For Cassie and Abby; the morals.
For Ivan; thanks for the morals.
“No wonder you ran away from home…”
“How often do mirrors break for you?”
“FREAK!”
“If I were you, I’d have died from my own ugliness…”
The thoughts echoed in Karma’s mind as she stared blankly out the window. She had begun to be friendlier with Ludwig, but his siblings only seemed to have gotten worse as of late. They mocked, sneered, and poked jokes at her all day long.
“I’m not a walking circus…” she mumbled to the midday sun, rubbing her face stressfully. She hadn’t gotten much sleep, because the Koopalings’ voices (it was more Roy, Larry, and Morton than the others) had continuously ridiculed her, even hours after the words had been said.
There came a gentle, hesitant knock at the hybrid’s door: She knew it to be Ludwig, as he was the closest thing to gentle there was in this castle.
“Come in,” she called: Sure enough, Ludwig came waddling in, holding two frozen chocolate bars. Karma reached for one, though Ludwig drew back.
“Just kidding.” He handed one of the frozen treats to her as he began to munch on his absent absentmindedly.
“Don’t you get brainfreeze?” Karma asked as she watched the prince take large, friendly bites off of the bar.
“Huh? Nope, guess not.”
“What did you want?” She turned back towards the window, wondering if she would go for a walk today, just as she had yesterday, and the day before that…
“Yer friend is here,” he replied. Immediately she jumped up.
“Teela? And she’s our friend, not just mine.” Karma’s face lit up, and the sleep circles under her eyes became less noticeable, as though the sulking that had been weighing them down evaporated.
“Yup. She’s here.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. She just rang the doorbell and said she’s here, as though you had been expected her.”
Karma rolled her eyes. She noticed Ludwig had been acting strange. Just as she was about to bolt down the stairs, she froze, turning back to look at him. She stared as he grinned widely, falsely, and the hybrid then glared, realizing what was going on.
“Okay Luddy… Thank you so much, sweetie, for telling me that!!” She neared the prince, and puckered her lips. “Ludwig” took a step back, grimacing.
“EWWW, DON’T KISS ME, YOSHIBUTT…” Larry’s voice came from “Ludwig”. He took off running, and Karma rolled her eyes, giggling. She shut her door after him, going back to sit on the edge of her bed.
The wooden flute had been in the tiny drawer of her even tinier desk, and was in her hands before she realized it. She blew into it, making soundless notes that only one creature on Plit would hear…
It took several minutes before anything at all happened. There came a pecking at the window; a red bird tapping gently on the glass, beckoning Karma forth. She opened it and stared down at the ground, where a light blue Yoshi stood grinning and waving.
Her smile ignited Karma’s.
“You rang?” the fanged Yoshi asked. Karma nodded, motioning her to wait a moment. “You sure you don’t want me to come up there?”
Karma shook her head anxiously, turning away from the window and bolting two floors down to the ground floor, then out the main doors of the castle.
_
Karma and Teela sat in the forest, where they had first met nearly a year ago.
“You don’t look like you’ve been getting a lot of sleep.”
Karma shrugged.
“Why?
“Eh, I don’t know.” She looked away.
“You’re lying.”
“How do you know?” Karma snapped. She looked to her claws guiltily. She didn’t want to whine to Teela; she had called her friend here to a have a good time, not to have her serve as a psychiatrist.
“Because I can tell when you’re lying. Something’s up. What is it?”
Karma shrugged again.
“Come on, Karma. Don’t be difficult. I’m your friend… I’m concerned. I can tell something’s up, and that you’re lying, because it’s obvious in your face and you’re not acting like your usual self,” the fanged yoshi replied kindly.
“Well… I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep because the other Koopalings have been keeping me up.”
“Oh, those wild royal festivals going on?” Teela grinned. Karma found it difficult not to return the smile; she wondered if the fanged Yoshi baked fluoride into her food.
“Sure, Teela, if I’m the entertainment.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Hey… No need to get rude. You’re among good company.” She frowned, turning to a tree and beginning to pull herself into it. She motioned for Karma to join, she nodding and climbing up as well.
“Are they picking on you again?” Teela scowled at the ground.
“Yeah…” Karma’s face seemed to lose all the light it had gained from Teela’s presence. When Teela let go of her shared aggravation with Karma, she looked back, sighing.
“I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
There was a rare awkward silence between the two of them before Teela put a hand on Karma’s shoulder.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Karma shrugged.
