light came to the room. The Crystal Kingdom was safe! Juniper grabbed the ice scepter, and released Queen Aravis. Then, Lucinda was freed from the spell, but was sent right home where her mother was waiting.

“Thank you Juniper,” Queen Aravis said. “For all you have done.” “It was the least I could do,” Juniper replied. And from that day forward, Juniper was the heir to the throne in the Crystal Kingdom.

****** Four years later, Juniper and Lucinda were going to witching school. They had made

friends, enjoyed classes, and had fun together. But, as requested by their mother, they were not allowed to be with each other. Juniper and Lucinda never forgot about the Crystal Kingdom, and Juniper never forgot that she was to one day rule it. But, they never, as long as they lived, forgot their adventure together in the clouds.