“You know what I think?” Teela grinned, rolling her eyes.
“What?”
“I think you woke up on the Koopa side of the bed today. Come out of your shell, open up. I’m your friend; you shouldn’t feel so awkward to talk to me.”
“Well I don’t feel that I need to burden you with my problems.”
“You never burden me. I want to help because I care, Karma!” Teela urged. Karma took a deep breath and nodded.
“All right, all right… It’s just that they’re always degrading me. It didn’t used to bother me, but day in and day out—“
“Ludwig too?” Teela interrupted, her eyes growing wide.
“No… but ever since Ludwig and I stopped fighting as much, it seems the insults of his siblings got worse.”
“Why do you let it get to you? Why do you care?”
“You know, I didn’t. Originally. But Teela, there’s only so much resistance I have. I get sick of dealing with it. You would too.”
“You’re right. Dealing with that day in, day out; that would be draining,” Teela nodded in understanding.
“It is. I wish I could be like you… you have freedom.”
“Freedom?” Teela held back her laughter. “No, Karma. You should be glad to be here. At least you have safety.”
“You’re not safe out there? With your powers?”
“Only sheer luck will save you from sleepwalking into a pond of Yoshi-eating Bubba fish…” She shivered from her recollection.
“Oh, you could just palm blast them into sushi!” Karma grinned, thrusting her hands and mimicking Teela. “Come on, you’re like a superhero!”
“I’m not a superhero, Karma, and I’m no better or worse than you… Nobody’s perfect.”
“Apparently the Koopalings are,” Karma retorted.
“Nobody’s perfect.”
“Then why do they get to pick on me? Why am I forced to fight back?”
“Woah… Hold up… You fight back?” Teela asked, epiphany springing into her face.
“Huh? What do you expect me to do?”
“Nothing!”
“What?”
“You shouldn’t do anything. They like the attention, Karma! That explains it…”
“What’re you talking about, Teela? I don’t get what you’re saying.”
“Because you’ve stopped arguing with Ludwig… they have to entertain themselves somehow, so instead of watching you give your negative attention to Ludwig, they’ll bring it on themselves… just for a good laugh. Didn’t that ever occur to you? They’re teasing you because they’re bored.”
Karma thought about this for several moments before nodding.
“You know what would be really great?”
“What?” Teela stared blankly, watching Karma grin malignly.
“You turning Roy, Larry, and Morton into sushi… You could palm blast them—“
“Karma!” The fanged Yoshi scowled. “That’s no way to be. That makes you just as bad as them!”
This seemed to be a low blow to Karma. Her eyes widened in shock as she thought about this.
“You’re… right… You’re absolutely right… Man, every mean thing they’ve ever said, I just threw it right back at them.”
“And it was a waste of your energy, because they enjoy it,” Teela finished. The hybrid looked at Teela in shock.
“I’m a monster… just like they are,” Karma murmured.
“Hey… Karma, that’s not true. You’re my best friend, and I don’t think you’re a monster. You didn’t know any better. It was your instinct. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Nobody’s perfect.”
“So WHAT am I supposed to do?”
Teela smiled, leaned over, and whispered something to her.
_
Later that night, the Koopalings and Karma all sat at the dinner table; all of the gourmet dishes set before them neatly.
“Will you pass the mashed apples?”
“Ewww, Yoshi tongue, you gonna make me smell that nasty fruit?” Larry whined as he grabbed a bowl of red sauce, passing it to Wendy, who then in turn passed it to Morton.
“Gee Karma, must you be so freaky?”
Karma said nothing, only grinned as it was handed to Roy. Roy turned to her, and before anyone could stop him, thrust the bowl towards the hybrid, causing some of its contents to dump into her lap.
“Whhooooopppsss, sorrrrrryy!” he said sarcastically.
“That’s okay. Nobody’s perfect,” Karma stated simply, reaching for the napkins and beginning to clean herself up. Roy waited for a reaction, and the entire family stared, also expecting a fit. After Karma cleaned herself off, she continued eating.
“Ain’t yahs gonna hit me?”
“Nope. It was an accident, wasn’t it?”
Roy was about to say no, but then he shot a glance at his father, who although he didn’t like Karma, didn’t like missing a chance to show his authority either.
“Yaw, a’course…” Roy glared at his plate. King Bowser cleared his throat expectantly. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. As I said, nobody’s perfect.”
The End
Credit:
Ninja-Z for editing.
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